Matthew 20:21-22 (NIVUK)
…She said, ‘Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.’
22 ‘You don’t know what you are asking,’ Jesus said to them. ‘Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?’
‘We can,’ they answered.
So how do the sons of Zebedee and their mum reply to Jesus asking what they want? Mum wants her sons to sit on his right and left in his kingdom – she clearly sees him as a king coming to wrest control from the Romans and reign in power. But this is not who Jesus is, and not what his kingdom is about. He wins his kingdom with sacrifice not violence, are the boys willing to share his cup? They say yes, but you have to wonder if they had even the faintest inkling of what he meant. I doubt it, besides, only Jesus’ sacrifice could achieve our salvation. That said, in their own ways they did share his cup – James was martyred for the faith and John was exiled. Following Jesus is not an easy life.
Jesus, thank you for your self-sacrifice for us. Spirit, give us the confidence to follow Christ no matter where that takes us.
Original photo by Evan Dennis on Unsplash
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