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Matthew 20:20-28 NIV
A Mother’s Request
20 Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him.
21 “What is it you want?” he asked.
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.
23 Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.”
24 When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers. 25 Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
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In a thank-you speech, the greatest fear is forgetting to thank someone or failing to give due honor to someone. Some people even get angry if they are overlooked. The order of seating for honored guests often reflects their status and rank, which is especially evident in politics. Moreover, under authoritarian rule, people often regard the ruler as a "god" and honor him accordingly. Haman, for example, wanted to kill all the Jews because Mordecai refused to bow down to him (Esther 3:1-5). From the past to the present, the human heart has not changed—pride and arrogance persist, and they even grow worse. This is the natural reaction of the sinful nature, tightly gripping the human heart. This is humanity's fatal flaw and the primary cause of social discord. Believers are not exempt from this constant temptation (1 Peter 5:8). The difference, however, is that believers have the Holy Spirit's guidance and strength to discipline the thoughts and intentions of their new life (Galatians 5:22-23), helping them to increasingly see themselves as they truly are (Ephesians 2:1-3) and to humble themselves. This is the direction in which the new life must grow. The apostles are the best examples. The Lord Jesus did indeed promise them positions in the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 19:28), but what He taught them most was self-denial. He predicted three times that He would have to suffer and be killed, constantly shifting their focus from the earthly kingdom to the eternal heavenly kingdom. Unfortunately, at that time, the apostles selectively remembered the teachings of Jesus, recalling only the glory they desired, while forgetting that the necessary path to glory involves suffering and self-denial. As they journeyed to Jerusalem, they could not grasp the Lord Jesus' feelings but instead continued to argue over their positions in the Kingdom of Heaven. James and John even tried to leverage their relationship with their mother and Jesus' mother Mary to secure high-ranking positions. As the prophet Jeremiah said, "The heart is deceitful above all things" (Jeremiah 17:9). The other apostles were also unwilling to back down, leading to discord (Mark 10:24). This was a contradiction that the Lord Jesus had to address. He used Himself as an example: before receiving glory, He had to suffer, and the apostles would be no exception. Yet this reminder could not awaken their desire for glory. They boldly claimed that they could endure suffering like the Lord. So the Lord Jesus clearly explained to them the structure of the Kingdom of Heaven: those in high positions are servants to others. Before the Lord Jesus returned to the heavenly throne and received all glory, He was a suffering servant (Mark 10:28). In the Kingdom of Heaven, the value system is such that "glory is proportional to the extent of suffering for the Lord." The apostle Paul said of the Lord Jesus, "Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross. Therefore, God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name" (Philippians 2:8-9). This gives us a practical application: "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility, value others above yourselves" (Philippians 2:3). Proverbs conveys a similar reminder: "The fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom, and humility comes before honor" (Proverbs 15:33). Humility and self-denial are the necessary paths to glory. The prophet Micah also declared God's will, saying, "He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God" (Micah 6:8). In this age where everyone wants to climb over others to get ahead, how can we avoid conforming to the world? What is our countermeasure? Are we serving two masters? (Matthew 6:24)
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