OUR FATHER WHO SENT HIS SON AS A RANSOM FOR MANY

The mother of the Zebedee brothers, the disciples James and John, had approached Jesus with her sons and lobbied Him for high positions for her sons in the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew chapter 20 verses 24 - 28 records the aftermath of that effort and Jesusˋ subsequent corrective teaching on the subject of jockying for positions of prestige.

24 And when the ten heard it, they were greatly displeased with the two brothers. 25 But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. 26 Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. 27 And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave— 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

When word got out that the Zebedee family had discreetly tried to press Jesus for preeminent positions in the kingdom of heaven, the remaining ten disciples were offended and a rift could have established itself in the midst of the disciples on the strength of that incident but the Lord Jesus called a meeting and gave them some perspective on the nature of rulership in the kingdom of God that humbled the Zebedee brothers and assuaged the rest of the disciples.

For contrast, Jesus help up an example of the Gentile societies where positions of power wielded by the rulers were gained and maintained by asserting forceful dominance over the rest of the people in their societies but Jesus told the disciples that in the kingdom of heaven, this would not be the operating model.

Those who would rule in the kingdom of heaven would be servants instead of lords and they would be slaves instead of masters. 

If any of them aspired to greatness in the kingdom of heaven, they would have to follow in the footsteps of the Lord Jesus who did not come to earth to be served but to serve and not to demand the lives of others be given for Him but to give His life for others.

Have mercy on us O God.

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