The Ask Response
Matthew 20:22-23 “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.”
BROTHERS James and John, through their mother Salome had
just asked for special privileges in the Messiah’s Kingdom. Now Jesus responds
with, “You don't know what you are
asking.” In a sense we feel a bit embarrassed for Salome and her sons. We
can easily see that their petition was in error, born of a fundamental
misunderstanding of the Kingdom of God. Being wrong is embarrassing, isn’t it? But
being wrong can be an important step to the truth.
That’s why I believe
Jesus dealt tenderly with the three. In His love for the them, he points James
and John to their true destiny. When Jesus says, “You will indeed drink from my
cup.” He knows they will, indeed, receive a special place in the Kingdom. But
first they will have to experience what He will experience. Suffering and martyrdom
are ahead of James. And John, who will suffer greatly, is saved from a martyr’s
death only through a special intervention of the Holy Spirit. They will, indeed,
drink the cup of glory one day, but first they will drink of suffering.
Then note that
when Jesus tells his disciples “it is not
for me to grant”, He demonstrates His submission to the Father’s will in
the Spirit’s power. The triune God is at work here preparing two men and their
mother for the suffering path to true Kingdom glory.
LIFE Link: The Savior’s cup
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