What Is It You Want?

"What is it you want?" - Yet another open-ended question that Jesus asked, and this time of the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee.  When she replied that she wanted them to be able to sit at the right and left of Jesus in His Kingdom, Jesus asked another question “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?”    Essentially, the lesson is summarized in Matthew 20:26b-27:   "Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant (diakonos), and whoever wants to be first must be your slave (doulos)."    And, Jesus was the greatest example of this.

As followers of Christ, we will face trials and must make sacrifices; and we are to have an attitude of humility, being servants and slaves of the Most High God. In following His example, we seek to enter the Kingdom not by flying in with "fire on our behinds"; but, the picture is of a runner leaning in towards the finish line!