Great

A desire to be great.

On the altar of my life, on a fire that never goes out, I tie to the platform the worldly desire to be great. Perhaps better stated, the worldly desire to be greater.

We are looking for ideas – perhaps reasons – to give up some of the things in life. We want to be intentional about the things that we need to sacrifice for our faith. We want to be living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God.

Today, we are thinking of the events leading up to the day in Jesus’ life that we traditionally celebrate as Palm Sunday, one week before Easter. As we look at these events over the next couple of days, let’s think of them – let’s look at them from the perspective of Jesus understanding that He was a week or so away from heading to the cross. I wonder if He considered, “This is a thing that I am going to sacrifice. This is a thing that I am going to give up.”

James and John had a burning desire. They had an outcome that they talked about whenever no one else was around. It consumed their thoughts, their plans, their schemes for months on end. They had a question that could only be answered by Jesus.

Does that pattern ever consume you? Do you ever fixate on an idea – on something that you want? Have you figured out how things should go, so much so that you can taste it?

How can we ask Jesus if we can have this? James and John must have batted the question around several times a day. We don’t want to come off greedy. We don’t want to come across selfish. We’ve dropped hints, but Jesus doesn’t pick up on the hints. How in the world can we get our wish?

Mom, would you do me a favor?

²⁰ It was about that time that the mother of the Zebedee brothers came with her two sons and knelt before Jesus with a request.

²¹ “What do you want?” Jesus asked.

She said, “Give your word that these two sons of mine will be awarded the highest places of honor in your kingdom, one at your right hand, one at your left hand” (Matthew 20:20-21 MSG).

We don’t know the circumstances that brought the mother of the Zebedee boys to the feet of Jesus. Did she figure enough on her own to ask for the best for her sons, or did they put her up to it?

The culmination of your kingdom is close. You have been talking about it more intensely for weeks. The Messiah’s kingdom. We are just a few days’ journey from Jerusalem. Can we be second in command?

Can you relate to James and John? Can you relate to their mother?

We think that way don’t we? I know that God is in charge.

But He is busy right now. A disaster here. A tragedy there. People being saved at First Church. Appointment at 3:00 to welcome people at the Pearly Gates.

If I am second-in-command I can make decisions.

If I am second-in-command, people will look up to me. People will realize how close I am to Jesus. I have worked really hard on my life to get where I am today. I deserve a better place than … Bartholomew. He hasn’t done anything.

²² Jesus responded, “You have no idea what you’re asking” (Matthew 20:22 MSG).

You have no idea. When we have a burning desire to be great, we really don’t understand. We really haven’t got a clue.

We have had the desire so long, that we know how to play the game. We have had the desire so long that we know how not to ask, and we know how we might ask and get away with it. And the desire might not come from our passion to be great. The desire might come from our tendency to compare and our feelings of insecurity when we compare.

The problem is not HOW we ask. The problem is the burning desire.

Paul says I don’t care who preaches the gospel, how it is preached, or even why it is preached – just so long as the gospel is preached. The spotlight doesn’t have to be upon me (Philippians 1:15-18; 1 Corinthians 1:10-17).

Jesus pulled James and John aside. He knew the question didn’t really come from the mother.

“Whoever wants to be great must become a servant. Whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave. That is what the Son of Man has done: He came to serve, not be served—and then to give away his life in exchange for the many who are held hostage” (Matthew 20:26-27 MSG).

If you really want to be great, become a servant.

The desire to be greater – greater than others.

The worldly desire to be great.

The dagger is raised.

This one has to go.