#1300 Matthew 21 Part 3 No Answer

 

And when he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” 24 Jesus answered them, “I also will ask you one question, and if you tell me the answer, then I also will tell you by what authority I do these things. 25 The baptism of John, from where did it come? From heaven or from man?” And they discussed it among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 26 But if we say, ‘From man,’ we are afraid of the crowd, for they all hold that John was a prophet.” 27 So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.

The Parable of the Two Sons

28 “What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ 29 And he answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind and went. 30 And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but did not go. 31 Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you. 32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward change your minds and believe him. Matthew 21: 23-32 ESV

Matthew 21: 23-32

…17When they saw Him, they worshiped Him, but some doubted. 18Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,… Matthew 28: 17-19

By what authority are you doing these things - Who are You, where did you come from, how do you do these things? Are You a true prophet?

And who gave You this authority - Which of the Scribes would agree with what you just did, who on the High Court of the Sanhedrin approved Your going into the temple and interrupting their commerce? Who told You that the temple needed to be cleansed? We were fine with the temple, with the extortion, the bribes, the money changers, Rome is the real problem. Jesus pointed out a lot of things that they were fine with, and that God had deemed abominable, so for this they really hate Him. When the prophets came they came on behalf of God to speak to His people, to expose the false prophets, reaffirm God's hatred of sin, His dissatisfaction with human works, false religion, checking boxes. They preached repentance, change of heart, turning from empty deeds, human effort and pride. Jesus is teaching all these same things plus performing countless miracles, but with these it only seems to make their hearts harder.

…51You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit, just as your fathers did. 52Which of the prophets did your fathers fail to persecute? They even killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One. And now you are His betrayers and murderers— 53you who received the law ordained by angels, yet have not kept it.”… Acts 7: 51-53

The baptism of John, where did it come from - They came to drop mics, but now Jesus drops a bomb. He gives them the opportunity to answer their own question, but they don't want to do this for fear of losing their narrative. These Pharisees are such politicians, not concerned with the truth, and they know that the people think John was a prophet, but to say that indicts them. It opens up a huge can of worms, because John also didn't flatter them, He baptized Jesus, and described Him as before him though He came after, what is all that? Israel hasn't had a prophet like John in some 400 years. Answering who John is will tell you Who Christ is, if John is the prophet mentioned in Isaiah then he is the messenger, the herald before the King. If John is God's spokesman then Jesus is the Messiah.

…2“Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her forced labor has been completed; her iniquity has been pardoned. For she has received from the hand of the LORD double for all her sins.” 3A voice of one calling: “Prepare the way for the LORD in the wilderness; make a straight highway for our God in the desert. 4Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill made low; the uneven ground will become smooth, and the rugged land a plain.… Isaiah 40: 2-4

1“Behold, I will send My messenger, who will prepare the way before Me. Then the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to His temple—the Messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight—see, He is coming,” says the LORD of Hosts. 2But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He will be like a refiner’s fire, like a launderer’s soap. 3And He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver. Then they will present offerings to the LORD in righteousness.… Malachi 3: 1-3

14The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15John testified concerning Him. He cried out, saying, “This is He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because He was before me.’” 16From His fullness we have all received grace upon grace.… John 1: 14-16

We do not know - Well then what can you possibly accuse either of? If Jesus says He is from God, backs it up with miracles, with the spirit of reform back to the Scriptures and their original intent, then how is it that not an answer from authority? Can you heal, can you raise people from the dead, have you told the sea to be still, fed 5,000 and then 4,000? Where does power like that come from, is God not sovereign? If you don't know then you shouldn't speak ill, you have to go by His words and His actions.

…10“You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and you do not understand these things? 11Truly, truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, and yet you people do not accept our testimony. 12If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?… John 3: 10-12

And look at what Nicodemus says before Jesus' answer:

1Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. 2He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs You are doing if God were not with him.” 3Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”… John 3: 1-3

Afterward he changed his mind and went - Someone who decides not to do what God says, but to chase their own way, wanting the illusion of human autonomy, they reject the Father's instruction. This same person, much like the prodigal son, later realizes their error, changes their mind, turns around and does what the Father asked. In other words, they repent. 

I go Sir, but did not go - He paid lip services, yes sir, yes mam, but didn't do what he was told to do. He is as much in sin as the first, yet not only doesn't repent, but believes that he is righteous for his words. 

…12Or if the scroll is handed to one unable to read, he will say, “I cannot read.” 13Therefore the Lord said: “These people draw near to Me with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. Their worship of Me is but rules taught by men. 14Therefore I will again confound these people with wonder upon wonder. The wisdom of the wise will vanish, and the intelligence of the intelligent will be hidden.”… Isaiah 29: 12-14

Which of these two did the will of his Father - Somehow they felt safer answering this, a parable, not using direct names or instances. They enjoyed conversation, debate, and this seemed more anecdotal. 

The first - The one that refused but then had a change of heart and obeyed. Bravo, you got that right, but you also indicted yourselves. John's message was one of repentance, and you have worked hard at confounding God's actual law, and making up your own. You have been adulterers, greedy, allowed God to be dishonored among the nations by saying yes, we are of God, yet you desecrate His temple. 

…38But the Pharisee was surprised to see that Jesus did not first wash before the meal. 39 “Now then,” said the Lord, “you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. 40You fools! Did not the One who made the outside make the inside as well?… Luke 11: 38-40

The tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him - God hates sin, and John came preaching repentance of sin. Through baptism he taught that they were unclean and needed to be washed; the prostitutes came, but the Scribes and Pharisees didn't believe they needed to. Theirs was a grosser sin, that of self righteousness, denying the verdict of God, hardening their hearts against Him, yet telling others they were right with Him. They were religious and that is all, their hearts remained unmoved. 

…31Jesus answered, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” Luke 5: 31-32

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#1299 Matthew 21 Part 2 Figures

 

18 In the morning, as he was returning to the city, he became hungry. 19 And seeing a fig tree by the wayside, he went to it and found nothing on it but only leaves. And he said to it, “May no fruit ever come from you again!” And the fig tree withered at once.

20 When the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither at once?” 21 And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. 22 And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.” Matthew 21: 18-22 ESV

Matthew 21: 18-22

He was hungry - This speaks to His humanness, that He did experience the same pains and temptations that we do, yet without sin.

1Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. For many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2By this you will know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and which is already in the world at this time.… 1 John 4: 1-3

And the fig tree withered at once - In the old Testament we read of Israel as a vineyard which did not produce good fruit, though the Landlord provided the soil and tools to do so. The point of a fruit tree is to bare fruit. Jesus has given them a very candid picture of His judicial nature.

“The first Adam came to the fig tree for leaves, but the Second Adam looks for figs.” (Spurgeon)

ii. In this acted-out-parable, Jesus warned of coming judgment upon an unfruitful Israel. It showed God’s disapproval of people who are all leaves and no fruit. “The story is clear and simple, and its point obvious, that what counts is not promise but performance.” (France)

…15No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not understand what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because everything I have learned from My Father I have made known to you. 16You did not choose Me, but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit— fruit that will remain— so that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give you. 17This is My command to you: Love one another.… John 15: 15-17

43No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44For each tree is known by its own fruit. Indeed, figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor grapes from brambles. 45The good man brings good things out of the good treasure of his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil treasure of his heart. For out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.… Luke 6: 43-45

They marveled - How did You do that? "It's magic", no, Jesus was kind and didn't mess with them like that, but it left an impression. When He passes judgment on something it dies and goes away. He is the Creator of the fig tree, and He called the world into being with His words. Oddly enough everything reflects language, code, like DNA, order, very complex, beautiful, balanced and detailed. 

1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning. 3Through Him all things were made, and without Him nothing was made that has been made.… John 1: 1-3

…11Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth vegetation: seed-bearing plants and fruit trees, each bearing fruit with seed according to its kind.” And it was so. 12The earth produced vegetation: seed-bearing plants according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. 13And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day.… Genesis 1: 11-13

If you have faith and do not doubt - We know that faith is a gift from God whereby we receive God's grace. We also know that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Jesus uses this also to teach them the link between prayer and faith. 

The power and prevalence of it expressed figuratively; If ye shall say to this mountain, meaning the mount of Olives, Be thou removed, it shall be done. There might be a particular reason for his saying so of this mountain, for there was a prophecy, that the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem, should cleave in the midst, and then remove, Zec. 14:4. Whatever was the intent of that word, the same must be the expectation of faith, how impossible soever it might appear to sense. But this is a proverbial expression; intimating that we are to believe that nothing is impossible with God, and therefore that what he has promised shall certainly be performed, though to us it seem impossible. It was among the Jews a usual commendation of their learned Rabbin, that they were removers of mountains, that is, could solve the greatest difficulties; now this may be done by faith acted on the word of God, which will bring great and strange things to pass.

[3.] The way and means of exercising this faith, and of doing that which is to be done by it; All things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive. Faith is the soul, prayer is the body; both together make a complete man for any service. Faith, if it be right, will excite prayer; and prayer is not right, if it do not spring from faith. This is the condition of our receiving-we must ask in prayer, believing. The requests of prayer shall not be denied; the expectations of faith shall not be frustrated. We have many promises to this purport from the mouth of our Lord Jesus, and all to encourage faith, the principal grace, and prayer, the principal duty, of a Christian. It is but ask and have, believe and receive; and what would we more? Observe, How comprehensive the promise is-all things whatsoever ye shall ask; this is like all and every the premises in a conveyance. All things, in general; whatsoever, brings it to particulars; though generals include particulars, yet such is the folly of our unbelief, that, though we think we assent to promises in the general, yet we fly off when it comes to particulars, and therefore, that we might have strong consolation, it is thus copiously expressed, All things whatsoever. - Matthew Henry

…2This is why the ancients were commended. 3By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. 4By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous when God gave approval to his gifts. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead.… Hebrews 11: 2-4

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#1298 Matthew 21 Part 1 Do You Hear What They Are Saying

 

Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.” 4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying,

5 “Say to the daughter of Zion,

‘Behold, your king is coming to you,

humble, and mounted on a donkey,

on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’”

6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. 8 Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” 10 And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” 11 And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.”

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

12 And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. 13 He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.”

14 And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them. 15 But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant, 16 and they said to him, “Do you hear what these are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read,

“‘Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies

you have prepared praise’?”

17 And leaving them, he went out of the city to Bethany and lodged there. Matthew 21: 1-17 ESV

Matthew 21: 1-17

9Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your King comes to you, righteous and victorious, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. 10And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the horse from Jerusalem, and the bow of war will be broken. Then He will proclaim peace to the nations. His dominion will extend from sea to sea, and from the Euphrates to the ends of the earth.… Zechariah 9: 9-10

More on Zechariah 9

They drew near to Jerusalem - This is at the time of Passover, and previously Jesus had avoided encounters like this, disappeared into crowds, got into a boat to evade those who would wish to see Him take a throne. Even His own family, brothers, had tried to nudge Him in disbelief. We could look at all that before and say, "yeah He's afraid, obviously He isn't the Son of David, the Messiah, because He refuses to go in and kick down doors, beat up Rome like we want." It's going to get worse, and we know this because according to the prophets He came to be rejected. He came to be the Passover Lamb, to be led away like a sheep to the slaughter, but afraid is not the reason, timing is, and He has His face set like a flint towards this cross, towards the wrath of His Father. As one writer put it, "the manger was always in the shadow of the cross." The insults and flawed logic are going to explode from the mob, "you can't be the Messiah because you are not acting like the Messiah we invented in our minds."  

…4For no one who wants to be known publicly acts in secret. Since You are doing these things, show Yourself to the world.” 5For even His own brothers did not believe in Him. 6Therefore Jesus told them, “Although your time is always at hand, My time has not yet come.… John 7: 4-6

And a colt with her - We get some more out of Marks account; there we find out that the colt had never been ridden, which is the sort of animal you would not want to get on. This animal isn't even green broke, it's just green, and He intends to ride it peacefully through a very large crowd that had gathered for Passover. 

Behold your King is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey - A horse would be more of a military sign, hence a war horse, but here He is coming to bring peace between God and man, humbly offering Himself in the place of sinners. He is the Lamb, but one day He will come on the horse, for He is also the Lion of Judah. This will fulfill the prophecy of Zechariah 9, but also the Jews there would recall the story of Solomon on King David's mule, a cross between a horse and a donkey. This is very public, and now we are moving really fast towards the focal point of all human history. There's no more hiding the claim of Who He is, He is the King; this is His humble announcement. 

32Then King David said, “Call in for me Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada.” So they came before the king. 33“Take my servants with you,” said the king. “Set my son Solomon on my own mule and take him down to Gihon. 34There Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet are to anoint him king over Israel. You are to blow the ram’s horn and declare, ‘Long live King Solomon!’… 1 Kings 1: 32-34

“Asses were of old beasts that great persons used to ride on, Judges 10:4; 12:14. But after Solomon’s time the Jews got a breed of horses; so as only poor people rode upon asses, mostly reserved for burdens.” (Poole) - Enduring Word

Most of the crowd spread their cloaks and others cut branches - They respond to the scene, someone famous, Who has been healing people, raising the dead, feeding multitudes, is now riding in on the foal of a donkey like the prophet Zechariah said. 

Wiseman says of the spreading out of garments for Jehu in 2 Kings 9:13: “The act of spreading out the garment was one of recognition, loyalty and promise of support.” (Wiseman)

ii. “Carrying palm and other branches was emblematical of victory and success. See 1 Maccabees 13:51; 2 Maccabees 10:7; and Revelation 7:9.” (Clarke) On the twenty-third day of the second month, in the year one hundred and seventy-one, the Jews entered the citadel with shouts of jubilation, waving of palm branches, the music of harps and cymbals and lyres, and the singing of hymns and canticles, because a great enemy of Israel had been destroyed. (1 Maccabees 13:51)

Hosanna to the Son of David - This is a Messianic term, so the crowd is identifying Him with certain prophecies, but for most He will not fulfill their hopes. They see themselves as good, and He came to save those who aren't. "Hosanna" is and expression of adoration, praise or joy.

…4I will raise up shepherds over them who will tend them, and they will no longer be afraid or dismayed, nor will any go missing, declares the LORD. 5Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and He will reign wisely as King and will administer justice and righteousness in the land. 6In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is His name by which He will be called: The LORD Our Righteousness.… Jeremiah 23: 4-6

…9Judah is a young lion—my son, you return from the prey. Like a lion he crouches and lies down; like a lioness, who dares to rouse him? 10The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes and the allegiance of the nations is his. 11He ties his donkey to the vine, his colt to the choicest branch. He washes his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes.… Genesis 49: 9-11

…6And the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD to minister to Him, to love the name of the LORD, and to be His servants—all who keep the Sabbath without profaning it and who hold fast to My covenant— 7I will bring them to My holy mountain and make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on My altar, for My house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations.” 8Thus declares the Lord GOD, who gathers the dispersed of Israel: “I will gather to them still others besides those already gathered.”… Isaiah 56: 6-8

Drove out all who sold and bought in the temple - The temple, like the tabernacle told the story of redemption. It was where Passover sacrifice was held, where all the Jews were commanded to go each year, and it is in Judah, near the house of David, the threshing floor, Mt. Moriah, where the ram took Isaac's place. Meanwhile, it had become a place of token religion, where money changers took advantage people who came to buy sacrificial pigeons and lambs. The temple was to be a reflection of God's throne, a place of worship and prayer. The people at the temple would not accept Roman currency so this made way for the money changers who overcharged for their "service", much in the manner of the indulgences and trinkets of the Roman Catholic church. The priests and other overseers of the temple were not true shepherds, and they cared nothing for the fatherless and widows; look at Jesus' response to them in Luke 21. He points out a widow, and they brush past a chief lesson to point out the pretty things in the temple. They are more about the building and He is more about obedience, Spirit and Truth.

More on Tabernacle and Temple

And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, 2 and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites. 3 So He said, “Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; 4 for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had.”

Jesus Predicts the Destruction of the Temple

5 Then, as some spoke of the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and donations, He said, 6 “These things which you see—the days will come in which not one stone shall be left upon another that shall not be thrown down.” Luke 21: 1-6

He healed them - Jesus continues to show proof of His calling and deity. He even has the power to empower His disciples, but then there's the Pharisees. 

Children crying out in the temple - There would be many 12 year old boys there for their first Passover. It was a rite of passage, similar to baptism or the Lord's Supper, the participants should be able to comprehend the serious nature of what they are partaking in. Let Nadab and Abihu stand for all time as the example of not taking God seriously, the approach is sacred, it is only and ever by faith in the acceptable sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

Do you hear what these are saying - They were calling Him the Messiah, and the Pharisee's want Jesus to correct them on this, but it's the truth, and He is also God so He can't lie. The Pharisees and Scribes have seen the same evidence, and yet in seeing they did not perceive. They reject Him as the Messiah, just like the prophets said they would. 

…2He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no stately form or majesty to attract us, no beauty that we should desire Him. 3He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. Like one from whom men hide their faces, He was despised, and we esteemed Him not. 4Surely He took on our infirmities and carried our sorrows; yet we considered Him stricken by God, struck down and afflicted.… Isaiah 53: 2-4

…39But some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples!” 40“I tell you,” He answered, “if they remain silent, the very stones will cry out.” 41As Jesus approached Jerusalem and saw the city, He wept over it… Luke 19: 39-41

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#1297 Matthew 20 Part 3 Mama's Boys

 

Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him with her sons, and kneeling before him she asked him for something. 21 And he said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Say that these two sons of mine are to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.” 22 Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.” 23 He said to them, “You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.” 24 And when the ten heard it, they were indignant at the two brothers. 25 But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 26 It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, 28 even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Jesus Heals Two Blind Men

29 And as they went out of Jericho, a great crowd followed him. 30 And behold, there were two blind men sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” 31 The crowd rebuked them, telling them to be silent, but they cried out all the more, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” 32 And stopping, Jesus called them and said, “What do you want me to do for you?” 33 They said to him, “Lord, let our eyes be opened.” 34 And Jesus in pity touched their eyes, and immediately they recovered their sight and followed him. Matthew 20: 20-34 ESV

Matthew 20: 20-34 Mama's Boys

…27“Look,” Peter replied, “we have left everything to follow You. What then will there be for us?” 28 Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, in the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on His glorious throne, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for the sake of My name will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life.… Matthew 19: 27-29

The mother of the sons of Zebedee - Jesus referred to these two, James and John, as the Sons of Thunder because they wanted to call down fire on those opposed to Jesus, but maybe thunder is another name for their mom. Jesus is probably very familiar with her, has probably been a guest in their home, and looking at Matthew 19 above, she and the disciples are now aware of the roles that the twelve will hold in the New Kingdom. There are twelve disciples and Jesus mentioned twelve thrones, so now their concern shifts to the proximity of their chairs to His. He has already been teaching them about the importance of humility, but we humans are always more enamored with pride. They still don't comprehend, and to be clear, neither do I, just how far Jesus has stooped down to help them. Yes, even if they were the only one's living in this world, Jesus would have to go through all that is coming up. They need Him as their Passover Lamb no less than the greatest sinner in the world. 

You do not know what you are asking - The glory they want to share in, to sit next to, is proportional not only to what they will physically see Jesus go through, but also Who it is going through this. They will never proportionally share this honor with Him, for He is God, descending from heaven, adding humanity to His deity, living a perfect life, as that of a lamb without spot or blemish. They can never kneel so low, give so much, and never will there be such a void between them and the objects of their charity. Another way of saying it is never will they give to someone so much less deserving. Jesus shared in their humanity, but not in their sin, He had to remain clean to be a sacrifice Holy and acceptable unto God. He had to be God to satisfy the justice of an infinite Being. They are in a non-negotiable place, only able to give as they have received. Remember, God can raise up stones. 

…38Then He said to them, “My soul is consumed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with Me.” 39 Going a little farther, He fell facedown and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me. Yet not as I will, but as You will.” 40Then Jesus returned to the disciples and found them sleeping. “Were you not able to keep watch with Me for one hour?” He asked Peter.… Matthew 26: 38-40

Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink - Jesus is about to be not only crucified, the human punishment of Rome, that which the disciples will all run from, but He is going to face something far worse. Jesus will receive the just wrath of an eternally holy God. God hates sin, and He Who knew no sin will become sin on my behalf, He will become the object of God's justice. The innocent will pay for the guilty. I can't even begin to overexplain this because I can't wrap my head around ideas like infinite and eternal, but I can see that there is only One suitable mediator for this, and that is the God Man, Christ. This is the perfect bridge between fallen humanity and Holy deity, the infinitely just and the hopelessly corrupt.  

…11After the anguish of His soul, He will see the light of life and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant will justify many, and He will bear their iniquities. 12Therefore I will allot Him a portion with the great, and He will divide the spoils with the strong, because He has poured out His life unto death, and He was numbered with the transgressors. Yet He bore the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors. Isaiah 53: 11-12

We are able - Better translated, "We don't know what were talking about." They sound like people from the corporate world that have gone to see a motivational speaker, and what they were taught is to answer quickly (knee jerk), say it with confidence (pride), and just believe in yourself (delusion). It is great to want to do great things for the Lord, but He's going to have to explain to them again what that looks like. If only life was as easy as saying yes to everything. 

…4Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. Just as no branch can bear fruit by itself unless it remains in the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me. 5I am the vine and you are the branches. The one who remains in Me, and I in him, will bear much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing. 6If anyone does not remain in Me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers. Such branches are gathered up, thrown into the fire, and burned.… John 15: 4-6

“But these men slept in Gethsemane, forsook the Master when He was arrested, and one of them at least failed Him at the cross…we can only follow Christ in his cup and baptism, after we have been endued with the Spirit of Pentecost.” (Meyer)

You will drink my cup - You will get a taste of this, James was the first of the apostles to be martyred, and John the beloved was tortured and imprisoned on the Island of Patmos. Wonder what Judas is thinking, huh? He is being more and more pushed away by the faithful preaching and teaching of Jesus. Many pastors would benefit their flocks if they would teach the whole counsel of God, addressing people's misconceptions, that is enough to drive out many a Judas. 

Is not mine to grant - God the Father has already decided this before time.

“He comes to do not his own will, but the will of him that sent him, and so he correctly says of rank in his kingdom, It is not mine to give. How thoroughly did our Lord take a lowly place for our sakes! In this laying aside of authority, he gives a silent rebuke to our self-seeking.” (Spurgeon)

When the ten heard it - They were mad, everyone wanted the same promotion and these guys got their mommy to go and ask with them. 

The rulers of the gentiles lord it over them - Worldly rulers aren't public servants, even where Christianity has been introduced, people will usually only pretend at service, try to milk service. We have politicians here that get votes by promising people money in return, yet they themselves want those people to back their play no matter how gross, and turn a blind eye to all their quid pro quo. They want to be served, want to be adored, cheered at speeches that someone helps them write. They want power and authority, titles and comforts. 

It shall not be so among you - Judas is yawning now. 

Whoever would be great among you must be your servant - This is upside down, this is not what we signed up for, and only the Spirit of grace can change a man's mind on this. Remember the sermon on the mount, He elevated humility, put down doing good deeds to be seen by men. We should desire to be great, but by God's standard, not by the standard of our fallen nature. It should be to His glory. The word for servant here also ties to the role of deacon, and in the Christian, Biblical context, these were men who desired to serve. They served those in the community who did not have the means to pay them, the widows and orphans, and they did it without making a post on Facebook. It is a sad place the role of deacon has come to, where men like the title, will give someone a ride to church, tell others so they get a pat on the back, but live lives that know nothing of holiness. They are the first to do the ice box challenge, to donate money where they know they will have their names tooled into one of the bricks, but deacons were actually called to those who could never pay them back. They were to be men of discernment also, not giving just to give, but also taking into account the actual need and the person's willingness to work. Deacons helped those struggling, not those milking another system. 

…3But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 5And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. Truly I tell you, they already have their full reward.… Matthew 6: 3-5

1Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to Your name be the glory, because of Your loving devotion, because of Your faithfulness. 2Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?”… Psalm 115: 1-2

Whoever would be first must be your slave - By our standard this is an even lower position than servant, lower than the deacon stoops. Are you sure when you read this that you were called into the ministry? What were your real motives? I am wrestling with mine right now, wondering why have done some things and left others undone. It is not wrong to want to be remembered for good, but let it be true of us, for God's glory, His honor. We should all participate with the intent to win, to run the race like Eric Liddell in Chariot's of Fire, to take hold of the prize, because we run as representatives of the Kingdom, of the One Who made it possible for us to still live. I am the slave of Christ because He purchased me with His blood. 

1This is a trustworthy saying: If anyone aspires to be an overseer, he desires a noble task. 2An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3not dependent on wine, not violent but gentle, peaceable, and free of the love of money.… 1 Timothy 3: 1-3

23I do all this for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings. 24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way as to take the prize. 25Everyone who competes in the games trains with strict discipline. They do it for a crown that is perishable, but we do it for a crown that is imperishable.… 1 Corinthians 9: 23-25

15What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law, but under grace? Certainly not! 16 Do you not know that when you offer yourselves as obedient slaves, you are slaves to the one you obey, whether you are slaves to sin leading to death, or to obedience leading to righteousness? 17But thanks be to God that, though you once were slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were committed.… Romans 6: 15-17

1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off every encumbrance and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with endurance the race set out for us. 2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3Consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.… Hebrews 12: 1-3

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