Today's post comes from Matthew 20:20-28. To watch the video version of this message, click here.
Matthew 20:20-28 covers the topic of greatness, which is an important topic because all of us were born to be great. In the Kingdom, greatness is not comprised of titles, positions, authority, power, political influence, or money. Greatness actually looks like humble service, honoring others and giving of yourself to those you lead.
Jesus says even He didn’t come to be served, but to serve us. He is the epitome of greatness on this earth, and His greatest act was giving up His very life for us.
Greatness looks like giving up our lives for the Kingdom. Greatness looks like martyrdom.
Let me explain what I mean by my last statement.
Not every Christian is called to be persecuted, tortured, or killed for the Gospel. But every child of the King is called to be a martyr. The root word for martyr (in the Greek) means “witness.” All of us are called to be a living, breathing, walking testimony of God’s goodness. Our mission is to share this good Father, this amazing Savior, this deep Friend, with the world.
To do this, we must say yes to the cause of the Kingdom, and we must be willing to lay down our lives for our King. No matter the cost, we must give Him our all.
Then the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus with her sons. She knelt respectfully to ask a favor. “What is your request?” he asked. She replied, “In your Kingdom, please let my two sons sit in places of honor next to you, one on your right and the other on your left.”
But Jesus answered by saying to them, “You don’t know what you are asking! Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering I am about to drink?” “Oh yes,” they replied, “we are able!” Jesus told them, “You will indeed drink from my bitter cup. But I have no right to say who will sit on my right or my left. My Father has prepared those places for the ones he has chosen.” (Matthew 20:20-23, NLT)
When I first read these verses, I was, quite frankly, confused. Why did Jesus ask James and John if they could drink of the suffering He would endure? It seems like a superfluous question, for He later says He doesn't get to choose who will sit at His right and His left.
But Jesus never wasted words. He didn't spout out the first thing He could think of and then change His mind.
Still, He challenges James and John, 'Can you pass the test?' Then when they respond, 'We can,' He says, 'You can and you will. But even so, I can't give you the reward you seek. That's not up to me.'
Why ask a follow up question if there's nothing to follow up on?
There's a reason. With God, there is always a reason.
I’m not sure what that reason is here, but I do have a couple thoughts:
Potential Reason 1: Jesus wanted to test the disciples' hearts. More specifically, He wanted them to see what was within their hearts.
Potential Reason 2: He wanted to prepare them for what would come (their suffering for the Kingdom).
Potential Reason 3: He wanted to change their mindset.
We tend to think in this manner: 'If I can prove I'm good enough ... strong enough ... wise enough ... rich enough ... x, y, z enough ... then I'll acquire what I desire.' But the Kingdom is not about proving ourselves. We have nothing to prove to our Father. We have nothing to prove to each other.
The Kingdom is meant to flow out of us naturally, as a result of Holy Spirit leading our hearts and guiding our minds. This doesn't mean we don't ever have to work hard, but it does mean our work comes from a place of resting in God’s love, rather than striving to earn it.
We aren't meant to earn greatness. We're meant to be great, and from that place, our greatness will become evident in what we say and do.
And somehow, we learn greatness through service and humility, putting others' needs above our own as we choose to love. We learn greatness and we become great as we sacrifice for the cause of Christ.
Jesus asked a hard question that required courage and shocking honesty to answer:
'Are you willing to pay the price, even if you don't get the reward for it? Are you willing to sacrifice it all, even if it doesn't look like what you expected? Are you willing to live, breathe, and die for Me, even if you don't see everything I promised before you leave this world?’
This is the core question every martyr must answer in their heart. They must be settled in a resolved, unrelenting YES.
Jim Elliot was a young man who devoted his life to Christ. At age 22, he heard about the Huaorani, a tribe in Ecuador that had never heard the Gospel. These people were nicknamed by nearby tribes Auca, which means "savage." According to Wikipedia, they were, "considered violent and dangerous to outsiders" ("Jim Elliot"). Despite the great danger, Jim Elliot felt called to reach these unreachable people.
Nearly a year before, he had written the following statement in his journal: "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose" (as quoted here). He penned these words on October 28, 1949.
After deciding to pursue the Huaorani in 1950, Jim made preparations and gathered a team of four other men: Peter Fleming, Ed McCully, Roger Youderian, and Nate Saint. In the fall of 1955, these five fellows began interacting with the Huaorani.
The first several months, the missionaries sent gifts down to the Huaorani via a basket from their plane. These gifts were well received and even reciprocated.
So on January 6th, 1956, the missionaries met some of these savage people on a sandbar by a river. Only a few came, but they seemed friendly and interested. One young man even went for a plane ride. But two days later, the Huaorani attacked Jim Elliot and his four friends, killing them with spears. Their bodies were found over the next few days in the river.
These five brave men died on January 8th, 1956. Jim was only 28 years old. He left behind his wife, Elizabeth, and his 10-month-old daughter, Valerie.
But Jim Elliot and his friends did not die in vain. Two years later, Elisabeth Elliot and Rachel Saint went back to the Huaorani and were able to share Jesus with them. That savage group of people came to know Christ, and their tribe was transformed.
For Jim Elliot, it all started with a yes. 'Yes, I will give my life to fulfill God's call. Yes, I will sacrifice everything for the Gospel. Yes, I will live, and breathe, and even die for the Kingdom. Yes.'
His yes cost him greatly, but it also spurred the church to act and produced great fruit. Today, he is remembered and honored as a great missionary, a brave martyr, and a dedicated son of the King. His life and his death left a great legacy for us to follow.
There is a cup you have been given to drink, and there will be times when that drink seems bitter. You will have opportunities in your life to share in Jesus' suffering. You may not physically die for the Kingdom - but your yes will cost you.
Your yes will require sacrifice. Your yes will mean giving up things, missing out on things, letting go of things. Your yes is going to hurt at times.
But if you'll hang in there and never let go of that yes in your heart - you will find it's worth it. Jesus is worth it! You will be able to say that there is no price too high to pay for the reward you will one day receive. And one day, whether in this life or the next, you will see the amazing, ever-expanding fruit of your sacrifice.
This is what greatness looks like. This is how to be great in God's kingdom.
I want to encourage you: it all begins with one simple, surrendered yes. As you say yes to Jesus, the Ultimate Yes, you'll find more yeses tumbling out of your heart in a multiplying river.
And if you struggle to say yes, I invite you to meet with Jesus and stare into His eyes. Come back to the place where you know how much He adores you, and from that place of love and connection, offer Him your yes.
You never know what one little yes can do. Your seemingly small yes could change the world.
So offer your Father your yes. Big or small, pretty or messy, it doesn't matter. Give Him the yes you have. Then bask in His pleasure over you and the courage of your heart. He loves you. He is proud of you. He treasures you and the yes you bring to Him.
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