NOTES for Mat 20:17-34
17 And Jesus going up to Jerusalem took the twelve disciples apart in the way, and said unto them, |
18 Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death, |
19 And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again. |
20 Then came to him the mother of Zebedee's children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him. |
21 And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom. |
22 But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able. |
23 And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father. |
24 And when the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation against the two brethren. |
25 But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. |
26 But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; |
27 And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: |
28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. |
29 And as they departed from Jericho, a great multitude followed him. |
30 And, behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David. |
31 And the multitude rebuked them, because they should hold their peace: but they cried the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David. |
32 And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will ye that I shall do unto you? |
33 They say unto him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened. |
34 So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him. |
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Jesus is heading to Jerusalem, where His Kingdom is to be fulfilled in its fullness. And the disciples are ready, as those close to Him, to share with Him the glory due to Him. They are ready to recline beside Him at the meal, after first performing the ritual washing together with Him, and to drink from His royal cup. But He stops them: they have no idea into what depth He must descend or what cup He must drink.
These lines of the Gospel were written not only to describe the apostles' lack of understanding and their ambition. They were addressed, and are addressed now, to the new disciples of Christ who are just as ready to share with Him the promised triumph, but do not want to remember that the Kingdom of God is realized paradoxically: in service and self-sacrifice. The Son of God came into this world to serve. What did we come here for?
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