Jesus Explains His Kingdom
Matthew 20:20-28
Introduction:
Attention:
At one point during my seminary days, my wife and I gave up our jobs in Walters, Virginia so that we could return to Southeastern Seminary and so I could finish my degree. The plan worked out beautifully. I was able to move back into my home in Youngsville and I was able to fit all of my classes into 1 last semester. However, when we arrived, the jobs that my wife and I had lined up didn’t materialize. Jewell’s job wouldn’t start until Christmas and my prospective employer began laying off, so I was not allowed to start work at all.
During this devastating mountaintop experience, God humbled me greatly and He also taught me some of the most incredible lessons of my life. One of those lessons involved eminence. Much of my self esteem evolved from my position and my accomplishments. But now, I had no position and my accomplishments seemed more insignificant than ever as life quickly moved from celebration to survival.
I withdrew our life savings and realized that if we cut our expenses then we had just enough money to make it to graduation. Plans are beautiful things, but they rarely materialize into the same golden hues that we paint behind the closed doors of the art rooms of our minds. Indeed, they usually morph into a grayish, squid-like animal with multiple tentacles waving in every direction; nearly impossible to grasp and equally impossible to hold. In November 2004, our plan breathed a life of its own life. Six weeks before Christmas, and out of money, we had to turn to God with a simple petition. “Lord, we need enough money to give our kids some gifts for Christmas and we need enough money to pay our bills.”
During this time, God began to put it on the hearts of some very normal and average people to help us out. And this is how I learned about “greatness.”
Let me tell you about Gavin and Sharon, a couple who lived in a single wide trailer in the middle of a corn field in Walters, Virginia. Gavin and Sharon lost their child in a tragic automobile accident. They also lost their vehicle and Gavin’s injuries made his work as a carpenter extremely painful. For months following this accident, he was not able to work at all. I joined with several friends from my church and we raised enough money to replace their vehicle. Eventually, Gavin was able to return to work.
While visiting some dear friends in this little town, I ran into Gavin again. During our conversation, he asked me if I had a financial need. I don’t know how he figured it out, but I believe that God showed it to him. I politely told him that times were tight, but we would make it. About a week later, I received a check from this family for $300.00. Gavin told me, “God has blessed us Tony. And he wanted us to help you out. I returned to work and we have a little extra money right now and He wants me to give this to you.” Here was a man that had lost a young child, lost the family van and would feel needles running through his arms and neck every time he swung a hammer for the rest of his life, and he was able to say to me, “God has blessed me.”
Need Element
biblical principle:
Brothers and sisters, many of us are scrambling to get to the top of the corporate ladder. You are looking for importance. You are trying to build self-esteem. You want to be somebody. You are looking for greatness, but greatness is not there. Many of us have poured our lives into our families. We are trying to build a great family. These are not bad things to do, but truthfully, a large part of our motivation is to achieve eminence. But alas, the satisfaction of greatness does not come from being the perfect mom or dad. We try to be the best at everything we do, hoping that just maybe, somehow, we will become the best at something and people will look at us and say, “Isn’t he great” or “isn’t she great.” But greatness is not there. True greatness is a reward of service, not a position to be gained. Friends, Gavin is just a poor carpenter out in the deep woods of Virginia. But, to me he is one of the greatest people I know.
Our text demonstrates this principle in a negative connotation with a surprising audience. Jesus has just finished telling his disciples several key details about His kingdom. He tells his disciples that they will be rewarded for what they give up on earth (19:27-30), He tells them that they will sit on twelve thrones in His Kingdom, and then He tells his disciples that he is going to die (20:17-19). Immediately following this revelation, James, John and their mother Salome approach Jesus with a selfish, but significant request. Join me as we read Matthew 20:20-28 together. (allow time to turn in the bible to Matthew)
(Read text here)
In our text, Jesus takes the opportunity to explain His kingdom to His disciples. In doing so, he shows them that they have a skewed understanding of greatness.
Textual Idea: Sermon Idea: Interrogative: Transition:
key word Jesus explains that greatness in his kingdom is a product of servant leadership. Today, Jesus wants us to understand that greatness in His kingdom is a product of servant leadership. So how does our text instruct us about greatness? Our text shatters three myths about greatness. These myths are nearly as old as time and they are just as present today as they were 2000 years ago when this passage was written. Let’s look at these three myths and see how Jesus addresses them.
Body
Division 1 The first myth about greatness is that greatness is a product of influence.
Explanation
Several people bought into this idea in our text. James and John are convinced that greatness is a product of influence. Their mother, Salome believed that greatness was a product of influence. Most likely the disciples believed that greatness was a product of influence, the gentiles believed that greatness was a product of influence and yes, today we believe this myth that greatness is achieved by influence.
Notice in verse 20, that Salome comes on behalf of her boys. According to the InterVarsity Press Bible Background Commentary on the New Testament, “The indirect intercession of a motherly woman was often more effective than a man’s direct petition for himself, in both Jewish and Roman circles. In this case, however, it doesn’t work.”
I must confess that when I first read this passage, I was just a little bothered with this mom and her two boys. My first reaction was to condemn her for her self centeredness. But on closer evaluation, this request makes perfect sense. First of all, you can’t miss the faith. Nobody vies for position beside a man that is headed for execution. They truly believe that he is a King. And in their cultural understanding of things, it was perfectly normally for them to hem up their positions close to the king. They do this by getting mom to influence Jesus. They hope that Jesus’ aunt will be able to convince him to give them positions of honor.
The disciples become visibly disturbed as well. Look at verse 24. When the ten heard it they became disturbed. They recognize this as a power struggle. This is significant in several ways. First, the other 10 don’t have blood kinship and therefore, they have a lot more to lose if Jesus is a material, physical King.
Conversely, if some of the 10 understood that Jesus’ kingdom was not a physical kingdom, they certainly would have become upset that James and John acted out of ignorance and greed. In either case, they recognize that these two are trying to achieve greatness through influence and they become disturbed, which immediately signals that maybe they have bought into the myth that greatness is a product of influence.
But Jesus shatters this myth by confronting the two (verse 22-23) and then by confronting the twelve (verse 25) with a new standard. Simply put, “if you want to be great, then you must become a servant, a slave.”
This culture was much different from our culture today, yet we still have a form of this going on even in America. Our political landscape is all about influence. The politician with the most money usually gets the most friends and because of his influence, he usually gets the job. We would look at someone like Senator Dole, President Bush and maybe even Senator Edwards and we would say, truly that is a great person. Or maybe you look to your pastor as a great person because of his influence. Our opinion that these types of people are great people is based on our opinion of their influence.
But Jesus would look at you and disagree. He would look at someone like Mother Theresa or Franklin Graham who heads up the Samaritan’s purse and Jesus would say they were greater, not because of their influence but because of their service. Jesus says in verse 27, that whoever wants to be great should become a slave. A slave has very little influence. Your position is not a result of influence; rather influence is a result of servant leadership.
If you want to be great in the Kingdom of God, then forget about trying to wiggle your way into positions of power in the church. If you want influence, then become a servant.
Reiteration
Transition The first myth about greatness is that greatness is the result of influence and the second myth is that greatness is a birthright.
Division 2
The second myth about greatness is that greatness is a birthright.
From our text, we see several ways in which the disciples mistake greatness for a birthright. First of all, Jesus is from the lineage of King David. The prophets had foretold that a king would arise from David’s seed. The disciples believe that Jesus greatness comes from his right to the throne. But if we look at Jesus reply in verses 26-28, Jesus totally refutes this claim. If you follow the logic, Jesus says, “To be great, you must offer yourself as a servant.” Then he says, “I came not to be served but to serve.” Jesus right to the throne was a legitimate one, but his greatness derives from his service.
The disciples also buy into the myth of greatness as a birthright when they approach Jesus requesting seats of honor in his kingdom in verse 21. Again, we see Salome coming to Jesus. We know by comparing the gospel accounts of the crucifixion that Salome was Mary’s sister. Therefore, James and John are kin to Jesus. In the New Testament culture it was perfectly normal to expect that kinship meant royalty. By birth, then, these two are royalty.
However, they have overlooked a couple of really important details. Namely, royalty doesn’t guarantee greatness. In verses 25-26, Jesus directly refutes this myth. “Read text” Greatness in the Kingdom of God is a reward of service, not a right of birth. But also, everyone who has a personal relationship with Jesus Christ is royalty by adoption and therefore on equal footing with James and John in terms of birthrights.
We all remember the tragic story of Princess Diana. What you remember as tragic is her untimely death in a most unfortunate accident. But nearly as tragic is her lack of acceptance into the royal family. Princess Diana’s story begins as a story book fairy tale come true. A small town girl courted by a future King falls in love and is married. She then goes from rags to riches. But, She is not considered great by the royal family. Why? Because she is not of Royal blood. She has no right to the throne. However, she is considered great by the rest of the world because of her kind demeanor – she just seemed to possess a servant’s heart and because she was privileged to royalty by marriage.
Isn’t it encouraging knowing that Jesus purchased our birthright for us? 2 Co 8:9 says “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, for your sakes He became poor, in order that you might be made rich through His poverty.” Jesus purchased our very souls with his blood. We are royalty by our adoption into his Kingdom. But we become great by our service to the King.
Greatness is not a product of influence, nor is it a birthright. This leads us to the third myth about greatness.
Division 3 The third myth is that greatness is a product of headship.
exhortative If we look carefully at verse 21, we see the expectation that Jesus will reign as a material, physical king. (read verse 21) Look at the word used here to mean kingdom. When Salome uses this word, she means royalty, or realm as in a physical kingdom, a king with a castle.
But this is not the case with Jesus. Jesus is already in his kingdom. When Jesus uses the word “kingdom” in the phrase” Kingdom of God”, He means authority, or rule, or reign. All of these Jesus was already doing. The irony in this passage is that they were already standing on the right and left hand of the king.
Jesus turns this myth on its head, when he says in verses 25-26 (read text). The disciples by implication think that greatness is a product of being the leader or being in the position of the King. The number one guy is the one who is greatest.
We see this throughout the Bible when the term ‘King’ appears. The word King originally meant chief elder, or the wise one. And it evolves into the New Testament concept of the literal King. When the term is used to allude to Jesus, such as in the Old Testament Messianic psalms, it carries the original connotation of the “wise one who rules.” Over time, though the term evolves into a person in a position. The disciples have bought into a myth that is as old as history itself. The myth that greatness is a result of headship. But Jesus is addressing this false truth when he tells them that headship is a result of greatness and greatness is a result of service.
Greatness is not a result of headship; rather greatness is a result of submission to headship. The wise person accepts the gift of the greatest king who ever lived, Jesus Christ. That gift is the gift of everlasting life. The wise Christian is submissive to the work and will of God in his life. Now, let me ask you a personal question. Are you willing to give God total control of your future?
Transition The world trades us three myths about greatness that Jesus directly refutes. The first myth is that greatness is a result of influence, the second myth is that greatness is a birth right, the third myth is that greatness is a result of headship.
Conclusion
But friends, greatness is none of these things. Rather, greatness is the result of a life sold-out to Jesus Christ. A life in which we regard others more highly than ourselves. A life in which we are totally submissive to the Will of God. If you desire greatness; become servant leaders.
When I started the sermon today, I gave you the example of a poor carpenter who, in my opinion had achieved greatness through service, now let me tell you about another great person. He was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. He grew up in another obscure village where he worked in a carpenter’s shop until he was thirty. And then for 3 years, he was an itinerant preacher. He never had a family, or owned a home. He never set foot inside a big city. He never traveled more than 200 miles from his place of birth. He never wrote a book, nor held an office. He did none of the things that usually accompany greatness. While he was still a young man, the tide of popular opinion turned against him. He was turned over to his enemies and went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed to a cross between 2 thieves, and while he was dying, his executioners gambled for the only piece of property he had, His coat!
When he was dead, he was taken down and laid in a borrowed grave.
20 centuries have come and gone and today, he is THE central figure for much of the human race. All the armies that have ever marched and all the navies that have ever sailed and all the parliaments that ever sat and all the kings that have reigned – put together- have not affected the life of man upon this earth as powerfully as this one solitary life. (one solitary life – footnote)
What does this mean? I think the apostle Paul summed it up quite well in his letter to the Philippians. In Philippians 2:5-9, the Bible says, “In your lives you must think and act like Christ Jesus. Christ himself was like God in everything. But he did not think that being equal with God was something to be used for his own benefit. But he gave up his place with God and made himself nothing. He was born to be a man and became like a servant. And when he was living as a man, he humbled himself and was fully obedient to God, even when that caused his death—death on a cross. (NCV)
