Jump Start # 1849

Matthew 20:20 “Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to Jesus with her sons, bowing down and making a request of Him.”

With Mother’s Day upon us I thought it would be good to look at this story of the mother of James and John. This was a mother who believed in her sons. We are not told if she did this on her own or if she and her boys had been talking about this. She comes to Jesus and asks if her two boys can sit on the right and the left in His kingdom.

We have to take a step back and look at what is taking place here. James and John are not in the fourth grade. They are grown men. They have their own jobs. If they are close to Jesus’ age, then they are in their 30’s. Can you imagine your mom going to your place of work and asking your boss to promote you?

Our passage shows that she had respect in what she did. She came and bowed to Jesus. She requested, not demanded. Jesus would not grant this request. The context ends by stating the other ten apostles became indignant with James and John. Tensions flared.

There are some commendable things about this mother.

First, she believed in what Jesus was doing. Jesus had just told the disciples that He was going to be crucified in Jerusalem and be raised up on the third day. Her request follows those words. She believed that Jesus was doing something good. She wanted her boys involved in that work. Rather than saying, “Don’t get too close to that Jesus, He’s going to be killed,” she wanted her boys right beside Him.

Second, she wanted her boys to be actively involved in the Kingdom work. Sitting on the right and left hand, meant positions of authority. She wanted her boys to be engaged deeply in the Lord’s kingdom. No sitting on the sidelines. No sticking your big toe in the water. She wanted them right there, right where Jesus was. Of all the things a mother could ask, she didn’t ask for her boys to be safe. She didn’t ask for a long life for her boys. She wanted her boys to be right beside Jesus.

Third, she had big expectations for her boys spiritually. The Lord’s work wasn’t paying off financially for the disciples. They weren’t getting rich. They weren’t dealing in real estate. They weren’t rubbing elbows with Jerusalem’s upper class. There were no limo rides. No banquets. No celebrity red carpet walks. That wasn’t the way of Christ. The multitudes that first heard Him were common folks, mostly poor. They didn’t have anything to give the Lord other than their devotion and their hearts. Requesting that her boys sit on either side of Jesus was not going to secure their future financially. She saw something more important.

I am impressed with this mother. Although she didn’t fully understand what she was asking, her heart was in the right place and she was wanting her boys to do well spiritually. She saw goodness with the Lord. She wanted her boys close to Jesus.

I look at what this mother requested, and wonder if parents today would feel the same. Do we push our kids to be stars on the stage and on the field, knowing that the price that they will have to pay to succeed often will pull them away from the Lord. Instead of being beside the Lord, we are leading our kids the other way. Go for the scholarship. Go for the full ride. Get to a university and little thought is given if there is a decent church for them to attend. The demands of college sports and staying up with classes can result in kids skipping worship services. Their teammates usually are not high spiritual fiber people. Absence from God’s people and worship and hanging around those that do not know or care about the Lord, and after four years they leave the school spiritually weak or dead. James and John’s mother wasn’t after that. She wanted her sons next to Jesus. The inner circle. Close. Involved.

When you look into that little 8 year old’s eyes, do you think, I hope someday he’ll serve God’s people as an elder or a preacher? Do we share those dreams with our kids? Do we have spiritual hopes and dreams for our children? Do we “talk up” God’s kingdom? Do we place a high value on spiritual things? Or, do we think, and maybe even say, “You can do better than preach.” “Why would you want to be an elder?” So different, than a mom who wanted her boys on the right and left side of Jesus.

Here are a few suggestions:

• Your kids need to have their own Bibles. Have visiting preachers sign those Bibles. My kids still have theirs. Looking at those signatures is like walking down memory lane of many godly men who loved and preached God’s word. Several have passed on. In our home, preachers were heroes.

• As your kids get older, let them know the elders personally. My youngest two, when in high school, used to take one of the elders out on a regular basis to get root beer floats and hear his war stories. I was not invited. It was something that they wanted to do. To this day, that dear man is very close to their hearts. There was generations separating those conversations, but there was goodness and appreciation for the Lord that bound them together.

• Get your family actively involved with the congregation you attend. Participate. Attend. Have people over. Help out. Do what you can. On a work day, bring the kids down to the church house and pull weeds. Get them to the Gospel Meetings, VBS and other things. Showing them that the kingdom is important will raise the bar on what you will see in their lives. I don’t think Jesus randomly picked the first twelve men he saw to be his apostles. Although the apostles had some trouble grasping what all Jesus said, the Lord never had to get on them for moral issues. We never find Peter drunk. We don’t find John spending the night with his girl friend. These were quality spiritual people that Jesus chose. They loved God. All of this began, not when they started walking with Jesus, but as they were raised by their families. Congregations need to provide opportunities for young Christian men to serve. This is where they first get a taste of helping and teaching. Talk it up.

• Help guide them into fields of study that will serve others. Making the most money isn’t the main thing. Finding something that you have a passion for, can glorify God with and make a difference in the lives of others is essential. Help them. Talk about the ups and downs of different jobs. Keep the spiritual picture before their eyes.

• Pray for the spiritual success of your children. We can’t go to Jesus as James and John’s mother did, but we can bow to the Lord in prayer. We pray for our children’s health and safety, what about their spiritual wellbeing? Pray that they grow in the Lord. Pray that they can help others spiritually. Pray that they will be strong and powerful in the Lord. Pray that they will make wise spiritual choices in their lives.

Do you remember what happened to James and John? James was the first apostle to be martyred. John was the last apostle to die. First and last. A mom who wanted her boys to stick close to Jesus, be involved in the kingdom and participate in the greatest work in the world. Not a bad ambition. Maybe if more moms wished for that, the world would be a better place.

Roger