Yes They Said That

Mark 10:35-37 “James and John, Zebedee’s sons, came to Jesus and said, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask.” “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked. They said, “Allow one of us to sit on your right and the other on your left when you enter your glory.”

So. Jesus just plainly told His disciples what is going to happen to Him when they make it to Jerusalem. Then comes this request. We first have to wonder why they had the audacity to ask this and then wonder why they did ask.

James and John were two brothers who left their father’s fishing business, along with the hire help, to follow Jesus. These were the only disciples to really have come from a background of having a decent amount of income/money. It is possible they thought higher of themselves then the others. Maybe they did have a sense of entitlement based upon their background and who they were in society.

It is also easy to forget that many Jewish people back then , and today, had a different concept of who the Messiah would be and what He would do. Many thought the Messiah would be a conquering war hero who would kick the Romans out of power and usher in a new age of prosperity for Israel. They did not expect God in flesh to be the Messiah.

It does seem odd that Jesus would talk about His dying and they would come up with a request to have special positions and authority. This shows they were not really paying attention. But the truth is, none of the disciples were paying close attention when Jesus talked about His death. Are we any different?

When someone talks to us about the incredible God we serve, what is our response? “That’s cool. What’s for lunch?” We can become so engrossed in our own thinking, or even become apathetic toward the message, we miss the significance about what is going on.

It is easier, at times, to think about what we want and go for it than it is to be present in the moment and pay attention. Jesus was telling about something important that was about to happen and the disciples wanted to have a place at the table.

We will see this week that Jesus offers grace. Grace is something that is available if we accept it and apply it to our daily lives.