•December, 1939
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T H E - K I NO ’ 8 B U S I N N S S
time the three were alone with the Lord, and the brothers may have thought this was a good time to “put something over” their fellow disciples and obtain a distinction the others did not have. The desire for greatness, good in itself, may have its roots in pride, which is an abomination to the Lord. High and holy is the ambition which the Christian is to cultivate (cf. 2 Cor. 5:9, 10). The disciples’ ignorance is revealed by their answer to the Lord’s question (v. 22). They thought the desired positions could be allotted arbitrarily, without consideration of the applicants’ fitness for them. The disciples were not only ignorant, but also presumptuous—read ily declaring that they could follow His path and drink of His cup. The “cup” speaks of the inner sufferings of Christ, borne voluntarily. Of His own life He could say: “No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself’’ (John 10:18), and, “The cup which my Father giveth me, shall I not drink it?" (John 18:11). The “baptism” refers to the out ward sufferings imposed upon Him by others. Following their glib assents, ail too soon these disciples were to prove their insufficiency by forsaking Him and fleeing from both the cup and the bap tism. No one knows enough to choose his own path, and we may well thank God that some of our prayers for high places remain unanswered. But our Lord’s reply speaks of their ultimate prospects (v. 23). He told them they would indeed drink of His cup and be baptized with His baptism, but only after His death and resurrection. This proved true, of course; James was the first and John the last of the martyred twelve. Thus in their own measure they both drank of that cup and met that baptism. Then He told them the positions to which they aspired were not given, but earned. They must be merited, not ob tained through influence—even His in fluence. They cannot be had as a gift, as salvation is (Eph. 2:8, 9), but must be possessed by character, developed on the foundation of personal'' salvation. The manner used by these disciples in seek ing these honors revealed a spirit the very opposite to the one which .would obtain them. IH. T he R esentment of the T en D isciples (24-28) The resentment of “the ten” showed their jealousy and manifested the fact that the whole group was afctuated by the same spirit, the desire for greatness. The Lord then spoke of true great ness (vs. 25-28). He taught that, unlike the great of earth, who are served, the great of heaven do the serving. Among those who are redeemed by the precious blood of Christ, service in His name is the first law of true greatness. Jesus Himself, in His humility, is the pattern of sreatness (cf. Phil. 2:5-11). }
A New Booh for Christian Workers "PREACH T H E WORD" 125 Sermon Outlines By Rev. F r e d R ader, for yearly 50 years B aptist min ister a t New Brighton, Pa,, consisting of the very choic est of sermon outlines; fresh for the present day; funda^ m ental and spiritual. “ Thd best since the days of Spur geon.”—Mel. Trotter. Intro duction by D r. J. H. Cable, Nyack, N. T. P ric e E A o p e r Only c o p y LIGHT & HOPE PUBLICATIONS B E R N E , IN D IA N A
n . - T he T wo D isciples ' R equest (20-23) 5 The ambition of Zebedee’s sons, voiced by their mother, was that they might occupy the chief places in the kingdom. These two were called Boanerges, “sons of thiinder” (Mk. 3:17). The expression would imply that they were always forcing their way into places of recog nition. But here the Lord corrects their false views. There is a false and a true ambition, and while their request mani fested a true ambition, their error was in the approach to it. Probably at this
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