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THE K I NG ’ S BUSINESS
March, 1934
and joint-heirs with Christ.” How rich we shall be sometime! What is the difference between this mir ror and this plain piece o f glass? “ One has had silver added to it.” There was once a man who took a stingy rich friend to the window and asked him what he saw. He replied that he saw women and children. He was then taken to a mirror and asked what he saw. He said that he saw himself. The rich man was then told by his friend that the more the silver had been added to his life, the less he had seen o f others and their needs. Notice what happens when I paint fhis plain piece of glass with gold paint. I Lesson T ext: Matt. 20:17-28. Golden T ext: “ The Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Matt. 20:28). Outline and Exposition I. T h e A nnouncem ent of H is D eath and R esurrection (17-19). T h is passage contains one o f the seven direct announcements of the Lord’s death and resurrection, which He gave to His disciples. This one in par ticular, which is the third o f the seven, was made only to the twelve (v. 17). The un believing multitude was not yet informed concerning approaching events which would lead to the cross, because, had this company been informed, it would have in terfered with the complete outworking of God’s program. The details of the coming rejection were plainly stated by the Lord (vs. 18, 19). He was to be delivered into the hands of the Jews, who in turn would deliver Him to the Gentiles, and He would be put to death. None of His enemies could carry out any part of this program, except as their action was a part of the purpose of God—a purpose that would be accom plished through their unbelief and ' rebel lion. The foes of the Lord did nothing except that which was already determined (Acts 2:23; 4:24-28). But though all was done by the counsel o f God, this fact did not in any measure mitigate the wick edness of those who participated in the crime. The whole world, including both Jews and Gentiles, was guilty of the death of Christ. All were involved in the crime of the crucifixion. Christ stated plainly ‘that the outcome of His rejection and crucifixion would be His resurrection from among the dead (v. 19). The references to the sufferings o f Christ are always followed by declarations of the coming triumph, although the “glory to follow” is sometimes spoken of without reference to the preceding sufferings. Note BLACKBOARD LESSON TRUE GREtì TNESS
now see in it only a reflection of myself. This very thing happens in the lives of many people. When they had less money, they thought more about God and the needs of other people, but the gold has made them see only themselves. The rich young man had allowed his vi sion to,be so filled with gold, that he.could not see the poor around him, and he could not appreciate Christ’s great worth. So he went sadly away. He who has not found Christ as Saviour is poor indeed, though he be the possessor of millions o f dollars; and he who has Christ as Saviour is rich indeed, though he may be penniless. that here, as elsewhere, when the Lord spoke of His death, He immediately fol lowed the statement with another announc ing His resurrection on the third day. The disciples forgot this word o f the Lord, but His enemies remembered it—the word He had spoken three years before (John 2:18- 29; Matt. 27:63-66). II. T h e R equest for H igh P laces (20-23) The passage reveals the unholy ambition of two of the disciples, which was voiced by their mother and by themselves (cf. Mk. 10:35-40). They aspired to high places, higher than those of their fellows, and their request was made in the absence of the other disciples, as though the two would take advantage of the ten. The de sire for greatness is a peril which leads to the employment o f unfair methods. Our first parents were content and happy in the Garden of Eden until unholy ambition seized them. Yet we must remember that there is a proper ambition which should characterize believers in the Lord Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 5:9 ). When the Lord asked James and John whether they were able to drink of His cup and to be baptized with His baptism, they asserted that they were able. They an swered without even considering what that baptism might be, or what that cup might contain. They were presumptuous and ig norant both of the path that led to the high places which they desired and to the practice befitting the occupants o f those places. The cup referred to the inward sufferings; this was taken voluntarily by the Lord. “The cup that my Father giveth me, shall I not drink it?” The baptism referred to the outward sufferings endured from others. That the disciples could neither drink the cup nor go through the baptism was proved when, following this conversation, they forsook the Lord and fled at the first hint of danger. No one knows enough to choose his own lot, and we should thank God that some of our re quests are not granted. Christ gave a direct answer to the re quest (v. 23). He told the two disciples what would lie before them, following His death and resurrection. They, too, would taste o f the cup and share some of the suf ferings of the Lord. O f the apostles, James was to be the first martyr, and John the last. Thus both these men, in their own measure, drank o f the cup and en dured the baptism. _The Lord then explained that the posi tions which these two brothers desired could not be given; they must be earned. The high places existed, but they could not be given through partiality, as an earthly kingdom may be bestowed. In the
Lord’s kingdom, there could be nothing in the nature of political preferment. The po sitions there must be merited; they could not be secured through the exercise of in fluence, not even the Lord’s influence. The desired places were to be obtained accord ing to one’s character, not as a result of one’s caprice. There was and is no scope for favoritism in the Lord’s kingdom. Yet the Lord did not deny to James and John the places which they requested. It may very well be that they shall possess these high places. But their self-seeking spirit at this-time was the opposite o f that which would secure the places for them. Shakespeare w rote: “Fling away ambi tion; by that sin the angels fell.” III. T he R esentment of th e T en (2 4 -2 8 ). When the ten disciples heard what James and John had done, they were “moved with indignation” (v. 24). This spirit at once revealed their jealousy. They thought the action o f the two was unfair, but their atti tude showed that they would have done likewise. They were all quarreling among themselves as to who should be the great est. In Mark’s account (10:35-45), the rivalry among the disciples is very clearly seen. The resentment o f the ten mani fested the fact that they were no different from the tw o; but one’s own fault always looks worse when seen in another. Jesus answered the indignant ones by presenting the principle of true greatness (vs. 25-28). The great of the earth, He said, are served by many, while the great of the kingdom serve many. The great of the earth seek to get, while those of the kingdom seek to give. Our Lord taught that, for the ope who is “ born again,” ser vice is the law o f and the pathway to true greatness. He Himself was not free from this law, but obeyed it, even though it in volved the cross (Phil. 2:5-9). The Lord does not forbid the desire for greatness, but He does forbid the spirit which would “lord it over” others. The de sire to serve cannot be too strong, for out of it comes that which, in God’s sight, is true greatness. We are to remember, in teaching this lesson, that service cannot be a substituti for faith in Christ as personal Saviour. No unsaved person can serve Jesus Christ ac ceptably, but every saved person should endeavor to serve Him in a manner that will merit a high place in the coming kingdom. Points and Problems I shall devote all my space on this lesson to a single point o f Greek exegesis which is one o f the most remarkable proofs o f verbal inspiration to be found in the entire Bible. Many devout Bible students have noticed that in Matthew 20:28, the death o f Christ is spoken of as “a ransom for many,” while in 1 Timothy 2 :6, it is spoken o f as “a ransom fo r all.” And they have wondered why it is not for “all” in both texts. The answer is that in thé two passages there are two distinct Greek prepositions used, although both are translated by the same English word “ for.” One preposi tion is anti, which means “in the stead of.” The other is huper, which properly means “on behalf of.” Now Matthew 20: 28 uses anti, so that the phrase in which it occurs might be translated “a ransom in the stead of many.” But 1 Timothy 2:6 uses huper, so that the expression should be translated “a ransom on behalf o f all.” Surely this is divine accuracy ! The Mat thew text is dealing with the “ many," that is, the many who believe; while the other text is dealing with “dll,” that is, all the
APR IL 29, 1934 CHRISTS STANDARD OF GREATNESS M atth ew 20 :l-34
DOING A •JOB NOBODY W ANTED
-U WERE THERES NONE TO PEEUSE
DOING IT UNCOM PLAININGLY
— 'NOT FOR. S E LF GLORY
BUT TU ST TO PLEASE l- ll ________________ J?
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