I ONCE HEARD A STORY OF A RICE FARMER WHO SAVED AN ENTIRE VILLAGE FROM DESTRUCTION. FROM THE HILLTOP FARM HE FELT THE EARTHQUAKE AND SAW THE DISTANT OCEAN SWIFTLY WITHDRAW FROM THE SHORE LINE. HE KNEW A TIDAL WAVE WAS COMING. IN THE VALLEY BELOW, HE SAW HIS NEIGHBORS WORKING IN THE LOW FIELDS THAT WOULD SOON BE FLOODED. THEY MUST RUN TO THE HILLTOP OR THEY WOULD DIE. HIS RICE BARNS WERE VERY DRY AS TINDER. SO WITH A TORCH HE SET FIRE TO THE BARNS AND SOON THE FIRE GONG STARTED RINGING. HIS NEIGHBORS RUSHED TO HELP HIM. THEN FROM THEIR SAFE PERCH THEY SAW THE TIDAL WAVE WASH OVER THE FIELDS THEY HAD JUST LEFT.
IN A FLASH THEY KNEW NOT ONLY WHO HAD SAVED THEM BUT WHAT THEIR SALVATION HAD COST THEIR BENEFACTOR.. THEY LATER ERECTED A MONUMENT TO HIS MEMORY BEARING THE MOTTO, "HE GAVE US ALL HE HAD." THIS POOR FARMER GAVE US ALL HE HAD, AND GAVE IT GLADLY. THIS POOR FARMER FINISHED FIRST IN THE EYES OF HIS COMMUNITY., BUT IT COST HIM EVERYTHING. THERE ARE NOT MANY PEOPLE IN THE WORLD LIKE THAT FARMER. WHO WILLINGLY SACRIFICED HIMSELF FOR OTHERS. THIS TEXT IS DESIGNED TO TEACH US THE TRUTH THAT NOT EVERYONE WHO FINISHES FIRST IS VICTORIOUS.
AS THEY WERE GOING UP TO JERUSALEM, JESUS BEGAN TO TEACH THEM WHAT THINGS SHOULD HAPPEN UNTO HIM. HOW HE WOULD BE DELIVERED UNTO THE CHIEF PRIESTS, AND UNTO THE SCRIBES; AND THEY SHALL CONDEMN TO DEATH, AND SHALL DELIVER HIM TO THE GENTILES: AND THEY SHALL MOCK HIM, SHALL SCOURGE HIM, AND SHALL SPIT UPON HIM, AND SHALL KILL HIM: AND THE THIRD DAY HE SHALL RISE AGAIN. AND JAMES AND JOHN, THE SONS OF ZEBEDEE, COME UNTO HIM, SAYING "MASTER, WE WOULD THAT THOU SHOULDEST DO FOR US WHATEVER WE SHALL DESIRE, " WHAT WOULD YE THAT I SHOULD DO FOR YOU?"
THEY SAID UNTO HIM, " GRANT UNTO US THAT WE MAY SIT, ONE ON THY RIGHT HAND, AND THE OTHER ON THY LEFT HAND, IN THY GLORY." BUT JESUS SAID UNTO THEM, " YE KNOW NOT WHAT YE ASK: CAN YE DRINK OF THE CUP THAT I DRINK OF?
AND BE BAPTIZED WITH THE BAPTISM THAT I AM BAPTIZED WITH ?"
AND THEY SAID UNTO HIM, "WE CAN." AND JESUS SAID UNTO THEM, " YE SHALL INDEED DRINK OF THE CUP THAT I DRINK OF; AND WITH THE BAPTISM THAT I AM BAPTIZED WITH! BUT TO SIT ON MY RIGHT HAND AND ON MY LEFT HAND IS NOT MY TO GIVE; BUT IT SHALL BE GIVEN TO THEM WHOM IT IS PREPARED." WHEN THE TEN HEARD IT, THEY BEGAN TO BE MUCH DISPLEASED WITH JAMES AND JOHN.
THEY MAY HAVE IMAGINED THAT IN JERUSALEM JESUS WOULD BECOME A REAL KING. THERE ARE GROUNDS FOR BELIEVING THAT JOHN DIED OF OLD AGE IN EPHESUS; BUT ANOTHER TRADITION RELATES THAT HE WAS MARTYRED AT THE SAME TIME AS JAMES (ACTS 12:2) THIS IS UNLIKELY TO BE CORRECT. THE REASON WHY THEY WERE DENIED THE TWO PLACES OF HONOR, IT WAS SOMETIMES THOUGHT IT TO BE THAT IT WAS PETER; AND THEN JAMES "THE LORD'S BROTHER," AND NOT THE SONS OF ZEBEDEE, FOR THEY EMERGED AS THE LEADERS OF THE CHURCH. I THINK FROM THE TEXT IT IS CLEAR THAT OUR LORD'S DISCIPLES WERE ANYTHING BUT HUMBLE MEN. THEY WERE ALWAYS TRYING TO PROMOTE THEMSELVES. JESUS SOUGHT TO COMBAT THAT MENTALITY, BUT THEY NEVER SEEMED TO GET THE MESSAGE. WE SEE SELFISH AMBITION IN ALL OF ITS UGLINESS. JAMES AND JOHN COME TO JESUS ASKING FOR TOP SEATS. JESUS USE THIS EVENT TO TEACH A VALUABLE LESSONS, SERVICE TO OTHERS, AND FORGIVENESS. THE HIGH COST OF FINISHING FIRST. I HOPE YOU SEE THE HIGH PRICE THAT COMES OUT OF THIS PASSAGE. THAT BEING A SERVANT TO OTHERS IS MORE OF A BLESSING, IN THE END, THAN BEING SERVED BY OTHERS. TOO, WE ONLY SERVE THOSE WHO CAN DO SOMETHING IN RETURN FOR US. THE LORD WOULD HAVE US FAITHFULLY; SELFLESSLY SERVE OTHERS WITHOUT GIVING THOUGHT WHAT WE MIGHT RECEIVE IN RETURN.
JESUS USES HIS IMPENDING SACRIFICE AS THE ULTIMATE EXAMPLE OF SACRIFICIAL SERVICE. HE SETS THE PATTERN ALL OF HIS PEOPLE ARE COMMANDED TO FOLLOW). IF HE IS WILLING TO SERVE SINFUL HUMANITY, WE SHOULD BE WILLING TO SERVE AS WELL. THE LORD'S PASSION TO SERVE WAS SUCH THAT HE WILLINGLY TOOK THE PLACE OF A SLAVE. THE GREATEST EXAMPLE CAN BE SEEN THE NIGHT BEFORE HE WENT TO THE CROSS. WHEN JESUS AND HIS DISCIPLES FINISHED THEIR MEAL IN THE UPPER ROOM, JESUS PUT A TOWEL AROUND HIS WAIST AND WASHED HIS DISCIPLES FEET, (JOHN 13: 1-17). HE TOOK THE PLACE OF A SLAVE AND WASHED THE DIRTY FEET OF MEN WHO WOULD RUN AWAY BEFORE DAWN. HE WASHED THE FEET OF PETER WHO WOULD DENY HIM THREE TIMES BEFORE DAWN. HE EVEN WASHED THE FEET OF JUDAS ISCARIOT WHO WOULD BETRAY HIM IN TO THE HANDS OF HIS ENEMIES THAT VERY NIGHT. JESUS FREELY SERVED THOSE WHO WOULD BREAK HIS HEART. THE NEXT DAY DAWNED, JESUS WENT TO CALVARY TO DIE ON THE CROSS FOR SINNERS WHO HATED HIM AND WANTED NOTHING TO DO WITH HIM.
DO WHAT HE WOULD HAVE YOU DO TODAY.?
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