She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom.
"What is it you want?" he asked. She said, "Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom." "You don't know what you are asking," Jesus said to them. "Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?" "We can," they answered.
James and John approached Jesus and said, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.”
They were ready to do what was required to sit on Jesus's right and left in His kingdom according to what they incorrectly assumed He meant. Jesus said to them, My cup you shall drink. By this He meant they would in fact surrender their lives for the kingdom, as Jesus would lay down His life for the kingdom.
The mother of James and John asks Jesus to make her sons number two and three in His kingdom. Jesus tells the disciples that true greatness won't come by flaunting authority as the Gentile leaders do. Instead, they will become great by serving each other, even as a slave does, as Jesus Himself has done.
Jesus was teaching Peter to set no limits on how much mercy would show. In other words, forgive your brother for sins done against you as many times as your brother needs forgiving. Do not show your brother forgiveness seven times only. Show your brother an infinite amount of mercy and forgiveness.
The gospel that we have today is a reminder of what service is all about and that is “to serve and not to be served… whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all”.
Jesus explains to his disciples that, to get a position of honor in the God's kingdom, they won't be judged by the number of people serving them but instead on the number of people they served.
In Matthew 20:25-28, the disciples are angry because James and John wanted special privilege from Jesus in heaven. Earlier in Matthew, they had argued about which of them was the greatest. And it's not surprising they did so. Rabbis (Jewish teachers) had incredible power and social influence in Israel.
First Chronicles 12:2 seems to reference bowmen who were ambidextrous. When the Bible refers to left-handed people, it speaks of left-handedness as an advantage, not a weakness. While it is not as honorable as sitting at someone's right hand, sitting at the left hand is still a position of honor.
Commentary from Church Fathers. Chrysostom: Let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth, is said as an extreme expression, as much as to say, If it were possible, that you should not know yourself, and that your very hands should be hid from your sight, that is what you should most strive after.
The “right hand” is seen as a place of honor and status throughout the biblical text. When the Bible makes statements that Jesus Christ sits at the right hand of the Father, it is affirming that he has equal status to the Father within the Godhead (Hebrews 1:3, 12:2; 1 Peter 3:22; Acts 7:55-56).
The other ten disciples were angry at the two for seeking precedence, because each of them hoped to have it for himself. Here we see the disciples revealing their own ambition, in their indignation at the ambition of James and John. Jesus used this occasion to warn them against negative ambition (Henry 2010:1595).
The mother of James and John asks Jesus to make her sons number two and three in His kingdom. Jesus tells the disciples that true greatness won't come by flaunting authority as the Gentile leaders do. Instead, they will become great by serving each other, even as a slave does, as Jesus Himself has done.
Jesus told this story to help his audience grab hold of a basic truth: God is generous, and his gifts of salvation and eternal life are available to anyone who believes in him and trusts him—whether that belief comes at the beginning of a long life or just moments before someone dies.
Per Leviticus 19:28, “You shall not make gashes in your flesh for the dead, or incise any marks on yourselves.” Historically, scholars have often understood this as a warning against pagan practices of mourning.
Having clean hands means that we are living a holy life. Clean hands symbolize a good reputation, a good testimony and a person that is engage in good works. Clean hands also represent a Christian that has placed all his burdens in Jesus (Matthew 11 28) and draws closer to his God (James 4:8).
The biblical verse, “For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you” means whatever we do unto others could turn as a blessing or a curse. Today's gospel tells us that there is such principle as interconnectedness. If we shared love, then, we have experienced that love in the first place.
James says that to live that way is adultery, but God gives grace. Christians should repent and move close to God again. We should trust Him to provide, to be the Judge, and to lift us up in His time. In humility, we must acknowledge that all of our plans are dependent on Him, and He can change them at any moment.
Matthew 28
An angel of the Lord announced the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. The resurrected Lord appeared to a group of women disciples. The chief priests conspired to discredit the Resurrection. The risen Lord appeared to the eleven Apostles and commissioned them to teach and baptize in all nations.
This passage reminds us that when we pass on, we do not retain our qualities and it is usually left unknown what happens when we die. God in the heavens. This passage also teaches us to never question the Lord, for the human mind cannot fathom some of the Lord's wisdom.
Jesus warns His disciples not to dismiss or mistreat one of these little ones because their angels are always telling the King of Heaven how they were being treated. This teaching is unparalleled in the other gospel accounts.
This powerful story in Matthew 17:14-20 shows us that we need mercy from Jesus, we need correction from Jesus, we need healing from Jesus, and we need faith in Jesus. Jesus did something great in this passage and I want to see something great happen through me, through you, and through our church.
Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” The gospel enlightens everyone that no matter what situation we are in as long as we acknowledge who Jesus is, we'll have the key to enter heaven.