Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus and knelt down to ask Him a favor.

Jesus asked her what it is that she wants.

She asked Jesus to grant that one of her sons would get to sit at His right hand and the other at His left hand in His kingdom.

Jesus’ response is to tell her that she doesn’t know what she is asking and then asks the two sons (James & John) if they can drink from the cup He will be drinking from.

The two sons said they can.

Jesus then said indeed you will drink from my cup, but to sit at my right and left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom my Father has prepared them for.

When the ten heard what the other two were asking, they were indignant against them.

Jesus called them all together and said that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. This won’t be so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave. The Son of Man didn’t come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.

This interchange hits home with many of us. No matter how much we say we aren’t bothered by this, we all have difficulty with the struggle of wanting to be the best…be first…be the one. Jesus teaches that the opposite should be present for those that follow Him. We should have a servant mindset, a slave mentality. Jesus said putting others first would elevate your status before God. Not that it will make us better than any other, but that we are true disciples and will get to spend eternity with Him. Where do you put yourself on your own totem pole? Practice servanthood today before others…as Jesus has done for each of us.

Now Jesus was heading up to Jerusalem, and on the way He pulled His disciples aside. He told them that they were goin for Jerusalem, and He would be handed over to the chief priests and teachers of the law. They would condemn Him to death and hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked, flogged, and crucified. On the third day He will be raised to life!

This is the third time that Jesus predicts His death to His disciples. Could you imagine what was on His mind as He was traveling to what He knew would be His last trip to Jerusalem? Knowing what was going to take place…that’s how much He loves us. The fact that He knew what was ahead…and still went through with it…the only explanation is love. Why don’t you take time today to focus on our Savior. Feel His love today and then go spread that love to someone else.

Jesus continued by saying that the Kingdom of Heaven is like a landowner who went out early one morning to hire workers for his vineyard. He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day’s wages.

At about 9 he went out and hired more workers for his vineyard…then again at noon, and at 3. The landowner also went out at 5 and found more workers. He hired them to work the last hour of the day.

When it came time to pay the workers, he had the ones who started at 5 come first. He paid them a denarius for their work. The other workers were expecting to get paid more but he also paid them a denarius. They began to grumble about their pay.

The landowner responded by saying they had agreed to work the whole day for the one denarius. It’s his right to pay the others the same if he wants to and they shouldn’t get mad because he wants to be generous.

Jesus concludes this parable by saying that the last will be first and the first will be last.

Jesus, in response to his conversation with his disciples about what they will earn for following Him, wanted to make sure they/we understood that it doesn’t matter if you have been following Christ for 90’years or for 9 days…the reward is the same. We can’t earn a better mansion or higher status. We are all equal and if we follow Him we will have the kingdom of heaven as our reward. Isn’t it great to know we dont have to stress about position or status? We just get to be called a Christ-follower. Let’s have some pride in that title today. Wear it proudly. He is worth it.

Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked him what he needed to to in order to gain eternal life. Jesus’ initial response is to say why do you ask me this. There is only one good…but keep the commandments.

The man asked Jesus which ones. Jesus said: Don’t murder, commit adultery, steal, and give false testimony. Honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as yourself.

The man said I have kept all of these…so what then do I still lack? Jesus said if you want perfection, go sell your possessions and give them to the poor, and you will have treasure in Heaven. Then come follow me.

The man went away sad because he had great wealth. Jesus said it is hard for the rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. In fact, it’s easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle.

The disciples then asked Him who could be saved then? Jesus said with man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.

Peter said we have left everything to follow you, what will there be for us? Jesus answered when I take my place on the throne, there will be twelve other thrones for you to sit on and judge the twelve tribes of Israel. Everyone who has left anything to follow me will receive 100 times as much and will gain eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.

What I find interesting about this story is that Jesus is more concerned about your heart. The man had kept the commandments…but Jesus knew his wealth had his heart. What has your heart? Does Jesus have possession of your heart…or does something else? Examine your heart today…what do you good most dear?

Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. The disciples, however, rebuked them.

Jesus told them to let the little children come to him and not to hinder them because the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these. After He had placed His hands on them, He went on from there.

The wonder and awe of a child could make any adult envious. The way they believe so fiercely…the way they trust so deeply. Jesus is saying we must be like a child…in awe of God and dependent on Him. We must learn to put our life in His hands instead of our own. To have a true and real relationship with God is to see and trust Him in the way a child does.

Jesus left Galilee and went to the region of Judea on the other side of the Jordan. Large crowds followed Him, and He healed them there.

Some of the Pharisees came to test Jesus by asking Him if it’s lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?

Jesus responded by quoting two different scriptures from Genesis:

“So God created mankind in His image, in the image of God he created them; male and female He created them.”

Genesis 1:27

“This is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.”

Genesis 2:24

The Pharisees countered by asking Jesus why Moses commanded for a man to give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her on her way.

Jesus said that Moses commanded this because of their hard hearts. It was not this way from the beginning though. Anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.

Jesus’ disciples speak up and say if this is the case, it’s just better not to marry.

Jesus said that not everyone can accept that word. There are some eunuchs who were born that way or made that way by others, and then there are some who choose this for the kingdom of heaven. The ones who can accept this should do so.

There’s a lot to unpack here. What I find the most interesting though is the fact that Jesus again uses scripture to battle against the test of the Pharisees. Every time we see Him questioned, tested, or tempted…He uses the word of God as His defense. We can learn a lot from that. As far as the topic of divorce is concerned, Jesus makes it clear that divorce is not something that should be taken lightly. In fact, apart from breaking the covenant of marriage, it should not happen. Some would debate otherwise. I believe today we see other avenues of covenant breaking…such as abuse. What we see today though are people divorcing just for the sake of divorcing. This should not be. The covenant we made before God should be taken seriously…marriage gives our world a beautiful image of God’s love. What does your marriage reflect to the world around you?

Peter came to Jesus and asked him how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven?

Jesus tells Peter not just seven times, but seventy-seven times.

Jesus then tells a parable. He said the Kingdom of Heaven is like a king who wanted to settle debts with his servants. One servant who owed him 10,000 bags of gold was brought to him. The king sentenced to sell his wife and kids and put the servant in prison to repay the debt.

The servant begged the king to be patient with him and he promised to pay it all back. The king had pity on him, canceled his debt and sent him on his way.

However, when the servant went out he saw a man who owed him 100 silver coins. He choked the man and demanded his debt be paid. The man begged this servant to have mercy on him and he promised to pay it back.

The servant refused and threw the man in prison. The other servants who saw this were outraged and went to tell the king what had happened.

The king had the servant brought in and told the servant that the mercy shown to him, he should’ve shown to the man. In his anger, the king sentenced the servant to torture in prison until he could pay off his debt.

Jesus finishes by saying that this is how God the Father will treat each of you if you do not forgive your brother and sister from your heart.

Jesus is sharing with us the fact that if we cannot learn to forgive each other, God will not forgive us. We have experienced grace even when we didn’t deserve it from a God who didn’t have to give it. How can we expect forgiveness, and in return not forgive someone else? God takes this seriously as Jesus refers to the fact that the king was angry. It makes God angry when we can’t learn to forgive one another. Who do you need to forgive today? Who do you need to go and apologize to today? Do we really want to hold on to grudges and keep God angry at us? Absolutely not! It’s time we get over ourselves and love one another enough to forgive one another as God has already done for us.

Jesus goes on by saying if your brother or sister sins, go to then and point it out to them in private. If they listen, great! If they do not listen, take two or three witnesses with you and go back to them so that every matter is established by the witnesses. If they still refuse to listen, bring it before the church. If they refuse to listen to the church, treat them as you would a tax collector.

Jesus also said that whatever you bind our loose on earth, it will be bound and loosed in Heaven.

Again, Jesus said that if two of you agree on anything you ask for, it will be done by my Father in Heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I with them.

Jesus teaches on how to handle discipline against a brother or sister in Christ. You go to that person in private…NOTICE it does not say spread gossip about the person with everyone. If they don’t listen you take a few people with you and try again…NOTICE it does not say to spread it among all the people. If they still don’t listen, bring it before the church…NOTICE this is to be done out of love. Then Jesus says if they still won’t listen, do not treat them like a brother or sister in Christ but as a tax collector. The question I have…is how often is that first step done? It’s often not. We go right to others and discuss it…we never approach the person in private. It’s time the church grows up on this topic…have a discussion in love…praying that the same would be done for you.

Jesus continues by saying that you make sure that you don’t despise one of these little ones because their angels in heaven always see the face of His Father in Heaven.

If a man owns 100 sheep and one of them wanders off, will the man not leave the 99 to go look for the one? And if he finds it, he is happier for the one sheep that was found than for the 99 that didn’t wander off. In the same way, your Father in Heaven is not willing for any of these little ones to perish.

What a beautiful image of God. The fact that if we turn away from Him and head down on a wrong path, God will pursue us. And the fact that if we turn back to Him, He will be happier for me then for the ones who didn’t wander away. God’s love pursues us. Maybe you have been drifting away and it seems like no one cares or notices. Always remember that God does, and He is in constant pursuit to bring you back. We are like sheep that often go astray…maybe it’s time we allow God to be our shepherd and lead us back to Him.

Jesus continued on saying that if anyone causes one of these little ones-those who believe in me-to stumble, it would be better for them to tie a large millstone around their neck and to be downed in the sea. Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble. If your hand or foot causes you to stumble, cut them off. It’s better to enter life maimed than to be thrown into eternal fire. If your eye causes you to stumble, gauge it out! It’s better to enter life with one eye than to be thrown into Hell.

Jesus uses some intense words to describe what it’s like to stumble. He does so because that’s how important He sees this topic of stumbling. He goes so far to say if your hand causes you to sin cut it off. Obviously that is an example of the seriousness of this topic. The question I have today is how serious do we take our sin life? Do we just expect forgiveness? How much do you tolerate and put up with sin? God hates sin…and if we are to be like Him then we must hate sin as well. Maybe it’s time we consider how much we allow sin to hang around in our life. How could it be effecting those around you? Let’s rid ourselves of sin today and every day.