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The Sabbath-School

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Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, Cal. · May 18, 1882

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 8, No. 19.

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The Sabbath-School.

Notes on Lesson for May 27.

DREAMS of ambition had risen, especially in the minds of James and John, who, with Peter, were the most honored of the apostles. They had been in a better social position than most of their brethren, and, with Salome, their mother, had given all they had, freely, to the cause of their Master. Ashamed, themselves, to tell him their thoughts, they availed themselves of Salome, whom, perhaps he might the more readily hear, as older than they; as a woman; perhaps as his mother's sister; and as one who had shown herself, like her sons, his true friend.
She now came, therefore, with them, in secret, and, falling on her knees, as was the custom where reverence was intended, and as was especially due to one whom she regarded as the future great Messianic King—told him she came to ask a surpassing favor. "What is it?" asked Jesus. "Say," answered she, "that these, my two sons, may sit, like the chief ministers of other kings, on the first step of thy throne, at thy feet, on thy right hand and thy left, when thou settest up the kingdom."
So different, as yet, were the two men from what they were afterwards to become, when they had drunk more deeply of their Master's spirit!
"You do not understand what your request implies," answered Jesus. "The highest place in my kingdom can only be gained by drinking the cup of sore trial, of which I, myself, shall drink presently, and enduring the same fierce baptism of sorrow and suffering, even to death, in which I am to be plunged. Do you think you are able to bear all that?"
In simple true-heartedness, both answered, at once, that they were.
"You shall, indeed," replied Jesus, "drink of my cup, and be baptized with the same baptism as I, but, in my kingdom, no honors can be given from mere favor, as in kingdoms of the world. Those only can obtain them whose spiritual greatness has fitted them for them. The way to secure them is only through supreme self-sacrifice for my sake, and they are given by my Father to those only who are thus prepared for them. For such, indeed, they are prepared by him already."
John and James had striven to hide their selfish and ambitious request, by coming to Jesus when he was alone, but the ten, as was inevitable, soon heard of it, and were indignant in the extreme at such an unworthy attempt to forestall them in their Master's favor. Their own ambition, at best only suppressed, broke out, afresh, in a fierce storm of jealous passion. Such human weakness was sadly out of place at any time, among the followers of the meek and lowly Son of man, but still more so, now, when he stood almost under the shadow of the cross, and it must have caused him the keenest sorrow. Calling the whole twelve, offenders and offended, round him, therefore, he pointed out how utterly they had misapprehended the nature of his kingdom, notwithstanding all his teaching through the past years.
"You are disputing about precedence in my kingdom," said he, "as if it were like the kingdoms of the world. Once more, let me tell you that it is wholly different. The kings of the heathen nations around us lord it over their subjects, and their magnates, under them, exercise authority often more imperiously than their chiefs. But it is very different in my kingdom, and a very different spirit must find place among you, its dignitaries. He who wishes to be great in that kingdom can only be so by becoming the servant of the others; and he who wishes the very highest rank, can only be so by becoming their slave. You may see that it must be so from my own case, your King and Head—for I, the Son of man, came not to be ministered unto, as other kings are, but to serve, and to give up even my life as a ransom for many."
On Matt. 20 : 23 Clarke makes the following comment, which throws valuable light on the passage:—
"The common translation, in which the words, it shall be given to them, are interpolated by our translators, utterly changes and destroys the meaning of the passage. It represents Christ (in opposition to the whole Scriptures) as having nothing to do in the dispensing of rewards and punishments; whereas, our Lord only intimates that, however partial he may be to these two brethren, yet seats in glory can only be given to those who are fitted for them. No favor can prevail here; the elevated seat is for him who is filled with the fullness of God. The true construction of the words is this—to sit on my right hand and on my left, is not mine to give, except to them for whom it is prepared of my Father. According to the prediction of Christ, these brethren did partake of his afflictions: James was martyred by Herod, Acts 12 : 2, and John was banished to Patmos, for the testimony of Christ, Rev. 1 : 9."