Killing The Message

We all know them, those people who are not really paying attention when we speak.

While Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside by themselves, and said to them on the way, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death; then they will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified; and on the third day he will be raised.” Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her sons, and kneeling before him, she asked a favor of him. And he said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Declare that these two sons of mine will sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.” But Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.” He said to them, “You will indeed drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left, this is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.” When the ten heard it, they were angry with the two brothers. But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. It will not be so among you; but whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be your slave; just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.” - Matthew 20:17–28

I have to believe that the sons of Zebedee didn't make it clear to mom what was about to happen to Jesus.

Surely they must have heard what Jesus said, so did they not understand?

Maybe they did understand that Jesus was to be killed and raised up in glory, and they wanted to be with him, in positions of glory too.

Had Mom come to realize that they would all have to die?

Of was she thinking of a divine head of an earthly reign?

Jesus makes it clear that his life is to be sacrificed so that many would live, but even we have trouble with that, don't we?

We say that was God's purpose in sending his son, who we say is God himself in a different form, but wrapping our heads around that is tough.

The message is clear, though.  If we turn back to God, we can be saved.  And that means we have eternal life with God in His Kingdom.

I imagine, then, that God looked at all of us and said to himself, they will kill that message.

Ironically, we are still trying to do just that.

More to come...