ARE YOU GROWING?(14)

*WISDOM FOR TODAY.*

*ARE YOU GROWING? (14)*

*Scripture Treasure.*

Matt 20: 20-28

v20 *Then came to him the mother of Zebedees children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him.*

v21  *And he said unto her, What wilt thou? 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.*

v22  *But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able.*

v23  *And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father.*

v24  *And when the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation against the two brethren.*

v25 *But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them.*

v26 *But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;*

v27 *And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:*

v28 *Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.*

*Insight and Highlight.*

Christian growth, greatness.and God's timing.

*Scripture Commentaries.*

The second thing Jesus teaches from Matt 20: 20-28 is God's timing.

Salome and her children lost their senses of God's timing or maybe they temporarily or momentarily lost it.

More worrisome to Jesus was that Salome's request to Jesus came shortly after Jesus had told the disciples what He must suffer.

The preceedings verses before Salome's request in Matt 20: 19 says in Matt 20:17-18: *And Jesus going up to Jerusalem took the twelve disciples apart in the way, and said unto them,*

*Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death,*

It was clear to Jesus that Salome and worse were the disciples who had not understood the mission of Jesus to suffer and die for the sins of the people after His several mentions and discourse on this.

This is a true picture of today's Christians.

Many Christians are distracted from the mission, visions and goals of Jesus.

Attendance, building and cash have become the central focus that have fuelled ambitions disguised in the name of Jesus.

Selfish search for souls have replaced selfless search for them

Some hope to win souls by all means even if it is against the will of God and at the hurt and at the expense of mature Christians.

Immature Christians are in competition.

Mature Christians are harmonious and complementary.

Jesus teaches Salome and her two sons that it is not yet time to determine where they would sit. Jesus told Salome that If they qualified and satisfied two major conditions (Matt 20:22), it *".... shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father.* (Matt 20:23).

He teaches us of unhealthy striving and rivalries. He teaches that most people who do not wait for God's time for placement and who often involve in unhealthy striving for position do not know the risks and responsibilities involved in the position. All they see is the office and pleasure.

Jesus teaches through His answers to Salome and His disciples that one can be in the same place teaching people visions yet they can be with different ambitions.

You can be a leader teaching people on how realistic a vision is.

Jesus taught them on how certain His mission to save the world, but the disciples had different dreams. They had how they hoped to realize them.

It teaches how you will be in the same room and place teaching people who you are and represent. However there are different realities of who they are.

It teaches that though you are working as a leader, they are hardly working as followers.

*Remorse corner.*

Mature Christians focus. They are not distracted by selfish ambition.

*Call to Word action.*

Mature Christians understand visions and missions. They are not led by the Salome-attitude. They are led by the Spirit.

Rom 8:14 *For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.*

*The Christian clarion duty.*

Mature Christians wait for God's time.

*Prayer.*

Lord help me not to involve in unhealthy striving. Let me wait for God's time for my time, in Jesus name.

Good morning all and have a blessed day.

God bless you.

Shalom.