The sons of Zebedde - those seeking positions in the Kingdom through relatives and prayer. Mathew Chapter 20: Verses 22-23:But Jesus answered and said to them, You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup which I am about to drink? They said to Him, We are able. He said to them, My cup you shall indeed drink, but to sit on My right and on My left, this is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by My Father. She thought that she knew what she was asking, but the Lord said, You do not know what you are asking. They all said with one voice that they were able. They did not realize what they were saying. While the Lord was suffering, Peter escaped. To drink the cup means to submit to the Fathers will. The baptism refers to the death of the cross (here there is no mention of baptism). The cup was in the garden of Gethsemane, while the baptism was on the cross (Luke 12:50). The cup signifies sacrifice and submission to God; baptism signifies death. The Gospel of Mark presents the Lord as the Servant; thus, it mentions baptism (an act of being put to death). The Gospel of Matthew presents the Lord as the King; hence, there is no mention of baptism, but only of the cup, which signifies the heart of submission. The position in the kingdom is not gained through relatives or prayer. This is not Mine to give. This means that it cannot be given based on the Lords likes and dislikes. The position in the kingdom is not gained at will; it is preassigned and is given to those who fulfill the requirements. Hence, any man who thinks that the saved ones can receive the kingdom is a son of Zebedee. Verse 25:But Jesus called them to Him and said, You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and the great exercise authority over them. Verse 24 mentions ten disciples. The disciples were divided into two parties, one group of two and one group of ten. The ten thought that the two were too fleshly, unspiritual, proud, and discontent, not satisfied with what the Lord had given them, and were too selfish, caring only for themselves and not for their fellow disciples. Thus, the ten thought that they were indignant for righteousnesss sake. Actually, they themselves also had selfish motives and pride; otherwise, they would not have quarreled. The two parties were the same, differing only in their words and intention. The ten disciples were sorry only that they did not have such a mother to speak up for them. Jesus called them to Him. The Lord knew them; hence, He called them and spoke concerning three matters: (1) The church cannot be like the Gentiles, having rulers and great ones, because you are all brothers (Matt. 23:8). Therefore, to have the pope, the bishop, the pastor, and the priests is unscriptural and is against the Lords command. Even if the title is not used and yet the fact exists, it is still not permitted. To rule and instruct others spiritually is permitted, but to rule over others positionally is absolutely forbidden. In the Bible the overseers, the shepherds, the elders, the teachers, etc. are all spiritual. Today in the church a very fleshy pastor can rule over a most spiritual carpenter. Men desire to be an elder or a deacon only because they want to increase their own power in the church. We ought to serve the Lord faithfully and strive to please Him. However, if a person tries to gain a higher position over others in the kingdom through his service, it is a sin. Verses 26-27:It shall not be so among you; but whoever wants to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you shall be your slave. (2) A servant is one who is sent yet still has freedom. (3) Slave is a stronger word. To be first is to be the best within a group of people. Hence, those who want to be great must be a servant (less severe), while those who want to be the first must be a slave (more severe). The position in the kingdom is exactly opposite to todays situation. We want to be great and to be the first in this age, but the Lord wants us to receive the reward in the coming age. Man wants a reward but is unwilling to pay the price. To be great spiritually is to be humble and to suffer spiritually. We are able to be humble before God, yet it seems that we are unable to be humble before man. Collected Works of Watchman Nee,(Set 1) Vol. 15: Study on Matthew by Watchman Nee
Posted on: Tue, 19 Nov 2013 06:18:39 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015