Matthew the apostle wrote how, “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. And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again. Then came to him the mother of Zebedee's children with her sons, worshiping him, and desiring a certain thing of him. And he said unto her, What do you desire? She said unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on your right hand, and the other on the left, in your kingdom. But Jesus answered and said, You know not what you ask. Are you 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. And he said unto them, You 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”, and in chapter twenty and verse twenty-four of his book, Matthew shares how the “ten disciples” were “moved with indignation” when they “heard it” where we read:
And when the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation against the two brethren.
The verse reads, “And when the ten heard it, ...”. Matthew began with the words, “and when” or “and at the time and moment” “the ten heard it” which means “the other ten disciples had the faculty of hearing, understood and perceived what James and John were attempting”. Matthew shared how Jesus' other ten disciples perceived what the mother of Zebedee attempted to obtain for her sons James and John.
The verse continues, “they were moved with indignation against the two brethren.” Matthew added the words, “they were moved with indignation” or “the other ten disciples were much and sore displeased” “against” or “in opposition to , concerning and on account of” “the two brethren” which means “the two brothers who are James and John”. Matthew wrote how the other ten disciples of Jesus were “angry with and displeased” with James and John when they heard the solicitation of their mother.
When we meditate upon Matthew's words in this verse, we discover the “jealousy” within the other “ten disciples” of Jesus. They knew James and John's mother attempted to give them exalted and elevated positions in Jesus' kingdom, and when James and John seemed to acquiesce to her request, they were angry. Jealousy is “love threatened from without”, and because the “ten disciples” would like to have those “right and left hand” positions of authority as well, they were mad. God is no respecter of people, and He desires every person to come to Him through Jesus Christ His Son. There is no need to worry about position and place in God's Kingdom because that is within His authority, and all who read these words should only concern themselves with being in a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
Next time Matthew writes how Jesus said, “it shall not be so among you”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book
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Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms
Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County"
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