“Then, Salome, the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him. ‘What is it you want?’ he asked. She said, ‘Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.’ ‘You don’t know what you are asking,’ Jesus said to them. ‘Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?’ ‘We can,’ they answered. Jesus said to them, ‘You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.’ When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers. Jesus called them together and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave-just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:20-28
Dear Jesus, I read what Salome and her boys asked you and I say to myself, “Did she really just do that?” It blows my mind that someone would be so bold as to ask you if they could have the most honored places for all eternity next to you. But then I think about how in my closest circles I still crave honor, respect, and recognition. When we are the most comfortable with someone we are the most bold. Salome and her boys followed you everywhere. They were all in! They believed you were the world’s messiah. Even though you had just told them about your death, they clung to your words about resurrection. Those words played into their earthly kingdom Israeli hopes. I hear your answer to them loud and clear. Our earthly lives are great when they are serving and not being served. All of my desires are to be focused on blessing others in the best possible way. Give me a servant’s heart today. I want to get lost in making other people’s lives better. Amen.
Personal ambition is the enemy of greatness.