When Seeking Rulers
We cannot forget who Jesus was and is and who he's called us to be.
And in today’s episode of Adventures of Missing the Point,
Jesus [with careful concern]: Look, I am about to give up my power.
James’ & John’s Mother [a bit distractedly]: Hey Jesus…can my boys be your #2 enforcers?
—
It’s so frustrating to gospel-leaning Christians that the name of Christ is sullied by some Christians seeking to fix the world through political power. In this passage, Jesus exactly says that it’s the Gentiles who are the people who seek political power.
But it’s not that way with you…
So take note in the passage just what the way is with us (we who want to follow Jesus).
Matthew 20:17-28
As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the Twelve aside by themselves on the road. He told them, “Look, we are going up to Jerusalem. The Human One will be handed over to the chief priests and legal experts. They will condemn him to death. They will hand him over to the Gentiles to be ridiculed, tortured, and crucified. But he will be raised on the third day.”
Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus along with her sons. Bowing before him, she asked a favor of him.
“What do you want?” he asked.
She responded, “Say that these two sons of mine will sit, one on your right hand and one on your left, in your kingdom.”
Jesus replied, “You don’t know what you’re asking! Can you drink from the cup that I’m about to drink from?”
They said to him, “We can.”
He said to them, “You will drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left hand isn’t mine to give. It belongs to those for whom my Father prepared it.”
Now when the other ten disciples heard about this, they became angry with the two brothers. But Jesus called them over and said, “You know that those who rule the Gentiles show off their authority over them and their high-ranking officials order them around. But that’s not the way it will be with you. Whoever wants to be great among you will be your servant. Whoever wants to be first among you will be your slave— just as the Human One didn’t come to be served but rather to serve and to give his life to liberate many people.”
Prayer1
Sovereign Lord,
Foolish we are, believing that we can rule ourselves by selecting this or that person to rule over us. We are at it again. Help us not to think it more significant than it is, but also give us and those we elect enough wisdom to acknowledge our follies. Help us laugh at ourselves, for without humour our politics cannot be humane. We desire to dominate and thus are dominated. Free us, dear Lord, for otherwise we perish.
Amen.
Adapted from a prayer from Stanley Hauerwas, A Prayer for Election Day