James and John: Seekers of Power

KEY VERSE: “Whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all.” —Mark 10:44

SELECTED SCRIPTURE: Mark 10:35-45; Luke 9:50-55

WE ASSUME that there had been some rather lively discussions among the disciples concerning the kingdom, apparently vying for a preferred place. They must have felt this was an urgent matter since they believed that the kingdom was soon to be established. The Matthew account states that it was the mother of James and John who approached Jesus and requested “that these my two sons may sit, one on the right hand and the other on the left in thy kingdom.” (Matt. 20:20,21) This, of course, was before the disciples had received the Holy Spirit and Jesus knew that they were not aware of what was involved in determining even who would be in the kingdom, let alone who would sit on his right and left.

Jesus answered the request, saying, “Ye know not what ye ask: can ye drink of the cup that I drink of and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” The expression, drinking from a cup, was a metaphor Jesus used to denote his willingness to be completely submissive to God’s will. The cup the Heavenly Father had poured for Jesus was that he should be obedient for three-and-one-half years of his ministry and finally suffer the ignominy of the cross. The thought was that the disciples would not be required to endure the exact experiences that Jesus suffered, but each must drink of the cup, thus symbolizing their individual willingness to be submissive and obedient in all that the Heavenly Father permitted them to suffer in his service. This was also expressed by the apostle as being baptized into his death, that is, spending their time, strength, substance, and yielding their wills to God completely, even unto death.

The two disciples readily agreed to drink of the Lord’s cup, and Jesus said unto them, “Ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of, and with the baptism that I am baptized withal shall ye be baptized: but to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give; but it shall be given to them for whom it was prepared.”—Mark 10:38-40

The account continues stating that when the other disciples heard what James and John had done, they were greatly displeased. Their displeasure was apparently motivated by selfish reasons because when Jesus heard of it he admonished them all, saying, “Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them. But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for [the] many.”—Mark 10:42-45

The lesson Jesus was making was that the thing which James and John had done, and then the subsequent disputation and vying for the positions of authority, was worldly and was the kind of behavior the Gentiles would display. But anyone attempting to follow in the footsteps of Jesus should not be concerned about worldly authority or exaltation of self, but rather should be endeavoring to find ways to serve the brethren, the Gospel, and the Lord. In God’s sight, the one who is thus so busily engaged will be chiefest of all.

The Lord apparently felt the need to repeat this lesson, because on the night the disciples gathered together to celebrate the Passover Supper, as recorded in John 13:1-17, Jesus girded himself and washed the disciples’ feet. It was customary for the host to have one of his servants wash the feet of his guests when they arrived in his home. Travel for the most part was done on foot, and with the open sandals and the hot dusty roads, the washing of feet was an act of courtesy which was much appreciated. But in the upper room that night there was no host or servant and none of the disciples took it upon himself to do it, so the Lord girded himself with a towel and poured water into a basin and began washing their feet.

When he was finished, he said unto them, “Know ye what I have done to you? Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example that ye should do as I have done to you. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his Lord.”—John 13:12-16

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