If a person becomes like those they spend the most time with, then who exactly are you becoming? The message begins with the plain truth that knowing what is right has never yet changed anyone, and then turns to the conversation between the mother of Zebedee’s sons and Jesus (Matthew 20), which exposes the hunger for power hidden in every one of us. Jesus does not scold the disciples; he turns their world upside down: whoever wants to be great must serve, because the Son of Man came not to be served. Listen if you want to understand why serving others is the training without which humility never takes root in us.
Discussion questions
For your small group or for personal reflection after the sermon.
- The mother of Zebedee's sons bows before Jesus and asks for places at His right and left for her sons. What does her request reveal about how she and the disciples understood Jesus and His kingdom?
- Jesus asks, "Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?" What did that cup mean, and why does the disciples' answer "We can" show how little they understood?
- The preacher says knowledge alone doesn't change us, because we become like the people we spend time with. In what area of your life do you clearly see that you know what is good but still do things your own way?
- The boy in the song dreams of having a throne "so I can rule." Where in your life (at work, at home, at church) do you notice a desire for others to serve you?
- Jesus says whoever wants to be great must be a servant, because He came to serve and give His life as a ransom for many. How does what Jesus did for you change the way you see serving others?
- An older man, once a pastor, set up the chairs every Sunday. What specific, perhaps unseen, act of service can you take on this week in your church community or at home?
