Our Requests Mark10:35-40
When I first read about John and James making this demand of Jesus my first thought was, they’re lucky they weren’t the first disciples to die. Can you imagine, “Jesus, out of all of us, out of all your followers throughout the ages, we think we’re above them all. We want special treatment.” Poof, two piles of ash and Jesus turning to the others asking, “Anyone else think they’re special?”
“’Teacher,’ they said, ‘we want you to do for us whatever we ask.’” Audacious don’t you think? God, do what I want and not what you want. Is this scene a lesson to show us what not to do? Can we see ourselves in these two disciples?
I’m sure we never dreamed of sitting at the right hand of God to judge others and receive heaven’s glory and honor. But I’m sure at times our prayers sound like theirs. “God, heal my disease. God, put in a different position in life. God, I want this and that.” “God, we want you to do whatever we ask.”
Hebrews 10:7, “Then I said…I have come to do your will, my God.” Where in the disciple’s request do they commit to do God’s will? Where in their request do they even acknowledge God is supreme and they will follow him? We pray for ourselves, we pray for others, we prayed our Congregational prayer today; all of this is good, but even as we pray, we leave something out. When I pray it is in my mind and heart, but sadly, seldom verbalized. “God, I pray for----, but your will be done, and I will praise you all my life.”
This is such an important lesson for us Jesus even demonstrates it at Gethsemane; Matthew 26:39, “And going a little farther, (Jesus) fell on his face and prayed, saying, ‘My Father! If it is possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless. Not as I will, but as you will.’”
When we pray, we should be prepared to bow to God’s will, no matter how those prayers are answered. Many of you have heard me say how I prayed for our son Jared to be freed from his addiction and to be made healthy. When he passed, it took me awhile, but I came to see Jared is free, he is healthy and perfect in heaven. God answered my prayer, but he did it according to his will, not mine. When this became apparent to me, my faith deepened. Seeing God’s will play out isn’t always the easiest thing, but we must be committed to God whatever his will holds for us.
So, in our reading we have these two, John and James, telling Jesus they want him to do what they want, how does he reply? “What do you want me to do for you?” God knows our requests, God knows our hearts, and he always gives us the opportunity to approach him and ask.
And as I said earlier, it wouldn’t have surprised me if these two disciples were struck down for their arrogance. Psalm 147:5, “Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit.”
Why do we pray? Because we have desire, we have hope, we have fear, we have pain; God understands all of this, and his grace and understanding is greater than our haughtiness. Our God came to earth as a man to show all mankind he understands us, he understands everything about us. Hebrews 2:17, “…he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest…” And Hebrews 4:15, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are, yet he did not sin.” Our God understands everything about us, and he is greater than all our faults.
Next Jesus tries to explain that as humans with human limits, John and James could not fathom God’s mind or will, “Can you drink the cup I drink, or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?” In other words, can we fully understand God? Can we understand all God has done, everything he is doing now? Can we see with clarity everything God will do in the future? Only Jesus can see and understand because only Jesus is God.
And even after Jesus tells them this we see mankind’s pride again; verse 39, “’We can’, they answered.” And again Jesus doesn’t tell them “Enough!” and make them two piles of ash. Jesus goes on to explains the position of all his followers.
“Jesus said to them, ‘You will drink the cup I drink, and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, 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.’” In essence, through our faith, we are gifted Jesus’ perfection. We are baptized in the Spirit.
Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” With this verse the Holy Spirit emphasizes the believer’s union with Christ in his death and resurrection; that through our faith we have gone through everything Jesus has.
But our verse said that even though we may spiritually have gone through all Jesus did, even though we are seen in the light of Jesus’ perfection, there are plans laid down by God that we cannot understand. “These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.” There are plans God set for the world that we cannot alter. And as before, Jesus demonstrates this in Gethsemane, even Jesus could not alter the plan God the Father set in motion for our salvation.
Now, there may be some who hear this message and think, why pray, God is going to do what he wants anyway. Please don’t think like that. Our prayers are important. In fact, one sure way to ensure God will not heal your pain, nor change your circumstances, is you not praying.
This exchange between James, John, and Jesus, shows us that through our faith we are like Jesus. We have been crucified in this life and raised again in the Spirit.
It shows us that prayer is important, that without prayer we cannot expect God to act.
We are shown we need to offer bold prayer but to also be prepared to bow to God’s will because while we are on this earth, we cannot understand the vastness of God’s will being played out over the millennia.
Let me end by quoting what Paul closes his letter to the Roman church with; “to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen.” (Romans 16:27)