The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Mark 10:35-40, “And James and John, the two sons of Zebedee, came up to Him, saying to Him, ‘Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask of You.’

36 And He said to them, ‘What do you want Me to do for you?’

37 And they said to Him, ‘Grant that we may sit in Your glory, one on Your right, and one on Your left.’

38 But Jesus said to them, ‘You do not know what you are asking for. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?’

39 And they said to Him, ‘We are able.’ And Jesus said to them, ‘The cup that I drink you shall drink; and you shall be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized.

40 But to sit on My right or on My left, this is not Mine to give; but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.’”

Be honest now, how many of you have said to one or both of your parents, “Say ‘yes’?” And when they replied, “Well, what is the question?” you said, “Say ‘yes,’ and I’ll tell you the question.” Sounds a bit backwards, doesn’t it? How old were you when you asked that backwards question? Probably quite small.

James and John were well on their way to adulthood when they asked it. “Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask of You.” I can just see Jesus hiding a smile when He replied, “What do you want Me to do for you?” They were forthright. They may have even said it together: “Grant that

We may sit in Your glory, one on Your right, and one on Your left.”

We have to credit them for believing in the Kingdom Glory –a kingdom they believed would be established on the Earth during their lifetime. When two young men are sufficiently brazen to ask such a question, you have to believe that each of them secretly wanted the best of the two positions.

What is worse is that two verses earlier in this same passage, Jesus had told His disciples that He

would be condemned to death and delivered to the Gentiles. Instead of agonizing over the death that was to come, they were vying for an exalted position in the Kingdom! Truly sad; yet isn’t that exactly how we are –always looking for the best for ourselves instead of showing concern for the LORD?

Jesus’ answer was somewhat blunt: “You do not know what you are asking for.” Isn’t that the prototype of us? LORD, I’ll go anywhere, do anything. Just give me a nice place on the oceanside, where I can relax to the sound of the waves as they roll in across the sand. No, they hadn’t fully examined the import of the question. Jesus goes on to speak of the cup and the baptism, both of which related to His coming death. Are you able to relate to the cup and the baptism of death? “Oh, yes we are,” they responded with arrogant thoughtlessness.

Well, you will experience both, Jesus said. But those positions that you seek are not Mine to give. They belong to the Father, and He will asign them according to His will.

LORD, humble us until we understand that we exist for YOUR Glory, not our own.

Prayerfully and humbly yours,

Nana & Dado III

(Rose Marie & Gene)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”