20 Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him. 21 “What is it you want?” he asked. She said, “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.” 22 “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said to them. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?” “We can,” they answered. 23 Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink from my cup, 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 by my Father.” 24 When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers. 25 Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:20 – 28)
God’s view of the importance of service, the motivation for service, and the manifestation of service does not align with the world’s view. The table below presents a comparison of two views:
| God’s View | World’s View |
| Seek to serve | Seek to be served |
| Making an impact | Making an impression |
| Self-denial and humility | Self-promotion and false-humility |
| Energy comes from God’s overflow | Energy comes from self-discipline |
| Our Significance – Who we are in Christ | Our Significance – The praise of others |
| Eternal glory | Temporal gain |
Please prayerfully reflect on the Bible passages above.
Something to think about:
What have you found to be particularly difficult with a lifestyle of service and how does God’s view of service help?