You cannot reach greatness without first going through the desert

We are to be servants to one another. Ultimately, no matter how high we rise in our service to the Lord, how successful we are, or how much recognition people give us for the good work we do, we always have to remember that we are servants, we are people who serve others. We should not feel like we are special. We have to always retain that great humility when we serve our fellow men.

In chapter 20 of Matthew we are presented with an interesting situation, verse 20 says that: "Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her sons, prostrating herself before him," before the Lord "and asking him for something. And the Lord He asks them: what do you want? She said to him: order that these two children of mine sit in Your Kingdom, one on your right and the other on your left. "

The way the mother presents her petition to the Lord is interesting. The mother of these sons of Zebedee says to him: "Order these my sons." There are two things there: on the one hand she assumes that the Lord is an arbitrary ruler, that He simply gives the word of what he wants and people have to obey him be it fair or unfair, then she says: "command."

Notice that she has this mentality of lordship, this mentality of command, of control. There is nothing there for consideration of others but she says to the Lord Jesus Christ: hey, order because You have the right and that's how things are done in the world, simply give the order that these my two children; in other words there you see something of this attachment that this woman has to her two children and the sense of selfishness "these my two children" or "my children." There is there a sick attachment, a desire of this mother to protect the interests of her children even at the expense of the rights of others.

This woman is thinking how people in the world normally think: my family, my house, my interests I am going to present to the one who has every right to defend those interests and I am going to ask him to give the authoritarian word and to do it as I wish in my heart, and that these my two children feel to the right and to the left of the Lord when He is seated on His Throne.

She understands that Jesus Christ is going to ascend and that he is going to have total Lordship one day but she is very interested in having the two preferential places of the Lord's royalty being occupied by her two sons, there is here a mentality of power, of personal benefit.

Then the Lord surprises her with a question and a very interesting statement, the Lord says: "You don't know what you are asking of me." This woman did not understand what was behind that request, did not understand the ignorance of the Kingdom values that her request projected, nor did she understand the cost of authority in the Kingdom of God. What would have to happen for that request of hers to be fulfilled and we will talk about that a little later.

But he says: "You do not know what you are asking, woman" and here is the key question "Can you drink from the glass that I am to drink and be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?"

In other words, the Lord is saying: You are asking for authority and government for your two children, but are you willing to pay the price for this to happen? What is the cost of having authority in the Kingdom of God? Well, the cost is to go through a process of breaking, a process of pruning, of preparation, of being tested, of being humiliated, leading us to understand who we are so that then with total humility we can approach the Kingdom of God and use resources properly of the Kingdom.

In the Kingdom of God, brothers, things are very mysterious. You cannot reach greatness without first going through the desert. You cannot get to Resurrection Sunday without going through Crucifixion Friday. We cannot reach the height of being used miraculously, wonderfully by God without first a long wait, a great time for God to form us, work us and lead us to be like His Son so that then our service to the Lord is a service that reflects the values of the Kingdom of God.

These values of the Kingdom of God are values of humility, simplicity of heart, meekness, seeking the Glory of the Father and not our own glory, not doing anything that brings reproach to the Kingdom of God, being so immersed in the Presence of God and so concentrated in which His Will is done that we do not have time to think about our own benefit, and for that it takes a costly career, a hard work on the part of God on our lives to form us, and then make us eligible for a supernatural use in our lives .

That is the way. The way to resurrection is through the cross. The path to greatness is through the humiliation of the inner being. This woman did not understand this; she wanted to just immediately put her children in command rather than allow God to put them through a process.

If we want greatness in the Kingdom of God, we have to go through the same process, we cannot shorten God's treatment of our lives. We will look at this passage later and I hope this is a blessing for you, in the Name of Jesus I greet you, amen.