What Do You Want? - Matthew 20:17-34

We pick up today in Matthew 20 with Jesus making his way to Jerusalem. His disciples are traveling along with him. And he has been preparing them for his arrest and death. Jesus uses the title “Son of Man” to refer to himself, which is from the OT book of Daniel. They understood Daniel’s “Son of Man” to be the King of all kings who would come in glory and power.

But he would be so powerful, conquering his enemies, that the Jews did not associate this king with the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53. Jesus describes for them his unjust arrest, torture, execution, and resurrection. At this point in history, they are still puzzled; but later on, they would put it together.

For instance, Peter would quote Isaiah 53 in his first epistle to the churches. He writes, [23] When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. [24] He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.” The King of Kings is the Servant of Servants. And two situations arise to demonstrate that in God’s kingdom, it’s not clout or control that indicated greatness; it is servanthood.

We see two pairs of men who wanted two different things. It’s no coincidence that Matthew records these events back-to-back. There are two blind men...or are there four? The first two men are two of the 12 apostles, those of Jesus’ disciples given special authority. And these men are two of the three who are probably the closest to Jesus. James and John were there along with Peter at the supernatural transfiguration of Jesus - that event on a mountaintop where God revealed the divinity of Jesus before their eyes. These men were seen as trustworthy by Jesus and integral to the kingdom work.

But they were still men, and still prone to selfishness and vain ambition. Even those who follow Jesus can lose sight of God’s glory. Even those who are at some point close to the Lord of Glory can become intoxicated by personal glory. The mother of these two men kneels before Jesus and has a request. She said to him, “Say that these two sons of mine are to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.” Jesus previously said at the end of ch. 19 that on the last day, the 12 apostles would “sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”

These men want the two best thrones. Perhaps they wondered, “What do we have to do to get one of those thrones?” Or “If we get those thrones, then everyone will know that we’re great.” Well, Jesus just told them back in vs.17-19 what he must do before he can sit on his throne: delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, condemned to death, delivered over to be mocked and flogged and crucified. Did they not just hear what Jesus said? Matthew Henry points out, “We know not what we ask, when we ask for the glory of wearing the crown, and ask not for grace to bear the cross in our way to it.”

Jesus says, verse [22] “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?” The “cup” is distinctly OT. For instance, in Psalm 23, David says, “my cup overflows.” There is a cup, so to speak, from which God pours out blessing on His people. But Psalm 75 says, “For in the hand of (Yahweh) there is a cup with foaming wine, well mixed, and he pours out from it, and all the wicked of the earth shall drain it down to the dregs.” Like his blessing, God pours out his wrath as from a chalice, from a great goblet. Jesus would drink from the cup of God’s wrath to take the punishment for the sins of his people.

Jesus says to the Father in the garden of Gethsemane, “if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” James and John, and their mother, don’t understand. But still they say to Jesus, “We are able.” Jesus affirms that they too will suffer for the sake of the gospel. In fact, all of the apostles would. But who sits where in glory is not Jesus’ concern. The Father will determine that.

Now, naturally, the other ten apostles were furious. The truth is, all of them were concerned with rank and status. They were naturally competitive. That’s normal in human organizations. Jesus knows this, so he points out to them, verse [25] “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. The Gentile leaders were domineering. They were on a power trip. It works that way in the world. Those with power like to wield it. But not in His kingdom. Jesus says, verse [26] It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, [27] and whoever would be first among you must be your slave.”

Would that appeal to the apostles? Servanthood? If greatness correlates with selflessness, these apostles are not looking too great. John Calvin describe the event this way: “This narrative contains a bright mirror of human vanity; for it shows that proper and holy zeal is often accompanied by ambition, or some other vice of the flesh, so that they who follow Christ have a different object in view from what they ought to have.”

They should have only God and His glory - his fame - in view. Calvin says, “They who are not satisfied with himself alone, but seek this or the other thing apart from him and his promises, wander egregiously from the right path.”

Have you been careful to watch for this in your own life? God-centeredness is not natural. We are not bent toward it. For example, worship like what we are doing here today naturally becomes man-centered. So, we have to guard against it. And the leaders of the church should take note, verse [27] whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

In Daniel’s vision of the Son of Man,he described him like this: “And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him.” The Hebrew word “serve” implies acts of worship. We worship him who served us by living, dying, and rising in our place.

We take our cues from the Servant of Servants, from the Suffering King; from the one who possessed glory, but displayed humility. Jesus could not demand his rights and fulfill his mission. Neither can we. The mission of Jesus was to give his life as a ransom for a large part of mankind. Jesus’ sacrifice, while sufficient for the sins of the whole world, was only effective for those he would save. Jesus bought his people by his own blood. He redeemed us. We call this substitutionary atonement.

And so the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ is what we must keep in view. We must beg God to help us keep it in view. We must approach worship together and privately knowing that we naturally lose sight of it. That’s why we lead you in confessing to God that we lose sight of it.

What has stolen your eyes away from God’s glory? Jesus asks them, “What do you want?” We could translate it as, “What do you wish?” or “What do you desire?” What we want from God? Our desires are always there under the surface, driving you, motivating you. Do you want something related to your relationships, or your home, or in your job, or in your church? Certainly there is something Jesus can do for you!

A project manager wants good results. A parent wants a good child. A preacher wants a good sermon. I’ve learned something about preaching. The goal should never be a sermon. See, the sermon is not an end in itself; it’s a means. What is the chief end of a sermon? The glory of God in the world. The end is for people to be amazed by God, to know Him more; to see Him and love what they see, and draw near to Him each day.

I find that when I want, more than anything, complete a good sermon, it’s difficult. But when I want more than anything for people to see God’s glory, it’s not far to a sermon. When your desire is shifted to wanting more of God himself and helping others see God’s glory and hunger for Him, the other thing you wanted comes into focus. However, there is something people must recognize if they would truly see God’s glory.

People must recognize their need. They must see their need for God’s mercy. Only those who feel their need will cry out for God’s mercy and those who feel their need will hunger for God. Look with me at these remaining verses.

Jesus and his crew move on, many people following, and they see two men sitting by the road. These are the other two blind men. They can feel their need for Jesus. Why? They can’t see! But they’ve heard about the glory of Jesus, that he can make blind people see. They want something too. Verse 30, “they cried out, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!”

They acknowledge him as the Messiah. They don’t want power or privilege. They just want what most everyone else already has. What all of you, to my knowledge, has. They want to see. The OT proclaims this to be one of the things the Messiah would do. But notice verse [31] The crowd rebuked them, telling them to be silent.”

I agree again here with John Calvin. He points out that in every age it is often the case

that those who should be helping us to Jesus are instead blocking us from him. This only shows that these people did not yet truly delight in Jesus himself. They wanted Jesus to get to Jerusalem, wield the power, defeat the enemy, take the throne!

But these men are desperate. Jesus came for the desperate ones. They need Jesus. Do you need Jesus? I’m not asking if you needed him years ago when you became a Christian (or when you think you became a Christian).

Do you need him today? You might not think you do, but you do. There is some brass ring you’ve been chasing, and you may have even been asking Jesus for it. James, John, and their mother prove that it is possible to ask Jesus for the wrong thing. These people blocking the blind men from Jesus want the wrong thing.

Look again at the men: verse 31, “but they cried out all the more, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” [32] And stopping, Jesus called them and said, “What do you want me to do for you?” [33] They said to him, “Lord, let our eyes be opened.” Sure, these men wanted something. We all do. Verse [34] And Jesus in pity touched their eyes, and immediately they recovered their sight and followed him. Jesus was moved with compassion over their miserable state.

Why would Jesus give these two blind men what they want but not give the other two “blind” men what they want? These two men came to Jesus for what he actually had to give. It was not Jesus’ role to grant status in the kingdom. It was his role to grant mercy, and restoration, and wholeness to wretched sinners.

Throughout his earthly ministry, Jesus’ healed blindness to authenticate his message. In other words, to prove it to be genuine. Notice what these blind men did after receiving their sight. They “followed him.” Even though the physical blindness was gone, there was a greater blindness to cure: spiritual blindness. The mind and heart are blinded by sin.

Do you think you could be blind to something? James and John didn’t think they were blind. They were blinded by what they wanted. They had this great gift from God - their calling and the opportunities that came with it. They had a self-satisfaction - they were feeling good about their status.

Martyn Lloyd-Jones talks about this self-satisfaction. He says, “We have this feeling that we have arrived, because we are converted, and may even have had some further experience. We may be feeling that all we have got to do is maintain the position, and we may even be feeling superior to those who have not yet come as far as we have.” But then he asks, “To what extent are we aware of a desire for God himself and for a knowledge of the glory of God? ...beyond the blessings...beyond the gifts... for God himself…. We all ask for personal blessings, but how much do we know of this desire for God himself?” Jesus healed, preached, he even raised the dead, so that people would desire more than just God’s blessings. Jesus gave his life as a ransom to people could for God himself.

As we go to the table today, we remember another cup from which Jesus drank. He invites us to drink the cup and eat the bread, to remember that those who are born again of the Spirit are partakers in his body and blood. Have you seen your need to admit to God that you are a sinner in need of Jesus the Savior?

He stands ready to receive you and lead you. Will you follow him?

What do you want?

Let’s pray together.