When the Lord was on the earth, He rarely taught others how to be an authority. This is because His goal on earth was not to establish authority among men. Mark 10:35-45 contains the clearest teaching concerning how to be an authority. Anyone who wants to be an authority must read this passage; it is the Lord’s own teaching. Here He shows us the way to be an authority. We know that the conversation was initiated by James and John; they wanted to sit on the right and left of the Lord in His glory. They knew that such a request was somewhat blunt, and they were too shy to mention it to the Lord directly. Instead they said, “We want You to do for us whatever we ask You” (v. 35). They said this to first secure a promise from the Lord. But the Lord did not answer them immediately. He asked, “What do you want Me to do for you?” (v. 36). Since He did not know what they wanted, He could not promise them anything. At this point they said, “Grant to us to sit, one on Your right and one on Your left, in Your glory” (v. 37). This request implies two things. First, they wanted to be near the Lord, and second, they wanted authority in glory. It was proper for them to desire to be near the Lord; such a request was properly directed. But that was not all they wanted; they wanted authority in glory as well. They wanted to be over the other ten disciples. What did the Lord say to them? First, He said that He did not know what they wanted Him to do. Then He said that even they themselves did not know what they were asking (v. 38a).
They thought that sitting on the right and the left was something that the Lord could grant or dispense to them. But the Lord told them that it was not that simple. They wanted to be near the Lord and to have authority. The Lord did not say that their request was wrong, nor did He say that it was wrong to desire to be at His right and left side. He told them that in order to be on His right and left, they had to drink of His cup and be baptized with His baptism. James and John thought that they would acquire the place merely by asking. But the Lord told them that it was not a matter of asking but a matter of drinking the cup and partaking of the baptism. This is not a matter of prayer. It is not a matter of trying to sit on the right or left side of the Lord. If one does not drink of the Lord’s cup and is not baptized with His baptism, his asking is in vain. If a man does not drink of the Lord’s cup and is not baptized with His baptism, he cannot be near Him nor can he have any authority. The Lord is not free to grant position and authority to anyone. Only those who drink His cup and are baptized with His baptism are given position and authority. Drinking and baptism are the foundation. If the foundation is wrong, there cannot be the right superstructure. Suppose a child goes up to the mountain to pick flowers and then plants the flowers back in the soil. Even though he thinks that he has planted a garden, the flowers have no roots. James and John were wrong in the root matters. In order to be near the Lord and have authority in glory, they needed to drink His cup and be baptized with His baptism. If the disciples did not drink His cup and were not baptized with His baptism, they could neither be near Him nor receive authority and position. This is something that they would understand shortly. This is something that has to do with today, not just with the future.
Home | First | Prev | Next