Are you ready??
We heard a message about the big leagues today. Are you ready for the big leagues? What does it take to get ready? Pastor Kevin talked about the mother of James and John coming with a request. Here are the words from the Bible:
Matthew 20:20-28
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.”
In verse 22 it was a statement made by Jesus to tell them they did not know what they were asking. The cup Jesus referred to was his crucifixion. Enormous pain and suffering. Their willingness to accept that cup is admirable but PK said it’s like a high school QB asking to play in the NFL. Here is a video showing the sort of hits they pros take every game.
Watching this video got me to thinking about the hits we take every day. We get hit with illness, financial problems, family issues and death but I wonder if they are big league hits or little league. It feels big when it happens. The death of my friends or family hit hard. It hits all of us hard.
My grandson played football last season and he got hit sometimes. The kids would come off the field crying and hurt but in a few minutes I think every single one wanted to go back in and usually did. As parents and grandparents we told our young players to ‘walk it off’, to get back in the game. I really don’t want to minimize the pain of our hits and I believe our kids (and us) get hit and it really hurts but I wonder if it serves a greater purpose. After all, the time on this planet is so short when you compare to eternity. As Believers we know we are here but for a short time and even death is temporary. It doesn’t feel like it but in our heart we know that to be true.
All of the disciples took hits. James died first, John last. In between all of the others were martyrs. They died for Christ, for the truth they knew. Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God and they died so we might hear that truth and hopefully be saved. Was the hit they took worth it? Was the pain redeemed by our belief?
So, are you ready for the big leagues? I am asking myself that same question but I want to work on the value of my hits and how they have worked for my good.
I can tell you one of mine. I watched the company I worked for fold up under the weight of debt and bad management. We borrowed a lot of money to keep it going and there were a couple of employees that helped take us down that we really should have let go. That was over 10 years ago and was the last time I got a paycheck. It was really scary at the time but today I know it prepared me to own another business and make better decisions. To choose better. I really don’t miss having a job now. I have a business of my own and I love it.
What hits have you taken and what was the value of it in your life? Did your suffering prepare you for something bigger or to be able to help someone else? Think about your negative hits and how it helped you grow and what you learned. Make a list and look for a pattern. It’s pretty cool when you see how God is working.
Thanks for listening,
Jerry Robertson