March 17, 2024
Morning Service

We have often said that life is a journey.  We begin that journey often ambitious and full of energy making plans for what we want our life to look like in the future.  As a child what did you want to be when you grew up?  How many of you actually saw that to come to fruition?  It did not work out for me as I planned as things changed and other opportunities arrived.  I had no ambition to work in the cement/concrete industry for 35 years and certainly had no ambition to become a pastor of a church.  But God opened doors for me to have a fruitful career at Lehigh and called me to shepherd this wonderful church.  I did not realize the impact the decision I made when I was only 12 years old to become a Jesus follower would have on my entire life plans; my journey.  I had a plan, but God had a better one for me.  Each of us have our own story of our journey that has brought us together here this morning.  God has designed that during our journey, our paths would cross and intersect today.  Often on our journey, God changes our path suddenly sometimes in a wonderful way, with a new baby, or in a difficult way, with a cancer diagnosis or losing someone who is close to us.  This journey of life can be so rewarding at times, but also can be extremely difficult.  We don’t really know which one of those awaits us around the next corner.  If Jesus tarries, the only thing we know for sure about our journey is that it will end one day in our death.  What if you could know the future; would you want to?  I assuredly say my answer would be no.  I choose to trust God in the moment and trust Him with my future; not my will but His be done in my life.  He chooses what tomorrow holds and I am okay with that.  Are you?

Think about Jesus for a moment.  Somewhere around 12 years old, He knew exactly what He was going to be and do when He grew up.  His life was destined to be an incredible one with lots of high and lots of lows, but in the end He knew His life’s journey would end walking down the path to Golgotha to a cross that awaited Him.  Our journey is often a mystery to us, but it was not for Jesus; He knew what lie ahead for Him and yet He chose to complete that journey with perfection.  In the next two weeks, I would like for us to walk part of that journey with Jesus and learn from how He handled knowing what was ahead of Him.  I want us to try to experience what it was like for Him and use that as our journey goes forward.  We will begin in Matthew 20 where Jesus is beginning His final journey to Jerusalem and He warns the disciples of what awaits them there (He knows).

Mat 20:17-19 Now Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples aside on the road and said to them, (18)” Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death, (19) and deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify. And the third day He will rise again."

            This is actually the third time Jesus has told the disciples this in Matthew’s gospel.  The first time in chapter 16, Peter actually tried to convince Jesus to come up with a better plan to keep this from happening but Jesus strongly rebuked him for it (16:23).  Peter was being mindful of his own will and what he wanted over God’s will and what He had planned.  None of the disciples wanted Jesus to leave them, especially in this manner, but it was the will of God.  In the moment they did not understand, but later the revelation was given to them of how God was working through all of this to achieve something greater than they could imagine.  In our journey as things take an unforeseen curve that we don’t understand, we too must trust God “that all things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose.” (Rom. 8:28) We must like Peter learn to allow God to lead us to fulfill His purpose not ours.

            I read the words Jesus uses here and wonder how difficult was for Him to know that He would be “betrayed, condemned, delivered to His enemies, mocked, scourged, and crucified.”  The imagery inside His mind had to be unbelievable.  But God also had given Him the image of what happens after that; “on the third day He will rise again.”  We too will face things unbelievably hard along our journey, but know in the end we too will rise and be with the One who died for us!

            As we continue (right along script) James and John’s mother comes to Jesus with an ambition they have for their future, though they have no idea what they are asking for.

 

Mat 20:20-28   Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to Him with her sons, kneeling down and asking something from Him.  (21)  And He said to her, "What do you wish?" She said to Him, "Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your kingdom."  (22)  But Jesus answered and said, "You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?" They said to Him, "We are able."  (23)  So He said to them, "You will indeed drink My cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared by My Father."  (24)  And when the ten heard it, they were greatly displeased with the two brothers.  (25)  But Jesus called them to Himself and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them.  (26)  Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant.  (27)  And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave— (28) just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

            James and John had an ambition to be Jesus’ right hand men in the kingdom they thought he was setting in place very soon here on this earth.  They had plans to be leaders in this kingdom as they would be, but not as they envisioned.  James would become the first disciple to be martyred for his faith and John would live a long, difficult life of persecution and isolation.  I am sure that is not what they had in mind.  We may all have aspirations of achieving success and happiness but Jesus tells us here that it is the servant who is considered first in His kingdom.  Along our journey, it is not the accolades we receive for our achievements or accomplishments that makes us great, but the acts of love that we give away investing in and serving others that really makes us great in God’s eyes.  What would you ask for in your future from Jesus if you could?  Would it be to enjoy a life of happiness and success achieving all the goals you have set for yourself?  Or would it be more like what John the Baptist said; “He must increase and I must decrease.” Now we see a time God actually does ask two men what they want and then grants it to them when they ask.

 

Mat 20:29-34 Now as they went out of Jericho, a great multitude followed Him.  (30)  And behold, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, "Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!"  (31)  Then the multitude warned them that they should be quiet; but they cried out all the more, saying, "Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!"  (32)  So Jesus stood still and called them, and said, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  (33)  They said to Him, "Lord, that our eyes may be opened."  (34)  So Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes. And immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him.

            Jesus is on a mission to get to Jerusalem.  Can you imagine all that is going through His mind as He is heading in that direction knowing what lies ahead?  If it were me, I would be worried and feeling sorry for myself losing focus on all that is going on around me; not Jesus.  He is present in this moment along His journey and He hears the cries of these two men in real need.  Everyone is telling the two of them to be quiet, Jesus is an important and busy man who has no time for the likes of them.  Have you been there?  Thinking why God would ever think or care about you and your needs?  He does.  He is pursuing you.  He hears you and He sees you.  You have not because you ask not!  They cried out even more and Jesus stops in His tracks and asks them “What do you want Me to do for you?”  Does that seem odd to you?  I am sure they were obviously blind and their need was very apparent, but Jesus who knows everything still asks them.  He knows what you want along your journey.  He knows what is in your heart and mind at all times, but He wants us to ask.  Not for His sake, but for ours.  We humble ourselves when we come to Him in prayer asking Him to move in our lives.  He knows it, but wants us to acknowledge that we can do nothing without His help by asking.  Notice, they said humbly; “Lord that our eyes may be opened.”  Jesus hears their request and has “compassion upon them and touched their eyes” healing them.  How did the two blind men react, “they followed Him.”  God changed the direction of their journey in a moment by granting their request and He also got the reaction He wanted as they followed Him.  When God answers our prayers are we grateful? Does that alter our journey?  Hopefully it brings gratitude and a greater desire to follow faithfully.  But for some, they take it for granted and go right back to where they were before the need was met with no change at all.

 

In summary, Jesus knows the pain and difficulty that awaits Him at Jerusalem, but He moves on faithfully accepting it.  Follow Him faithfully knowing He has your future planned.  He is not too busy to answer the requests of those around Him as He moves forward along His journey to the cross.  May we continue to move faithfully and never be too busy to serve those around us.

 

Heavenly Father open our hearts and minds to the reality of all that Jesus endured for us and may that revelation draw us closer to You.