The objective of this lesson: (1) To stress that humans do not think as God thinks. (2) To stress that being a Christian servant requires Christian faith.
Sometimes our expectations cause cataracts to form on the way we see the reality surrounding us. As a result, our vision is dimmed and distorted. The effect: our understanding of reality is dimmed and distorted. We are deceived by our understanding of what we see because our expectations distort our perception.
The beginning of trusting God starts with an understanding: God's perception of our reality in a physical world and our perception of reality in a physical world are drastically different. Trusting God begins with a commitment to allow God to teach us to see. Christians must not allow the values of godless people to be their values.
At the conclusion of the meal and Jesus' instituting communion, the twelve were confused by some things Jesus said (see Luke 22:23). It was not the first time Jesus said something they did not understand (see Mark 9:30-32). Once Peter was so bold as to rebuke Jesus for talking about dying, and Jesus called Peter, who understood Jesus was the Christ (Matthew 16:15, 16), Satan (Matthew 16:22, 23). The cataracts of Peter's expectations were not focused on God's interests.
The failure to see physical existence as does God results in a human boldness to champion evil when God's views do not coincide with our expectations.
On the occasion in our text, Jesus was less than 24 hours from his death. The twelve were arguing. They were arguing about which of them was the most important. It was an old argument that had occurred numerous times during Jesus' ministry (see Matthew 18:1-6; Mark 9:33-37; Luke 9:46; Matthew 20:20-28). Try as he did, Jesus could never get beyond the blurred vision of their distorted expectations. He could never get them to understand that God's concept and standards of greatness and people's concept and standards of greatness had nothing in common. God simply did not (and does not) measure greatness as do people. Neither should those who follow God.
Help your students see the humanity of the twelve. Society had a major impact on their expectations. Transfer the fact that following Jesus did not destroy the physical humanity of the twelve to the fact that following Jesus will not destroy our humanity.
It is understandable that the twelve were victims of distorted expectations. They were part of a society that for generations held some general expectations of God's promised Messiah (Hebrew) or Christ (Greek). In some way God's Messiah would come and usher in God's kingdom. In some way that Messiah would get rid of Israel's enemies and bring Israel to its place of prominence as a nation.
Stress the impact of a spiritual society on expectations. (Spiritual societies always think they represent God's values and standards.) Then stress the impact of any society on its people's expectations.
Also, the twelve made significant personal investments in their devotion to Jesus. At least some left jobs to follow Jesus (Matthew 4:18-22). At least some were married (Matthew 8:14; 1 Corinthians 9:5), and their devotion to Jesus had to create stress on their families. They endured the multitudes, the harassment, and the endless demands (Mark 3:9, 10; Luke 6:19). They went into hiding with Jesus to make certain Jesus was not killed (John 10:40). They risked death to come out of hiding to comfort Lazarus' sisters (John 11:14-16). They witnessed Jesus' triumph in Lazarus' resurrection (John 12:9-11) and in Jesus' week of popular public appearances in Jerusalem (Matthew 21:23-46 and following). They faithfully experienced the highs and lows, the ups and downs, and the times of stress and the times of elation. Why should they not be rewarded for their devotion? Why should they not be Jesus administrators in his kingdom? Should not the choice positions in his administration be theirs? Which of them should get the best position [that should go to the most important of them]?
Stress the twelve's humanity by noting some of the personal investments and motives they had. Try to help your class grasp that devotion to Jesus and his ministry did not destroy their human expectations. That often is the fertile ground for temptation.
Consider today's text. While the Jewish people were generously (for that time) allowed the rights to do many things, they were still under Roman rule as a hostile occupied nation. Though they had many rights, they did not rule themselves. They knew rule (governing) proceeded from the gentles (a gentile was any non-Jewish person, a person not born of a Jewish woman). They also knew that rulers (1) possessed the ultimate authority and (2) liked to think everyone depended on them. Thus the common concept of governmental importance was (1) having authority and (2) forcing people to depend on you and your decisions.
The fact that Jewish society enjoyed a number of rights did not mean they were free from Roman rule. It would have been natural for the twelve to aspire to the prestige of a ruler in their world.
Such people had power and wealth in the twelve's world! For the majority in our world, things have not changed. Power and wealth are in the hands of those (1) who have authority and (2) who make others dependent on them.
Both those who enjoy much and those who have almost nothing aspire to authority over others and to the dependence of others on them.
Jesus said this would not be the situation of those who followed him. In their society, the person who had the least authority and status was (1) the person without experience or the young and (2) the slave [who existed to do as he/she was told] who did not even have control over his/her own body.
Their society valued the experience of age and one's status in the society. It was unthinkable that someone without experience or status would be significant. Jesus' emphasis made respectable qualities that were not socially significant. Anyone could follow God and achieve significance in His sight.
Jesus said he was an example. He was God's son in the flesh--the most prestigious person alive. What he received, God gave him. Yet, he did not come to be served by people, but to serve people. He would even serve the twelve. He would take God's kingdom and use God's gift to him to bless them.
Characteristic of Jesus, he did not ask of the twelve (or us) that which he did not do. He was an example, not just an instructor.
To understand Jesus' point takes enormous faith. If we do not receive direct benefit from our identity and accomplishments, we fear that no one will recognize our worth. We want to enjoy the benefits of identity and worth right now in material ways. To defer such benefits to God's promises in a future existence takes enormous faith as we look about us. As we see people reaping material benefits from identity and accomplishments, it is difficult not to want what they have. It is difficult not to want the kind of authority that make others dependent on us. Is that not the way people measure importance? Yet, that is not the way God measures importance!
We have to trust God the Father and Jesus the Savior to receive the benefits they offer. We find it much easier to trust ourselves and deeds than to trust God with something so important as our salvation. To achieve significance before God by serving even if no one but God knows what we do seems ridiculous to the godless--and can seem so to those of weak faith.
It is difficult (1) to understand the way people treat people is the way people treat God, (2) to serve others with the motives of a good servant, and (3) to understand that all people are made in God's image, even when they ignore that fact!
Again, it is not easy to embrace God's values and priorities.
Have the faith to serve rather than be served! Have the faith to trust God enough to serve!
The ultimate of trust to the godless is to trust when it seems illogical to trust. That is what made Abraham such a great man of faith--he trusted God as the Giver rather than the gifts God gave, even when it seemed illogical. Consider Abraham's willingness to sacrifice Isaac.
For Thought and Discussion
Our expectations can cause us to have a flawed view of reality.
The effect is a dimmed, distorted view of reality.
They were confused by what Jesus said.
In the discussion should be the understanding that Jesus was less than 24 hours from his death.
Included in the discussion should be the common view of society.
In the discussion there needs to be the awareness that they faced human needs and realities just as do we (do not make super humans of the twelve).
Rulers commonly possessed the kind of authority that made people dependent on them.
They possessed power and wealth.
Youth and slaves possessed the least authority and status.
Though God gave him a kingdom, he would use the kingdom to bless the twelve.
Our faith must be stronger than our fear that we will lose our identity and worth if we are to surrender to Jesus' point.
Link to Student Guide
Lesson 9