He Took the Fall

[20 years ago, this article I wrote was published... I hope it still brings encouragement today.]

Mark 14:53-65

And they led Jesus to the high priest. And all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes came together. And Peter had followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. And he was sitting with the guards and warming himself at the fire. Now the chief priests and the whole council were seeking testimony against Jesus to put him to death, but they found none. For many bore false witness against him, but their testimony did not agree. And some stood up and bore false witness against him, saying, “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another, not made with hands.’” Yet even about this, their testimony did not agree. And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, “Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?” But he remained silent and made no answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” And the high priest tore his garments and said, “What further witnesses do we need? You have heard his blasphemy. What is your decision?” And they all condemned him as deserving death. And some began to spit on him and to cover his face and to strike him, saying to him, “Prophesy!” And the guards received him with blows.

Where they likely kept score in the "Kings Game"
as they beat Christ. It was carved into the paving stones.

Comments:

Many years ago I published an article in a national magazine that was based on this passage, specifically v. 61-62, my article was entitled, “He Took the Fall.”  I include it here as a way to begin the Lenten season.

He Took the Fall

He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice,
    or make it heard in the street;
a bruised reed he will not break,
    and a faintly burning wick he will not quench;
    he will faithfully bring forth justice. (Isaiah 42:2-3)

…But he remained silent and made no answer. 

Again, the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?”

And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” (Mark 14:61-62)

Though I have read it many times, the story of Jesus of Nazareth being arrested and dragged into a hostile court in the middle of the night still amazes me. He was mishandled, abused, and falsely accused, yet He made no answer, offered no protest, and mounted no defense. I wonder, could Jesus have been shielding someone with His silence? Was He taking the rap, the fall, the heat, out of love for someone else? I've watched enough lunchtime Perry Mason re-runs to know when the accused is trying to protect someone by not telling all they know. Jesus could have gotten Himself off the hook, but He didn't. I am forced to ask, “So why didn’t He?” I believe He kept quiet because He was deliberately taking the blame for someone He loved. But there was a problem with Jesus' plan—just one…His accusers couldn't find any grounds to convict Him, even with a multitude of lying witnesses.

The judge wanted to condemn Him. The jury wanted to convict Him. The witnesses wanted to frame Him. But they couldn't find a reason. Amazing! There was no dirt in His past, no skeleton in His closet, nothing. They tried to twist His teachings by misquoting and misapplying them, but even then they couldn't get their stories to agree. Imagine, the conviction that must have come upon their souls as they tried to frame the only truly innocent man. Jesus kept silent, not speaking in His own defense, and Scripture was fulfilled.

He didn't sit there, before His accusers, in an angry, hostile, sullen silence. He was not pouting, sulking, or hating. He was silent because He knew that this was the moment for which He had come into the world. How wonderful His example is—He didn't trust in His rights but in His Heavenly Father. As it is written, "The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified. Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain . . . Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save Me from this hour'? But for this purpose I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your name.” “Then a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.’ " (John 12:23-28 NKJ)

Finally, it seems that Jesus had to help the prosecution—they were getting nowhere. The Lord Jesus Christ, in His love for the one He was protecting, answered one question—a simple name-rank-and-serial-number type of question. While He neither defended Himself—He kept silent; nor spoke out in justified condemnation of His accusers and their arguments—He...answered nothing.  He did, however, speak to make His identity clear—I AM. And for that they killed Him.

It is no surprise that Jesus was protecting someone by His silence—but it was who He was protecting that was so unique. He was protecting the High Priest who envied, the Pharisees who scorned, the false witnesses who spitefully lied and twisted His life work, and the guards who abused Him. For them, He remained silent. He did it for the thieves who deserved death. He did it for Barabbas the violent revolutionary. He did it for Peter who stood outside vehemently denying that he even knew "this man Jesus!" He did it for the soldiers who crowned Him with thorns and nailed His hands and feet to the cross. It was for Saul who would brutally persecute His followers. It was even for those who would manipulate His teachings and deceive many. It was out of infinite love for men and women throughout the ages who were at war with God—lost people doing lost things—that Jesus remained silent. It was for me. It was for you.

Jesus, the Lamb of God, was no martyr, forced to die for the cause. He planned to save us, long before we were created, and when the hour came took our place willingly as the supreme act of love. As Paul writes, “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.” (Colossians 1:13-14 NKJ) His plan worked, and I will be forever grateful.

       Jesus Christ, the Second Adam, took the Fall!

© Greg K. Dueker

The Leaders Took the Lead (A SOAP Journal from Judges 4-5)

Photo by Christine-Sandu on Unsplash

In addition to regular articles, I regularly post some simple SOAP journals that were produced during a regular small group gathering to read, journal, pray, and encourage one another. 
These are not exhaustively studied as they are generally the work of 20 minutes of reading, 20 minutes of writing, and 20 minutes of sharing with each other what we have written. Whether we are Christian leaders or new believers, this group approach to Bible journaling is encouraging.
If you are not familiar with the term, we used the SOAP acronym as a simple devotional guide... standing for:

• Scripture—what verse or short section caught my attention today? 
• Observation—what can I briefly notice that the passage specifically says?
• Application—what will I do differently as a result of having read this today?
• Prayer—what will I ask the Triune God to do for, in, and through me today?

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My devotional Bible reading today included the story in Judges 4-5 where Deborah the judge of Israel and Barak the “general” were called by God to bring deliverance to the oppressed people in Israel from Sisera, the general of Jabin’s army. While much could be said about Deborah, who was functioning as the spiritual leader of at least the northern region of Israel, and Barak’s profound confidence in her leadership, the verses that stood out to me today are more applicable to our current international crisis.

S = The first verse is when God issued a clear call to Barak through Deborah in Judges 4:6  

She [Deborah] sent and summoned Barak the son of Abinoam from Kedesh-naphtali and said to him, “Has not the Lord, the God of Israel, commanded you,

‘Go, gather your men at Mount Tabor,

taking 10,000 from the people of Naphtali

                        and the people of Zebulun. 

And I will draw out Sisera, the general of Jabin's army,

to meet you by the river Kishon with his chariots and his troops, 

and I will give him into your hand’?” 

And the second section is from their extended song of celebration as they recounted the victory in Judges 5:1-2,

Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day:

“That the leaders took the lead in Israel,

    that the people offered themselves willingly,

    bless the Lord!”

O = After Israel had suffered, being cruelly oppressed for 20 years by the king of Canaan (4:3) they finally cried out to the Lord for help. In those days, Deborah rose to judge Israel, leading them towards the Lord, even before there was a military victory. She reminds me a bit of John the Baptist, who prepared the way for deliverance. However, after Israel cried out, it seems that almost immediately God answered. She prophetically called Barak to lead his men into battle against a numerous and well-armed enemy.

Later, after the battle had been won, Deborah and Barak joined together to sing in celebration of the Lord’s deliverance through the people doing what they should do in a crisis. After calling on the Lord, “the leaders took the lead” and “the people offered themselves willingly.”

I don't know about you, but I love it when leaders "take the lead" not merely by making decisions, but by setting an example. A general can plan and issue orders far from the battle, but Barak and Deborah were at the front, leading by example. When leaders set an example, people give themselves willingly.

Photo: WhiteHouse.gov

Today, I think we have some national, state, and local leaders who are setting aside their partisan self-interest and leading, and some who are not. We also have many people offering themselves in the service of others. I think of those who have come down from their places of personal safety to fight the good fight “against an invisible enemy” in the COVID-19 virus, whether medical workers, first responders, grocery clerks, truck drivers, church workers, etc. These people are unselfish heroes.

In Judges, some tribes did not join in the fight, choosing to do nothing (4:15b-17), but Zebulun and Issachar did what needed to be done! What part will we play in this current crisis?

Sure, things can get scary in a hurry. However, in this story, it was once the enemy had come out with all the strength of their forces, that Deborah repeated the call to Barak,

“Up! For this is the day in which the Lord has given Sisera into your hand. Does not the Lord go out before you?” So Barak went down from Mount Tabor with 10,000 men following him.” 

If the Lord goes out before us... that assumes that we will follow. It is always encouraging to see how so many do just that.

Photo by Martin Sanchez on Unsplash

A = This week, how will we follow the Lord into battle against the ultimate unseen enemy? How seriously will we take the guidelines to keep from spreading the disease? Will we pray? What will we give? How will we serve others by meeting practical needs? Will we check in on family, friends, and others? Will we join with others to sing and praise the goodness of God even during this crisis via our digital gatherings and life groups?

Photo by Anshu on Unsplash

P = Lord, let us cry out to you in confession for our misplaced affection and praise, and renew our trust in your care for us. Having done that, may we be quick to hear and respond to your mobilizing call to battle. Show us what part we are to play in working for the common good, even in a time of social distancing! May our words be prophetic and encouraging like Deborah, and our arms and legs strong like Barak and his followers to do whatever you put before us to do. While we currently face hardship and suffering on several different levels, please help us think more about others than about ourselves. We trust you for the victory if you go before us!

The Upside of Being Downcast (Psalm 42-43)

Photo by Ben White on Unsplash

Why are you cast down, O my soul,
    and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
    my salvation and my God. (Psalm 43:5)

During this season of social distancing and even strict quarantine, there is considerable concern regarding the psychological impact of isolation in addition to the more widespread anxieties of the COVID-19 crisis. Many have lost their jobs; others can no longer visit family for fear of spreading the virus to the more vulnerable among us. 

Photo Credit: Greg Dueker

I work at a Christian University and Seminary, and we are currently teaching remotely and doing our best to reach out and check in with our students regularly. But I miss seeing them in class, out on the campus lawn, or in the cafeteria. Even the library is quieter than normal (if you can imagine that). All this, combined with the hoarder-induced shortages of TP, sanitizer, vegetables, and most carbs (rice, beans, pasta, bread), can produce turmoil in our souls. But will we look down or up for the hope our soul so desperately needs?

In Psalm 42-43 (which are generally thought to make up one psalm), the writer uses a common refrain where he addresses his own soul and directs it to trust in God. This psalm might have been written during David’s exile during the rebellion of Absalom, or later during the Babylonian exile, or as Peter Craigie suggests, “it is equally possible that the background is to be found in sickness, which limited the poet’s  possibility of going to Jerusalem and participating in the worship in the temple.”[1] 

Currently, this hits pretty close to home for most churches in the US.

Photo by Jordan Hopkins on Unsplash

We live in just such a time filled with challenging circumstances and difficult directives as the various levels of our government pursue policies put in place to slow the insidious spread of Covid-19. Yet even as the virus captures our attention, nature’s other outbursts are not abated be it tornados, floods, or earthquakes.

Some people are overwhelmed by the darkness they see. Others recognize that darkness is the necessary precursor to the coming of light. If we never experience the dark, how then will we long for the light? Psalm 43:3-4 contains the prayer of the one who was downcast in the darkness. Do these ancient words of prayer resonate with our heart’s cries today?

Send out your light and your truth;
    let them lead me;
let them bring me to your holy hill
    and to your dwelling!
Then I will go to the altar of God,
    to God my exceeding joy,
and I will praise you with the lyre,
    O God, my God.   (Psalm 43:3-4)

These psalms were written by, or for, the sons of Korah who served as doorkeepers and worship leaders in the Temple of the Lord. Their cry to the Lord was that he would bring them back to the place where they were called to serve. They realized that, for whatever reason, they were no longer in that spot. I would argue that their season of difficulty, whether sourced in an attack of an enemy or their own sin, was being shaped into a gift in the hands of the Lord who loves steadfastly! My pastor used to say, “Don’t despise that which drives you to your knees.” Whatever causes us to lean into the Lord’s love and extend that love to others is ultimately a cause for gratitude.

Photo by Ahna Ziegler on Unsplash

In the history of Israel and the history of the Christian church, there have been great feasts celebrated regularly, but the problem in modern times is that we too often cast off the fasts that precede them. Wisdom and experience teach that we appreciate and celebrate the light better after we have experienced the darkness. We need the longing season of Advent before the celebration of Christmas. We need the confessional season of Lent before the victorious joy of Easter. Even in the progression of the natural seasons, after a long, hot summer, we need the cold and dark of winter before we will enjoy a sunny and warm spring day to its fullest! Isaiah 42:16 declares the Lord’s promised plan for his people on the other side of the darkness…

And I will lead the blind
    in a way that they do not know,
in paths that they have not known    I will guide them.
I will turn the darkness before them into light,    the rough places into level ground.
These are the things I do,    and I do not forsake them. (See also: Isaiah 42:6-7; 9:1-2; Matt. 4:14-16)

But those who will not trust in the Lord will see their idols destroyed (Isaiah 42:17).

As we read through Psalm 42-43, we find that it is chock-full of lessons applicable to our lives as we walk through the current circumstances we face. Despite being ordered to responsibly practice “social distancing,” we can still digitally join our hearts together around the Lord and his word. I hope that we will take time each day to reflect on God’s written word, the Bible, and share his love displayed there with others.

To do just that, allow me to share nine truths that can be found especially in times of hardship and our downcast seasons of darkness…

1. Hardship often reveals our deepest thirst and allows us to admit it (42:1-2). Have we seen enough of the world to know that it doesn’t, and can’t satisfy our deepest longings?
2. Hardship may open us up to criticism from others, those who love “piling on” when someone else is suffering, adding insult to injury (v. 3,10). I am reminded of Jesus’ words to “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matt. 5:44). Times like this will give us opportunities to grow in this regard.
3. Hardship reminds us how much we miss celebrating the goodness of God with our spiritual family (v. 4). Thankfully, we have the technology to reach across the distance and join in spiritual worship and acts of service.
4. Hardship often increases our sense of isolation (v. 4) but the more we think of others, and check in on them (phone, text, email, social media) the less isolated we will be, even when confined to our home.
5. Hardship allows us to do some soul searching and some soul instructing. (42:5, 11; 43:5)
6. Dark times move us out past our powerless pride to put our hope in the Lord (v.5-6). In 2 Cor. 1:8-10, the Apostle Paul described this experience clearly. For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. 
7. Amid dark and tumultuous times, we may become more sensitive to the presence of God and his steadfast love (v.7-8). The more distractions are removed, the more quiet we encounter, the more we dwell in his Word, and the less we can lean on our own strength the more we see him at work. Pro tip: Don’t watch more news than you can cover in prayer!
8. In dark and tumultuous times, we can ask God honest questions about where he is in all that we face. We feel he is far away, but what encouragement can we offer our own souls? (v.11) “Put your hope in God!” He is our covenant-keeping Savior!
9. In times of hardship, we can confess our weakness and choose to trust God to deliver us from the oppressor (43:1-3).

Sabbath in Modern Tiberius

One other comment before I close. Even good things need to have fallow seasons of pruning and rest in preparation for new seasons of fruitfulness. It makes me wonder since this current crisis is in effect imposing a sabbath rest on the land. While the imposition of a required sabbatical season is not the cause of this shutdown, perhaps that is how the Lord may use this terrible pandemic for good. If we will hope in him.

We are a nation that refuses to stop whatever it is that we are doing. Yet, being forced to stop, to pause, to trust it will work out, will we continue to be downcast, angry, fearful, and divided, or will our souls be counseled by this psalm to hope in God? Will we trust that we will once again join our voices together to praise Jesus for the salvation he brings to share? I hope so!

How we live and engage those we live with will reveal both our heart and our source of hope… for better or worse!

[This post is also published on my Honest2God Psalms blog. If you are interested in more posts based on the Psalms, feel free to follow the link.]

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[1] Peter C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50, Word Biblical Commentary Vol. 19, (Waco, TX: Word Inc., 1983) 325.

Arresting Ministerial "Stop and Frisk"?

Since this is primarily a blog to support and encourage pastors and other ministry leaders, I like to be real about some of the issues we face. This post addresses one such issue.

A Dangerous Practice 

Photo: Creative Commons

One of the dangers faced by those of us in ministry leadership is having a “stop and frisk” mentality. I am referring to the well-known practice employed by Mayor Bloomberg and the New York City Police (and many other agencies) in an approach to reducing their horrific violent crime and murder rates. They did so by stopping, questioning, and frisking people on the street to confiscate illegal weapons. While the policy arguably did reduce murder rates, it led to significantly unjust racial profiling and harmed the already tenuous relationship of communities of color with the police.

Israeli tank Photo: Greg K. Dueker

In this post, I am using “stop and frisk” as a metaphor to describe what happens when a shepherd’s heart is either lifted up in prideful self-righteousness or wounded by the pain, suffering, and trauma others have inflicted upon those they love. I have been one of those shepherds. As leaders, we don’t want to see the people we care for hurt, so we can easily go into “protect mode,” failing to remember that we have been called to love our enemies too. Our attitude can quickly become bounded by “us/them” feelings, thoughts, and words that lead to unwelcoming actions. We can become more about circling the wagons into a safe defensive perimeter, that we fail to reach out in love and understanding (even in disagreement) to our neighbors. Jesus reminds us repeatedly that safety is not the highest value in the kingdom. When you read the previous statement, what verses come to your mind? I have my working list, but I prefer to let you develop your own.

Photo by Paul M on Unsplash

I remember a season, early in my marriage and my ministry, when, while I was not actually stopping and frisking people on the street, I was ready to do so. I had become hyper-vigilant in a misguided effort to reduce the human damage caused by lawbreaking. I viewed strangers as suspects until they could prove otherwise. Though I was not deployed in any military conflict, I became quite good at real-time threat assessment to protect those I loved and to meet the challenge of the spiritual conflict that swirled around us.

The problem with this approach is that it loves people very selectively, if at all. It does not love “others” as Jesus taught us to love. A probing question we should answer is, have we received the love of God so that we are content to keep it to ourselves, sharing only when seekers come and ask? Or has the love of God so transformed our hearts and lives that we cannot help but share that steadfast love freely with others?

Wrestling Matches or Missional Welcome

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While there is a very real spiritual battle surrounding us, we must remember that our weapons are not of this world and we are not to use the world’s methods when contrary to the scriptures (e.g., 2 Cor. 10:3-4). It seems to me that we are prone to compartmentalize this concept, limiting its declaration as applying only to literal weapons such as assault rifles, tanks, dirty bombs, and drone strikes.

Photo: Randy Fath on Unsplash

As Christian leaders who take the Bible seriously, we know that the kingdom of God is not established by the coercive force of human weapons but through sacrificial love (John 18:36; Rev. 12:11). We would certainly not want to commit again the sins of the Spanish Conquistadors and the accompanying Inquisition. However, do we engage those outside the church, or those from other churches, using the thinking processes of the world as a weapon? Paul writes in this passage that “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood” (Eph. 6:12), so while we don’t physically throw all the seekers, skeptics, and schemers against the wall and frisk them for weapons, we may do something even worse. We can desecrate the holy encounters God gives us with people when we treat them more like confrontations than conversations, more like wrestling matches against wrong thinking than really hearing and entering into a human story, and then topping it off by justifying our confrontational approach as “striving against sin.” Sometimes we need to be reminded that “the anger of man does not accomplish the righteousness of God” (James 1:20; Prov. 29:22).

People want to be seen, heard, understood, and valued. Any ministerial stop-and-frisk ideology will hinder the type of outwardly focused love that best represents the way the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit share their goodness with all creation. Stop-and-frisk processes remove the merciful welcome of hospitality. A mortal sin in the ancient world. These suspicious and confrontational approaches can make evangelism and gospel ministry more like a mugging than relational ministry. I would even suggest that we see conversion and the larger discipleship process as less transactional and more about the Spirit-led journey towards full faith in Jesus Christ.

Seeing Past the Edge of the Earth

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It is normal for us to draw lines and make judgments. We engage and do life together with those people who are enough like us to dwell inside our circumscribed borders of us/them, the flat earth of our own making. We need Jesus to open our eyes to see beyond the edge of the earth with which we are comfortable. We need eyes to see and ears to hear as he does because his love is not constrained by our limitations.

What do we see when we look at others? How do we spiritually profile them? There was a time when Saul of Tarsus and others considered Jesus just a carpenter’s son. They could not see his true identity. We do the same thing when we fail to recognize that each person we meet is an image-bearer (whether they know it or not) and is precious in the sight of God. Saul/Paul later testified that their own attitude had been adjusted by Christ so that now, “we regard no one according to the flesh.” (2 Cor. 5:16)

We need to discern Christ in the least likely of those we meet, humbly being ready to learn from their stories, struggles, and even their strange experiences as human parables. Will we have an ear to hear and a heart to respond? Does our perception end at the edge of our little earth? Or can we see beyond that, with eyes of faith, love, and hope, what Christ intends for each person to become?

Even as many police agencies move away from stop-and-frisk tactics and embrace community policing through building positive and mutually helpful relationships, may we as evangelicals get a clue? Jeremiah 29:7 admonished the Jewish exiles to settle down and get busy, “But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.” 

We may not be in exile, but our mission cannot be any less engaged in seeking the common good. As ambassadors of the kingdom of heaven, the love of Christ compels us to do so!

Are We Asking Amiss? Seven Questions for Discerning the Legitimacy of Our Prayer (Mark 10:35-45)

In the following passage, where James and John ask Jesus to be his top lieutenants in his kingdom, we can learn some surprising lessons about prayer.

Mark 10:35-45

And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to him and said to him,  

    “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” 

And he said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?” 

And they said to him, “Grant us to sit,

                                                        one at your right hand and

                                                        one at your left, in your glory.” 

Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking.

        Are you able to drink the cup that I drink,

                 or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” 

And they said to him, “We are able.”

And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink,

         and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized, 

but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, 

   but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.” 

And when the ten heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John. 

And Jesus called them to him and said to them, 

“You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them,

                                                 and their great ones exercise authority over them. 

         But it shall not be so among you.

But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 

and whoever would be first   among you must be slave of all. 

For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve,

                                                     and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

When I read this passage in the past, I think I probably responded with indignation, like the other ten apostles (v.41). However, this time I focused more on Jesus’ responses to their specific request. Here are four observations.

First, Jesus was not offended despite their demanding tone and asked what they wanted him to do. Upon hearing their presumptuous request, Jesus' first answer was, “You do not know what you are asking.” Jesus didn’t pull any punches. The late Walter W. Wessel noted in Expositor’s Bible Commentary,

“Jesus' answer is sharp and penetrating. The two disciples did not really know what they were asking. The way to a privileged position in the messianic kingdom is not by grabbing for power but by relinquishing it through suffering and death.”

I have begun to wonder if, like Zebedee’s family (James, John, and their mom, too—Matt. 20:20-21), we are still asking Jesus to do stuff that we want, instead of making his redemptive mission our heart’s desire. And we are not shy about asking, even when we have no idea of the scope and significance of what we are asking.

My second observation is that Jesus used the Old Testament images of cup and baptism to metaphorically describe the suffering and trouble that he would soon face (10:33-34), and James and John overconfidently said, “We got this!” (v.39). While Peter is often critiqued for epically over-promising, “Even though they all fall away, I will not” (Mark 14:28) before being told that he would deny Jesus three times before the next morning, this audacious claim by the sons of Zebedee (which amounts to the same kind of human posturing) often escapes notice. I think it's self-promotion hits too close to home for many of us. Ironically, Jesus conceded that they would suffer for his sake. However, Zeb’s boys still didn’t know what they were talking about.

Photo by Stefan Kunze on Unsplash

My third observation focuses on Jesus’ answering their audacious request with what amounts to a loving “No”, or literally, “to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant.” Their clueless request shows that they still misunderstood his role as Messiah as well as the nature of his coming kingdom. He had told them at least three times that his journey to Jerusalem would end violently—with a crucifixion, not a coronation. But they couldn’t grasp such a dramatic plot twist to their carefully curated expectations. What about us? Do we have such a clear vision and plan for the future that we cannot recognize the working of God outside of our plans?

Photo by Marco Oriolesi on Unsplash

My fourth observation is that in v. 42-45, Jesus provided a “But it shall not be so among you” corrective to both the sons of Zebedee and the other ten apostles. Our prayer lives, as well as our life values in general, are not to be like those of the world.

The ancient church had a saying, “The law of prayer is the law of belief.” In other words, the way we pray and worship is the way we really believe…more so than any written creeds or catechisms we may claim.

On that note, as we prepare to enter 2020, let me suggest seven questions—drawn from this passage—for discerning the kingdom legitimacy of our prayers and the ministries which they shape.

Seven Questions for

Discerning the Legitimacy of Our Prayer

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By way of application, I want to pose seven simple questions that arise from this pericope, which will help us not waste the privilege of prayer by asking wrongly. Not every request is legitimate, nor is every motive pure. Can we, with the psalmist, humbly ask,

“Search me, O God, and know my heart!
    Try me and know my thoughts!
And see if there be any grievous way in me,
    and lead me in the way everlasting!” (Psalm 139:23-24)

1. Do we presumptuously demand that Jesus do our bidding? While it is true that we have amazing access to the Lord, and can even be bold in our prayer, “so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” This is not the same thing as demanding that Jesus do what we want. He is not a voice-activated vending machine. As a loving Father, why would he give us something that will hurt us or others just because we demand it?
2. Do we realize what it is that we are asking? Sometimes we really don’t understand what God is doing and how he is at work. It might be that our prayer could be in opposition to his intended plan. There could also be ramifications to our prayer that we cannot imagine.
3. Is our prayer requesting something that Jesus can grant and still fully reveal the character of his Heavenly Father? He will not misrepresent the love and glorious goodness of his Father any more than the Father would share the glory of the Son with idols (Isa. 48:11). If Jesus had granted this request, it would have made it seem as though God played favorites, and that position in the kingdom of heaven was to be gained by political means. Neither of these is true.
4. Would others be troubled by our request? If I pray for the Seahawks to beat the 49ers on Monday Night Football, my new neighbor would be troubled. What if he was praying the other way? While that is a relatively unimportant example, the point is that we should not pray for our own exaltation and/or enrichment above others. Additionally, it is wise to consider how a person might react if they overheard our prayer. I recently heard an evangelist praying for a government official in a way that, had they heard it, would likely have hardened them against the gospel message. Our prayer should selflessly radiate the love of God.
5. Is our prayer in keeping with Jesus’ kingdom values? We should take time to study the Beatitudes (Matt. 5:1-12) and allow their counter-cultural nature to inform the direction and tone of our prayer. Jesus values humility, servanthood, and self-sacrifice for the love of others in response to the love of God. Do our prayers mourn over sin, both personal and corporate? Is it poor in spirit? Is it deployed in our peacemaking efforts, or is it merely a means to maintain our comfort, privilege, and asset accumulation?
6. Does our prayer life help us to be servants of others? As an extension of the previous question, does my prayer life cause me to be more sensitive or less sensitive and responsive to the needs of others? Any time we spend listening to Jesus should leave its mark on our lives, making us more servant-hearted like him.
7. Finally, is our prayer in keeping with the example of Jesus? By his example, I mean not only that he didn’t ask for others to serve him, but he purposefully served and gave his life for others. When it came down to the hardest prayers of all, Jesus said, “Not as I will, but as you will,” and “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34)

Photo by Jack Sharp on Unsplash

Notice also that in v. 51, Jesus asked the blind beggar Bartimaeus the exact same question that he asked James and John, and he granted his request. He set Bartimaeus free from blindness to “go your way” and Bartimaeus’ way was to follow Jesus “on the way” (v.52). When Jesus answers our prayers, do we do more of our own thing or more “following him on the way” as he works to rebind the broken cosmos?

If we pray, is our prayer legitimate? These seven questions should help answer that question. Jesus’ half-brother James wisely wrote,

You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. (James 4:2-3)

Today, my prayer is that out of our blessed relationship with Jesus Christ we will trust, ask, and ask not amiss.