Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to Jesus with her sons, and kneeling before him, she asked him, "Declare that these two sons of mine will sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.

Jesus and his disciples were on the road to Jerusalem, heading for the drama of the cross. Jesus foresaw the cross clearly and was determined to face what was coming. Jesus had promised His disciples that when he came into his glory they would sit on twelve thrones and judge the twelve tribes of Israel. These waiting thrones were on their minds as they journeyed to Jerusalem.

In effect she asked Jesus for three specific things:

Our Lord does not rebuke this ambition to be near him, to have pre-eminence, and to have power. But he says to them, You do know not what you’re asking.

They are ignorant of the price that it would demand. Jesus is on the same path that they desire to follow. He is on the way to glory. But he is ready to pay the price.

Jesus replies with a beautiful images to help us understand what he faced. The cup symbolises the realm of your experience, what life hands to you, in which you have no choice. It may produce either a good or a bad reaction, but a cup is something given to you which you must drink.

In the Garden of Gethsemene, he would pray, "If it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not my will but your be done," {Luke 22:42b}. The whole spectrum of events involving the suffering, the anguish, the pain, the rejection, the mocking, the scourging, the spitting -- all of the cross-- were the Father's choice for him, handed to him for him to drink.

Jesus says to James and John, "This is the price of glory. Are you able to pay it?" Look at the self-confidence they exude "Sure, Lord; whatever. We are able." Jesus takes them at their word and leaves it to later events and the hand of the Father, to unfold it to them. "You will indeed drink my cup" he says

Sometimes we, like these disciples do not know what we are asking for, but God sometimes grants it anyway. These disciples would suffer like Jesus. They, too, would bear reproach and shame and anguish and suffering and death.

James was the first apostle to die, taken and beheaded, by Herod. John was chosen to live for the Lord. His actual mode of death is uncertain, but he was exiled to the island of Patmos for the testimony of Jesus, and underwent much suffering and shame and punishment for the Lord’s sake.

Then Jesus explains that he could not grant their request. He does not say, "It is for those who are prepared for it." He says, "It is for those for whom it has been prepared." Jesus implies the Father chooses people for this honour - people prepared with cups and baptisms. God always starts with people, not with events or programmes. Two will sit at the right hand and the left hand of Jesus. God will mould those two and prepare them for it.

On the road to Jerusalem, Jesus sees the cross waiting for him; James and John see thrones waiting for them. What do the other ten see? They see James and John! They are angry and upset because James and John got to Jesus first. They wanted the same things and were angry because James and John beat them to it. This is often the explanation for our anger, is it not? We are often upset because somebody thought of things before we did and we feel that we will miss out.

Jesus sets aside all this business of politicking and manoeuvring and asking for favours and special privileges. That is the way of the world, but it has no part in the kingdom of God. In the church, there is no place for struggling and striving for position and honour. Paul brings this out so beautifully in his image of the body of Christ. If we have gifts given by the Holy Spirit, and ministry opened to us by the Lord Jesus, and power granted by the heavenly Father, we need not be in competition with anybody. Each one has their own ministry, and no one need envy another. All the members are necessary to the body of Christ. Competition has no place in the church.

Our Lord sets this before his disciples; "When Gentiles and non-believers exercise authority, it is always over somebody else? Then as now, Power is measured by how many are under them. That is the way people do things in our fallen world and how they judge their success. It produces rivalry, competition, politicking, manoeuvring, and manipulating.

Sadly, it also is the way of the church. We all know of clergy who will remind you of how many attend their church in the course of a conversation or synod speech. Small parishes and churches are viewed with contempt and de-valued.

"... but it shall not be so among you." The church is not set up as a hierarchy of power. There is no chain of command in the church of Jesus Christ. We need to think this through in great detail.

Jesus gives us the key to true authority: whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be your slave. True authority arises out of servitude, out of meeting somebody else’s need. It is always about meeting another person's need.

This is a principle in the kingdom of God. Those with authority are those whom people respect and honour because they have been served by them, their needs are met by them, in one way or another. This is where authority lies within the church. Jesus himself is our great example:

the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.

He is the ultimate picture of the servant. The One who had every right to authority becomes the One who gives up everything to meet our needs.

The church is called to service and not to privilege, that we might serve the world and show them Jesus.

As priests we are not called to be managers or educators or pastoral care workers. We are called to serve our congregations. As we are reminded fairly regularly of the need for a new Bishop for our diocese, perhaps we ought to keep these principles in mind. In as much the priest is the servant of the congregation, so is the Bishop the servant of his clergy. We should put aside the desire to choose by theological position, or curriculum vitae and be seeking after a man with the heart of a servant. Or perhaps this thought is a little radical!!

Our reading reminds us of Jesus' call to service. May our ambitions be centred on our service of others.

AMEN.