Mark 10:35-40 “Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. "Teacher," they said, "we want you to do for us whatever we ask." 36 "What do you want me to do for you?" he asked. 37 They replied, "Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory." 38 "You don't know what you are asking," Jesus said. "Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?"
39 "We can," they answered. Jesus said to them, "You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, 40 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."
This passage is so rich with its implications that it is worthy of a second look. In our last devotional the focus of Jesus’ initial response is to confront the fact that they disciples are asking for things without understanding the implications of what they are asking. It is important to note that He does not limit His response to this level of instruction. Jesus moves beyond correcting their theology of prayer to searching the depths of their hearts with a deeper light as He questions the foundation of their prayers. The question of Jesus in regard to their request effectively communicates the reality of our part in regard to answered prayer. The disciples pray this bold prayer and after confronting their ignorance He equally confronts their maturity.
Jesus asks the disciples “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?” With this question Jesus communicates to the disciples the lesson that for God to answer many of the prayers we would pray there is a significant personal cost in its impact on our lives that we may not have considered. Jesus implies in this question “You want what I have, but will you pay the price I am going to pay!?”
This entire story is so profound for the twists that take place within it. One moment Jesus is training them in regard to prayer. The next he is searching their hearts to cause them to consider more deeply the things that they are asking for and the readiness of their hearts for more. Then suddenly the atmosphere of the encounter shifts to a momentary prophetic burst and a revelation of Jesus’ relationship with His Father! The disciples respond to Jesus’ inquiry with a confident affirmation of “we can” and a human response to this might compel us to say something like “the nerve of these guys!” But not Jesus! He takes their bold confidence and suddenly confirms that their prophetic destiny will indeed lead them down this same path of martyrdom that Christ Himself will embrace. This glimpse into their futures is seemingly an affirmation of their bold asking and a sobering prophetic glimpse into their destinies at the same time.
At no point does Jesus respond to their asking in such a way as to bring strong rebuke. Rather He seems to acknowledge and even honor their boldness while adjusting their hearts. It is such a gift to our hearts to have a right understanding of how God views our prayers. He does not condemn boldness. What He does do is train it so that it is rightly directed. Boldness in immaturity can be destructive, but boldness in faith and wisdom is a precious gift!
The conclusion of Jesus’ words to these men is an equally powerful moment of teaching the disciples both about the nature of prayer and the nature of Christ’s relationship with the Father. Jesus says to the two disciples “to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.” The two messages conveyed by the Lord in this response are clear and powerful. First Jesus is communicating that prayer must be according to the will of God and that there is an ordered plan in the eternal realm that we are praying into! Secondly, Jesus is communicating that the nature of His submission to the Father in Christ’s role as Immanuel is such that He Himself is submitted to this higher will and purpose and neither can nor will violate that submission by what He asks. Identify God’s will and purpose in your asking and lean the same submission to them that Christ embraced.
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