St. Matthew, Chapter 20, verse:25a, Lords of the Gentiles.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Humility according to Christ's example) Part 2.

The mother of James and John had spoken the words that were in the hearts of the other disciples but were not spoken.  The others heard the words and their hearts were opened to Indignance.  They were angry.  They were mad.  They felt slighted that others would ask, through another, their mother, what was in their hearts.  They felt injustice in their hearts that others would speak their desires that they would be able to sit at the right hand of Christ in his kingdom.  Yet there it was in plan hearing, Indignance.

All wanted to be considered special.  All wanted to be number one with Christ.  But no disciple spoke these words that lay within their hearts.  No one knew where they stood with Christ.  Their model was what they saw in the real world.  Their representation was what they knew with the rulers of the day.  They knew how the rulers treated them.  They knew how they were regarded by the lords of the day.  They knew how they felt about the current lords and they wanted to be first at the table with Christ.  But Jesus called them to him, and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them."

They all wanted to be lords.  They all wanted to kings in Christ's kingdom.  And they knew that by following him that they would receive a reward.  Their example was what they saw in their time.  Their understanding was what they knew of the leaders of the day.  They knew who the leaders were.  They saw them everyday.  It was not a big town or a big city with millions of people.  The rulers of the day had special privileges.  They wanted to be special.  They wanted to be known.  They wanted the rewards that came with following the Messiah. 

Christ would have them understand what their desires meant.  He would have them know that they were different.  He was different and not like what they knew and saw in their times.  His kingdom would be different.  His Lordship would be unlike what they knew in their times.  So they would have to be different.  They could not be like the current rulers.  They could not walk with pride.  They could not expect to be privileged as those they knew in their times.  They could not lord their authority over the people as the rulers they knew in their times.  They had to be different.

Christ gave up his kingship to come to earth.  He gave up his divinity to become like man.  He came to walk among us that we would know him.  He came to teach us the ways of the Father, to be an example that we could follow.  He came that we could know the love that the Father has for us, just as the Father loves his son.  He came out of love.  And the love that he brought to us is still available today.  As we go about our daily lives we can see before us the love of the Father .  The air that we breathe, the sun that we feel, the things that we are able to see are all manifestation of his love.  They show us his might and his majesty.  They show us that his glory is available for all to see, for all to feel and to taste, if we just open our hearts.  Take a moment to know him.  Take a moment to see him.  Take a moment to let him into your hearts.  He will come if you ask him.  He will speak if you call him.  He will touch you if you let him.  and in his touch is a lifetime of goodness and mercy, and forgiveness, and love.  The choice is your.  Pick up the phone and call him!

Read the sign of the times! Read the Highlighted New Testament Bible and lift the scales from your eyes that you may see, that you may know, that you may find the truth of who you are in Christ. Read it as though you would read a good book, from cover to cover, and see for yourself. Do not study it in parts reading one passage and then skipping to another, but read it for understanding. Read it for knowledge. Read it for faith. Read it that your eyes may be opened, that your ears may hear, that your heart may be filled with the light of Christ.   The Holy Spirit awaits you. Christ seeks to know you. Open the door and let him in.

St. Matthew, Chapter 20, verse:24, Hearing Indignance.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Humility according to Christ's example)
Part 1.  

Within them were the words.  Within them were the longings, the desire, the need to be.  Yet they did not speak them.  They did not utter the words.  It was their mother who spoke.  It was the woman who loved them, the woman who raised them, the woman who sought to speak for their future.  She knew what was in their hearts.  She knew what they desired.  So she came forth and spoke for them.

And then there were the other ten disciples.  They heard the words.  They had the same desires, they same passions, the same wants.  They did not speak of their desires.  They did not speak of their wants.  They did not say what was in their minds and hearts.  But when they heard the words spoken, their hearts were opened and their minds were afire.  And when the ten heard this, they were indignant at the two brothers. 

They heard the words that were spoken by the mother.  And the words came into their minds and entered their hearts and they became angry and hurt.  The ten heard.  The ten felt.  The ten other disciples felt slighted that the mother of James and John would ask Christ to consider them as special.  Instantly they felt belittled, slighted, outraged, and angry.  In an instant their hearts had changed from loving disciples to hearts of angry disciples.  The door to their hearts were instantly opened and left bear for evil to enter.

How easy it is for the mind and heart of man to be changed.  How easy it is to affect how others feel.  How easy it is to sway another.  We are but flesh.  We are but human.  We do have desires just as others do.  We want.  We see.  We feel.  We believe.  We know.  But is that all we are?  Is there nothing more to us than the flesh that we are?  We believe that we have a soul but are we sure?  We believe that we have a spirit but can we see it, can we know for sure? 

The world is the place where we reside.  The world is the place where we wake up to and see the joy, the beauty, the wonder, the majesty that it has to offer.  The world is the place where we get our food to nourish our bodies and feed our souls.  Yet the world is a place that can destroy us.  It is a place that can harm us.  It is a place that can make us do horrible things if we are not rooted.  And our roots come from the vine which gave us life, from the source of all source, from the creator himself, from God. 

And it is that root that we obtain all our life.  If we allow something to come into the mind and into the heart, the root will be affected, the root can be poisoned, the root can be destroyed and die.  And when the root dies so does the life that is within us.  To open the root up to destruction is not what we knowingly provide.  Hearing is an opening that must be protected.  Hearing is a key to the heart.  Hearing is a door that the world wants to open and keep open that it may get to the root.  Indignance and anger are the fruits of its infection. 

The disciples became indignant when they heard.  Do you become angry when you hear?  Christ came that we may have life and have it more abundantly.  He came bringing the love of the father that man may know himself and know who gave him life.  He came as a sacrifice for the sins of man.  And he gave his life that we may know of his passion for us.  Know the root from which you come!  Know the life that is given you!  See the light of Christ within you and protect the heart from the hearing of indignance.  You are the children of God your Father and his love transcends all. 

Read the sign of the times! Read the Highlighted New Testament Bible and lift the scales from your eyes that you may see, that you may know, that you may find the truth of who you are in Christ. Read it as though you would read a good book, from cover to cover, and see for yourself. Do not study it in parts reading one passage and then skipping to another, but read it for understanding. Read it for knowledge. Read it for faith. Read it that your eyes may be opened, that your ears may hear, that your heart may be filled with the light of Christ.   The Holy Spirit awaits you. Christ seeks to know you. Open the door and let him in.

St. Matthew, Chapter 20, verse:23, Prepared by the Father.

Our paragraph topic is:  (The mother of James and John) Part 10. 

The words have taken form and were spoken by the mother of James and John.  They were in her mind and on her tongue and they were put forth to Christ.  The brothers did not speak.  Their mother spoke for them.  They did not ask but their mother asked for them.  They did not open their mouths but their mother open her mouth and spoke.  And the words came forth. 

Christ took those words and replied to them.  But first he had to help them to understand what they were asking.  He had to put forth in words what he knew was coming, something that they did not understand now.  They did not know of his passion and of his sacrifice.  Would they understand?  Could they comprehend the meaning of what would happen.  Would they flee in horror fearing for their own lives?  These words had to be spoken because they were on the mind of Christ.  Could they drink from the same cup?  Could they follow in his footsteps?  Was their passion, their desire, their love of him great enough that they could also suffer the same as he?  

Only the Father knew.  For it was his plan to save man.  It was his plan to bring back the children that were lost in the garden of Eden.  And it was his son that would complete the plan despite all that he would face.  So Christ told James and John that it was the Father's plan.  And it was his Father's choice as to who would receive the rewards.  He told them that seats at his right hand and his left did not belong to him to give:  "But it belongs to those for whom it has been prepared by my Father."

God knew from the beginning.  He understood what would happen.  He created man in his image and likeness and gave him free will to choose to know him.  So he gave man a test.  He told Adam not to eat of the forbidden fruit least he would die.  And then Satan came along with his superior will and tempted man that he would eat of the tree and loose the life given him by God.  But God the Father knew that man was no contest for Satan.  He knew that he would fail.  He knew from the beginning that man did not have all knowledge and wisdom.  So he had a plan to redeem man from death.

He foretold, through the prophets, the coming of the Messiah, the coming of the savior.  He gave mankind hope.  He helped them to see that there would be something more to come.  All that was needed was faith in him, belief that he could achieve what he promised.  All it took was patience in his word.  And to show that he was sincere he demonstrated his power and his will through time that all would know that he was the one true God. 

It was his plan from the start.  And it is his plan to the end that will be achieved.  He has given man new life.  His will is done.  Despite all that transpires through time, his will is done.  All we have to do is believe and know that he is the one true God.  He is the all powerful God.  He is the loving, merciful, and forgiving God.  He will provide, protect, and defend those who love him.  Fear not death.  For death is but a door that opens to his kingdom for those who know him and love him.  The life we know is but death in slow motion.  The life he has given us is eternal.  He has prepared a place for us and awaits our coming.

Read the sign of the times! Read the Highlighted New Testament Bible and lift the scales from your eyes that you may see, that you may know, that you may find the truth of who you are in Christ. Read it as though you would read a good book, from cover to cover, and see for yourself. Do not study it in parts reading one passage and then skipping to another, but read it for understanding. Read it for knowledge. Read it for faith. Read it that your eyes may be opened, that your ears may hear, that your heart may be filled with the light of Christ.   The Holy Spirit awaits you. Christ seeks to know you. Open the door and let him in.

St. Matthew, Chapter 20, verse:23b, Not mine to give.

Our paragraph topic is:  (The mother of James and John) Part 9. 

And so it is revealed to the disciples that they will drink of the cup which Christ drank.  It is revealed that they will follow in his footsteps.  It is made known to them that they also will suffer the same as he suffered.  They are his disciples.  They are the followers of the Messiah.  They will also do great things.  He healed the sick.  So will they.  He made the lame walk and the blind see.  So will they.  He raised the dead.  So will they.  He suffered the sins of mankind.  So will they suffer.

They wanted fame and fortune.  They wanted to have followers the same as he.  They wanted to be known throughout the land, the same as he.  They wanted all that being his followers offered, so they had to pay the same price.  What was that price?  They had to suffer at the hands of the evil doers.  The evil in the world did not want Christ to come.  The evil in the world did not want the people to know.  The evil in the world did not want the people to change.  So it tried to stop Christ.  It tried to prevent the change.  It tried to work against the will of God who ordained that this would happen.  And it was the will of God that brought about the change.  But as for sitting on the right side and the left side of Christ, it was not his to give.  He told them:  "But as for sitting at my right hand and at my left, that is not mine to give you." 

What were they to do?  They had wanted so much to be with him on the throne.  They had wanted so much to sit at his side.  They, James and John, wanted so much to be elevated with Christ.  But they were not Christ.  They did not come down from heaven.  They were not the son of the Father, the Messiah.  They were his followers, his disciples, the witnesses of the Gospel, which they would preach to all the world.

Theirs was not the place of the lamb.  Theirs was not to be the sacrifice for the sins of the world to redeem all humanity.  Theirs came after.  They were the followers.  They were the witnesses to the sacrifice, the messengers of the word.  They lived in his presence.  The heard his words.  The slept, ate, walked with him on this earth and they will be with him in heaven.  They are the judges of the people.  They will sit on the thrones before the altar of God.  But it is destined by God the Father to restore his son to his rightful place at his side.

Christ came that we might have life.  He came to destroy the bond of evil and to tear down the gates of hell that kept us from heaven.  Death is no more.  Life is given to those who seek it.  Eternity is available to all who seek Christ and repent of their sins.  Forgive us father for the trespasses that we committed.  We were blinded.  We could not see.  The knowledge of you was taken away.  But you held our hand.  You did not let go.  You brought us back to you and now we know.  Now we can see.  Now we know who we are.  Now we are grateful for your saving grace, for your forgiveness, and for your mercy.  To all who seek, they will find.  To all who knock, the door will be opened to them.  To all who ask, it will be given to them, says the Lord.  Come!  Seek that which is yours.  Find that which you have searched for.  Know that which is in you and a part of you from heaven above.  You are a child of God!

Read the sign of the times! Read the Highlighted New Testament Bible and lift the scales from your eyes that you may see, that you may know, that you may find the truth of who you are in Christ. Read it as though you would read a good book, from cover to cover, and see for yourself. Do not study it in parts reading one passage and then skipping to another, but read it for understanding. Read it for knowledge. Read it for faith. Read it that your eyes may be opened, that your ears may hear, that your heart may be filled with the light of Christ.   The Holy Spirit awaits you. Christ seeks to know you. Open the door and let him in.

St. Matthew, Chapter 20, verse:23a, The Drink.

Our paragraph topic is:  (The mother of James and John) Part 8. 

They wanted fame and fortune.  They wanted to sit at his side.  They wanted to have power and prestige.  They wanted to be at the head of the table and not at the end.  But, they did not know the price they would have to pay for their wants.  These were they wishes of James and John as expressed by their mother.  She spoke what they would not speak.  She came forth and worshipped even as they could not worship.  She brought forth what others only thought about, what would be their rewards for following in the footsteps of the Lord.

They loved him surely.  They walked with him for years.  They watched him work unbelievable miracles.  They listened to his words with care.  They, like no other living today, had the opportunity to see with their own eyes and experience with their own beings the living Christ. 

He came down from heaven.  He walked the earth.  He lived amongst the people.  He taught them of the Father and gave them his principles and practices.  And then he died.  He suffered, he was punished as no man has ever been punished.  And he was hung on a cross for sins that he did not commit.  They did not know the whole picture at the time they asked to sit at his side.  But they would follow in his sacrifice.  And:  He said to them, "Of my cup you shall indeed drink." 

Here is something that we can ask ourselves today, "Can we drink of his cup?"  Can we take even a sip, a whiff or even a smell of the cup that he drank from?  It was a tall cup, a cup filled with issues, a cup filled with pain, suffering, unselfish love, grace, tenderness, patience, knowledge, faith, trust, and a deep seated passion in the redemption of mankind, a passion that required his life.  Are we worthy of the love that he has for us?  Do we know the value of the sacrifice that was made for us?  Can we not see, can we not understand, can we not know the beauty of who we are in his eyes? 

We live in a world, a realm, where we are provided with all that our hearts desire.  In order to have all, we must strive.  We must work, we must achieve, we must educate ourselves, overcome obstacles, revise who we are in order to conform to the common mole.  We must give up who we are, sacrifice that which is natural to us, change how we think and feel, how we know, and how we believe, in order to achieve all.  And in the process of all this, we become something else, somethin other than who we are.  We become something that the world has created.  We do all this that we might succeed, that we might be on top.

Will we drink of his cup or shall we drink of the cup the world has given us.  Both will change us.  Both require a decision.  We live in the world but we are spiritual.  The world gives us food, gives us protection, allows us to grow, it gives us love, educates us, gives us the opportunity to provide for ourselves, and demands us to conform to its norms.  But when we come of age and decide which road we want to take, we make a choice.  Sometimes the choice is easy, natural, given to us from birth.  At other times we come to re-evaluate the choice in order to continue. 

Our Father walks with us at each choice we make.  We can let go of the world and turn back to him.  We can change the decision that we make.  We can understand that there is something more, something greater, something that gives us peace and joy and love in our lives.  There is something that is within us that is not of this world but of the spirit and life given us by our Father.  It is that spirit that will guide us along right path that leads to him.  The choice is ours to make.  Do we drink of his cup? 

Read the sign of the times! Read the Highlighted New Testament Bible and lift the scales from your eyes that you may see, that you may know, that you may find the truth of who you are in Christ. Read it as though you would read a good book, from cover to cover, and see for yourself. Do not study it in parts reading one passage and then skipping to another, but read it for understanding. Read it for knowledge. Read it for faith. Read it that your eyes may be opened, that your ears may hear, that your heart may be filled with the light of Christ.   The Holy Spirit awaits you. Christ seeks to know you. Open the door and let him in.

St. Matthew, Chapter 20, verse:22c, We Can.

Our paragraph topic is:  (The mother of James and John) Part 7. 

Wherever the Gospel is written this paragraph shall be included, the paragraph of the mother of James and John.  What must have been her faith?  What must have been her trust?  What must have been her belief in Christ that he was the one who would change all things?  She came to him.  She worshipped him.  She spoke to him about her beloved sons.  They were all she had. They were her future and her past and her present.  And they were the ones who would become his disciples for all eternity.

Little did she know what would happen.  Little did she know what they would become.  Little did she know what they would suffer.  For they were to drink of the same cup of suffering with Christ.  They were to be teachers the same as Christ.  They were to be miracle workers the same as Christ.  And they would be the twelve disciples, apostles, for all eternity.  Did they believe?  Did they know?  Did they understand what would happen.  Did they know the battle that they would face with evil?  Could they stand with Christ and become the sacrificial lambs?  Could they drink of the same cup?  They said to him, "We can." 

Can we drink of the same cup?  Can we follow in the footsteps as Christ and become sacrificial lambs?  Or are we more about ourselves and our own desires?  It is a tall question to ask and an even greater one to answer.  Just to think of the ramifications of that answer brings shudders to the mind and the body.  Just to reflect on the pain and the suffering that he endured makes one think of turning away.  Yet he willingly entered into the sacrifice, he willingly became the innocent lamb, he willingly accepted the pain and suffering, the humiliation and mockery, the beatings and the hatred of those who would do him harm.  He allowed himself to be brutally beaten and crucified by the doers of evil.

Can we do the same?  Can we accept such punishment today?  Because he suffered for us then, we do not have to suffer that today.  Christ became the sacrifice for all.  He accepted the sins for all; past, present, and future.  And because of his sacrifice we are redeemed, we are saved, we are born anew.  Because he could endure, because he accepted, because he was the lamb, we are reborn anew.  Once again we have life.  Once again we are acceptable to God.  Once again we are his children. 

James and John believed that they could.  James and John knew that they could.  James and John walked in his presence and trusted that they would do the same as he did.  What was their prize?  What was their motivation?  What did they see, what did they know, what did they believe that allowed them to drink of that cup?  There must have been something greatly motivating that gave them the courage to continue.  There must have been something more than we know that allowed them to be who they were.  Can we discover what that something else was?  Can we know what motivated them, that it might motivate us today?  What will strengthen us to do the same?  What will give us the power to accept?  What force will guide us to be like Christ, to follow in his footsteps, to know his love?  What must we do to discover that which is ours to know?  He has given us the key.  He has opened the door.  He awaits our footsteps that he might guide us to his presence.  The choice is ours to make.  All we have to do is ask. 

Read the sign of the times! Read the Highlighted New Testament Bible and lift the scales from your eyes that you may see, that you may know, that you may find the truth of who you are in Christ. Read it as though you would read a good book, from cover to cover, and see for yourself. Do not study it in parts reading one passage and then skipping to another, but read it for understanding. Read it for knowledge. Read it for faith. Read it that your eyes may be opened, that your ears may hear, that your heart may be filled with the light of Christ.   The Holy Spirit awaits you. Christ seeks to know you. Open the door and let him in.

St. Matthew, Chapter 20, verse:22b, The Cup.

Our paragraph topic is:  (The mother of James and John) Part 6. 

Often times when we come to our Father asking for something we do not have a complete  understanding of what we are doing.  We ask with the understanding that we want what we are asking.  We ask with the understanding that we are worthy of asking.  We ask with the understanding that we will get what we are asking for.  And we ask with the understanding that we will get what we are asking for right now or in the near future, according to our timetable.  It is oftentimes that we learn that our timetable does not matter and that can be frustrating or disappointing.  We must learn patience in order to see that our Father has granted us what we asked for.

It is in the misunderstanding that we get confused.  We do not know the consequences of our actions.  Our Father knows all.  He knows when and how we will get what we ask.  He knows the consequences of giving us what we want.  And he knows what is the desire of our hearts instead of desires of our request.  It is in that knowing, and in that seeing that we are lacking.  He is our Father.  It was in that same unknowing and unseeing that the mother of James and John asked for her sons to sit at the right and left hand of Christ.  They did not know what they were asking.  They only desired to be seated with power and recognition.  They did not understand that there were requirements to obtain such a seat.  This is why Christ asked them:  "Can you drink of the cup of which I am about to drink?" 

They wanted power and recognition but did not know the consequences of what they were asking.  They did not understand what was required of them.  They did not know what they would have to suffer, what they would have to endure, what they would have to battle to be with him.  For surely they would have to battle the forces of evil.  Surely they would have to endure the constant pressure of those who were evildoers.  Surely they would have to suffer the torture at the hands of evil to become like Christ.  But did they understand the cup of suffering they would have to endure?  Did they truly know what they were asking?

One does not suffer in vain.  One does not endure the hardships, the pain, the slings and arrows of oppression without a cause to carry them through.  And that cause must be justified enough to transform the person into something better, something more wonderful, more lasting, more beautiful than what they had before.  For without the cause one suffers in vain.  Without the cause one only endures to a point and then gives up.  But with the cause one is transformed in the person that will endure to the end.  Christ was the cause.  He was the be all and end all that allowed the apostles to be transformed into persons that gave all.

Can we drink from the same cup that he did?  Can we become transformed into new beings that are willing to suffer to the end?  Or are we just those persons that will only go so far and give up without enduring all?  Christ gave his all.  Can we give our all?  What cause do we have that will transform us into new persons that will allow us to give our all to him?  We live in a world that is consumed with self.  We are given to be wholly in this world.  Yet we are not from this world.  We are children of our Father and he gave us the life that we have today, true life, eternal life.  And the knowledge and wisdom of the understanding of the life that is given us is the transforming factor that makes us who we are, not of this world but of a heavenly kingdom.  Do you belong?  Are you of the heavenly kingdom?  Are you transformed?  Then yours is the cup to drink along with all your brothers and sisters.

Read the sign of the times! Read the Highlighted New Testament Bible and lift the scales from your eyes that you may see, that you may know, that you may find the truth of who you are in Christ. Read it as though you would read a good book, from cover to cover, and see for yourself. Do not study it in parts reading one passage and then skipping to another, but read it for understanding. Read it for knowledge. Read it for faith. Read it that your eyes may be opened, that your ears may hear, that your heart may be filled with the light of Christ. The Holy Spirit awaits you. Christ seeks to know you. Open the door and let him in.

St. Matthew, Chapter 20, verse:22a, A Mother's misunderstanding.

Our paragraph topic is:  (The mother of James and John) Part 5. 

The mother of James and John came before Christ and made her demands for her sons.  She spoke what they would not speak.  She asked that her sons be seated with Christ on his left and on his right when he comes into his kingdom and sits upon his throne.  She believes that they deserve the place of distinction.  She knows, in her mind, that they are worthy of such an honor above all the other disciples.  They were the first to follow him.  They were the first to believe in him.  They were born to the role that they now follow as disciples of Christ, the Messiah.

All their lives the Jews have waited for the time when the Messiah would come.  Their history told them of this time.  They believed that he would come and redeem them.  They knew of the promise made by God but did not know the time that it would take place.  So they lived their lives in expectation of what would happen.  And when it did happen not many knew or believed that the time had come.  But the apostles James and John believed.  They knew that he would come and they prepared all their lives for the time when it would happen.  And that time had come and they were a part of history in the making.  Yet little did they know what they were a part of.  And little did their mother know what would come.  She only knew that he had come and now was the time for redemption.  So she came and made her request thinking that the redemption would be of an earthly or worldly event.  But Jesus answered and said, "You do not know what you are asking for." 

And certainly they did not understand what they were asking.  They thought that he would come and overthrow the rulers.  They thought that he would come and create armies and take back all that was stolen.  They thought that he would come and be declared a new king over all the rulers.  But they were mistaken.  He did not come to conquer the world.  He did not come to destroy the rulers of the world.  He did not come to be served as a king.  He came to become a lamb.  He came to be sacrificed.  He came as an offering to compensate for the sins that man had committed.  And they thought that they wanted to be with him in his sacrifice.

They did not understand that they were asking to be a sacrifice.  They did not understand that they were asking to suffer and die.  They did not understand that they were asking to be scorned, beaten, bruised, battered, mocked, and crucified on a cross to suffer and die.  For this was the price that had to be paid for the sins that had been committed.  This was the price that had to be paid for redemption.  This was the price that was due for all the wrongs that man had committed against the commandments of God.  And they thought that they wanted to be a part of this price that had to be paid. 

Can we say the same today?  Do we want to be a part of the price that Christ paid for our redemption?  Do we want to suffer?  Do we want to deny ourselves?  Do we want to be beaten, mocked, suffer and die for what we believe about the Christ that came to die for us?  Is that something that we can accept?  Most would say no.  Most would not think of suffering.  Most would not think of sacrificing themselves for someone else.  Most would not be able to see the good in those actions.  Yet it is through the suffering, the pain, and the sacrifice that Christ was able to save me and you and all mankind from damnation. 

We were dead and now we have life.  We transgressed and now we are forgiven.  We were lost but now we are found and redeemed.  It is only through acceptance that we are able to find that which was lost.  It is only through recognition that we can come to the light.  It is only through sorrow that we can come to joy.  And it is only through the search that we are able to find that which was originally ours in the beginning.  The path is open.  The way is fixed.  The light of life is within you if you only seek.  For Christ has paved the way.  All we have to do is follow.  The choice is ours to make.  Redeem what was lost or loose what was taken away.  Only you can make the decision.  Come!  Christ awaits with open arms to receive you with love.

Read the sign of the times! Read the Highlighted New Testament Bible and lift the scales from your eyes that you may see, that you may know, that you may find the truth of who you are in Christ. Read it as though you would read a good book, from cover to cover, and see for yourself. Do not study it in parts reading one passage and then skipping to another, but read it for understanding. Read it for knowledge. Read it for faith. Read it that your eyes may be opened, that your ears may hear, that your heart may be filled with the light of Christ. The Holy Spirit awaits you. Christ seeks to know you. Open the door and let him in.

St. Matthew, Chapter 20, verse:21b, A Mother's Command.

Our paragraph topic is:  (The mother of James and John) Part 4.  

It is strange that the mother of James and John plays a part in the Gospels.  James and John were prominent apostles.  But here in St. Matthew we find a whole paragraph devoted to their mother.  Her name is not given.  She is not described, but only as their mother.  There must be something more in this paragraph than meets the eye.  There must be some other message in this paragraph that demands discerning other than its mere meaning.

She came to Christ with this one intent.  She knew him to be the Messiah and she worshiped him.  But on her mind was the outcome for her two sons.  They must have talked about Christ in her presence.  They must have spoken of the things that he said and the things that he did.  They must have raised her curiosity and peeked her interest.  Even so they must have talked about their place with him without asking directly.  But their mother had no such qualms.  She had no other desires.  She only wanted to assure herself of their place in his kingdom.  So she said to him: "Command that these my two sons may sit, one at thy right hand and one at thy left hand, in thy kingdom."

And so this was her command to the Messiah.  Assure that my sons will be recognized in your kingdom.  Assure that they will be prominent figures near you and that they will be at your side at all times.  Why would she do this?  Why would she be so bold as to command the Lord and Savior to favor her sons?  Was she thinking for them or was she thinking of herself?  Did she want the recognition for herself that others would know that those were her sons that sat at the right and left hand of Jesus?  What were her reasons, what were her motives? 

We can only guess as to the why and wherefores of her actions.  Compared to what we see today of mothers and fathers who push their own agendas for their children, we can maybe understand the whys and wherefores.  Today many parents train their children and put them out before the public that they may succeed.  They support them and work with them that they may achieve great success in this world.  Parents start from the day of birth seeing great things happening for their children. 

They want them to be great doctors and lawyers, or politicians and governors.  They put them in training programs so that they can build on their physical abilities and excel in sports and athletic endeavors.  They pick and choose the best schools and best programs for their children so that they have all the requirements for success, all the while neglecting the wants and needs of the child.  After all the parents know best what it takes to succeed in this world, having first hand knowledge of their own successes and failures. 

So what must have been in the mind of the mother of the sons of Zebedee?  Did she and her husband plan for their success?  Did they train their sons in the ways to success in those days?  Were they to become high priests or to become elders or even to become a Pharisee?  For these were the models of success for the people of Israel in those days.  And when it was discovered that the Messiah had come what must have been their joy to be able to recognize and follow his teachings.

Today we do not have miracles.  We do not see the raising of the dead, the lame walking, the blind seeing, or the deaf hearing.  Today we only have the words left to us by the witnesses as passed down through time.  Are those words real?  Are those testimonies believable?  Do the words from the time of Christ have meaning to us in this modern time?  The mother of James and John wanted her sons to play a part in the future of the kingdom of Christ.  Do we want our children to have that same chance?  Do we want our children to know about him?  Do we want our children to believe in his words?  Do we want our children to have a foundation in the truth of what was established some two thousand years ago?  It all starts with ourselves.  Do we believe?  Do we know?  Do we understand the meaning and significance of the teachings of Christ?  The choices we make will carry forward to our children and our grand children and to all our generations to follow.  Command that your children sit at his right hand and his left in the kingdom of heaven and you will know that you have prepared them to be successful for tomorrow. 

Read the sign of the times! Read the Highlighted New Testament Bible and lift the scales from your eyes that you may see, that you may know, that you may find the truth of who you are in Christ. Read it as though you would read a good book, from cover to cover, and see for yourself. Do not study it in parts reading one passage and then skipping to another, but read it for understanding. Read it for knowledge. Read it for faith. Read it that your eyes may be opened, that your ears may hear, that your heart may be filled with the light of Christ. The Holy Spirit awaits you. Christ seeks to know you. Open the door and let him in.

St. Matthew, Chapter 20, verse:21a, A Mother's Hope.

Our paragraph topic is:  (The mother of James and John) Part 3.  

James and John, sons of Zebedee, were followers of Christ.  They rejoiced in him.  They believed in him, for he was the Messiah.  John the Baptist told them that he was the one that they should follow even when they were his disciples.  They believed in John the Baptist and knew that he was a prophet but when he told them that they should follow Christ they rejoiced.

It was a special time for them.  They knew of their history as Jews.  They knew of their tradition.  They knew that God had guided Israel and protected them throughout history for they were a chosen people.  And they knew of the prophesy that the Messiah would come and walk among them.  So they were ecstatic that they had found him and they had the opportunity to live in his presence. 

They told their relatives.  They told their friends.  They told their brothers and sisters and their parents.  They told everyone that they knew about the Christ they followed.  And because of their zeal, and their belief and their hopes, their mother saw the change in them.  She was their mother.  She provided for them.  She raised them, cared for them, protected them and loved them from birth.  And she, more than anyone else, wanted to make sure that they were taken care of.  So she went to Christ.  She desired to know herself that her children would be provided for, taken care of, and that they would have some place in the new kingdom with Christ.  When she came to him,  He said to her, "What dost thou want?"

What do you want?  This is a question that we can ask ourselves, "What do we want?"  What is it that we want.  What is it that we want today?  What is it that we want tomorrow?  As though we had a genie that would grant us our every wish, what is it that we want.  There are many things that come to mind that would answer this question.  We could say money.  We could say power.  We could say fame, or fortune, or riches, or health, or any number of things.  But the real question is what do we really want in our lives. 

We live day to day, going about our daily routines.  We work, we play, we socialize with our friends.  We shop, we cook, we eat, we sleep, we do things to entertain ourselves on a daily basis, but what is it that we really want in this life.  Do we really know the answer to this question?  Do we really know what we want?  Do we really know what would make us happy?

We are presented with ideas of what others do, or have, or want and we think that this is what we want also.  We rejoice over the possibility of how we would feel if our wish was answered, if we won the lottery, or won a car, or won some money.  And the joy of winning would make us happy for a while.  But will this sustain us for life?  Will this joy be with us for eternity?  Will we be happy when we get what we want? 

Each morning we wake up in search of what we want.  Our every thought, our every action, our every belief moves us in the direction of our wants and our desires.  There is something inside that needs fulfilling, something inside that drives us to do what we do.  Christ told us that our Father knows our every need, our every desire.  He told us not to worry about tomorrow because tomorrow has enough worry in itself.  But the Father knows us, provides for us, protects us from harm.  And the Father fulfills us.  For it is with him and through him that we find what we want.  It is in his love that we are complete and desire nothing more.  Through his love our hearts desire is found.  Through his love we long no more.  Through his love we are finished and can rest in peace knowing that he loves us.  What do you want?  I want to be with my Father, my creator, my Lord and savior Jesus Christ.  For through him and with him I want nothing else. 

Read the sign of the times! Read the Highlighted New Testament Bible and lift the scales from your eyes that you may see, that you may know, that you may find the truth of who you are in Christ. Read it as though you would read a good book, from cover to cover, and see for yourself. Do not study it in parts reading one passage and then skipping to another, but read it for understanding. Read it for knowledge. Read it for faith. Read it that your eyes may be opened, that your ears may hear, that your heart may be filled with the light of Christ. The Holy Spirit awaits you. Christ seeks to know you. Open the door and let him in.

St. Matthew, Chapter 20, verse:20b, A Mother's request.

Our paragraph topic is:  (The mother of James and John) Part 2. 

The mother of James and John, sons of Zebedee, came to Christ with a plan.  She knew what she wanted.  She knew that it had to be spoken.  So she came to the one who her sons followed and believed in.  She had heard the word.  She knew what was being spoken of him throughout the villages.  And she knew that he was the Messiah.  So she came with her request just as all the others had come to ask to be cured of illness, to ask to walk, to ask to see, to ask to hear.  All the others were drawn to him with their needs and he fulfilled them.  But hers was different.

Mother came to ask for her children.  She came on their behalf not on her own.  She wanted to know that her sons would be taken care of.  She came to ask her own special request of the Messiah, the Chosen One who came down from heaven to walk with men.  And worship-
ping, she made a request of him.

What would your mother do?  Would she act on your behalf?  Would she plead your case before the ruler of the universe?  Would she show her concern for your future, the same as the mother of James and John?  Some would say yes.  Some would hesitate.  Some would say no.  What this tells us is the character of the children?  Are they worthy of a mother's love, a mother's concern?  For surely a mother loves her children.  Surely a mother who gave birth to her children, nursed them through early childhood, watched them stumble and grow to stand on their own, saw them through trying years and adult years; surely this kind of loving mother would speak for her children.  

For what is a mother other than one who came before.  What is a mother other than one who loves, one who cares, one who sees the struggles and pitfalls that their children will face.  What is a mother other than one who provides, one who nurtures, one who teaches, one who guides and directs, one who's heart is the same heart as her children.  And when her work is done she can retire and watch the fruits of her labors in her children and her grand children and all those little ones that come after her. 

The mother of James and John came and made her request.  She worshipped him, bowed down before him and spoke for the ones that she loved.  She spoke that which was in her heart to the one who had the power to grant her request.  Mothers of the world make your requests.  Mothers of the world come before him and worship, knowing that he can fulfill all needs.  Mothers of the world he is your provider, your protector, your deliverer.

Worry not.  Fret not.  Do not be concerned for what tomorrow has to offer.  Only know that today he is with you.  Today he watches over you.  Today he provides for you.  Today, your children will run and laugh and play without a worry because he is with the Father and the Father is with him and all things are possible.  Just as she came and made her request you too can do the same for your children, today and tomorrow and for all eternity.  The Lord is with you and all is at peace.

Read the sign of the times! Read the Highlighted New Testament Bible and lift the scales from your eyes that you may see, that you may know, that you may find the truth of who you are in Christ. Read it as though you would read a good book, from cover to cover, and see for yourself. Do not study it in parts reading one passage and then skipping to another, but read it for understanding. Read it for knowledge. Read it for faith. Read it that your eyes may be opened, that your ears may hear, that your heart may be filled with the light of Christ. The Holy Spirit awaits you. Christ seeks to know you. Open the door and let him in.

St. Matthew, Chapter 20, verse:20a, A Mother's wish.

Our paragraph topic is:  (The mother of James and John) Part 1.

What was she like, the mother of James and John.  They must have told her of what they were doing.  They must have spoken to her of the miracles that they had witnessed, the words that Christ had spoken to them, the promises that he made to them.  They were filled with the joy of who he was.  They were joyous that they had found the Messiah.  They were indeed fortunate that, in all time, they were the ones chosen to follow him.  Yet they did not know what lie ahead.

Their mother must have been elated for her sons.  Hearing all the words spoken by those who followed him and the words that were spoken by others, she must have been proud.  She was their mother.  She was the one who gave them life, the one who loved them as children, and taught them the words of the scriptures.  She knew that they were indeed special children, special sons, special believers in the Chosen One.  So she went to him with her request.  She went to him to ask recognition for her sons.  Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her sons. 

They may not have wanted her to speak with him.  They may not have felt it their place to speak to him of recognition.  They may have been humble followers seeking not the recognition that their mother wanted for them.  Yet she came with them.  She brought them with her that she might speak to Christ about her sons.  She wanted him to know her pride for them.  She wanted him to know that she was a believer.  She wanted him to know how she felt about what they were doing.  And in coming forward with them, she spoke her mind and theirs also.

Mothers are like that.  They are passionate.  They are loving.  They are quick to see what the children miss.  And they will take action when action is needed.  And so it was with the mother of James and John.  She was a loving parent, a watchful mother, a patient guardian over her children.  She had high hopes for them.  She wanted them to make something of themselves.  She wanted recognition for them that they might be proud members of the community.

But Christ was a man of humility.  He was a man of grace, a man of insight and sincerity.  He was a man of truth.  But most of all he was the Son of God.  He had power.  He had forgiveness.  He had majesty that did not show.  He was a simple man who walked the earth in order to save mankind.  He was the first, brought forth by and through the love of the Father.  What does a father wish for his sons and daughters?  What is the desire of all parents?  What, of all things, will make them most happy with their children?

The mother of James and John wanted to see them happy.  She wanted to know that they will be taken care of.  She wanted to be assured by the Messiah that her sons would be with him in his kingdom.  And that is the desire of all mankind, to know that peace comes after this life ends.  We have been given life through the sacrifice of Christ Jesus.  We have been redeemed.  We can choose to know him.  We can choose to be with him.  We can choose to know him in the fullness of his love, his forgiveness, his mercy, and his grace.  Or Not!  That choice is ours to make, if we know who we are.  Otherwise others will seek to deny us of that choice.  Come, all who want to believe!  Come, all who want to know!  Come, all who seek the truth of who they are!  The answer awaits those who desire.  God is our Father and Christ Jesus is our redeemer and the Holy Spirit is our guide through the portal of death to life everlasting.

Read the sign of the times! Read the Highlighted New Testament Bible and lift the scales from your eyes that you may see, that you may know, that you may find the truth of who you are in Christ. Read it as though you would read a good book, from cover to cover, and see for yourself. Do not study it in parts reading one passage and then skipping to another, but read it for understanding. Read it for knowledge. Read it for faith. Read it that your eyes may be opened, that your ears may hear, that your heart may be filled with the light of Christ. The Holy Spirit awaits you. Christ seeks to know you. Open the door and let him in.