A Mother's Love (Matthew 20:20-23)

Good morning and welcome to Hope Church Clinton’s Virtual Church on Facebook Live! As we begin, would you please click on that “share” button down below this video and share this live video to your page to help us share the good news of Jesus Christ to the entire world?

Today is Mother’s Day -a day set aside to honor the women that helped mold us and make us into who we are today. 

What is a mother? Mothers are teachers, disciplinarians, janitors, gardeners, nurses, doctors, psychologists, counselors, chauffeurs, and coaches. And some even have professional jobs too! They help develop our personalities, our vocabularies, and our attitudes. Most importantly, mothers are oftentimes a child’s first impression of the love of God. They are all these things a much more.

With all these things in mind, today we are going to talk about a little-known mother in the Bible. She is found in Matthew 20:20-23. I will be reading from the English Standard Version of God’s Word.

Matthew 20:20-23: 

Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him with her sons, and kneeling before him she asked him for something. And he said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Say that these two sons of mine are to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.” Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.” He said to them, “You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.”

In this passage we are introduced to the mother of James and John aka “The Sons of Thunder.” Imagine raising those boys! We are not told her first name, but Matthew refers to her as “the mother of the sons of Zebedee.” We are told that she “came up to Jesus.” She had heard of this Jesus and about the coming of the kingdom. I’m sure James and John had told her all about the rabbi -the One they had left everything to follow. They probably told her how they were closer to him than most disciples, being two of three that got called away often to be with him.

Since she knew her boys were tight with Jesus, she figured that they would be brass in the coming kingdom. Good old boy system, right? Here’s the kicker -just before we find her falling at the feet of Jesus with this bold request, Jesus tells a parable…

Matthew 20:

 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and to them he said, ‘You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went. Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing. And he said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’ And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.’ And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house, saying, ‘These last have worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ But he replied to them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what belongs to you and go, I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?’ So the last will be first, and the first last."

Upon hearing this, Mrs. Z must have began to worry if her sons would have the authority they so desired in the coming kingdom.

When she saw a chance to talk to Jesus on their behalf, she took it. Matthew tells us that she knelt before Jesus and made her request, “Say that these two sons of mine are to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom” (Matthew 20:21b, ESV).

This lady had a lot of nerve! What kind of person, much less a woman in ancient times, approaches a rabbi and tells him what to do??

It’s easy to criticize this mother for this bold and brash act, but today is Mother’s Day, so I want to point out a few good things about Mrs. Zebedee. We also need to realize that when she came to Jesus, he didn’t grant her request, but he didn’t deny it either. He simply reminded her what it cost to have those positions she so desperately wanted her boys to have.

Now, what are some good things about this little-known mother?

She Wanted Her Sons to be in God’s Kingdom

Not only did she want it, she fell at the feet of Jesus begging for it. This is the most important thing we can do as Christian parents -pray for our children. PRAY WITHOUT CEASING FOR THEM. I’ve been a dad for 16 years now, and I can tell you it doesn’t get easier as they grow older. Being a parent is filled with a lot of good times and a lot of bad.

There are times when my kids make me so proud that I want to puff out my chest and strut around like an old Gobbler in the spring, but then there are other times when I’m not very proud at all and I think they can tell by the look on my face.

We must remember this -each stage of life a child enters, he or she will face new challenges just like we did. We need to be praying that they are part of the kingdom of God so they can stand against the attacks of Satan and his minions.

Being a parent is no walk in the park -it’s hard. Mrs. Zebedee gives us a good example, she prayed earnestly that her sons would be part of His kingdom!

Let me ask you this -do you want the best for your children? We all do. But what good is it if our kids grow up to make good money, have fancy cars, big houses, but they don’t know God? What will it matter if they gain the whole world, but lose their souls?

I hope that adult watching this video has a passion to charge the throne room of God begging for the salvation and transformation of the next generation.

She prayed that her sons would be involved in kingdom duties

She didn’t just pray that they would be a part of His kingdom, but she prayed they would be big players in it. She didn’t just want them to set on the bench and watch the game, she wanted them on the field!

Folks, it isn’t enough just to be “saved.” Yes, Jesus is enough, but churches are filled with people just riding the pine and “sitting on their haunches” as my grandmother would say. We come to church, give God an hour or two if He’s lucky and expect Him to bless us all week. We need to be about the business of God, actively involved in the ministry.

Where do children learn ministry? At church? Well, yes, but it begins at HOME. As parents, we must be the example to our children. They need to KNOW that worship, prayer, and Bible study is important. They need to know that “loving your neighbor as yourself” is important. BE THE EXAMPLE to your children.

She had big ambitions for her boys

Like any parent, she had big dreams for her kids. You see, when you are part of the King’s cabinet, there’s not a better seat in the in the court than to the right and left of the Man himself. And that’s EXACTLY where she wanted her boys to be.

It wasn’t enough for them to be in the cheap seats. It wasn’t enough for them to be in the concession stand slinging hot dogs. It wasn’t enough for them to be sitting in the dugout. She wanted them at the top of the lineup.

We may consider her a little too bold, but too many believers have settled for average. Too many of us are happy with getting through the doors of the church, and some of us can’t seem to work up enough energy to do that these days.

It’s time for us to get up and take our positions to the right and left sides of the throne of God. We need to lead by example and do some kingdom work. You may say, “Well, I can’t preach. I can’t teach. I can’t sing.” If you are a born-again believer in Jesus Christ, you have been given a gift to use in the Kingdom. Find that gift and USE IT. Jesus didn’t suffer and die on the cross for us to just sit and watch the game.

One reason why Mother’s Day is so special is because a mother’s love is probably the closest illustration we have to God’s love. There’s something special about a mother’s love -it’s sacrificial. A mother will do whatever it takes to protect her children, even if it means death.

That’s exactly what God did for us. The Bible tells us in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

God loves us so much; He was willing to sacrifice Himself in our place. Perhaps you are watching this live stream right now and don’t know what it’s like to feel a mother’s love. A love that is unending and sacrificial. I am well-aware there are children that have been abandoned or neglected by their parents. God has promised never to leave those who put their trust in Him. If you want to feel that type of love, call upon God. Ask him to show Himself to you. Put your faith in Jesus and He will change your heart, your attitude, and your life.

If you want to know more about Jesus Christ, the Bible, or anything about our faith in general, please contact me. You can message me on the Hope Church Clinton Facebook page anytime.

Mothers, this is your day. I pray God blesses you and that you enjoy your time with your loved ones today. Keep praying for your kids, they need it now more than ever.

Right now, we are looking at options as to when we will gather again. I know I am ready to see everyone and I know some of you want to meet as soon as next Sunday, but as pastor, it’s my duty and your leadership team’s duty to make sure you are loved and protected. I have been consulting with medical professionals and various church leaders for wisdom and counsel, but it boils down to this: If someone in our church contracts this virus and passes away, I’ll be the one standing at the coffin wondering if we should’ve waited one more Sunday. Right now, our tentative date to meet again is Sunday, June 7^th and of course, we won’t be back to normal as we know it anytime soon.  That date can change based on circumstances of the pandemic. I’ll send out an email and post more details on Facebook soon.

I love you. I miss you. I’m praying for you. God bless you, Hope Church Clinton! See ya next Sunday!

(Some material for this message was obtained from “Mother’s Day – A Mother’s Love.” A sermon by Melvin Newland.)