Three scenes are in Matthew 20:17-33. I invite you to read it in a Bible before going further here.
The first scene is brief with Verses 17-19. Jesus tells his disciples for the third time that when they get to Jerusalem he will be arrested and killed. The first time he told them this was in 16:21-23. Immediately after saying that the disciple Peter takes Jesus aside and rebukes him; as if Jesus is demon possessed. Such a prediction could not possibly be from a person in his right mind! The second time Jesus predicts this is 17:22-23. After that we're told the disciples were, "greatly distressed."
We know the story of Jesus death so well that we are in danger of forgetting how offensive and even scandalous it was. There was no way the disciples could accept such a teaching from their great rabbi. Even today Christians do well to understand that the core of their faith is an event that is scandalous to all human logic. And I'm using the word "scandalous" deliberately for that is the word the New Testament authors often used to refer to the crucifixion of Jesus.
Perhaps it would also be good to see how Muslims understand Jesus. Jesus plays a significant role in the Holy Q'ran. He is considered one of the greatest of the messengers who spoke God's word to the world. However Muslims reject the idea that Jesus was crucified. In Islamic understanding a messenger of God may be called to endure great hardship. However, God would always provide divine protection from death for his messengers. And so at the idea of the crucifixion the Islamic understanding of Jesus and the Christian understanding of him part in irreconcilable ways. (Some Islamic teachings suggest that someone else whose appearance was similar to Jesus' was crucified instead.) My point is that the core of Christian faith is an impossibility -an offense- to all logic. We do well to keep that in mind.
Now in Verses 17-19 Jesus predicts his crucifixion for the third time. How do the disciples respond with this prediction? They completely ignore it! Instead of reacting at all the next scene (20-28) is the mother of James and John asking for her sons to be given places of glory! I hope you find this at least a little bit humorous. Two grown men, James and John, have their mommy asking their rabbi for favors for them. How childish and trite! (In Mark's version of this account James and John ask Jesus directly.) Jesus asks, "Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?" They reply, "We are able." Time will tell how 'able' they are! And as Matthew tells the story, their mother will get to see who gets the seats of glory at Jesus' left and right. She will be one of the witnesses of the crucifixion (27:55-56). The two crucified at Jesus left and right... Matthew calls them bandits, or thieves. They aren't even 'honorable' criminals like insurrectionists or Zealots. They're just common crooks.
The request of the mother of James and John raises the anger of the other disciples. But we know they've been scheming to be top dog as well. Jesus teaches them yet again that the human drive to get on top is misguided. And we'll discover yet again, the disciples don't get it.
The final scene is 29 to 34 and it connects with the James and John request. (It is worth pointing out here that Matthew's main source of information is Mark's gospel. And in Mark there is only one blind beggar here, not two. He is named Bartimaeus, Son of Timaeus. The Timaeus was a 3rd Century BC writing of Plato, and Mark's gospel often spoofs it. One of Mark's major goals is to undermine the Platonic philosophy which highly valued the capacity of human logic. Remember, the crucifixion is illogical!) Notice the parallels between the two scenes in Matthew.
There are two brothers.
There are two blind beggars.
Jesus says to the mother, "What do you want?" (Vs. 21).
Jesus says to the beggars, "What do you want me to do for you?" (Vs. 32)
Completely "blind" that Jesus just said he would be crucified, the mother asks for glory for her sons.
The blind beggars ask, "Lord, let our eyes be opened." (Vs. 33)
The disciples, still not getting it, become angry. (Vs. 24)
The beggars, now with sight, follow Jesus. (Vs. 34)
From this collection of three scenes we recognize that true sight is a gift of Jesus. It is not something that can be reached by the capacity of human logic. That is not to say that Christianity is against logic, or an entirely illogical belief system. Rather, it is to say that belief itself is a gift of God. Humans can't get there on their own. As the two previous posts also point out, it's all about grace!
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