4-8-20 THOUGHTS
Very near the end of Jesus life...

The mother of James and John had sought POSITION for them.  It didn’t work!
Matt 20:24-28    And hearing this, the ten became indignant with the two brothers. 25  But Jesus called them to Himself and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. 26  "It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, 27  and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; 28  just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

I find it most instructing that in the last hours of Jesus’ life, two great events reveal a great human problem.  One of those events is above.  We each struggle continually with the SELFISH side versus the side of us that can successfully DIE, if we work continually at it. We are to grow in our winning of this battle.
Not long after the Matt 20 passages, we find Jesus washing the feet of his disciples to become apostles.   In the first passage, we have men wanting to be FIRST...  In this last, we have the greatest demonstration that the “last shall be first”!  It is profound!  We must learn it!

John 13:12-17   So when He had washed their feet, and taken His garments and reclined at the table again, He said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you?  13  "You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. 14  "If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.  15  "For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you. 16  "Truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him.  17  "If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.”

Please read this entire area again.  See Jesus coming to grips with his end.  Stretch your soul to see HIS MIND!  Key lessons come at the end.

My prayer: 

O GOD, help us to learn how to die to this world.  Help us now to see Jesus knowing that his time had come.  May we see his suffering for our sakes begin...  and then pursue it with all of our hearts to its end!    HE DIED TOTALLY FOR ME... help me to die a little for him in the next few days.   In Jesus name                    Amen