One of the earliest requests ever made in the kingdom was the request made by James and John. They said to Jesus, “Grant that we may sit.” That is a very common request, and folks continue to make it today.
“Grant that we may sit.” Or, “Lord, we really don’t want to do anything in the kingdom. We have been afflicted with tired blood, and we had really rather sit and rest than get up and do something.”
I heard of one employee who retired after being with a company for 20 years. The company wanted to give him a going-away present that was related to what he had done at the company. So, at his retirement ceremony, they gave him a watch that was not working.
A boss told about one of his employees. He said, “They say that nothing is impossible. That’s not true. He’s been doing nothing for years.”
Some have the impression that a call to the kingdom is a call to do nothing. Just the opposite is true. A call to the kingdom is a call to ministry and to service. It is a call to activity and involvement.
Some evidently have not gotten the memo. They had much rather sit than serve.
Jesus has called us to activity and work. He said, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me.” Whatever else that challenge says about discipleship, it says that discipleship involves activity, sacrifice, and staying busy.
On one occasion a would-be disciple came to Jesus and said, “I will follow you, but first let me go bury my father.” Jesus rejected his offer of discipleship. The fact of the matter was that the man’s father probably had not died yet. He just wanted to go home and wait until he did die. Then he would come and follow Jesus. The man seemed to be grasping for an excuse that would prevent him from following Jesus now, and serving Him now.
Jesus rejected the man’s excuse by saying, “Let the [spiritually] dead bury the [physically] dead. You come and follow me.” Discipleship that offers to follow Jesus and then goes home and waits for a more convenient season to do so, is not Jesus’ idea of effective discipleship. This man’s offer of discipleship, later on—after his father’s death, and James and John’s request that “we may sit,” were both rejected.
Now, to be completely fair with James and John, their full request was, “Lord, grant that we may sit, one on the right hand and the other on the left hand when you come into your kingdom.” The problem is that the full statement does not improve on the partial statement. It was still a request that gave expression to selfishness and “one-upsmanship” over the other disciples. Jesus has called us to genuine discipleship, not “one-upsmanship.”
What requests have you made of the Lord lately? For goodness sakes, do not make the following request: “Lord, grant that we may sit.”
