She answered him,
"Command that these two sons of mine sit,
one at your right and the other at your left, in your Kingdom."
This desire is part good and part bad, like all our desires tend to be. It is representative of our spiritual aspirations in general. On the way hand, it is good to be near to Jesus, on the other hand, the desire to be seen as better than others comes from pride. If we do not get free from the lesser of these desires we will only follow Jesus in the good times. We will be fairweather friends of God. Jesus wants friends who will stay near to him in good times and bad.
Jesus said in reply,
"You do not know what you are asking.
Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?"
They said to him, "We can."
We don't have to fully understand exactly to what we are agreeing. We just need to agree. We don't need our motives to be perfect. We just need to be willing to act based on the higher motives. These are sometimes the ones that stem from obedience rather than emotion. They come from following Jesus rather than following our bliss.
When we put following Jesus as priority one and everything else below it we gain the freedom of Paul. We become dynamic and powerful in our ability to show God at work in us.
We hold this treasure in earthen vessels,
that the surpassing power may be of God and not from us.
We are afflicted in every way, but not constrained;
perplexed, but not driven to despair;
persecuted, but not abandoned;
struck down, but not destroyed;
always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus,
so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our body.
Even if we begin by obedience and sometimes by pain it is the only path to lasting joy.
Although they go forth weeping,
carrying the seed to be sown,
They shall come back rejoicing,
carrying their sheaves.
The secret is that we can actually desire the will of God in all things. We don't have to merely accept it. To do so calls for discernment, because the will of God often brings with it many things which we do not desire. But to be near Jesus, to love him, and to live for him, are things we can desire no matter what. This is how his yoke is easy and his burden is light. When first things are not only first but are our true desire we experience joy even in the midst of suffering. In those who are able to do this the cross bears fruit. It is the fruit we receive from Jesus through the Spirit. It is fruit we are meant to share.
Everything indeed is for you,
so that the grace bestowed in abundance on more and more people
may cause the thanksgiving to overflow for the glory of God.
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