James 4:7-10

This is a continuation of our exposition of the book of James, and today's text is James chapter 4 verses 7 through 10.

James 4:7–10

I'll begin by reading it, but before I do, let me remind you, beloved, that this is God's word to us.

It was written for his glory and our good.

So we would all do well to listen to it, to believe its promises and obey its commands.

James 4 beginning in verse 7.

James' original audience for this letter were Jews who had been dispersed throughout the Roman world,

who were professing followers of his half-brother, the Lord Jesus Christ.

His concern is that they understand that a saving faith in Jesus, while not earned by works, will be accompanied by works.

We have a faith that works.

He says in James chapter 2 verse 17 and 18,

James 2:17

Faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

But someone will say, you have faith and I have works.

Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

So it is the faith that saves us, but it is the works of faith that evidence that salvation.

And it is in this context that we need to understand today's text.

James wants to be sure that his hearers understand what must be done to be restored to God.

He is pastorally concerned for anyone who might claim the name of Christ and not actually be saved.

This is a great problem of our day.

Just about anybody you'd speak to would say they're a Christian.

Living in the southeast, the trouble of ministry often is that you have to convince people that they're not in Christ

so that they can place their faith in Christ.

James here is seeking our highest good, and he does so in some really striking ways.

He says some things that just make you go, whoa.

His original audience must have known how much he loved them to receive these kinds of words.

Just previously in chapter 4, he said, you adulterous people.

He's drawing their minds back to all of the unfaithfulness of the Jewish people throughout the Old Testament.

He goes on in verse 4, do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?

Therefore, whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

It's a very dichotomous thing that he sets up here.

I just would ask you, would you avail yourself of such strong language this morning?

Charles Spurgeon delivered a sermon on April 7, 1878, entitled,

The Reason Why Many Cannot Find Peace.

It was on this text, in which he said, he's talking about people who can't find peace.

He said, now I fear that comfort is misplaced in these cases.

When we have endeavored to cheer such people,

I fear we may have been filming over a wound which needs a sharp knife rather than a soft bandage,

a keen lancet rather than a healing liniment.

We shall try at this time to show certain uneasy souls why they do not obtain peace

and what they must be brought to by the Holy Spirit before they can rightly claim that they are saved.

Though our words may be somewhat caustic, they will be uttered in loving faithfulness.

And may the Lord our God make them effectual to the ending of the inner strife

and the establishment of settled peace."

Now that is the great labor of the preacher,

to open up God's word to people

and to grab a hold of this ancient text,

all of its cultural complication and language challenges,

with one hand,

and to grab a hold of a people with the other

and pull them together.

How does this mean something for us today

and on into this next week

and on for forever?

But we don't all come to our gatherings in the same state of soul.

This is broad discipling that's happening right now.

Where exactly each and every person is in this room

or across the hall or perhaps listening to the recording of this sometime later,

it's very difficult to know.

I'm a fan of smaller congregations and meeting in person

because there's a greater likelihood that I might know, right?

As I pray for our members and think about you,

I may have some sense of the state of your soul,

but I'm not God.

It's hard to really know what's going on.

There are guests here.

I'm looking at faces I've never seen before.

So it's a challenge.

It's a labor of a preacher to try to do this.

So the preacher must have many kinds of people in mind

when he prepares to preach

and while he's preaching.

And so to do this,

I try to think with varied success.

I don't know that I do this very well,

but I try to think in five different categories.

Try to think of categories of people

who may come and hear God's word opened.

Number one, the weary.

Those who have suffered much this past week

or have attempted to work to earn God's favor

and are just tired.

Just come here feeling beat down,

feeling their failure,

and need to be reminded of the gospel.

You need to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Jesus' finished work,

made real for you.

I also try to have in mind the wayward.

Those who have imperceptibly drifted

from their first love

and the holiness that accompanies a pursuit of him.

They've just forgotten,

just grown a bit cold.

The anchor was taken up

and they're getting drawn out to sea.

And they need to be reminded of the gospel.

I try to have in mind the proud.

Those who believe that they have done enough

this past week.

Who come and say,

I'm alright.

I pulled it off this past week.

Enough to earn his favor,

thinking they're better than others.

And they need to be reminded

of the gospel.

They need to be reminded

there's nothing we could do.

We were utterly wretched

apart from Christ.

I try to keep in mind

the lazy.

Those who have grown apathetic

in their zeal for the Lord

and his ways.

Who just have stopped really caring

about living for the life to come.

Are consumed with the life that is now.

And they need to be reminded

of the gospel.

And finally,

try to have in mind

the lost.

Those who have never heard the gospel

or have heard the gospel

and have never placed saving faith

in the Lord Jesus Christ

for the salvation

of their souls.

And I think there's application

for all of these categories

today.

But maybe most particularly

for the last.

You came to church this morning

not just interested

but thinking that you're in Christ.

Actually thinking,

I am a Christian.

And I would just like for you to perhaps,

not that I want to cast doubt

into your souls,

but maybe just get you to stop

and think,

but what if

I'm not?

So there may be more categories.

But generally,

I think this framework

serves a congregation well.

However,

it would take too much time

and it's not ever my attempt

to sort and label you

into these categories

so neatly.

Because I don't have the power

to view and assess

your souls.

I'm encouraged that James

also doesn't seem

to try to do so.

He is concerned

for the state

of his original audience's

souls, right?

He's hearing about things

that are happening

in these churches.

He's hearing about

unacceptable things

that are happening.

The way they speak,

the way they're showing

preferential treatment

to one another,

the way they're

friends with the world.

Perhaps,

we just see in the beginning

of chapter 4,

perhaps,

somebody professing to know Christ

killed somebody.

It's quite possible.

You do not have

and so you murder.

But in James 1.16,

he simply states,

do not be deceived,

my beloved brothers.

And in James 3.10,

he says,

my brothers,

these things

ought not be so.

He assumes

their professions

are genuine,

but he is careful

to instruct them

to test

the genuineness

of said

professions.

So that's the context.

That's where our text lies.

It's in the midst

of that.

This is his mind.

It's his concern

and it's my concern

for us

this morning.

So with that context

in mind,

I want to read the text

one more time.

Right?

Maybe some of it

will begin to already

kind of be enlightened

for you as you go,

oh,

I see what James

is doing here

with them

and with us.

He says,

submit yourselves,

therefore,

to God.

Resist the devil

and he will flee from you.

Draw near to God

and he will draw near

to you.

Cleanse your hands,

you sinners,

and purify your hearts,

you double-minded.

Be wretched

and mourn

and weep.

Let your laughter

be turned to mourning

and your joy

to gloom.

Humble yourselves

before the Lord

and he will exalt you.

We see in this passage,

number one,

a comprehensive

command,

an all-inclusive,

a wide,

overarching command,

the first part

of verse seven,

submit yourselves,

therefore,

to God.

And at the end

of the passage,

we see a summary

command,

which is that

accompanied by

wonderful promise.

Humble yourselves

before the Lord

and he will exalt you.

And then I would

submit to you

that in between

those two,

a comprehensive command,

this is our two-point

summary today,

a comprehensive command

and a summary command,

there are five

explanatory commands.

Last half of verse seven

and through verse nine.

So if we're being

comprehensively commanded

to submit ourselves

to God,

how,

what must we do

to be in submission

to our God?

And I think those commands,

those five,

help us to understand

what that looks like.

So let's look first

at a comprehensive command.

Submit yourselves,

therefore,

to God.

And he says,

therefore,

so we must back up

a little bit

and to chapter four

and verse six,

where James,

right,

but he gives more grace.

Therefore,

it says,

and he's quoting

Proverbs 3,

34,

God opposes the proud,

but gives grace

to the humble.

Those who are willing

to recognize

that they are created

and then rightly

submit themselves

to their creator,

right?

And God gives grace

to those who will

submit themselves

to God.

And this is why he says,

submit yourselves,

therefore,

to God.

Submission is not a thing

that the unregenerate person

naturally gravitates toward.

In fact,

naturally,

the unconverted person

gravitates away

from submission.

Submitting is not a thing

that a regenerate person does

without an ongoing intervention

of the Holy Spirit

in our lives,

right?

Given to our flesh,

we will tend to not want

to submit to authority.

We are very inclined

to go our own way.

We are very inclined

to think that we know best

and can govern our lives best,

right?

I am me,

therefore,

I know what I need

better than anyone else.

And this is just not true.

Just think,

our entire national identity

is founded in the idea

of casting off a despot

that we might govern ourselves.

But even our founders

intended for our experiment

in liberty

to be one of ordered liberty.

And they knew

that our people

would have to have

an even higher authority

for the experiment

to find any success.

It's unraveling in our day

because so many of our nation

do not have a higher authority

that they submit to.

We as a culture

find ourselves

applauding the trailblazer,

the rule breaker,

the rogue,

right?

We love this fierce,

wild individualism,

right?

Cast off anything

that might tell you

you must look like this

or do such and such.

And I think that permeates

our very nature

and it extends

to other things

as well.

People have a difficult time

submitting themselves.

themselves.

But every created thing

belongs to its creator.

Nothing created

has any right

to declare

what it wants to do.

This cup,

when I want to pick it up

and drink water out of it,

will be picked up

and I will drink water out of it.

And the cup cannot say no.

And you might go,

well, that seems very obvious.

We are like the cup.

We have a creator

who has a right

to demand

how it is

we're meant

to act.

Our creator

has absolute

authority.

He created

all things

and he does not

relinquish

that authority.

Charles Spurgeon,

same sermon.

I don't remember

how many times

I quote Spurgeon in this.

If I do though,

it's all from that same sermon.

Spurgeon said,

common sense

teaches

that rebellion

against omnipotence,

which is absolute power,

rebellion against

omnipotence

is both

insanity

and blasphemy.

The great trouble

with mankind,

the great trouble

with us

is that we have

disregarded

this

common

sense

and it's not

a new trouble.

It was the trouble

that caused

all the trouble.

in the garden,

Adam and Eve

disregarding the good

commands of God

and seeking to govern

themselves.

It was the trouble

of Israel

before and after

the Exodus,

setting aside

the good commands

of God

for the idols

of the nations

and it remains

and it remains

our trouble.

Submission to God,

James tells us,

is comprehensive.

He says,

submit

yourselves.

This is

all-inclusive.

James says,

our very being

must be placed

under the rule

of God.

every bit

of you,

body and soul,

your mind

and your affections,

your desires,

your will,

must be given

to him

in allegiance.

Every day

of your week,

every ounce

of you

must be given

to God.

Now,

at this point,

if this feels

burdensome

to you,

if this feels

in any way

oppressive

to you,

please hear me.

Submission

to God

is not

a displeasurable

thing.

God is the creator

and God

knows

best.

Those of you

who know me

know that I'm

a fairly

controlling person.

I like things

in my life

to be just

so-so.

And a lot of you

joke about

some of those things

that actually

don't really matter

to me that much.

I straighten the chairs

almost every Sunday.

And when you all leave,

I go,

I can't believe

how crooked

these chairs are.

I straighten them again.

And it's fine.

I'm at peace

with that.

It's okay.

If I didn't know

the creator,

right,

God Almighty,

the one who is

powerful to control

all things

and knows

what's best,

I would be a mess.

I was sharing

with a brother

just this past week.

I don't know

that I would still

be alive.

I don't know

that I could handle

how much in my life

is actually

out of control.

the older I get

and the more

I realize

how little

I can affect

the things

in my world

if I didn't know

the one who is

in control.

I control so little.

And that's good

when we realize

how desperately

we need

a creator

who is

in control.

It's not displeasurable

to submit yourself

to God.

God is so full

of goodness

and loving kindness

to those

who will submit

themselves to him

that he will not

command us

to do anything

harmful

or forbid us

to do anything

beneficial

and he gets

to define

those terms.

What is good

for us?

Romans 8,

28,

and 29.

You know this,

right?

It's in the zeitgeist

and we know

that for those

who love God

all things work

together for good

for those

who are called

according

to his purpose.

Those who love God

all things

every circumstance

whatever it is

we're walking through

they're for good.

Right?

And we don't have to

wonder what is that good?

What's the mystery?

Someday maybe

I'll know

because verse 29 says

for those

whom he foreknew

he also predestined

to be conformed

to the image

of his son.

This is the great good

that God is working

in all things

our holiness.

Right?

That we might look

more like Christ

and gain

more of Christ

in our lives.

It is a wonderful thing

to submit yourself

to God.

It's a wonderful thing

to give up control

to get off the throne

and let God reign

in your life.

And if God

does not reign

in your life

in an ever-growing measure

none of us

or doing this

with perfection

then you may

not be saved.

It is possible

that you've made

some mental assent

to the gospel

of Jesus Christ

but you still

love your control.

You still want

to be a friend

with the world

and this

is to be an enemy

of God.

So,

what does it look like

to submit

ourselves to God?

How might we

submit ourselves

to God?

James gives us

five explanatory

commands.

Number one,

resist the devil.

By which I believe

that James

means resist

all

sin.

I think there's

a spiritual battle

reality to what

he's saying here

but I don't think

he just means

that.

Again,

contextually,

I think he means

resist

all sin.

Whatever its source

might be,

whether it's the

temptation that the

devil brings

or our own

flesh,

we do battle

in the spiritual

realm and we

must be awakened

to this

reality.

If we are

submitted to God,

we must resist

the ways

of the devil.

We cannot

have two

masters.

We must

resist.

It takes

work.

And here

we find

a promise.

This is a

great promise.

Resist

the devil

and he will

flee from you.

Beloved,

sin has

no power

over you.

If you are

in Christ,

you have been

set free

from sin.

Romans

Romans 6 · chapter mention

chapter 6.

It does not

have power

and you

should stop

living as if

it does.

Some of you

are in Christ

and you just

grant power

back to sin.

It has no

power over

you.

This will take

activity on

your part.

You will have

to hold

on to Christ.

You will have

to love the

ways of God

to resist

the devil.

It takes

activity,

but it is

accompanied

by the grace

of God.

God will give

you the power.

If you're in

Christ,

God has

given to

you his

spirit and

he will

give you

the power

to resist

and have

the devil

flee from

you.

Think

practically.

Paul says

well in

1 Corinthians

10,

13,

no temptation

has overtaken

you that is

not common

to man.

And I think

what Paul

means to be

communicating

there is

don't think

that there

are some

others,

there are

some new

temptation

that no

one else

has experienced

in life

and yet

you have

now experienced

it and it

is too

powerful for

you to

resist.

It's common.

Same stuff.

We're all

dealing with

the same

temptation.

No temptation

has overtaken

you that is

not common

to man.

And I feel

the Greek

doesn't have

it, but I

almost feel

like there

should be

a but in

here.

But God

is faithful

and he will

not let you

be tempted

beyond your

ability.

But with the

temptation,

he will also

provide the

way of

escape that

you may

be able

to endure

it, to

resist the

devil.

So there

should be

in us that

kind of

compulsion, a

hatred of

sin.

If you are

in Christ,

you will not

love your

sin.

You will

still sin.

We are

not yet

entirely free

from our

flesh.

You will

still sin,

but you've

been set free

from the

power of it

and you

shouldn't

enjoy it.

When you

sin, you

should, here

I go again.

The same

thing, Lord

deliver me

from this

body of

death.

Second, we

are to draw

near to

God.

Another

command with

a wonderful

promise, and

this is a

most excellent

promise.

Did you see

that cup of

bay?

God's

God's

word.

I think

that James

means for

us to

understand

this

drawing

near in

practical

ways.

I don't

think this

is meant

to be

super

emotional.

I just

want to

draw.

We

write a

song about

it that

would sound

like a

love

song.

I think

he means

very

practically

study

God's

word

and

respond

in

prayer.

I think

this is

what he

means.

God has

written

for us

a book.

God has

condescended

to become

an author.

God

Almighty,

creator of

heaven and

earth.

We can't

even kind

of fathom

his

immensity,

his power.

We are

forever.

Get this,

if you're

in Christ,

you're going

to be with

God for

eternity

realizing

his

immensity

and his

power.

That's an

astounding

thing to

think about.

We are

going to

again and

again and

again and

again receive

new revelation

about the

greatness of

our God.

He wrote

a book

and we

neglect it.

It is a

precious book.

Every

single

word.

If you're

going to

resist,

if you're

going to

submit yourself

to God,

you're going

to do it

on his

terms.

Be careful

that you

don't have

a God

of your

own

making.

It is

incredible

to me

the number

of people

that profess

faith in

Jesus Christ

and then

in the

same breath

will say

something

about God

that is

flatly

untrue

and not

unclear

in the

Bible.

God has

spoken

to us.

We're

going to

draw near

to God

himself.

We're

going to

do it

in the

study of

his

word and

then in

response

to that

word.

Prayer does

not seek

to control

God,

but to

find us

in

submission

to him.

You ever

had a

conversation

with somebody

and you

can pretty

quickly get

that they

are not

listening

to you?

You do

not desire

to be in

any kind

of relationship

with you

at all.

An argument

especially where

they're just

not hearing

the clear

things that

you're saying

to them

and their

responses

make no

sense

whatsoever.

A lot of

us speak

to God

that way.

God's

like,

why would

you pray

that?

I've

already

told you.

I've

taught you

how to

pray.

You should

know the

things to

ask for.

You should

be directed

as you

come near

to me.

God speaks

to us by

his word

and we

respond

according

to his

word

in prayer.

Here

is another

one,

Spurgeon.

Prayer is

feeling that

God is

present and

the desire

of the

soul to

come near

to him

so as

to know

his influence,

to know

his love,

to feel

his power

and to be

conformed

to his

will.

If you

are in

Christ,

not with

perfection,

but you

should desire

to meet

with God

in his

word and

to respond

to him

in prayer.

And I

don't want

to pretend

for a

moment that

I don't

also struggle

with the

habits of

grace.

There are

days that

it's the

very thing

I ought

to do

and it's

the thing

that I

don't

do.

But in

ever-growing

ways,

I find

myself

loving

God's

word

more

and more

and more

as its

complexity

is open

to me,

as he

comes to

alive

to me

in the

text.

And more

and more

I recognize

that I

need to

submit

myself

to him

in prayer.

I need

him for

every

single

moment

of every

day.

It should

be a

growing

reality

in your

life

if you

are in

Christ.

We'll take

the next

two together

because they

really are

intricately

connected.

Number three,

cleanse your

hands.

And number

four,

purify your

hearts.

James tells

us that the

ones submitted

to God

will desire

to give

up sin.

Both sins

external,

cleanse your

hands,

and sins

internal

purify

your

hearts.

We should

want to

give up

sin.

A refusal

to do so

is inconsistent

with submission

to God.

You can't

be a

friend

of the

world

and a

friend of

God.

If you

are to

have God,

then you'll

have him

on his

terms.

James has

made this

point in

James chapter

four in

verse

four.

Here's a

people he's

writing to.

Perhaps this

morning,

somebody he's

writing to

were trying

to commit

themselves in

two places.

He says,

you adulterous

people.

My wife's

name is

Sam,

and I've

committed to

her as

my wife.

And I'm

not to be

committed to

any other

woman.

It's my

wife,

just Sam.

Otherwise,

I would be

an adulterer.

This is what

he's calling

a person

who tries

to live

in the

world,

have the

things of

the world,

and also

have God.

And here

James calls

this type

of behavior

double-minded.

Double-mindedness.

As if you

have two

brains in

your head,

which should

be an

impossibility.

It's not

the first

time he's

used this

phrase.

In chapter

one,

verse eight,

he says

that the

double-minded

person is

unstable in

all his

ways.

Your

devotion to

God and

his ways

should be

clear,

growing in

its

clarity.

And I

think here

that James

likely has

Psalm 119,

Psalms 119:113

verse 113

in mind.

If you're

unfamiliar with

Psalm 119,

it is all

about the

beauty,

the worth,

the value

of God's

word.

And here

the psalmist

says,

I hate

the double-minded,

but I

love

your law.

He

juxtaposes

that, right?

He's saying,

I'm not

double-minded

because I

love your

law.

I want to

submit myself

to your

law.

So,

cleanse your

hands and

purify your

hearts.

Fifth,

mourn

your sin.

He said,

be wretched

and mourn

and weep.

Let your

laughter be

turned to

mourning and

your joy

to gloom.

James here

is not

contradicting

all of the

Bible's

teaching about

joy.

You've

got to

place it

in its

context.

Those in

Christ have

great reason

for great

joy,

abiding,

unalterable

joy.

James is

speaking to

those who

profess faith

in Jesus

Christ,

and then

they sin

with

frivolity.

They're

licentious

in their

sinning.

They treat

lightly the

sacrifice of

Jesus Christ.

Cheap

grace.

They just

think they

can go

off and

do whatever

they want

to do,

and they

have a

great time

doing it.

They're like

the Israelites

in the days

of the

prophet

Jeremiah.

This is

Isaiah 6:13

chapter 6,

verse 13

and following.

For from

the least

to the

greatest

of them,

everyone

is greedy

for unjust

gain,

and from

prophet to

priest,

everyone

deals

falsely.

They have

healed the

wound of

my people

lightly,

saying,

peace,

peace,

when there

is no

peace.

Were they

ashamed when

they committed

abomination?

No,

they were not

at all ashamed.

They did not

know how to

blush.

Therefore,

they shall

fall among

those who

fall.

At the

time that

I punish

them,

they shall

be

overthrown,

says the

Lord.

We should

not sin

lightly.

All of

this effort

that James

is talking

about,

all of

these

submitting

explanatory

commands,

we will

not do

with

perfection,

but when

we fail

to do

them,

we should

mourn

our sin.

Jesus in

Matthew

Matthew 5 · chapter mention

chapter 5,

the Sermon

on the

Mount,

called the

Beatitudes,

he says,

blessed,

you could

insert there,

happy or

joyful,

are those

who

mourn,

for they

shall be

comforted.

We're

mourning,

we're mourning

over our

fallen condition,

even though

we've been

redeemed in

Christ,

longing for

that day

when he

will make

all things

new.

We'll put

off these

bodies of

death,

we'll be

given

resurrection

bodies,

when we

can sin

no more,

that will

be our

glorified

state.

I think

that as we

await that,

the Christian

should be

all at

once the

most sad

and the

most happy

of people,

all at the

same time.

Sad because

we know the

weight of our

own sin and

that of the

world,

happy because

we've been

delivered from

it,

and know that

one day

it'll all be

fixed.

Thomas Adams,

this is the

quotation on

your bulletin,

said,

we spend our

years with

sighing,

it is a

valley of

tears,

but death

is the

funeral of

all our

sorrows.

So we have

this comprehensive

command,

submit yourselves

therefore to

God,

and the five

explanatory

commands that

accompany it.

Second point

is a summary

command accompanied

by a promise,

and this is

brief, I promise,

so here we go.

Humble yourselves

before the

Lord, and

he will exalt

you.

If we are

submitted to

God, then the

posture of our

hearts will be

humility.

The emotional

position of

submission,

right, is

humility,

recognizing that

we are not

God, and

that he is,

that we get

our very being

and we need

everything from

him.

If we have

not come to

the end of

ourselves,

recognize that

we are nothing,

we have nothing,

and we can do

nothing apart

from God,

then we do

not deserve

his mercy

and grace,

which he

freely grants

to the

humble in

the personal

work of

Jesus Christ.

Psalm 51,

Psalms 51:17

verse 17,

the psalmist

write,

the sacrifices

of God

are a broken

spirit,

a broken

and contrite

heart,

O God,

you will

not despise.

and the

humble heart

is given

this glorious

promise,

and he

will

exalt you.

So in

closing,

you can

leave James,

turn with

me to

Matthew

Matthew 20 · chapter mention

chapter 20,

as I

command this

cup to

wet my

whistle.

I think

this little

picture in

the life of

Jesus and

the disciples

is very

helpful and

instructive as

Jesus teaches

as well in

it.

Humble

yourselves

before the

Lord and

he will

exalt you.

I'll begin

reading in

verse 17.

And as

Jesus was

going up to

Jerusalem,

he took

the twelve

disciples aside

and on the

way he

said to

them,

see,

we are

going up

to Jerusalem

and the

Son of

Man will

be delivered

over to

the chief

priests

and scribes

and they

will condemn

him to

death and

deliver him

over to

the Gentiles

to be mocked

and flogged

and crucified

and he

will be

raised on

the third

day.

Now,

they,

as they

hear this,

they're hearing

Son of Man

from the

book of

Daniel,

a forever

king,

a reigning

forever

king.

And they

had recognized

this is who

he was,

so then he

says,

but I'm

going to be

condemned

to death

and delivered

to the

Gentiles

and I'm

going to

be crucified

and of

course the

glorious

promise of

his

resurrection.

But they're

confused by

this.

What's that

going to

look like?

Wait a

second,

that seems

backwards

and upside

down.

So verse

20 says,

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,

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.

Now he's

talking about

the cup of

the wrath,

eternal wrath

of God.

And they

arrogantly say

we are

able.

He said

to them,

you will

drink my

cup.

And here

he's talking

now about

the suffering,

filling up

the afflictions

of Christ.

Christ,

but to

sit at

my right

hand and

at my

left is

not mine