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As Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him. Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, "LORD, Son of David, have mercy on us!" The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder, "LORD, Son of David, have mercy on us!" Jesus stopped and called them. "What do you want me to do for you?" he asked. "LORD," they answered, "we want our sight." Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him. Matthew 20:29-34

Sometimes I become so obsessed with what others have I start to feel I am being unjustly treated and that God is unfair. I complain and become negative. I don't see God as merciful but rather as cruel and mean - having favourites. These two men were totally different, they were happy to be alive and trusted that God would hear their plea for mercy. Even I am moved to compassion for those who ask rather than demand help. Are you grateful for what you DO have? I believe God does have favourites - those who are thankful. The picture is of the Blind Boys of Alabama - an excellent band!

When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers. Jesus called them together and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave-- just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." Matthew 20:24-28

I often find myself taking on a task out of love, and soon after I begin I start hoping that someone will give me credit or recognition. Indignant - why? Because their mother thought that she could somehow get special honour for her sons by begging Jesus for it. Jesus points out here that anyone who gets special honour will get it because they have been a servant to others, not because they have a special birthright or connections and certainly not if they are doing what they do for honour. Jesus will get the highest honour - he does what he does out of love.

How did you come to be in your current church?
Friend/s invited me I walked past I searched the internet I was looking for love I needed help of some sort Somebody recommended it I heard about it through radio/tv discussion Through my mailbox I saw an advert

 Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him. "What is it you want?" he asked. She said, "Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom." "You don't know what you are asking," Jesus said to them. "Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?" "We can," they answered. Jesus said to them, "You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father."

A young person is quite confident, none more than the 'sons of thunder' because this was the nickname given to these two men. Their mother thought that her begging would get them to sit on the right and left of Jesus in his Kingdom. Living more than 2000 years later we have history to tell us what happend to Jesus, but if you were there, now, and didn't know the rest of the story, do you think you'd view Jesus' way of victory differently - perhaps a coup? James and John were definitley going to take part in Jesus plan 'drink my cup' but are the places of honour something you could plead for, and will they be given to those who use force?

Now as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside and said to them,  "We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!" Matthew 20:17-19

'Jerusalem' - The name means City Of Peace, but what peace is there? What would it be like to be aware that you are about to be put to death? An immense amount of pain awaits Jesus, pain that will be administered by his own beloved children. What peace could there be in a place that contains the death of God. The name is eiether wrong, or it is a name that relates to the last phrase - on the third day he will be raised to life. How does Jesus know what his future holds? First the Jews will condemn him, but afraid of actually carrying out the deed of spilling blood, they will hand him over to the gentiles to put him to death. Betrayer is perhaps worse than murderer.