The greatest in the kingdom of God is God. There is never any question who is greatest. Jesus exalts himself by speaking how He will die and rise again, talking of the suffering of his death and resurrection. Only to have John and James if they could sit beside Jesus when he came into his kingdom. What was James and John really asking. It is about the power of the kingdom, the leadership and the ruling power of a nation and the world.

A New President will be elected in the United States in November. People are already seeking candidates for these positions and in secret discussions are made who will be in power beside the new president. The term of office set for four years and the controlling party will be exalting themselves into power.

This talk of a new kingdom is much like the reign of power of our presidency. What James and John was asking was power and authority. Yet what Jesus is tells his disciples was those that want to be greatest in ruling over the gentiles would also have to be humble as servants and willing to serve. King David was a warrior but he was also a gentle soul who cared for the people even taking in the cripple son of King Saul. By all authority David was to kill all of Sauls national born successors to protect his right to the kingdom. This type of power and control happened in certain types of legal rule for centuries. Yet in America the ruling parties are suppose to walk away only to fight another day who will lead our nation. We are not in the time of Rome but the time of America and freedom. Where people agree to disagree about leadership and work together for the common good of the people.

What is good for the people is to lay one life down and serve them. That is what our leaders if they are any good must do. They must be willing to give up sometimes the time with their families to take care of the nation. David as war leader did not demonstrate the same type of leadership as his soldier Uriah when He stole his beautiful wife Bathesheba. God would punish David for it by ripping out his Kingdom by his Son for a short period and then giving the kingdom back to David. David authority in question because of the sacrifice of a soldier life for his own pleasure when the Uriah wife became pregnant with his child. King David had a lordship problem that God was correcting. He stole from a man that served him.

To be in the palace of God and to sit with Him in His kingdom one has to be willing to serve and not to take from the people or to rob them. Our nation is more a nation of thieves when the idea of killing for population is discussed and not for the protection of our people but to slaughter because of over population. How to kill without killing. How to eliminate with plan parenting and abortion. How to lie and have people killed because of a medical issue that can be life threatening if untreated. No long a servant but killers.

God’s way of dealing with population problems is to take out the wicked. He has done it for years. Yet to allow His innocent Son to die for Sins of the world was to bring the Gentiles into His kingdom. Jesus talks about being Lord over the Gentiles a language the Jews would of understood about power. Yet did He mean it. He meant it in the realm of spirituality and not kingdom necessarily of authority and rule in the world. After all is not the lion suppose to lay down with the Lamb. Is not America a land such as this. The ruling forces of our political world both America and around the world show the swing of our nation for other powers to rule. Princess Diana displayed in the news as an upcoming leader to sit on the throne with Prince Charles in the eighties as a kind, generous and thoughtful leader. Her life cut short after her divorce and marriage to be to another. Diana knew what was to be humble.

The humbleness of our leaders has always been what has made them great with their ability to lead with superstar power. Jesus is thought to be talking about revolution, but what he really talking about is power comes not with force but humility. To be great in a crowd is to be willing to do for others. If you refuse to help others you never a good leader.

Could James and John follow in Christ footsteps of humility. Jesus came serving the people through miracles and caring for the people teaching them how to live. James and John would be beheaded for there faith. They would live a sacrificial life for the sake of the cross of Jesus and carry their own to their death by being beheaded by the soldiers that took them to prison.

Are we willing to die for our faith to teach humility or only to seek power for our own pleasure. Two leaders running in this election. Are they humble and serve the people or only want what they will get out of the political world to justify themselves. Time will tell then the election is over if the electoral college chose well. Did the people pick the electoral college well.

James and John had no clue what they asked of Jesus for it was not his place to put them beside Jesus. God was the only one that could give them a seat beside Jesus in the kingdom.

Dear Heavenly Father help us to serve as Christ did, with love and compassion for people. To be humble people and caretakers of your sheep. In Jesus precious name, Amen.