URC Daily Devotion 13 February 2026
Friday, 13 February 2026
St Matthew 20: 20-28
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.”
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.”
Reflection
In this well-known episode, we are shown the opposition of God’s kingdom with what the disciples, and we ourselves, understand by kingdom.
James and John (and their mother), think that Jesus, coming as a King, the promised Messiah, will be providing positions of power and influence when that Kingdom comes. The other disciples are probably annoyed that James and John got in first asking for those positions of influence.
Jesus is clear – God’s kingdom is nothing like this. It is in fact the complete opposite to how rulers exercise power the world over, not just in Jesus’ time but in today’s world also.
Servants and slaves were the lowest of the low in Jesus’ society. To God, though, status means nothing since greatness is measured in service.
God has humbled Godself in Jesus, a human who will very soon be both acclaimed as a king by the crowds and executed as a criminal, dying a slave’s death. In this death, Jesus indeed paid the ransom for all of humanity at once.
We treasure Jesus’ words here. They have provided inspiration for some of our favourite hymns as well as the model for acts of individual love by Christians throughout the history of the faith.
Being a servant leader is so difficult to do. Being a servant church today is what we need to be, present in the communities which have so little where people feel left behind and unvalued.
Embodying the opposite of our culture is not easy or popular. Jesus asks us to forget popularity, status and reward and to be a servant people both individually and as a community of faith, showing those who have nothing that they are loved and valued by God.
Prayer
Jesus, our servant God,
teach us to be servants in the everyday.
Bring us closer to you as we walk alongside all who are unvalued;
we confess that the Church has often been part of the power structures of society
rather than taking a servant’s place with the poorest.
Help us today to show in deeds as well as words
that your kingdom is shown in love and care for the lowest.
Amen