Greatness in Humility

«Jesus going up to Jerusalem took the twelve disciples apart in the way, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him; and the third day he shall rise again.»

He spoke these words to his disciples as he was taking his last journey toward Jerusalem. Luke speaks of this conversation, and gives it in more detail. He says: «Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished. For he shall be delivered unto the gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on; and they shall scourge him, and put him to death; and the third day he shall rise again. And they understood none of these things; and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken.»

The disciples of Christ could not believe that Christ should be treated with such contempt, that men should scourge him, and put him to death. They expected that he would set up a temporal kingdom, that he would sit upon David’s throne, and reign as a temporal prince in Jerusalem, bringing all nations into subjection to his will. Altho Christ plainly told them what would be his fate, they were not prepared to change their ideas. They were unwilling to believe the disagreeable truths that he opened to them, were unwilling to give up the thought that Christ would be a conqueror. They would not harbor the idea that he would be rejected and treated as a slave by his enemies. Not believing the words of Christ, they did not comprehend the words of the prophets, and thought them out of harmony with the words of Christ. We marvel that they could not comprehend these things; for as we stand this side of the cross, we see clearly how the predictions of prophets were fulfilled to the letter. Because they did not believe the words that Christ spoke to them (and he always spoke truth and never deceived them), they were unprepared for the trying scenes through which they were called to pass.

Jesus plainly revealed to them the fact that he was to be rejected and crucified, and yet, clinging to their idea of a temporal kingdom, the mother of Zebedee’s children, with her sons, came to him, «worshiping him, and desiring a certain thing of him. And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left, in thy kingdom.» Had they comprehended the statement which Christ had made to them concerning his death, their hearts would have been too deeply moved to make such a request. «But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able. Then he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with; but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father.»

They were to be partakers with Christ in his sufferings. All who follow Christ will deny self, will share in his humiliation, will suffer affliction and persecution, and be hated of all men for his name’s sake. James was killed with a sword by Herod, and John’s life would have been extinguished if God had not kept his light burning to be a faithful witness of his personal knowledge of Jesus Christ. But if the words of Christ had been rightly comprehended, they would have understood what he meant when he said that to sit on his right hand and on his left was not his to give, but would be given to those for whom it is prepared by his Father. Those who would be thus distinguished in the kingdom of God, would be prepared for these places by manifesting the love of Christ, by giving to the world in their own character a representation of his character. «For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance; but from him that hath not shall be taken away, even that which he hath.» He that employs his God-given abilities in improving the opportunities sent to him, will have light proportionate to his faithfulness, and because he hath, he shall have more abundantly. But if the capabilities that God has intrusted to men are not used, their abilities will diminish, and because they are slothful servants, and do not make an application of their talents to the service of God, they will become less and less qualified to do his work. Their light will diminish, and they will cultivate the powers by which they scatter away from Christ. They will lose all that is good, and be unfitted to take a place in the courts of heaven. Because they have failed to improve their privileges, they will lose soul, body, and spirit. Their loss will be the natural result of their course of action; for he who works against God can have no place in his kingdom.

The request that was made for the exaltation of John and James in the kingdom of Christ, will be granted, if they so improved their talents in the service of God as to fit them for that place. But John and James were on test and trial, and if they proved true, if they held fast the faith once delivered to the saints, they would have the position that the Father had prepared for them, and the position would be according to their unselfish fidelity in using the talents God had intrusted to them in the service of Christ. Each one of us will be dealt with according to the same rule. Shall we not all take the lesson to heart? The way in which we use the Lord’s intrusted talents will make a decided difference as to what shall be our future, eternal reward. Those who feel under obligation to God to improve every talent he has lent them to his glory, will be rewarded in proportion to their faithful zeal in his service. Those who misapply the precious talents God has given, who, instead of using them for God’s glory, make them serve selfish purposes, will be rewarded as was the man in the parable who went and hid his Lord’s money in the earth. Those who are careless, indolent, selfish, who think more of their own exaltation than they do of the honor of God, will not be found keeping the first four and the last six commandments, and can not be rewarded as those will be rewarded who have manifested pure devotion in the service of God. The record of our lives is accurately kept by the recording angel, and we shall each be rewarded according as our works have been. There will be many who will be greatly surprised in the last day. Jesus says, «Many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven; but the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.» —