Climb the Ladder or Ascend the Hill
June 16, 2019 | Mike Stancak
Passage: Matthew 20:17-34
Jesus continues to unpack his ideas of status, but significantly, he does it at the foot of Mount Zion, moments before making his ascent into the city where he will give his life for the life of the world. Today’s passage questions our ideas of glory and ambition and challenges us to reconsider what it is we are truly striving for. In the Kingdom, we will find that the path the glory is also the path of servitude. Join us Sunday as we consider the core reality of the Upside-Down Kingdom.
Discussion Questions:
- What was surprising about Jesus’ words in this passage? What impressions were you left with?
- What do you think is most challenging about Jesus’ ideas of glory? What makes it unattractive in our context?
- Alternatively, what makes it attractive?
- What keeps you from service? What makes it hard to ask for service from your brothers and sisters in Christ?
- Pray together that you would follow Christ in the way of the Cross, the way of service. But as you begin, spend some time praising Jesus for being the one who walked the path before us and walked it perfectly for our sake.
Series Information
Matthew 12:22 - 20
In the next installment in our Matthew series as we see conflict heating up around Jesus. As his ministry continues, it becomes clear that the values of the Kingdom clash with the arrogance, pride, and apathy of his day, and people start to polarize around him. I'm sure the same will be true of us. At every step we'll find that Jesus' grace is sufficient for the journey, as we learn the way of the Upside-Down Kingdom.