Do You Really Wanna Know?

“Command that in Your kingdom these two sons of mine may sit one on Your right and one on Your left.” But Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?” They said to Him, “We are able.” He said to them, “My cup you shall drink…” Matthew 20:21-23

In the jungles of Africa, a hunter walked down a path followed by a child. The hunter suddenly stopped. The child also stopped. In the closeness of the jungle sight is not very useful, so the hunter listened intently and sniffed the air. After a moment, he indicated in sign that the child was to walk on ahead. So the child moved on. Suddenly, there was a grunting noise from the bush to the left of the path. Then in an explosion of movement, a huge wild boar came charging through the foliage, crashing through everything like an unstoppable locomotive. The child was frozen in his terror and could not move. Then, in an oddly clumsy manner, the pig seemed to trip over his own feet and landed in a heap right at the child’s feet. There was an arrow sticking out of the boar’s spine.

The child’s legs were shaking so badly with fright that he collapsed where he stood. He began crying and laughing simultaneously. Then he became angry because he realized that he had been used as bait! The hunter calmly explained that he had known exactly where the wild boar was and simply needed to draw it out into a clear line of fire.

It is a normal, human thing for a mother to ask for good things for her sons. But Jesus had just said that He was going to be captured, mocked, scourged and crucified. When He asked them if they could follow Him down this path, the men glibly answered “Yes”. Jesus probably smiled sadly as He prophesied their future torture.

We all seek God’s will from time to time–this is not necessarily a bad thing. But sometimes we want to know more than we need. We want to know the “big picture”. We want to know what is our great mission in life. But do you really want to know? What if there are some very scary things ahead? What if you are to be used as a martyr? What if, like the prophet Jeremiah, you are called to address a people who will not listen, to a work that (from the human point of view at least) is useless?

Jesus tells us, “Do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Simply ask “Give us this day our daily bread and deliver us from evil.” Obey the will of God that you already know and trust Him to get you through whatever may lie ahead.