Matthew 20:17–19
The Bible4Jesus.com Podcast
About this episode
We live in a world that is allergic to unpleasantness. Our entire culture is geared toward the avoidance of pain, the postponement of difficulty, and the denial of death. We want the resurrection without the inconvenience of a crucifixion. We want a gospel of glory, but not a gospel of suffering. It is the religion of self-preservation, self-esteem, and self-fulfillment. It is the theology of glory, and it is a damnable lie. The Lord Jesus Christ, in His earthly ministry, was constantly at war with this kind of thinking, not only among the Pharisees but especially among His own disciples. They were looking for a political Messiah who would overthrow Rome and set up an earthly kingdom where they would all get cabinet positions. They were jockeying for position, arguing about who would be the greatest, and dreaming of thrones and glory.