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What Are The Most
Important
Leadership Qualities?
Parkhurst Bible Lesson
Matthew 20:17-28
Sunday, September 28, 2008
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With Questions
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With Questions Printable PDF
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Simple audio podcast version also available here!
International
Sunday School Lesson
Sunday September 28, 2008
Matthew 20:17-28
“And Jesus said to her, ‘What do
you want?’ She said to him, ‘Declare that these two sons of mine
will sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your
kingdom’”
(Matthew 20:21—NRSV).
“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 the left, in thy kingdom” (Matthew 20:21—KJV).
James and John, the sons of Zebedee, went with their mother to
ask Jesus for special privileges, honors that would place them above
the other disciples. Knowing God sent Jesus to reign as Messiah,
they sought the power, privilege, authority, and wealth that would
be theirs if they ruled by His side. Perhaps they felt they were the
most deserving, since they had accompanied Peter and Jesus when
Jesus met Moses and Elijah on the mount of transfiguration (Matthew
17:1-13).
Interestingly, after Jesus’ death and resurrection, His disciples
never sought a superior place above others again. John saw Jesus
crucified, with thieves hanging on crosses at Jesus’ right and left
hands. He saw first hand the cup of suffering that Jesus had come
into the world to drink; furthermore, he remembered that cups of
suffering awaited both James and himself. Indeed, the New Testament
records that King Herod killed James with the sword, the only
disciple whose death the Bible records, a fulfillment of Jesus’
prophecy (Acts 12:1-2). John wrote a gospel and letters, and while
suffering exile on Patmos he wrote “The Book of Revelation.”
According to tradition, though some tried to kill him, John alone of
all the apostles died a natural death.
After Jesus’ resurrection, He filled His followers with the promised
Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit so transformed them that they became
loving servants of Jesus Christ and others. The first among them
became as slaves, sought to serve others, and freely gave their
lives in the service of their Master.
© Copyright 2008 by L.G.
Parkhurst, Jr.
You may be reprint or reproduce this Parkhurst Bible
Lesson for not-for-profit use.
Questions
for Further Thought
or Class Discussion
International
Sunday School Lesson
Sunday September 28, 2008
Matthew 20:17-28
Printable PDF
With Questions
Bulletin Size
With Questions Printable PDF
Bulletin Size Without Questions Printable PDF
Think
about your answers to the questions below before your Sunday school
class meets, discuss in class, or use for further study. In some
cases, I do not always write the questions to have a definitive
right or wrong answer. In most cases, the questions should encourage
everyone to think about how to apply biblical truths to their daily
lives. Before beginning to answer the questions below, read the
entire Scripture lesson in your favorite translation or compare
translations. Write your thoughts in the space provided and take
them to your Sunday school class for discussion.
1. What qualities do you look for in a leader? Why are
these qualities important to you?
2. Name 3 or 4 incidents from Jesus’ ministry that
illustrate the leadership qualities that you believe are
most important. Are there any leadership qualities that
you admire that Jesus did not exhibit? Why or why not?
3. Why do you think James and John enlisted their mother
to go to Jesus with them in order to ask Him to give her
sons important positions of leadership? What might this
tell us about Jesus’ relationship with women and the
women related to His disciples?
4. Do you think most leaders today make sacrifices on
behalf of their employees or followers? How might greed
and lust for power have an effect on a leader and his
employees or followers?
5. In what ways does Jesus turn upside down the kind of
life and leadership we associate with some of the
leaders in business, church, and government? How can
Jesus’ example and teachings, and that of His disciples,
make a difference in leaders today?
For more Questions on the Gospel According to Luke, go
to:
Easy Bible Lessons.
More
Uniform Bible Lessons are available at
InternationalBibleLessons.com
Listen to the Bible Lesson or Bible Podcast at
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Contact
the writer by sending an e-mail to
lgp@InternationalBibleLessons.com
Available in the "Religion Section" of
The Oklahoman
newspaper every Saturday, please do not
remove the copyright notice or publish these lessons for profit if you
reprint them. To download these Bible Studies as an audio file or podcast to listen to, go to
ParkhurstBibleLessons.com.
For newspapers,
reprints, or other for profit use, contact:
L.G. Parkhurst, Jr. -
lgp@InternationalBibleLessons.com.
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