How Gratitude Transforms Our Understanding of Jesus’ Teaching
Gospel Reading
Matthew 20:20-28
NRSV
“Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her sons, and kneeling before him, she asked a favour of him. And he 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.’ 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, ‘You will indeed drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left, this is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.’ When the ten heard it, they were angry with the two brothers. But Jesus called them to him and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. It will not be so among you; but whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be your slave; just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.’”
When we sit with the Gospel reading from Matthew 20:20–28, something subtle but powerful begins to unfold. The mother of James and John approaches Jesus with a request that seems familiar to every parent: she wants the best for her children. Yet Jesus gently redirects her vision—and ours—toward a different understanding of greatness.
As I reflect on this passage, I notice how deeply it challenges the way I observe life. When I approach life from a stance of gratitude, everything shifts. Gratitude is not simply an emotion; it is a way of seeing. It acknowledges all things—living and deceased—as part of a sacred wholeness. It turns the heart toward reverence, dissolving the ego’s need to elevate itself above others. In this stance, respect for all people and living creatures becomes natural, not forced.
This may seem distant from the scripture at first glance, yet it is precisely what helps us understand Jesus’ words. Jesus never approached life from the stance of importance or hierarchy. His leadership was not about status, achievement, or authority. It was about equality, humility, and love. Gratitude helps us see this clearly. When I affirm, “I thank God for this moment in its perfection,” I am not claiming the moment is flawless. I am recognising it as worthy of honour. I am loving life as it is, respecting others as they are, and refusing to place myself above anyone.
This is the heart of Jesus’ teaching. He never elevated Himself above His Father in Heaven, nor did He elevate one disciple above another. Leadership in His community was never assigned through rank—it emerged naturally through service, courage, and devotion. Peter became a leader not because Jesus appointed him to a position of importance, but because his lived attitude revealed a heart ready to serve his companions.
Gratitude reveals this truth. It dissolves the illusion of superiority and opens us to the equality Jesus lived. It helps us understand Scripture not as a set of hierarchical instructions, but as an invitation into a way of being—one grounded in humility, compassion, and shared dignity.
When we read the Gospel through the lens of gratitude, Jesus’ message becomes clear:
Greatness is not about rising above others.
Greatness is about being present with others.
Greatness is love expressed through service.
This is the leadership Jesus modelled. This is the leadership that naturally emerged among His disciples. And this is the leadership we are invited to embody—one moment of gratitude at a time.