The Illusion of Ambition:
the sin of philoproteuo
Robert Wurtz II
But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many (Matthew 20:25-28).
I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence among them, receives us not (3 John 1:9).
Ambition Loves to be First
Our text in 3 John 1:9 must have surfaced bad memories of John’s own attitude when he was a new believer. The English word preeminence is a Greek compound of philo (loves) and protos (first). Diptrephes loves first place. He didn’t like competition, especially from someone like John who was in reputation. He prated against John with malicious words (3 John 1:8). Ambition will breed malice against those who oppose it (Matthew Henry).
The mother of the Sons of Thunder, James and John, came to Jesus asking Him to seat her sons at His right and left hand on His throne. They thought in terms of an earthly kingdom in which Jesus would sit on the throne of David and desired positions of greatness that gave them power over others. It was a highly arrogant request that angered the other ten disciples (Mark 10:35-45). Mothers are typically proud of their sons and sometimes think more highly of them than they should. It brings to mind Bathsheba asking King David to make Solomon king over Israel.
Knowing the backlash that would follow, it’s likely the two boys encouraged their mother to ask, lest they appear ambitious. It takes great skill to aspire for power without appearing eager, but the disciples saw through their scheme. Their petition was not granted. They asked and did not receive, lest they consume it upon their own lusts (James 4:3). The others were no less guilty and argued among themselves who would be greatest (Luke 9:46).
Vain Ambition
There was pride at the bottom of the request, a proud conceit of their own merit, a proud contempt of their brethren, and a proud desire for honour and preferment; pride is a sin that most easily besets us, and is hard to get clear of. It is a holy ambition to strive to excel others in grace and holiness, but it is a sinful ambition to covet to exceed others in pomp and grandeur. Seekest thou great things for thyself, when thou hast just now heard of thy Master being mocked, and scourged, and crucified? For shame! Seek them not, Jeremiah 45:5 (Matthew Henry).
If no such hierarchy exists in the Kingdom of God, what can ambitious people do? Create one! Men frequently seek positions in structures and human-made kingdoms that God is dismantling. He is placing all things under His feet until only His Kingdom remains. God will burn all hay, wood, and stubble. It would take too long to list all the kingdoms and human-made organizations that have fallen while men chase ladders to climb within them. Yet, knowing this does not deter others from such vain pursuits. It illustrates the blindness of ambition and a burning lust for power.
The Backlash of Ambition
Nothing disquiets a group, stirs fear and anger, and destroys unity faster than ambition revealed. Here is an audacious mother with two power-hungry sons. It’s hard to imagine an attitude more destructive than this. How did they think the disciples would react? Did they care? Arrogance has no regard for the opposing opinions of others. It brings out the worst in everyone impacted by the arrogant deeds.
The fallen human desire for status and control is among the most carnal instincts that must be unlearned and renounced by those who would enter the kingdom of God. Jesus told the two brothers who wanted to sit on His throne, “You don’t understand what you are asking.” They were asking for their own idea of power and authority, not realizing that had Jesus been a king like they wanted to sit beside, He would have executed them for treason on the spot. How would Herod the Great have responded to such a request?
The Error of Ambition
One error was to think Jesus was like other kings. He is not. The kings James and John knew, such as Herod the Great, were murderously power-hungry and paranoid. He executed his wife and sons, viewing them as a threat to his power, and then murdered the baby boys in Bethlehem, trying to destroy baby Jesus. How would James and John ever sit beside such a man as this? He allowed no competition.
The disciples were getting one of their first lessons on kingdom leadership. Jesus states that the Gentiles LORD IT OVER the people, meaning they are control freaks, whereas the kingdom has leaders who serve like slaves. It is not a concept we give lip service to; it is a reality. If our actions and our words don’t match, it is futile to call ourselves “servants” or “slaves”. We mustn’t deceive ourselves into believing that it’s true merely because we say it.
Jesus discerned their controlling ways and told them in effect, “You will not Lord over the people like gentile kings when you are in my kingdom.” It didn’t sink in right away, so we get a taste of their Herod-like ways when they sought to call down fire on the Samaritans. Jesus rebuked the “kill the opposition” outlook, who said, “You don’t know what manner of spirit you are of.” It was a self-asserting Spirit. It’s what the Sons of Thunder would do, but not what Jesus would do.
Clueless Ambition Revealed
Consider these two things they didn’t know:
- What they were asking when they wanted to be next to the throne.
- What spirit they were of wanting to destroy opposition.
At this stage of their journey with Christ, the Sons of Thunder were clueless. Had they not been born again and received the Spirit in Acts 2:1f, they would have continued to embody a Gentile-like outlook. Why? Because it reflects the spirit of this age. Jesus confronted this spirit and mindset at every turn.
Matthew 20 presents a stark contrast to how earthly kingdoms and authority structures function, emphasized by the phrase, “It shall not be so among you.” This statement could apply to many of the earlier passages where the disciples’ outlook on ruling and lording over is painfully juxtaposed with the values of the kingdom of God.
Ambition Until the End
When Paul left Ephesus for the last time (Acts 20:28-31), he warned the Elders of ambitious people, even themselves! He reminded them of how he warned them day and night for three years with tears (Acts 20:31). Understand that ambitious men and women who operate in the Kingdom of God are nothing new. The enemy always seems to find somebody he can work with. That “somebody” is an ambitious, power-hungry person who loves controlling others.
About sixty years after Jesus corrected the error of James and John, the Sons of Thunder, John himself confronted a carnally minded Diotrephes in 3 John, who sought preeminence among God’s people. I wonder if John recognized a younger version of himself and knew precisely how to address the situation. Regardless, we see this struggle at both the beginning and the end of the New Testament revelation. As John wrote the final words, the same desire for control and power continued to plague God’s people, challenging the principles of the true kingdom of God. As long as there is pride and ambition, we will weep with Paul at the destruction it causes God’s people.
Additional Articles:
https://realrevival.blogspot.com/2025/12/the-spirit-of-herod.html
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