But he said to them: What would you that I should do for you?
ο δε ειπεν αυτοις τι θελετε ποιησαι με υμιν
8 Church Fathers comment on this verse
What was their request? They perceived Christ's journey to Jerusalem, which He had shared with His disciples, as a path to claim His glorious kingdom, believing that upon His enthronement, He would experience the afflictions He had predicted. With this understanding, they sought to be positioned at His right and left.
After witnessing Moses and Elijah alongside the Lord, James and John were consumed by a fervent desire, expressing, "Grant us the privilege to sit... one on Your right and the other on Your left," resembling the figures they had seen on the mountaintop. They urged, "We wish that You would fulfill our request." In response, He said, "I will do to you" (cf. Mk. 10:35-36), although He did not comply. His reply was not due to ignorance of their request, but rather a recognition that they would have remained silent had He not offered, "I will do to you" (cf. Mk. 10:36). This was spoken to facilitate the continuation of their plea. Once they and others had articulated their desires, He began to address everyone collectively.
The Lord, speaking openly in front of all His disciples, perceived their discontent and ultimately denied their requests, aware that granting them might incite conflict among them. He understood it was unwise to fulfill their desires, as He had already addressed all their needs. If He had been unfaithful in His initial promises, how could He be trusted in later ones? However, because He was indeed faithful, His gifts were assured. He granted Simon what he sought, as Simon had requested on behalf of all, saying, "What shall we have?" (Matthew 19:27), and not merely for himself. Had Simon intended only for his own benefit, the Lord would have denied him too. Instead, Simon's collective wish benefited everyone and brought joy rather than resentment. Furthermore, the Lord withheld from James and John because it was not in their best interest at that moment. Their understanding differed from the truths spoken by the Lord; they sought something he had not promised. For He prophesied, "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and they will take Him and lead Him to the cross" (cf. Matt. 20:18). Yet, having turned away from the love that could have united them in shared suffering and death with Him, they began to seek out their own glory, requesting, "Let us sit on Your right and left..." instead.
To illustrate that the discussion surrounding the cross had become misconstrued, two disciples, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, exhibited signs of a naive devotion. The Lord notably set them apart from the other disciples, affording them a unique level of trust and closeness; only Peter shared a similar distinction. This prophecy, although likely misinterpreted, stirred within the young disciples the expectation that the Master would uniquely acknowledge them amidst others when it came to the bestowal of rewards and blessings, even after His anticipated exaltation as the ruler of the Jews. Their mother Salome, who was accompanying them to Jerusalem for the feast, nurtured and perhaps amplified such aspirations.
Believing that her appeal (Salome was familiar to the Lord) might be fruitful, and seeking reassurance from Jesus about the future honor for her sons, she resolved to engage in a private dialogue with Him. Approaching the Lord with her children, she did so with humility and camaraderie, expressing her wish to ask Him for something that, while minor from His perspective, was greatly significant and delightful to her family (Matthew 20:20). “What do you wish?” the Lord inquired. “I ask for nothing more,” she replied, “than to commend my sons to Your grace. You are soon to ascend to the throne of David; therefore, in Your love for them, I ask that one may sit at Your right hand and the other at Your left.” Essentially, Salome desired for her children to occupy the highest positions right after the Messiah in His kingdom, garnering honor not only before all others but also among His closest followers. The two brothers indicated through their demeanor that their mother's ambitions mirrored their own aspirations.
Why does the Evangelist Matthew recount that the mother of the sons of Zebedee approached Jesus with her children, worshipping Him and requesting that He designate her sons for special positions (Matthew 20:20), while Mark does not mention her at all? It is evident from Matthew’s account that it was both the mother and her sons who sought out the Lord. Moreover, not only did they pose the question, “Can I drink the cup that I drink?” (Mark 10:38), but Jesus’ response was directed towards the sons rather than their mother, a detail affirmed by Matthew. Despite the mother being the one who spoke, she conveyed her sons' intentions after discussing it with them.
Mark, appreciating brevity, chose to exclude the mention of the mother while highlighting the sons who approached Jesus and inquired of Him, fully aware that He, being all-knowing, understood their request. Their decision to come with their mother reflected their hesitation to ask directly and a belief that her advocacy would be more compelling to the God-Man. Why did these two apostles plead with Jesus for positions of honor? Hearing Him discuss His kingdom and proclaiming that the apostles would occupy thrones, they mistakenly perceived this kingdom as a worldly reign. Furthermore, witnessing Him enter Jerusalem and speak about His impending suffering, they assumed He would soon establish His throne before enduring hardship. This led them to seek a place of prominence, desiring to sit one at His right and the other at His left. How did the God-Man respond to their request?
Both Matthew and Mark recount the request made by the sons of Zebedee, highlighting that the apostles grasped very little of the Lord’s teachings concerning His death and resurrection. According to Mark, the sons of Zebedee themselves initiated this request, whereas Matthew attributes it to their mother. The distinction lies in the fact that Mark focuses solely on the main issue, while Matthew emphasizes the additional detail that it was their mother who interceded on their behalf through the sons. Nevertheless, this appeal ultimately originated from James and John, and in responding, the Lord specifically addresses them, as noted by Matthew.
At that moment, James and John appeared to have a different perspective than the other apostles regarding the Lord's journey to Jerusalem. They recalled the Lord's recent assurance to the twelve that they would have a place on twelve thrones in the kingdom of Christ—an assurance they interpreted in a purely external and earthly manner, believing the Messiah's kingdom to be a physical realm. They likely anticipated that the Lord intended to establish His kingdom in Jerusalem and were completely oblivious to His foretelling of His impending death. In their request, they sought the Lord’s favor, asking Him to place them at His side on the foremost of the twelve thrones reserved for the apostles, reflecting their misunderstanding of His true mission.
The appeal made by Salome and her sons reflects their misunderstanding, yet they maintained hope for the imminent arrival of their Master's kingdom and glory. As they envisioned this exalted realm, it is clear they believed that as Jesus' closest collaborators, they would hold significant positions within it. Amid these aspirations, Salome, the mother of the apostles James and John, approached Jesus, who was walking ahead, and humbly requested something from Him. According to Matthew's account, Salome, with her sons by her side, presented her request to Jesus; whereas Mark’s narrative shows that the apostles James and John themselves made the appeal.
This seeming inconsistency in the Evangelists' accounts can be easily reconciled by understanding that Salome initiated the request, followed by her sons, who then reiterated it to Jesus, indicating their mother's actions were in unity with their desires. Alongside Peter, James and John were selected by Jesus from among the twelve apostles to witness both His transfiguration and the resurrection of Jairus' daughter. This choice set them apart from the others and led them to believe they would attain the most esteemed positions in the Messiah's kingdom, where they envisioned themselves as first in His glory. Influenced by these convictions, they sought to be elevated above the rest in the splendor of His kingdom.
Christ inquired about their request, and the mother, representing her passionate and aspiring sons, petitioned that in His kingdom, one might sit at His right hand and the other at His left.
The episode involving the sons of Zebedee, James and John, demonstrated that the Lord's discourse concerning the cross was beyond the understanding of His disciples. They, known as the sons of thunder (Mark 3:17), were notable among the apostles, along with Peter, due to the special trust placed in them by the Master (Matthew 17:1; 26:37). However, they displayed signs of ambition that were not surprising given the situation. While Jesus, the incarnate God, was focused on the impending trials awaiting Him in Jerusalem, Salome, the mother of James and John (Matthew 27:56; Mark 15:40; 16:1), seized the opportunity to approach Him with deep reverence.
The apostles believed that their mother's intervention could reinforce their request, as she had previously shown genuine loyalty to Him, accompanying and serving Him alongside others during His ministry in Galilee (Mark 15:40, 41). By sending her to Him, as noted by Blessed Theophylact, they aimed to evade embarrassment and mask their intentions before the other disciples.
When Jesus perceived that Salome had a request, He inquired, “What do you want?” She replied with maternal concern, “Grant that one of my sons may sit at Your right hand and the other at Your left in Your kingdom.” These positions were regarded as the most prestigious, indicative of special proximity to the ruler as well as authority and power (1 Sam. 20:25; 2 Sam. 2:19). Subsequently, James and John ventured closer to the Lord, saying, “Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask.” Although the Lord was aware of their true intentions, He engaged them in conversation, following the wisdom of St. John Chrysostom, to expose their needs before offering guidance: “What do you want me to do for you?” They reiterated their mother’s plea: “Allow us to sit, one at Your right and the other at Your left, in Your glory.”
What a stark contradiction! St. Philaret of Moscow reflected, while the Lord was on His way to face the humiliation of death, they aspired to secure the highest honors in His kingdom. With the time for His great sacrifice imminent, their request for glory seemed out of place. They ought to have sought faith, not positions of honor, so they would not abandon their Lord amid His betrayal. Instead, they proposed a demand for closeness to Him at what would soon be a moment of desertion. This pursuit of elevation, seemingly inappropriate given the gravity of the moment, revealed a lack of self-awareness regarding their own spiritual condition and readiness.
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 9 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS