Mark 10:38Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Do you recognize that they are unaware of what they are truly requesting when they engage with Him about thrones and accolades, leadership and glory, while the period of trials has not yet commenced? Thus, when He remarked to them, "You know not what you ask" (Matthew 20:22), He was referencing two key points. First, they were discussing a kingdom that held no significance for Christ, as His promise was not related to this temporal and worldly realm. Second, in their desire at such a moment to seek authority and the highest accolades, aiming to shine more brilliantly than others, they were doing so at an inopportune moment. This was not a time for crowns and distinctions; it was a moment for trials and challenges, for labor and perspiration, for struggles and conflicts.

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Consequently, the Lord admonishes them for their lack of understanding regarding their request: ‘You do not know,’ He states, ‘what you are asking. You believe that My kingdom is rooted in earthly pleasures, prompting your desire for a worldly position; this is far from the truth. The reality of My kingdom transcends human comprehension, and being seated at My right hand is a profound honor, surpassing even the status of angels. You envision greatness, yet I am inviting you to face suffering.

He was alluding to the chalice of humiliation and anguish.

The Lord presented all His forthcoming afflictions to His followers to reveal who would swiftly empathize with Him. He stated, “If we suffer with Him, we shall also be glorified with Him” (cf. Rom. 8:17). If He did not grant their requests due to a lack of authority, then why did He bestow it upon the twelve apostles? Did He truly give — or did He not? If He did not, then His promise would be false; however, if it is true, then He indeed bestowed it upon them once and for all. What would be the significance of what He declared: “All that my Father has is mine” (cf. Jn. 16:15), and “what I have, this is my Father's” (cf. Jn. 17:10)?

What is meant by the phrases: Are you able to partake of the cup that I partake of and to be immersed in the baptism in which I am immersed? How do the cup and baptism differ? The baptism of Christ symbolizes our willing effort of the inner disposition of the spirit toward the pursuit of righteousness; through this, we cleanse the impurities of our conscience and willingly embrace the death of our desires in relation to divine revelations. Conversely, the cup represents the voluntary trials that confront us for the sake of truth, arising from external circumstances beyond our control; through these challenges, along with the divine love woven into our essence, we willingly transcend the transient death inherent in our nature.

I thank You for gracing me with the privilege today to join the ranks of martyrs and to partake of the cup of Your Christ for the resurrection to eternal life of both soul and body in the incorruptibility of the Holy Spirit. Let me now be accepted in Your presence as a pleasing and honorable offering, as You, the unchangeable and true God, have prepared, proclaimed, and accomplished beforehand.

Those who do not undergo baptism cannot attain salvation, with the exception of martyrs, who, even without water, enter the kingdom of heaven. The Savior redeemed creation through the Cross and was pierced in His side, from which flowed blood and water. Thus, some were baptized with water during times of peace, while others were baptized with their own blood in periods of persecution. The Savior referred to martyrdom as a form of baptism, asking, ‘Can you drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?’ (Mk. 10:38).

How astutely He addressed their misguided belief! You assume, I mentioned, that My reign is fleeting and earthly, and that the thrones I referenced are merely of this world. Hence, you request for one to be seated at My right hand and the other at My left; yet, you do not understand what you are seeking. There are no worldly thrones in that realm, nor any seats of tangible matter; instead, the throne represents the eternal and unchanging Divine glory, and the foremost seat embodies the excellence of that Divine honor. You remain unaware of what you are asking. After stating this, He inquired of them, even though He, being All-Knowing, had no need to do so; rather, He sought to reveal their desires and, through their response, illustrate who was truly deserving of such grace and glory.

"You are unaware of what you are requesting," Jesus replied to them. He understood that these very disciples, who were eager to occupy positions of honor beside Him in His kingdom of glory, would abandon Him and disperse as soon as His moment of anguish arrived. This is why He inquired of them, "Are you able to drink from the cup of suffering that I am about to drink? Are you able to endure the baptism of blood with which I must be baptized?" In ancient times, it was common to offer a cup of poison to those sentenced to death, so the phrase "to drink the cup" signified experiencing a fate that resulted in death.

Christ approached their self-centeredness and misconceptions with gentleness. In their ignorance, they sought positions of honor, not realizing that mere days later, those places would be filled in humiliation and suffering by two condemned thieves. Their minds envisioned twelve thrones, while He forewarned them of three crosses. They fantasized about worldly crowns, yet He revealed to them the cup of sorrow and the baptism of suffering. Could they partake of this cup alongside Him or undergo this baptism? Perhaps now with a clearer understanding of His message, they boldly replied, “We can.” He then affirmed that they would indeed need to prove their commitment, but only those chosen by the Father in heaven would occupy the positions at His right and left sides.