Matthew 20:21Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

He asks them, “Can you drink from the cup that I am going to drink?” Yet, one should not be disheartened by the apostles' shortcomings, for they had not yet experienced the completion of the cross, nor had they received the grace of the Holy Spirit. To truly gauge their virtue, observe their later lives, where they transcended their passions. The Lord reveals their flaws to highlight the greatness they achieved through grace. Thus, it’s clear their request lacked spiritual insight and a comprehension of the higher realm.

Now, let’s consider their approach and their words. They said, “Grant us whatever we ask of You” (Mark 10:35). In response to this, Christ inquires, “What do you want Me to do for you?” - not out of ignorance, but to encourage them to articulate their desires, to expose their wounds, and subsequently provide the necessary healing. Ashamed and hesitant, driven by human ambition, they drew Him aside from the other disciples to present their request. The evangelist notes that they specifically distanced themselves to avoid being seen, then articulated their aspiration. I believe their intention was to claim the foremost places, for Christ had promised them, “You will sit on twelve thrones” (Matthew 19:28). They recognized their perceived superiority over the others, harboring only a fear of Peter, which is why they implored Him specifically, stating, “Grant us to sit, one at Your right and one at Your left” (Mark 10:37), emphasizing their plea with “Grant us.” What was His reply? He highlighted that their request lacked spiritual understanding, stating, “You do not know what you are asking” (Mark 10:38), meaning they were unaware of the enormity, glory, and the unattainable nature of what they sought. He then continued, “Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” (v. 38). He swiftly redirects their focus, stating that while they dwell on honor and rewards, He speaks of the challenges and sacrifices ahead. The time for rewards has not yet come; this is a period of suffering, struggle, and danger. Notice how, through His question, He both encourages and draws them in. He did not ask if they could face death or shed blood, but rather if they could “drink from the cup.” He further motivates them by saying, “You will indeed drink from the cup that I drink” to foster a deeper yearning within them, also using the term baptism, signifying that the events to follow would usher in a profound renewal for all.

Moreover, influenced by the inherent eagerness often seen in women, she focused on immediate glory while overlooking the eternal perspective.

The Lord's inquiry, "What do you want?" was not asked out of ignorance; it was directed instead toward the One who was to face scourging and crucifixion. This mirrors similar questions posed in Scripture, such as when He asked the woman with the issue of blood, "Who touched Me?" (Luke 8:45), inquiring about Lazarus, "Where have you laid him?" (John 11:34), and in the Old Testament questioning Adam, "Where art thou?" (Genesis 3:9) and expressing His intent to "come down to see if they act accordingly to the cry against them that goes up to Me" (Genesis 18:21). Yet, the mother of Zebedee's sons, moved by her maternal love, requested something without grasping its significance. It is understandable, then, that she faced rebuke for her lack of insight, much like Peter, who was said to be speaking without understanding when he proposed to make three tabernacles (Mark 9:6).

Thus, they approached Christ first, as noted by Mark (Mark 10:35-37) and requested, Master, we desire that you may do for us whatever we ask of you. He replied, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ They then requested, ‘Grant to us that one may sit on Your right hand and the other on Your left hand in Your glory.’ Not understanding that their request was unworthy and thus turned down, they brought their mother to plead on their behalf. Christ initially addressed her, as a man would, while also allowing her response to reveal their fervent ambition.

Believing her request might not be in vain, and eager to receive assurance from Jesus about the future recognition of her sons, she opted for a personal conversation with Him. Approaching Him with her children, displaying respect and warmth, she expressed her desire to ask Him for something that may seem small to Him, but was profoundly significant to her, her sons, and their entire family (Matthew 20:20). “What do you wish?” the Lord asked. “I seek nothing more,” she replied, “than to commend my sons to Your grace. You are surely about to take Your place on the throne of David; therefore, according to Your love, grant that one may sit at Your right hand and the other at Your left in Your kingdom.” In essence, Salomia desired her children to be foremost in honor after the Messiah, distinguished not only above all others but also among His closest followers. The brothers’ expressions clearly indicated that their mother's aspirations mirrored their own.

But from where did this desire arise? They envisioned themselves esteemed above others and thus believed the Lord might grant their request. As they traveled to Jerusalem, they perceived the establishment of God's kingdom to be imminent. They were embarrassed and blushing, swayed by human desire, and privately summoned the Lord away from the other disciples to voice their plea. They were conscious of their superiority and held only Peter in apprehension." “How absurd!” remarks Philaret, Metropolitan of Moscow. “He journeys toward humiliation and death, yet they seek to attain the foremost seats in His glory. The moment of trial has arrived, but they ask for a reward. It would be more fitting to seek faith, so that they may not be the first to abandon their Lord when He faces betrayal, yet they present an unusual request to be near Him whom they will swiftly forsake.” “Yet, let no one be misled,” St. Chrysostom adds, “by observing the apostles in their flaws, for the cross has yet to unfold, and the Spirit's grace has not yet been bestowed upon them. To discern their true virtues, look at their later lives, and you will see how they triumphed over all desires. The Lord reveals their shortcomings to show how much they grew after receiving grace." “However,” Philaret, Metropolitan of Moscow, observes, “considering how even the brightest in the world can dim and how the very pillars of the Church may falter, we must reflect on how vigilant we need to be. Those who believe they stand must be cautious lest they fall.” It is clear that the two brothers, enraptured by visions of kingdom and glory, only grasped the first part of the Savior's last words: "Behold, we go up to Jerusalem," and thought the time for the kingdom's unveiling was near. And what of the Lord? "It has always been inappropriate for the disciples to be so preoccupied with honor, especially now that their Teacher, we might say, stood beneath the shadow of the cross; these self-serving aspirations should have stirred profound sorrow in His most sacred heart," notes Blessed Theophylact. Yet, He approached the weakness of His disciples with kindness. He understood that in their ignorance, they were asking for the very positions that, just days later, would be filled with shame and suffering by the two thieves crucified beside Him. In the disciples’ minds, thrones were depicted, while the Lord spoke of crosses. They envisioned crowns; however, the Lord spoke of the cup of suffering and the baptism of blood.

Only Peter, James, and John, who had been privileged to witness the splendor of the transfigured Lord, received insights from the heavenly realm through Moses and Elijah about His journey to Jerusalem. The divine proclamation, ‘This is My beloved Son. Listen to Him,’ lingered in their minds. Thus, these three apostles were presumably better prepared to embrace this revelation. However, despite this foretelling of suffering, James and John, accompanied by their mother, approached the Lord to request that when His kingdom would manifest— which they expected following the transfiguration—He permit them to sit beside Him, one at His right hand and the other at His left. They had been influenced by the Lord’s earlier words regarding thrones in response to Peter's inquiry, ‘We have left everything, what will be our reward?’ Yet their ambition for prominence reflected their personal aspirations, likely bolstered by their mother Salome, who had traveled with Jesus from Galilee. This request particularly irked Peter. Nevertheless, they could point to the Lord’s unique affection for John and acknowledged their intense love for Him, which unfortunately was not always aligned with His spirit. Meanwhile, Peter bore the burden of having been termed Satan by the Lord on one occasion and at times lowered his Lord’s dignity by treating Him as an ordinary figure.

Despite this difference, the plea remains attributed to James and John, prompting the Lord, as noted in Matthew, to respond to them directly. It seems that James and John were in a different frame of mind compared to the other apostles, interpreting the Lord's journey to Jerusalem through a lens that diverged from His intentions. Their thoughts were likely influenced by the Lord's recent assurance to the twelve apostles that they would occupy twelve thrones in His kingdom—an assurance they perceived in a purely physical sense, mistakenly envisioning the Messiah's kingdom as a temporal dominion. They likely anticipated that the Lord was headed to Jerusalem to establish His reign and failed to grasp His ominous foretelling of death. Consequently, they asked the Lord, who had shown them particular affection, to grant them positions of honor on the first two thrones, seated next to Him in the apostolic hierarchy.

This seeming inconsistency in the Gospel accounts can be easily clarified by recognizing that Salome initiated the request, which her sons subsequently echoed, demonstrating their agreement with her intentions. James and John, along with Peter, were specifically chosen by Jesus from among the twelve Apostles to witness His transfiguration and the resurrection of Jairus' daughter. This unique selection led them to believe they would hold the most esteemed positions in the Messiah’s kingdom, believing they should be honored above the others in His glory. Under the influence of these thoughts, they approached Jesus with a desire for elevated status in His kingdom.

However, we should not be dismayed by the apostles' shortcomings, as the crucifixion had yet to occur, and the grace of the Holy Spirit had not yet been bestowed upon them. To gauge their virtue, reflect upon their later lives, which reveal their triumph over worldly desires. The Lord exposes their faults to illustrate the greatness they achieved through divine grace. Thus, it is clear that their request lacked a spiritual essence, nor did they comprehend the nature of the higher kingdom... With the term “say” - compel Him (Zlat., cf. Theophil.). The sons of Zebedee likely interpreted Christ’s earlier promise to His followers—that they would sit on twelve thrones and judge the tribes of Israel (Matt. 19:28)—in a literal sense, which may have influenced their mother Salome as well. This understanding likely led to their aspiration for the foremost throne.

These apostles sought to bolster their request through their mother, who had previously demonstrated sincere dedication by following and serving Him during His ministry in Galilee (Mark 15:40, 41). By sending Salome ahead, as noted by Blessed Theophylact, they intended to shield themselves from potential embarrassment before the other apostles. Jesus, perceiving Salome's intention to ask something, inquired, "What do you want?" To this, she replied, "Grant that my two sons may sit, one on Your right hand and one on Your left in Your kingdom." The positions they requested were regarded as the highest honors, symbolizing close association with the king and power (1 Sam. 20:25; 2 Sam. 2:19). Subsequently, James and John drew near to the Lord and stated, "Teacher, we desire that You would do for us whatever we ask." Understanding their request, Jesus aimed to expose their true motivations, in the words of St. John Chrysostom, "to reveal the wound before providing the remedy," and asked, "What do you want me to do for you?" They reiterated their mother’s request, saying, "Let one of us sit at Your right hand and the other at Your left in Your glory." St. Philaret of Moscow pointed out the discordance of their request amidst the imminent reality of death, emphasizing that they sought to usurp positions of honor at a moment when they should have been pleading for faith, that they might not abandon their Lord when betrayal would come. Their longing for elevation was misplaced given the severity of the situation, showing that the apostles had not sufficiently examined their own hearts and their readiness for the trials ahead.