Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee approached him with her sons and did him homage, wishing to ask him for something. 21 He said to her, “What do you wish?” She answered him, “Command that these two sons of mine sit, one at your right and the other at your left, in your kingdom.” 22 Jesus said in reply, “You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I am going to drink?” They said to him, “We can.” 23 He replied, “My cup you will indeed drink, but to sit at my right and at my left [, this] is not mine to give but is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.” 24 When the ten heard this, they became indignant at the two brothers. 25 But Jesus summoned them and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and the great ones make their authority over them felt. 26 But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; 27 whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave. 28 Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Jesus has just told the Twelve that He will be condemned, mocked, scourged, crucified, and raised on the third day (Matthew 20:17–19). Yet James and John, speaking through their mother, immediately seek the highest places of honor in His kingdom. They believe that Jesus is the Messiah and King, but they do not yet understand the nature of His kingship and what it means for His disciples.
The request to sit at Jesus’ right and left concerns the places nearest a king, positions of exceptional honor and authority. Yet there is a painful irony in their request. Jesus will enter His kingdom through the Cross, where two men will be crucified “one on his right and the other on his left” (Matthew 27:38). James and John desire to share His glory without yet understanding that union with Christ requires more than honor in His kingdom. It means following His way of humility, service, obedience, self-denial, and, when necessary, suffering.
Jesus therefore tells them, “You do not know what you are asking” (v. 22). He then asks whether they can drink the cup that He is going to drink. In Scripture, the cup can represent suffering and divine judgment. Here it refers to the Passion and death that Jesus will endure for sinners. In Gethsemane, He will pray, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet, not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew 26:39).
James and John confidently answer, “We can” (v. 22), although they still do not understand the cost. Jesus assures them that they will indeed share His cup. James would later be put to death by Herod Agrippa (Acts 12:1–2), while John would endure persecution and exile on the island of Patmos (Revelation 1:9). Following Christ would require them to surrender their worldly ambition and remain faithful through suffering.
Jesus also says that the places at His right and left are for those for whom they have been prepared by the Father. This does not mean that God determines each person’s eternal destiny without regard to human freedom, faith, or conduct. The kingdom is the Father’s gift, but it must be freely received through faith, obedience, love, and perseverance. Jesus teaches elsewhere that the Father’s kingdom is prepared for those who respond to grace by serving Him in others (Matthew 25:34–40). The disciples therefore cannot seize places of honor through ambition; they must entrust themselves to the Father and faithfully live the discipleship to which He calls them.
When the other ten disciples become indignant, Jesus reveals that the same ambition affects them as well. Their resentment probably arises because James and John attempted to gain the positions that the others also desired. Jesus gathers all Twelve and teaches them that worldly ideas of power have no place among His disciples.
Gentile rulers often used authority to make their power felt. Jesus declares, “But it shall not be so among you” (v. 26). When He says that the great must become servants and the first must become slaves, He uses the strongest available language to reverse the world’s understanding of greatness. He is not calling His disciples to servile fear or loss of human dignity. Rather, He teaches that authority in His kingdom must be exercised through humility, self-giving love, and service to others. His disciples serve the Father freely and lovingly, for Jesus says, “I have called you friends” (John 15:15).
Christ does not merely command this way of life; He embodies it. Although He is Lord, He says that He “did not come to be served but to serve” (v. 28). His service reaches its fullest expression when He gives His life “as a ransom for many.”
A ransom was the price paid to release someone from slavery or captivity. Jesus gives His own life to free humanity from the bondage of sin. His words recall the suffering servant foretold by Isaiah, who gives his life as an offering and bears the guilt of many (Isaiah 53:10–12). The one Son gives Himself for the multitude, offering salvation to all.
True greatness in Christ’s kingdom is therefore measured neither by position nor by honor. It is measured by humble and faithful service patterned after Christ Himself. Christian authority does not exist so that others may serve us. It is entrusted to us so that, following Jesus, we may serve others and help lead them toward the freedom He won through His Cross.
Lord Jesus, free us from pride and the desire for honor. Teach us to follow You in humility, to accept the sacrifices required by faithful discipleship, and to serve others with the self-giving love You revealed on the Cross. Amen.
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Sources and References
- Aguilar Chiu, José Enrique, et al., eds. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. New York: Paulist Press, 2018. 949–50.
- Brown, Raymond E., Joseph A. Fitzmyer, and Roland E. Murphy, eds. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1990. 663, paragraph 122.
- Casciaro, José María, gen. ed. The Navarre Bible: New Testament, Expanded Edition. Dublin: Four Courts Press; New York: Scepter Publishers, 2008. 16–17.
- Collins, John J., Gina Hens-Piazza, Barbara Reid, OP, and Donald Senior, CP, eds. The Jerome Biblical Commentary for the Twenty-First Century. Third Fully Revised Edition. With a foreword by Pope Francis. London: T&T Clark, 2022. Notes on Matthew 20:20–28.
- Hahn, Scott, and Curtis Mitch. The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: New Testament. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2010. 43.
- Mitch, Curtis, and Edward Sri. The Gospel of Matthew. Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2010. 258–60.
- The New American Bible, Revised Edition. Washington, DC: Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, 2011. Matthew 20:20–28 and notes.
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