A Firstness Argument
Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to Jesus with her sons, bowing down and making a request of Him. And He said to her, "What do you wish?" She said to Him, "Command that in Your kingdom these two sons of mine may sit one on Your right and one on Your left." Matt. 20:20, 21, NASB.
Just a little request. Only the two most important positions in the coming kingdom.
Nothing speaks more loudly as Jesus and the disciples advanced toward the cross than their differing perspectives regarding the nature of His kingdom. The threads of the cross and human firstness run parallel in this final journey.
And just as Jesus' predictions of His death become progressively more detailed, so does the struggle for supremacy scenes among the disciples. The one in Matthew 20:20-21 is by far the most blatant attempt at a power takeover by any of the disciples. James, John and their mother didn't beat around the bush. They wanted nothing less than the two most powerful positions in Jesus' forthcoming kingdom. Their request is the ultimate example of human self-centeredness in contrast to Jesus' humility and self-sacrifice.
It is not surprising that James and John make their move for supremacy at this point. After all, the two brothers, along with Peter, made up the privileged inner circle at the Transfiguration (Matt. 16:23). Furthermore, hadn't Jesus plainly rebuked Peter at Caesarea Philippi (Matt. 16:23)? And hadn't he received an implied reprimand in Matthew 19:30 in Jesus' response to his question of what he would get for following Him?
Now is their chance! So they come with their mother, who states their request. And she probably has excellent reasons to expect Jesus to grant it. Comparing Matthew 27:56 with Mark 15:40, we discover that her name is Salome, and John 19:25 provides evidence that she was the sister of Jesus' mother. That would make James and John full cousins of Jesus, and helps to explain why on the cross He committed His mother to the care of John (verses 26, 27). While we can't prove such identifications beyond the shadow of doubt, they are quite probable. They certainly help us understand "Aunt" Salome's aggressive request if it is a family matter.
The power play, however, puts the other 10 disciples in an uproar (Matt. 20:24). Unfortunately, their reaction is not because the 10 somehow grasped the error of the Zebedees' request, but because they also wanted the top spot.
There must be a lesson for me somewhere in this story.
Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to Jesus with her sons, bowing down and making a request of Him. And He said to her, "What do you wish?" She said to Him, "Command that in Your kingdom these two sons of mine may sit one on Your right and one on Your left." Matt. 20:20, 21, NASB.
Just a little request. Only the two most important positions in the coming kingdom.
Nothing speaks more loudly as Jesus and the disciples advanced toward the cross than their differing perspectives regarding the nature of His kingdom. The threads of the cross and human firstness run parallel in this final journey.
And just as Jesus' predictions of His death become progressively more detailed, so does the struggle for supremacy scenes among the disciples. The one in Matthew 20:20-21 is by far the most blatant attempt at a power takeover by any of the disciples. James, John and their mother didn't beat around the bush. They wanted nothing less than the two most powerful positions in Jesus' forthcoming kingdom. Their request is the ultimate example of human self-centeredness in contrast to Jesus' humility and self-sacrifice.
It is not surprising that James and John make their move for supremacy at this point. After all, the two brothers, along with Peter, made up the privileged inner circle at the Transfiguration (Matt. 16:23). Furthermore, hadn't Jesus plainly rebuked Peter at Caesarea Philippi (Matt. 16:23)? And hadn't he received an implied reprimand in Matthew 19:30 in Jesus' response to his question of what he would get for following Him?
Now is their chance! So they come with their mother, who states their request. And she probably has excellent reasons to expect Jesus to grant it. Comparing Matthew 27:56 with Mark 15:40, we discover that her name is Salome, and John 19:25 provides evidence that she was the sister of Jesus' mother. That would make James and John full cousins of Jesus, and helps to explain why on the cross He committed His mother to the care of John (verses 26, 27). While we can't prove such identifications beyond the shadow of doubt, they are quite probable. They certainly help us understand "Aunt" Salome's aggressive request if it is a family matter.
The power play, however, puts the other 10 disciples in an uproar (Matt. 20:24). Unfortunately, their reaction is not because the 10 somehow grasped the error of the Zebedees' request, but because they also wanted the top spot.
There must be a lesson for me somewhere in this story.
RSS Feed
