to the chief priests and the teachers of the law; and they will condemn him to death. They will
hand him over to the foreigners, who will mock him, scourge him and crucify him. But he will
be raised to life on the third day.”
Then the mother of James and John came to Jesus with her sons, and she knelt down, to ask
a favor. Jesus said to her, “What do you want?” And she answered, “Here, you have my two
sons. Grant, that they may sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.”
Jesus said to the brothers, “You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that
I am about to drink?” They answered, “We can.” Jesus replied, “You will indeed drink my cup;
but to sit at my right or at my left is not for me to grant. That will be for those, for whom my
Father has prepared it.”
The other ten heard all this, and were angry with the two brothers. And if you want to be the
first of all, make yourself the servant of all. Be like the Son of Man, who came not to be served,
but to serve, and to give his life to redeem many.”
Reflect
It’s easy to sympathize with the mother of James and John. She wanted what she thought was best
for her children. What good mother would do anything else? She follows the example of other
mothers in Scripture who wanted the best for their children, most notably Bathsheba who ensured
that her son Solomon would take the throne of Israel, succeeding his father, David. James’ and
John’s mother sees the same opportunity. She knows that Jesus has come to initiate a new kingdom.
Imagining it to be a kingdom of the world, she wants to make sure that her sons get positions that will
ensure them (and their family) status, security, and wealth.
But that’s not the way God’s kingdom works. The kingdom of God gives favor to the poor and lowly.
The leaders of God’s kingdom are those who serve. Whenever we place our skills and efforts at the
benefit of the least among us, we are helping to prepare the way for Jesus’ everlasting reign.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2023