Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee approached him with her sons and did him homage, wishing to ask him for something. 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." 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." 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." When the ten heard this, they became indignant at the two brothers. 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. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave. 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." (Mt 20:20-28)
The mother of James and John asked Jesus for places of importance for her sons. She wanted one to be on his right (place of honour, respect, importance etc) and the other to be on his left (place of affection, love etc). The mother was not just for the places (physical). She was for the relevance of those places. She wanted her sons to be in places of honour and respect and affection and love and esteem.
Jesus’ reply to the mother was unexpected. The mother was thinking in social context but Jesus wanted them to think in terms of the kingdom. In the kingdom there is only God and his plans, will and decision. Man cannot think of deciding in the kingdom. In the kingdom man can only live and live by following the example of Jesus: drink the cup that he was to drink.
Followers of Jesus are to build the kingdom. Kingdom is not built by exercising authority over others or by feeling jealous of the others. Authority will only show one above the other. In the kingdom it is not so. Jealousy will only prove that one is better than the other or one is preferred to the other. In the kingdom all are equal. In the kingdom there are preferences; no first and the last; no one above the other etc. In the kingdom there is only service when we come to talk of relationship among the disciples.
