What does Matthew 20:24 mean?
The remaining ten disciples become indignant when they hear that James and John, through their mother, have asked Jesus to name them to the seats on His left and right hand in His kingdom. Jesus has told the brothers He did not have the authority to grant their request. God the Father will decide that. Still, the fact that the brothers have even asked is enough to fire up the rest of the group. The brothers have made a play to have Jesus declare the two of them the most important of the Twelve (Matthew 20:20–23).The disciples had argued among themselves before about who among them was the greatest, likely thinking of positions of power in Jesus' political kingdom on earth (Mark 9:33–37). In fact, they had tried to hide their argument from Jesus that time. This time, though, James and John had used strategy and, likely, a family connection to Jesus, to try to decide the issue in their favor once and for all. Scholars believe their mother might have been Salome (Matthew 27:56; John 19:25), who was possibly Jesus' aunt through His mother, Mary.
Jesus will explain in the following verses what strategy the disciples should use if they sincerely want to become the greatest among them.
Matthew 20:20–28 follows Jesus' clear description of His impending death with a poorly timed request from James and John, through their mother. Their desire is for the two sons to be given the powerful positions of being seated on Jesus' left and right hand in His kingdom. Jesus makes an obscure reference to His upcoming suffering, asking if they can "drink the cup" ahead of Him. He then notes they will experience their own persecution and suffering, yet greatness in His kingdom won't look like the flaunted authority of the Gentile rulers. The greatest of all will be the one who serves the others as a slave. Jesus, too, has come to serve and not to be served.
Jesus illustrates His earlier comments about how some of the "first will be last, and the last first" (Matthew 19:30) with a parable about hired workers. He then clearly tells His disciples about His impending death and resurrection. The mother of James and John asks Jesus to make her sons number two and three in His kingdom. Jesus tells the disciples that true greatness won't come by flaunting authority as the Gentile leaders do. Instead, they will become great by serving each other, even as a slave does, as Jesus Himself has done. He then heals two blind men immediately before entering Jerusalem.
