Matthew 20:20 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him with her sons, and kneeling before him she asked him for something.

NIV: Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him.

NASB: Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to Jesus with her sons, bowing down and making a request of Him.

CSB: Then the mother of Zebedee's sons approached him with her sons. She knelt down to ask him for something.

NLT: Then the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus with her sons. She knelt respectfully to ask a favor.

KJV: Then came to him the mother of Zebedee's children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him.

NKJV: Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Him with her sons, kneeling down and asking something from Him.

Mark's account of this moment (Mark 10:35–45) does not mention the mother of James and John. Mark simply left out the fact that their mother initiated this conversation, likely because he considered it their request, and their mistake, more than Matthew might have done. In truth, the main misunderstanding here is between Jesus and these two brothers. Supporting this possibility is that, in both passages, Jesus holds the sons responsible for the request, not their mother.

Matthew introduced James and John as the sons of Zebedee the fisherman in Matthew 4:21–22. Jesus later gave the pair the name "Boanerges," which means "sons of thunder." Perhaps this was because of their father's explosive personality or, more likely, it was because of their own (Luke 9:54).

According to many Bible scholars, the mother of the sons of Zebedee is likely a woman named Salome who is also the sister of Jesus' mother Mary. They build the case for this, in part, from all of the times Jesus' mother Mary is shown to be accompanied by her sister or a woman named Salome (Matthew 27:56; Mark 15:40; 16:1; John 19:25).

If their mother was truly Mary's sister, that would have made James and John first cousins to Jesus, in earthly terms. Perhaps that gives a hint as to why their mother would imagine it appropriate on some level to ask Jesus what she does in the following verse. Still, her request and their willingness to go along with it shows that all three of them misunderstood Jesus' mission on earth and their part in it.

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.

Matthew 20 begins with a parable that illustrates Jesus' statement at the end of Matthew 19: In His kingdom, some of the first will be last and the last first. Still on their way to Jerusalem, Jesus tells the disciples for the third time that He will be killed and then raised on the third day. When asked, Jesus explains that it is not up to Him to grant the seats on His right and left hand in the kingdom and that His disciples will not become great in the way of Gentiles. Instead, they will find greatness by serving each other. A healing of two blind men leads into the triumphal entry, the first event in the last earthly week of Jesus' ministry.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.