Matthew 20:23 - Printer Friendly

ESV: He said to them, “You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.”

NIV: Jesus said to them, 'You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.'

NASB: He *said to them, 'My cup you shall drink; but to sit at My right and at My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by My Father.'

CSB: He told them, "You will indeed drink my cup, but to sit at my right and left is not mine to give; instead, it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father."

NLT: Jesus told them, 'You will indeed drink from my bitter cup. But I have no right to say who will sit on my right or my left. My Father has prepared those places for the ones he has chosen.'

KJV: And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father.

NKJV: So He said to them, “You will indeed drink My cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared by My Father.”

Using their mother to make the request on their behalf, James and John have asked Jesus for something tremendous (Matthew 20:20–22). They want to be named as His seconds in command and power when His kingdom is established. He has asked, symbolically, if they are able to endure what He is about to experience. They responded with a yes and now Jesus says that they will "drink His cup." In other words, Jesus is saying that James and John will experience suffering as He will. This does not mean that they will experience all the suffering of Jesus, to the exact degree and severity of His experience on the cross. However, He is suggesting they will suffer for Him, on His behalf (John 15:20; 16:1–3).

And suffer they would. As it turns out, these two men represent the first and last of the loyal disciples to die. James was the first of the disciples to be killed for Jesus' sake (Acts 12:2). John the Apostle was persecuted and eventually exiled to the island of Patmos "on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus" (Revelation 1:9). So far as we know, one of these brothers will die relatively soon, the other will outlive all the others.

Still, Jesus cannot grant their request to sit on His left and on His right in the kingdom. Only God the Father can grant that request. This shows that Jesus understands Himself to be under the authority of His Father in this, though they are one (John 14:8–11). He adds that His Father has prepared those seats for someone, and that is who will occupy them. If Jesus knows who those two people are, He chooses not to reveal it here.

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.