Church Fathers Commentary Matthew 20:20-23

"Then came to him the mother of the sons of Zebedee with her sons, worshipping [him], and asking a certain thing of him. And he said unto her, What wouldest thou? She saith unto him, Command that these my two sons may sit, one on thy right hand, and one on thy left hand, in thy kingdom. But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink the cup that I am about to drink? They say unto him, We are able. He saith unto them, My cup indeed ye shall drink: but to sit on my right hand, and on [my] left hand, is not mine to give; but [it is for them] for whom it hath been prepared of my Father." — Matthew 20:20-23 (ASV)

St. Jerome: The Lord, having concluded by saying, And shall rise again the third day, the woman thought that after His resurrection He would immediately reign. With womanly eagerness, she grasped at what was present, forgetting the future.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: This mother of the sons of Zebedee is Salome, as her name is given by another Evangelist,ⁱ herself truly peaceful and the mother of sons of peace. From this passage, we learn the eminent merit of this woman. Not only had her sons left their father, but she had also left her husband and followed Christ, for He could live without her, but she could not be saved without Christ.

Unless someone says that Zebedee had died between the time of the Apostles' calling and the suffering of Christ, and that she, helpless because of her sex and advanced in age, was following Christ's steps. For faith never grows old, and religion never feels weary.

Her maternal affection made her bold to ask, which is why it is said, She worshipped him, and desired a certain thing of him. That is, she revered Him, requesting that what she asked would be granted to her.

It follows, He said unto her, What wilt thou? He does not ask because He is unaware, but so that by her very statement, the unreasonableness of her petition might be shown. She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit...

St. Augustine of Hippo: What Matthew represents the mother as saying, Mark relates that the two sons of Zebedee said themselves, after she had presented their wish to the Lord. From Mark's brief account (Mark 10:35),ⁱ it would seem that they, and not she, said what was spoken. ¹

St. John Chrysostom: They saw the disciples honored before others and had heard that ye shall sit upon twelve thrones (Matthew 19:28), and for this reason, they sought to have the primary place on that seat. They knew that others were held in greater honor by Christ, and they feared that Peter was preferred over them. Therefore, as another Evangelist mentions, because they were now near Jerusalem, they thought that the kingdom of God was at the door—that is, something to be perceived by the senses. From this it is clear that they sought nothing spiritual and had no conception of a kingdom above.

Origen of Alexandria: If in an earthly kingdom those who sit with the king are thought to be in honor, it is no wonder that a woman, with a woman's simplicity or lack of experience, thought she could ask for such things. It is also no wonder that the brothers themselves, not yet being perfect and having no loftier thoughts about Christ's kingdom, conceived such things about those who will sit with Jesus.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: Or, another way: We do not affirm that this woman's request was a lawful one, but we do affirm that she asked for heavenly, not earthly, things for her sons. For she was not like ordinary mothers, whose affection is for their children's bodies while they neglect their minds. They desire their children to prosper in this world, not caring what they will suffer in the next, thereby showing themselves to be mothers of their bodies only, and not of their souls.

And I imagine that these brothers, having heard the Lord prophesying of His passion and resurrection, began to say among themselves, since they believed: "Behold, the King of heaven is going down to the realm of Tartarus to destroy the king of death. But when the victory is complete, what remains but for the glory of the kingdom to follow?"

Origen of Alexandria: For when sin, which reigned in men's mortal bodies, is destroyed along with the entire dynasty of malignant powers, Christ will receive the exaltation of His kingdom among humanity; that is, His sitting on the throne of His glory. That God disposes all things on both His right and His left means that there will then be no more evil in His presence.

Those who are more excellent among those who draw near to Christ are on His right hand; those who are inferior are on His left. Or, by Christ's right hand, see if you can understand the invisible creation, and by His left hand, the visible and bodily creation. For of those who are brought near to Christ, some obtain a place on His right hand, like the intelligent creation, while some are on His left, like the sentient creation.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: He who gave Himself to humanity, how will He not also give them fellowship in His kingdom? The negligence of the petitioner is at fault, where the graciousness of the giver is beyond doubt. But if we ourselves ask our Master, perhaps we will wound the hearts of the rest of our brothers, who, though they can no longer be overcome by the flesh since they are now spiritual, may yet be wounded as if they were carnal.

Therefore, let us put our mother forward, so that she may make the petition for us in her own person. For though she is to be blamed for it, she will readily obtain forgiveness, with her sex pleading for her. For the Lord Himself, who has filled the souls of mothers with affection for their offspring, will more readily listen to their desires. Then the Lord, who knows secrets, answers not the words of the mother's petition, but the intention of the sons who suggested it. Their wish was commendable, but their request was inconsiderate. Therefore, though it was not right that it should be granted to them, the simplicity of their petition did not deserve a harsh rebuke, since it proceeded from love for the Lord.

Therefore, it is their ignorance that the Lord finds fault with: Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye know not what ye ask.

St. Jerome: And it is no wonder if she is convicted of inexperience, since it is said of Peter, Not knowing what he said (Luke 9:33).

Pseudo-Chrysostom: For often the Lord allows His disciples to do or think something amiss, so that from their error He may take the opportunity to set forth a rule of piety. He knows that their fault does no harm when the Master is present, while His doctrine edifies them not only for the present, but also for the future.

St. John Chrysostom: He says this to show either that they sought nothing spiritual, or that if they had known what they were asking for, they would not have asked for something so far beyond their abilities.

St. Hilary of Poitiers: They do not know what they ask, because there was no doubt about the future glory of the Apostles; His previous discourse had assured them that they would judge the world.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: Or, Ye know not what ye ask, as if to say, "I have called you to My right hand, away from My left, and now you willfully desire to be on My left." Perhaps this is why they did this through their mother. For the devil turned to his well-known tool, the woman, so that just as he made prey of Adam through his wife, he might sever these brothers through their mother. But now that the salvation of all had proceeded from a woman, destruction could no longer enter among the saints through a woman.

Or He says, Ye know not what ye ask, seeing we ought to consider not only the glory we may attain, but also how we may escape the ruin of sin. For in a secular war, the one who is always thinking of the plunder hardly wins the fight. They should have asked, "Give us the aid of Your grace, so that we may overcome all evil."

Rabanus Maurus: They did not know what they asked, for they were asking the Lord for a seat in glory which they had not yet merited. The honorable eminence pleased them, but they first had to practice the laborious path to it: Can ye drink of the cup that I shall drink of?

St. Jerome: By "the cup" in the divine Scriptures, we understand suffering, as in the Psalm, I will take the cup of salvation. And immediately it proceeds to show what the cup is: Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints (Psalm 116:13-15).

Pseudo-Chrysostom: The Lord knew that they were able to follow His passion, but He puts the question to them so that we may all hear that no one can reign with Christ unless he is conformed to Christ in His passion, for that which is precious can only be purchased at a costly price. We may call the Lord's passion not only the persecution by the Gentiles, but all the hardships we go through in struggling against our sins.

St. John Chrysostom: He says therefore, Can ye drink of the cup? as if to say, "You ask me for honors and crowns, but I speak to you of labor and hardship, for this is not the time for rewards." He draws their attention by the manner of His question, for He does not say, "Are you able to shed your blood?" but, Are ye able to drink of the cup? then He adds, that I shall drink of?

Remigius of Auxerre: He asks this so that by such a partaking they may burn with more zeal toward Him. But they, already sharing the readiness and constancy for martyrdom, promise that they would drink it. This is why it follows, They say unto him, We are able.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: Or, they say this not so much out of reliance on their own fortitude as out of ignorance, for to the inexperienced, the trial of suffering and death seems slight.

St. John Chrysostom: Or they offer this in the eagerness of their desire, expecting that for speaking this way they would receive what they desired. But He foretells great blessings for them, namely, that they would be made worthy of martyrdom. He saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup.

Origen of Alexandria: Christ does not say, "You are able to drink of My cup," but looking to their future perfection He said, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup.

St. Jerome: It is a question how the sons of Zebedee, James and John, drank the cup of martyrdom, since Scripture relates that only James was beheaded by Herod, while John ended his life by a peaceful death (Acts 12:2).

But when we read in ecclesiastical history that John himself was thrown into a cauldron of boiling oil with the intent to martyr him, and that he was banished to the isle of Patmos, we see that he did not lack the will for martyrdom. John had drunk the cup of confession, which the Three Children in the fiery furnace also drank, although the persecutor did not shed their blood.

St. Hilary of Poitiers: The Lord therefore commends their faith, in that He says they are able to suffer martyrdom with Him. But, He says, 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.

Though indeed, as far as we can judge, that honor is so set apart for others that the Apostles will not be strangers to it, for they will sit on the thrones of the twelve tribes to judge Israel. Also, as can be gathered from the Gospels themselves, Moses and Elijah will sit with them in the kingdom of heaven, since it was in their company that He appeared on the mountain in His splendid apparel.

St. Jerome: But to me, this does not seem so. Rather, the names of those who will sit in the kingdom of heaven are not given, lest, if a few were named, the rest should think themselves excluded. For the kingdom of heaven does not belong to the one who gives it, but to the one who receives it.

It is not that there is partiality with God, but whoever shows himself to be worthy of the kingdom of heaven will receive it, for it is prepared not for one's station, but for one's conduct.

Therefore, if you are found to be fit for that kingdom of heaven which My Father has prepared for the conquerors, you will receive it. He did not say, "You will not sit there," so that He might not discourage the two brothers; nor did He say, "You will sit there," so that He might not stir the others to envy.

St. John Chrysostom: Or, another way: That seat seems to be unapproachable to all, not only humans but also angels. For Paul assigns it uniquely to the Only-Begotten, saying, To which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand? (Hebrews 1:13). The Lord therefore answers, not as though in reality there were any who would sit there, but as condescending to the understanding of the petitioners.

They asked for only this one grant—to be before others near Him. But the Lord answers, "You will die for My sake, yet that is not sufficient for you to obtain the first rank." For if another comes with martyrdom, and has virtue greater than yours, I will not, simply because I love you, put him out and give you precedence. But so that they would not suppose that He lacked power, He did not say absolutely, "It is not Mine to give," but rather, it is not mine to give to you, but to those for whom it was prepared—that is, to those who are made illustrious by their deeds.

Remigius of Auxerre: Or, another way: It is not mine to give to you—that is, to proud men such as you are—but to the lowly in heart, for whom it is prepared of my Father.

St. Augustine of Hippo: Or, another way: The Lord answers His disciples in His character as a servant, although whatever is prepared by the Father is also prepared by the Son, for He and the Father are one. ²

1. de Cons. Ev., ii, 64
2. de Trin., i, 12