John Calvin Commentary Matthew 20:24

"And when the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation concerning the two brethren." — Matthew 20:24 (ASV)

And when the ten heard it.⁶⁶⁰ Luke appears to refer this dispute to a different time. But anyone who carefully examines Luke 22 will plainly see that discourses delivered at different times are brought together there, without any regard for order. The dispute about primacy, which Luke mentions, therefore, stemmed from the fact that the sons of Zebedee aspired to the first places in the kingdom of Christ.

And yet, the displeasure of the rest was far from being well-founded. For, while the foolish ambition of the two disciples was so severely blamed that they retired from Christ in disgrace, what injury was it to the other ten that those disciples foolishly wished for what they did not obtain?⁶⁶¹ For though they had a good right to be offended at the ambition of those disciples, yet when it was dismissed, they should have been satisfied.

But our Lord intended to use this occasion to expose a disease that was lurking within them. For there was not one of them who would willingly yield to others; instead, everyone secretly cherished within himself the expectation of primacy. As a result, they envy and dispute with one another, and yet in all of them wicked ambition reigns.

And if this fault was found to be natural to uneducated men of ordinary standing, and if it erupted on a slight occasion—indeed, almost without any occasion at all—how much more should we be on our guard when there is abundant fuel to feed a hidden flame? We see then how ambition springs up in anyone who has great power and honors, and sends out its flames far and wide, unless the spirit of modesty, coming from heaven, extinguishes the pride that has a firm hold on human nature.

⁶⁶⁰ “Les dix autres ayans ouy cela;” — “” — “the other other ten having heard that..”

⁶⁶¹ “Avoyent follement desire une chose qu’ils n’ont peu obtenir;” — “had foolishly desired a thing which they could not obtain.”;” — “had foolishly desired a thing which they could not obtain.”