The request

Matthew 20:20-28

The Request of the Mother of James and John

 Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her sons, and kneeling before him, she asked a favor of him. And he said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Declare that these two sons of mine will sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.” But Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.” He said to them, “You will indeed drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left, this is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.”

 When the ten heard it, they were angry with the two brothers. But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. It will not be so among you; but whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be your slave; just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.”

Who would blame a mother

for wanting the best

for her boys?

The mother of James and John

Just trying

to give her sons

a punt up.

But running alongside Jesus

demands more 

than she could ever have imagined.

To enter into the passion of Christ

To suffer as he suffered

To give as he gave.

What mother would wish that

for her son?

What mother could stand

to witness that

for her boy - 

except Mary, the mother of God

who endured the agony

of seeing her son

put to death

on trumped up charges

by authorities

establishing control

afraid of anything

that was different

or unpredictable.

Authorities who,

in the face of selfless love

chose violence

to rid themselves

of one

who threatened order

and stability

by heralding a kingdom

not of this world.

Who would blame a mother

for pushing her sons forward

even though 

she had no idea

what she was asking.

And, when the other disciples

began to jostle

for their positions too,

Jesus gently reminded them:

The kingdom of God is different,

Upside down.

To be great

means serving others.

To be first

means being last of all.

The kingdom of God- 

A kingdom full of surprises.