Matthew 20:23, commentary and pictures

Jesus answered James and John when they asked for the chief places at his right and left in his coming kingdom. The cup he offered and the baptism he promised meant sharing his suffering and death, not receiving honored rank. The places of honor are not his to grant from favor or ambition, but will be given to those for whom his Father has prepared them. Rank in his kingdom is the fruit of character formed by self-conquest through his grace, by drinking most deeply of his self-sacrificing love and by humble service to others. Therefore suffering, self-denial and faithful service must come before the crown, and only those who share his trial and follow his life are fitted to share his glory.

Setting and Request

The words were spoken to James and John, the sons of Zebedee, when they asked for places at Christ's right and left in his kingdom. James was one of the three disciples closest to Christ, with Peter and John, who saw his transfiguration and were with him in the garden during his agony. Jesus spoke this while explaining that his betrayal, suffering, shame and death would come before his kingdom, while the disciples still expected the kingdom to be established soon and sought positions of honor in it.

In common with the Jewish teachers they expected the Messiah as a conquering prince to sit on David's throne and gather the nations under his rule, applying Scriptures of his second advent in the clouds with power and glory to his first advent, boasting of promises to Israel while ignoring conditions of obedience and loyalty. Their desire to be first kept reappearing whenever circumstances were favorable because Christ's instruction had not subdued their spirit of self-exaltation. That misapplied hope for a soon-coming earthly triumph was the foundation of their asking for the first places, and as his trial drew near he opened before them his future suffering, shame and death.

Their request arose from love for Christ and longing for closeness to him rather than from seeking honor in the spirit others supposed, and he did not reprove the request but taught principles of love for daily dealings and gave his life as their example. Others held that the same request was pride, ambition, and a desire for worldly distinction contrary to following him, with the sons of Zebedee wrong to seek such honor. At Gethsemane their sleep and weakness showed they were not ready to confidently claim they could endure that trial with him, in contrast to their earlier confidence that they could drink his cup and share his baptism.

Meaning of Cup and Baptism

The cup to be drunk and the baptism to be received mean sharing in suffering and death with Christ, not receiving honored rank at His side. Instead of earthly thrones, what lay before Him was a cross, with two malefactors at His right and left. That sharing includes suffering, humiliation, affliction, persecution, sorrow, hardship, toil and privation, and self-denial and sacrifice with Him.

It means following Him through a life of devotion, trial and self-denial, walking as He walked, giving up self-interest to do good for others and bearing burdens for others even when duty brings hardship. One who has suffered little for Him has not yet tasted that cup or baptism, and must not mistake comfort or privilege for sacrifice. Refusing to help the needy contradicts the commitment to follow His example, and whether followers accept self-denial is shown by living for others' good. He took the bitter cup apportioned to humanity and offers instead mercy, blessing and salvation, so those who love Him should not shrink from their smaller trials but imitate His self-sacrificing life toward Calvary.

As they behold and submit to Him they are changed by the Spirit to become patient, kind, forbearing and compassionate. Endurance of this suffering is needed before a person is prepared to help others in God's work. Missionaries who avoid sacrifice and reproach fail to share that experience, while willingly bearing reproach in service brings precious experience.

Fulfilled in James and John

Christ foretold that James and John would share his suffering rather than receive earthly thrones beside him. That sharing meant labor and reproach and persecution, humiliation and affliction, not honored rank. For James this came swiftly by the sword. At Passover, Herod, seeking the favor of the Jews, seized him, thrust him rudely into prison, and had him killed with the sword.

Imprisoned and summoned to execution, James understood the words about the cup and the baptism more fully than ever before. What had meant sharing Christ's suffering and death was then fulfilled in his own imprisonment and death. John, by contrast, was to follow his Master longest in labor and toil, in reproach and persecution. He was preserved to bear faithful witness through long endurance.

The promise that they would face hardship for his sake was given though they did not understand what they were agreeing to. They did not yet understand the cost of discipleship and what sharing his glory required. Before glory they had to share his suffering, bear his yoke and burdens, and learn his meekness and lowliness day by day.

Places Prepared by Father

To sit at his right hand and on his left is not his to give in answer to request or by independent assignment, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared by his Father. Sharing his cup and baptism is distinguished from receiving those places, for the promise of suffering with him contrasts with the disciples' focus on rank. Nearness to his throne is therefore not won by seeking worldly distinction, but honor is given by God to self-denying disciples who serve others even when they do not seek recognition.

Those places are not granted through favoritism or arbitrary bestowal. Instead of earthly thrones a cross lay before him, with two malefactors at his right and left, and James was to die swiftly by the sword while John was to follow his Master longest in labor and reproach and persecution. Sharing his suffering does not by itself give anyone a claim to the highest places, for those places are assigned by the Father, and Christians as members of one body must not contend or divide over rank but work together under him for the restoration of God's image and the salvation of themselves and others.

Position in the kingdom of God is the result of character, with crown and throne as tokens of a condition attained through self-conquest by his grace. The crown is granted to the one who overcomes and drinks most deeply of his spirit of self-sacrificing love even unto death for the saving of humanity. Those honored are prepared by showing his love in character and faithfully using God-given abilities in his service, having shared his suffering, humiliation, affliction and persecution.

Human reputation, natural talent, acquired skill, professional standing, and honors bestowed by people do not determine who is honored in heaven, and humility is the lesson that should shape judgments about greatness in his kingdom. James and John could not receive the highest places merely by asking, for before sharing his glory they had to share his suffering, bear his yoke and burdens, and learn his meekness and lowliness day by day, with suffering and service coming before the crown. They did not yet understand the cost of discipleship when they made their request, and spiritual blessings and honor are not received merely by asking.

Greatness Through Humble Service

Places of honor in Christ's kingdom are not prizes to be claimed by ambition or self-exaltation, for his kingdom overturns worldly ideas of rank and locates greatness in humble service in the pattern of the Son of God who served others. The request of James and John to be close to Christ in his kingdom is understood by those who so teach it as springing from love for him and longing for nearness to him rather than from seeking honor in the spirit others supposed, yet his answer still defines greatness among his followers as serving others. Church leaders in particular must therefore act as shepherds and servants, following Christ who came to minister and to give his life as a ransom.

The greatness of his disciples does not consist in worldly dignity or honors but in closely following his life, conduct and manners. During his earthly pilgrimage Christ was a most poor man, casting off all worldly rule and honor, and Peter and the sons of Zebedee, in desiring worldly honor contrary to following his steps, offended and are not to be followed in those errors. No faithful person ought to follow the pope or any holy persons except in points where they have followed the Lord Jesus Christ. The pope with his clergy ought to leave all temporal dominion and rule to the secular power, follow the Lord Jesus Christ in life and manners, and teach the people faithfully to follow them in the same, as Christ and especially his apostles did.

Nearness to Christ's throne is not won by seeking worldly distinction, but God gives honor to self-denying disciples who serve others even when they do not seek recognition, while the places beside him remain assigned by the Father to those for whom they are prepared. Human reputation, natural talent, acquired skill, professional standing, and honors bestowed by people do not determine who is honored in heaven, and humility is the lesson that should shape judgments about greatness in God's kingdom. Christians, as members of one body, must not contend or divide over rank but work together under Christ for the restoration of God's image and the salvation of themselves and others, since sharing Christ's suffering gives no one a claim to the highest places.

Suffering Before Final Deliverance

Sharing the cup and the baptism means enduring appointed suffering, privation and trial before deliverance comes and before sharing glory in the heavenly kingdom, and those who will not endure have no part with him. The faithful company must pass through that appointed trial, and even when angels would rescue them they are told that God's will is not yet fulfilled and that they must drink the cup and undergo the baptism. The cup is not removed immediately, but they pass through it in submission to God's will while his purpose is fulfilled.

God's people must submit to his will and remain earnest in pleading for rescue even when it is not yet time to be delivered, trusting him while the trial is unfinished. Surrounded by enemies and pleading for escape, they remain submissive and trustful rather than abandoning prayer. Like Christ's disciples, they drink the cup before God manifests his power to deliver them, passing through fearful anguish while enemies appear to triumph and waiting patiently.

In the final time of trouble they face anguish, delay and threat of death, feeling left to fall by enemies, crying day and night for rescue while the wicked mock their faith, and waiting while angels are held back from intervening. In the saints' final agony they must wait through fearful trial while angels hold back their enemies until God delivers them for the glory of his name. That painful delay is not abandonment or failure to answer prayer but God's best answer, exercising faith, hope and patience and testing and strengthening them before he delivers them for his name's glory. Their suffering does not mean God has abandoned those who wait for him.

That trial will be shortened for the sake of the elect, and the end will come sooner than people expect, when God gathers the wheat and destroys the tares. The bitter cup given to God's people purifies and cleanses the heart, and patience, endurance and prayer make it effective, while murmuring and complaint can require further trials, and those who would share Christ's glory must be partakers of his sufferings. Trials and afflictions, when God's providence calls for them, are to be accepted as a cross and borne with trust, remembering that a Father's hand permits them, with trust due in darkness as well as daylight.

Those who share his sufferings and come through great tribulation, with robes washed white in the Lamb's blood, can enjoy heaven's glory and value the inheritance, while those untouched by his sacrifice and sufferings would not be fit to value or enjoy it and would mar heaven. Those untouched by the cost of Christ's sacrifice would have no sense of the inheritance's worth. Christ's life of toil and privation and his suffering to save others set the pattern, so his servants should not seek a better or easier lot than he had or a better position or easier way into the kingdom, but enter through much tribulation. Sharing his cup means accepting humiliation, sorrow, hardship, suffering and self-denial in his service rather than seeking ease. Those who want heaven but refuse the suffering involved in accepting and standing for truth are unwilling to share what Christ endured, for they cannot have both the favor of the world and the favor of Christ.