James and John, the sons of Zebedee ... said to Jesus: “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you”. Mark 10.35
Whenever I read this piece of scripture, I think the same thing, how childishly cheeky these two brothers come across as; like a child asking for a special treat or favour from an adult, which they know they probably won’t get or maybe isn’t quite appropriate. Reminds me a bit of when my granddaughters were little girls and would say: “Oma, say yes first, then we’ll tell you what we want.”
What I also find interesting is that Mark goes into so much detail with this story. Matthew, written years after Mark, is maybe uncomfortable with the two disciple’s blatant request, so instead Matthew has their mother asking Jesus for her boys to sit at Jesus left and right in the Kingdom (Matt 20.20). Sure, blame the mom as being overly ambitious for her sons! And Luke, well he waters down the story even more, simply calling it a dispute among the disciples about which of them might be regarded as the greatest.
Whenever I get an immediate emotional response to a scripture, I need to look into it more deeply and figure out why. Well then, what we need to do for starters is put this in the context of the bigger story. Because with Mark, the order in which his stories are written is important, often with one building upon the other. Sometimes we can get clues from the previous story as to what the message is or the theological point Mark is trying to make.
This particular request comes right on the heels of Jesus telling his followers how hard it is for wealthy people to enter the kingdom of God; that it would easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. Peter is perturbed by this, reminding Jesus that the twelve of them have left everything they had to follow him. Jesus reassures them that those who leave everything for the sake of the gospel will be rewarded a hundred times over and receive eternal life. But, then he also warns them that those who feel they should be first to get there will be last, and the last will be first.
Mark tells us that after Jesus’ followers heard this, some were amazed and others afraid. And then Jesus tells them again, and now for the third time, and this time in detail, about the fate that awaits him, that he will be handed over to the Gentiles, condemned, mocked, flogged, killed and then three days later rise again. Jesus has told the disciples twice before this about his death and resurrection and each time they just don’t get it. Nor do they fully comprehend it this third time either. And you know; I can understand that. He was the Messiah, and that part they had come to appreciate. And a Messiah was supposed to save his people, kind of like David did. But the Messiah wasn’t expected to allow himself to be killed—on purpose! No one expects that from their King, their leader. And the resurrection part, well, that was unprecedented, they would have had no frame of reference for that—they couldn’t possibly understand what that could mean, for Jesus or for them—they could only imagine!
So with all this information floating in their heads, the two brothers, James and John step forward, and ask Jesus for their favour.
Now, knowing what’s happened before their request for prime seating, what do you think might have been going through the minds of these two sons of Thunder, as they were nicknamed?
Maybe they were afraid of what would happen to them if Jesus really was killed -- afraid for Jesus, afraid for themselves, maybe worried what life without Jesus would be like? Were they looking for security in the afterlife, a spot closer to Jesus? That is so very human, when we feel frightened or afraid; we look for closeness with others, look for places and people in whom we feel secure. We hold onto the ways we’ve always done things, try to hang on to the familiar, because it’s comfortable—which assuages our fears and anxiety.
Or maybe when they heard Jesus talking about how he was going to die, they were concerned that as his followers, they would die too, so maybe they were trying to get to the best spots in the afterlife? If Jesus was going to glory and they had given everything up for him, well, why not try for the best spot, after all, they were among the first of the disciples Jesus called to be his followers! And if you don’t ask, you don’t get, so why not ask! Looking at it like this, it really does kind of sound like they were asking for preferential treatment, or spots of privilege, jockeying for position, as it were! I suspect maybe that was the case, given how the other disciples became quite angry with the two brothers for asking for those special places at the table of heaven.
How very human these two brothers were! We really don’t know their motivation, maybe they weren’t even sure of it themselves, we can but surmise. At minimum, they sound a bit insensitive, if not out and out self serving. Jesus tells them of the horrid death that he is to undergo, and they’re more concerned with their own places in eternity.
Jesus knows what they’re after, and he knows only too well that no matter how many times he tries to tell them, explain to them, warn them, he knows that they really didn’t understand what was to come!
So Jesus, playing into their tactics, asks them: “What is it you want me to do for you?” And they tell him they want the seats of honor at his right and left, when Jesus goes to his glory.
Jesus tries once again to get them to understand what was to come. So, turning the question back on them, he asks James and John if they would be able to drink from his bitter cup of suffering or be baptized with the baptism of suffering that he was baptized into. Yet they both say they are able, and I’m pretty sure they don’t really understand all the repercussions of that either at this point in time. A bit like going for a promotion at work, thinking you know what you’re getting into, but not really knowing the full extent of the difficulties of the new position until you’re actually doing the job! Jesus tells them, in essence, they’ve got the job—but it’s God’s decision to chose who will sit where in the afterlife.
Then Jesus calls all the disciples together, and tells them what it means to be a true leader in God’s Kingdom. “Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else.” So, there’s no jockeying for positions of power, or sitting at the best spots at the table, or sidling up to sit closest to the boss, or even a fat pay cheque. This is the opposite of the Gentiles, the non-believing rulers in the world, who flaunt authority and lord it over those for whom they are supposed to be working. The true leader is not the one who is being waited on by the servants, but the one who is doing the serving, working for the good of others and not for their own good fortune. The ultimate goal, as Jesus’ life showed us, was God’s will for us, working for the coming of God’s kingdom.
That was Jesus’ baptism and his cup, the servant master who gave his life that we might live. And that is the baptism we are all called to, it is the cup we all drink from as Christians. And we do not need to be afraid and look for our security in places of power or seats of privilege. Our security comes from knowing that we are disciples of Jesus, the living God, who walked this path before us, and walks this same path with us. And that Christ also gives us the strength and love to live a Christian life of service –a life that may well put us at odds with the society at large. The joys of the kingdom come to those who work as servants for the kingdom. At a minimum this story will make us review our own sense of self-righteousness as we consider our own efforts as the people of God, working for God’s Kingdom. We may have more of James’ and John’s ambitious side in us than we’re comfortable admitting.
“Among you it will be different. (Jesus told them.) Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else.”(v.44 nlt)
It seems there really are no politics in God’s kingdom!