When the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus asking a favour, her request was that her two sons would be allowed to sit on either side of Jesus in His kingdom (Matthew 20). As the conversation proceeds, it becomes clear that for several reasons, this was a very inappropriate request. Yet it expresses an aspiration that is still familiar in the church today. The desire for a place of honour in Christ’s kingdom can too often come from a spirit of competitiveness, one or two striving for preeminence over the other brothers. It mistakenly conflates spiritual greatness with earthly, worldly prominence, so that the glory of struggling and suffering is eclipsed by the glory of recognition and other people’s acclaim. In his commentary on this episode, David Dickson exposes this ambitiousness, and identifies the solution which Jesus provides. An updated excerpt is as follows.

The lengths people will go to get ahead

From this request to Christ for preferential treatment for the two apostles, James and John, we can learn, for one thing, how hard a thing it is to be rid of the love of this world, and of pleasant dreams about it. The apostles and their friends were still dreaming of an earthly kingdom of Christ, and of worldly honour for His servants, even though Christ told them the opposite so often, and was careful to prepare them rather for the cross in this world.

How necessary it is, too, for all to watch over their hearts, so that the love of the honour of this world does not creep in on them, when a bait presents itself! In hope of prevailing by means of their mother’s intervention, these two chiefe apostles are thus tickled and entangled with a vain and corrupt lust.

What means and instruments people will employ, to gain any earthly thing which they love! They would even play on their mother’s natural relationships to get her to make suit, and, for fear of being refused if she makes her specific request to start with, she opens with a general preface to oblige Christ first. “I desire a certain thing of thee,” she says, “Grant that these my sons may sit …” (Matt. 20:20–21)

The little they know of Christ’s ways

But Jesus answered and said, “Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” (v.22)

Christ’s answer shows us that when ministers of the gospel hunt for high places in the world, they do not know what they are doing, nor how foolish they are in so doing. Christ says here, “Ye know not what ye ask.”

But they replied to Him, “We are able.” It’s those who are least acquainted with the cross who are the most confident about taking it on.

Instead, the promotion and the kingdom which we must set our hearts on is another world — and we must prepare ourselves for the cross with Christ, before we come into the kingdom with Him.

Christ puts them in mind of suffering, rather than reigning — and of suffering in this world, before they could reign in the world to come.

Those who suffer for Christ, suffer no other thing but what Christ suffered also. “Ye shall drink,” He says, “of my cup.” A certain measure of affliction was fitted and measured out for Christ and His followers, and Christ esteemed it to be only light, and of the shortest endurance. He calls it “a cup,” soon drunk up, a dipping, or a sprinkling with affliction, a baptism, as the original means.

The disproportionateness of any reward

Jesus said, “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” (v.23). It was not part of Christ’s commission, when He was sent into the world, to appoint what degrees of reward every believer will have in glory, in comparison one of another, or who shall have less, and who shall have more. This does not appertain to Christ. Again, it is not His without the Father. “It is not mine to give, save to those for whom it is prepared of my Father.” He said this likewise, speaking as a man, more closely related to one than to another (as here He was looked on), or as if at His own pleasure, for gratifying of friends, He might distribute degrees of glory in heaven, “It is not mine to give …”

The Lord does not deny that there shall be degrees of glory in heaven, comparable to sitting on the right hand to some, and on the left hand to others; rather He implies it in manner of His answer. However, these degrees of glory shall not be distributed with respect to people’s works or deservings, or anything in the persons to be glorified, but merely according to the good pleasure of God, and His decree, preparing and predetermining what shall be every individual’s measure. “It shall be given to them for whom it is prepared.” In this sort of distribution, Christ does not deny that it belonged to Him to give degrees of glory in that He was one in substance and government with the Father, but says, “It is not mine to give, save to them for whom it is prepared of my Father.”

Christ’s solution for ambitiousness in the church

We see next that the rest of the apostles were no less ambitious than James and John on this point, yet they were angry with them. “When the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation against the two brethren” (v. 24).

People will be angry at others for a fault for which they themselves are guilty, and be nothing grieved for it in themselves. That is how diversely sin is shaped in our own persons, and in others.

But Jesus called them to Him and said, “Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them … ” (v.25) Our Lord takes the opportunity to beat down and root out this wicked weed of prelacy [or any form of preeminence in the church].

Isn’t it hard to root out the seed of a beloved sin! and especially the root of ambition for power in the church. It cannot be drawn out till it is repented of, for it is hard to put it out of even the apostles’ hearts.

What our Lord saw as a fit means of cutting off strife was, to take away all domination in the church, and all ranking among the men of one office in His house. “Whosoever shall be great among you, let him be your minister, and whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant” (v. 26–27). Where there is no higher place, where no greater power belongs to one than to another, then all strife for the place of more power ceases.

Although the Lord allows dominion, and principality, and greatness, and the exercising of authority, in the civil state, He will not allow it among the ministers of the gospel. Granting the exercise of domion among princes and civil governors, He says, “It shall not be so among you.”

It is not the abuse of power which our Lord forbids in His ministers, but simply and absolutely He excludes all greatness of jurisdiction of one over the rest. He curbs the very wish and will to be great among their fellow ministers, speaking to every one of His ministers, saying, “Whosoever will be great among you …”

Christ’s insistence on His servants serving

So far must the apostles and ministers of the gospel be from affecting state, and positions of power over the rest, that, as they would please our Lord, they must set themselves to serve the rest of their brethren. Each is to promote the work of Christ done by the others’ hands, by each maintaining the credit of the others’ ministry. “Let him be your minister, or servant.”

Not only does our Lord forbid all positions of power among the apostles and among the preachers of the gospel, but also all stately primacy, or dignitary priority. He forbids all “chiefness,” even without jurisdiction (such as a constant and unchangeable precedence in church assemblies). He prescribes for any inclination to this by requiring them to put effort into mutual submission, each man serving the rest, for the furtherance of the common work.

If this command does not prevail with someone who is ambitious, but simply has to act on his ambitious desires, then the rest of the ministers are warranted to diminish that man’s estimation, and to account the less of him, correspondingly as he is ambitiously inclined to a position of superiority over the rest. “Let him be your servant,” i.e., esteemed your servant, and no more than that.

Christ’s own example

Our Lord supports His doctrine by His own example, showing them how He humbled Himself for the public good. “Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many” (v.28).

The example of our Lord’s humiliation of Himself serves to curb all ambition in His ministers. If it does not prevail with them, it shall shall bear witness against them.

Christ did not come to take up an earthly dominion, or a stately pre-eminence, as His disciples imagined. Instead, He came in the shape and state of a servant, and behaved Himself in such a way that He was ready, for the good of His disciples, to wash their feet. He did not come to reign in a worldly manner, but to serve in the outward ministry of the gospel.

Ministers should not only quit prelacy and seeking pre-eminence for the good of the church, but they should quit their life also, if need be. Christ, out of love to our salvation, not only emptied Himself of stately dominion, but also emptied Himself of liberty and life, “gave himself a ransom for many.”

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