Mrs. Zebedee's Request

The mother of Zebedee’s children (James and John) came to Jesus with her sons. She got down on her knees before Jesus to ask something of Him. He said to her, “What do you want?” She said, “Say that my two sons may sit, one at your right side and one at your left side, when you are King.” Jesus said to her, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to take the suffering that I am about to take?” They said, “Yes, we are able.” He said to them, “You will suffer as I will suffer. But the places at my right side and at my left side are not mine to give. Whoever my Father says will have those places.”

Of course a mother always looks out for the best interests of her boys and Mrs. Zebedee certainly did. She knew that Jesus was going to rule over a great kingdom… she just didn’t understand what kind of kingdom.

Talk is often cheap and when James and John answered Jesus’ question about suffering they said they could suffer like Jesus.

In Acts 12 we find the very same Herod who was guilty of killing Jesus also killing James (with a sword). And while James wasn’t the first Christian to be martyred he was the first Apostle to follow the path of Jesus in suffering.

Mrs. Zebedee’s hope and expectation was that her sons would sit at either side of Jesus in his kingdom. Instead she was honored with one of her sons being the first Apostle martyred and I guess no matter where James is seated his mother was very proud of him for that gift and blessing.