Then came to him the mother of Zebedee's children with her sons, worshiping him, and desiring a certain thing of him.
All Commentaries on Matthew 20:20 Go To Matthew 20
George Leo Haydock
AD 1849
Then came to him. Upon Christ's informing his apostles that he should die and rise again, they conceived that he would immediately reign in Jerusalem with great glory and power; and it was this made the mother of the sons of Zebedee petition that they might take precedence, and be honoured by the other apostles. But Christ answers them that they knew not what they asked, for honours were to be bestowed not on relationship, but on merit: in like manner, the dignities of the Church are not to be conferred upon relatives, but upon the worthy. (Nicholas of Lyra.)
On comparing the 27th chapter of St. Matthew with the 15th of St. Mark, it will appear that she was the same as Salome.
In St. Mark x. 35, we find that the sons themselves made this petition: both the sons and their mother might make it; at least the sons may be said to have done what they got their mother to desire for them; and therefore Christ directed his answer to them: you know not what you ask. You think, says St. Chrysostom of temporal preferments, of honours, and crowns, when you should be preparing yourselves for conflicts and battles. (Witham)
Our Lord suffers these occasional weaknesses in his apostles, that he might, from his instructions and corrections, render his doctrines more intelligible to them and to posterity. (St. Jerome)
