Matthew 20:23

And he said unto them, You shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but 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.

Verse 22 Read Chapter 20 Verse 24

Augustine of Hippo

AD 430

De Cons. Ev., ii, 64: What Matthew has here represented as being said by the mother, Mark relates that the two sons of Zebedee spake themselves, when she had presented their wish before the Lord; so that from Mark’s brief notice it should rather seem, that they, and not she, had said that which was said. de Trin., i, 12: Or otherwise; The Lord makes answer to His disciples in His character of servant; though whatever is prepared by the Father is also prepared by the Son, for He and the Father are one.

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George Leo Haydock

AD 1849

Of my chalice indeed you shall drink. St. James was the first apostle that suffered martyrdom at Jerusalem. (Acts xii. 2.) And St. John at Rome was put into a cauldron of boiling oil, and banished into Patmos. Is not mine to give you. The Arians objected these words against Christ's divinity. St. Augustine answers that the words are true if taken of Christ, as he was man. The easier answer is, that it was not his to give to them, while they were in those dispositions of pride and ambition. So that the distinction made, is not betwixt the Father and his eternal Son, as if the Father could give what the Son could not, but betwixt persons worthy, and not worthy of such a favour. It is true the word you, is now wanting in the Greek manuscripts and must have been wanting in some of them in the fourth, or at least the fifth century, since we find them not in St. Chrysostom. St. Augustine also in one place omits it, but sometimes lays great stress upon it; Christ's meaning being no more, tha... Read More

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Hilary of Poitiers

AD 368

They know not what they ask, because there was no doubt of the future glory of the Apostles; His former discourse had assured them that they should judge the world. The Lord therefore commends their faith, in that He says that they are able to suffer martyrdom together with Him; but, “To sit on my right hand and on my left is not mine to give, but for whom it is prepared of my Father. "Though indeed, as far as we can judge, that honour is so set apart for others, as that the Apostles shall not be strangers to it, who shall sit on the throne of the Twelve Patriarchs to judge Israel; also, as may be collected out of the Gospels themselves, Moses and Elias shall sit with them in the kingdom of heaven, seeing that it was in their company that He appeared on the mount in His apparel of splendour.

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Jerome

AD 420

“To sit at my right and at my left is not mine to grant to you, but to those for whom it has been prepared by my Father” must be understood as follows: the kingdom of heaven does not belong to the one giving but to the one receiving. “For there is no respecting of persons with God.” But whoever has proven himself in such a way that he is made worthy of the kingdom of heaven will receive what has been prepared, not for a person but for a life. If therefore you are such that you pursue the kingdom of heaven which my Father has prepared for the triumphant and victorious, you also will receive it. Others wish that it was spoken about Moses and Elijah, whom they had seen speaking with him a little earlier on the mountain, but this view does not seem at all plausible to me. The names of those sitting in the kingdom of heaven are not spoken, lest the rest be considered excluded by the few who are named. .

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Jerome

AD 420

It is asked how the sons of Zebedee, namely, James and John, drank the cup of martyrdom when Scripture says that such an apostle as James was beheaded by Herod, but John ended life with a natural death. But if we read the ecclesiastical histories, we see it related that even John himself for the sake of martyrdom was sent into a vat of boiling oil and from there proceeded as an athlete to win the crown of Christ. Immediately he was sent away to the island of Patmos. So we shall see that the spirit of martyrdom was not lacking and that John drank the cup of confession, which even the three boys in the furnace of fire drank, although their persecutor did not shed blood. .

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Jerome

AD 420

The Lord having concluded by saying, “And shall rise again the third day;” the woman thought that after His resurrection He should forthwith reign, and with womanish eagerness grasps at what is present, forgetful of the future. Except any will say that between the time of the Apostle’s calling, and the suffering of Christ, Zebedee was dead, and that thus hersex helpless, her age advanced, she was following Christ’s steps; for faith never grows old, and religion feels never weary. Her maternal affection made her bold to ask, whence it is said, “She worshipped Him, and desired a certain thing of Him;” i. e. she did Him reverence, requesting that what she should ask, should be granted her. It follows, “He said unto her, whatwouldest thou?” He asks not because He knows not, but that by its very statement, the unreasonableness of her petition might be shewn; “She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit.”. And no wonder, if she is convicted of inexperience, seeing it is said of ... Read More

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John Chrysostom

AD 407

What then says He? You shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with. Great blessings did He foretell to them. His meaning is, you shall be counted worthy of martyrdom, and shall suffer these things which I suffer; you shall close your life by a violent death, and in these things you shall be partakers with me; But 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. Having first elevated their souls, and made them of a higher character, and having rendered them such as sorrow could not subdue, then He reproves their request. But what can be this present saying? For indeed there are two points that are subjects of inquiry to many: one, if it be prepared for any to sit on His right hand; and then, if the Lord of all has not power to bestow it on them for whom it is prepared. What then is the saying? If we solve the former point, then the second also will be clear ... Read More

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John Chrysostom

AD 407

They saw the disciples honoured before others, and had heard that “ye shall situpon twelve thrones,” whereupon they sought to have the primacy of that seat. And that others were in greater honour with Christ they knew, and they feared that Peter was preferred before them; wherefore (as is mentioned by another Evangelist) because they were now near to Jerusalem, they thought that the kingdom of God was at the door, that is, was something to be perceived by sense. Whence it is clear that they sought nothing spiritual, and had no conception of a kingdom above. He that gave Himself to man, how shall He not give them the fellowship of His kingdom? The supineness of the petitioner is in fault, where the graciousness of the giver is undoubted. But if we ourselves ask our master, perchance we wound the hearts of the rest of our brethren, who though they can no longer be overcome by the flesh, seeing they are now spiritual, may yet be wounded ascarnal.Wherefore it is their ignorance that the Lo... Read More

3 mins8/12

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Rabanus Maurus

AD 856

They knew not what they asked, for they were asking of the Lord a seat in glory, which they had not yet merited. The honourable eminence liked them well, but they had first to practise the laborious path thereto; “Can ye drink of the cup that I shall drink of?”

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Remigius of Rheims

AD 533

That by such partaking they may burn with the more zeal towards Him. But they, already sharing the readiness and constancy of martyrdom, promise that they would drink of it; whence it follows, “They say unto him, We are able.”. Or otherwise; “It is not mine to give to you,” that is, to proud men such as you are, but to the lowly in heart, “for whom it is prepared of my Father.”

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Symeon the New Theologian

AD 1022

For God knows all things beforehand, both past and present at once, and everything which is going to happen in the future up to the end of the world. He sees them as already present, because in and through Him all things hold together [Colossians 1:17]. Indeed, just as today the emperor takes in with a glance those who race and who wrestle in the area, but does not thereby make himself responsible for the victory of the winners or the failure of the losers–the zeal, or in other cases the slackness, of the contestants being cause of their victory or defeat–understand with me that it is just so with God Himself. When He endowed us with free will, giving commandments to teach us instead how we must oppose our adversaries, He left it to the free choice of each either to oppose and vanquish the enemy, or to relax and be miserably defeated by him. Nor does He leave us entirely to ourselves–for He knows the weakness of human nature–but rather is present Himself with us and, indeed, allies Him... Read More

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Theophylact of Ochrid

AD 1107

. "You will bear witness even unto martyrdom, this I know" — and so it happened. For James was killed by Herod, and John was condemned by Trajan for bearing witness to the Word of Truth. "But to sit is not Mine to give, but it shall be given to those for whom it is prepared." That is, if one can be found who, along with bearing witness, also possesses every other virtue, that man will receive the gift. It is prepared for him who has labored, just as wreathes are prepared for those who contest in the games. When a foot race is held, sponsored by the king, and a man who did not even compete in the race approaches the king and says, "O holder of the games, give the wreath to me, though I did not compete," the king would answer him, "It is not for me to give out the wreath freely. For it goes to him for whom it has been prepared, that is, to him who ran and won the victory." So Christ here says, "I am not able to freely grant you to sit at My right hand. For it belongs to others who have l... Read More

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