mark 10:35-40 :: the request of james and john

eager for power, james and john approach Jesus on this trip to jerusalem and ask something that only a sense of urgency combined with greed would have compelled them to ask. they thought this coming glory was imminent, that this kingdom Jesus had spoken of was about to come in a very physical here and now kind of way. they anticipated their place with Jesus, but wanted to secure a place of importance for themselves among even the inner circle.

they had already been in with peter on many exclusive things with Jesus. they must have thought that they were the ones destined for greatness among he disciples. lords of provinces, advisors to the great King, subjects at their feet, large houses with servants and the world at their fingertips…

but Jesus’ Kingdom, as we understand it, is nothing like their vision of selfish glory. there is no place for this attitude in Jesus’ kingdom, and so He fills them in on what will come if they were to be -given- these positions.

could they drink the cup He would drink, or be baptized with the baptizm He would undergo? they thought in human, physical terms when Jesus asked them about this, and so they answered “we can.” even though they didn’t understand the extrimity of what this meant.

So, since they answered in the affirmative, Jesus lets them know that they will indeed follow after Him. they would drink His cup -of suffering- and be baptized like Him -in persecution and eventually death. and though john’s death would not come from men, he still had to endure a long life with many torments and times of lonliness, while james would lose his head in less than 5 years…

they still were not guaranteed those seats they asked for, but Jesus didn’t tell them a direct “no” either…time would tell and the Father would dictate just who those seats would be filled by…