Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to Jesus with her sons, bowing down and making a request of Him. And He said to her, "What do you wish?" She said to Him, "Command that in Your kingdom these two sons of mine may sit one on Your right and one on Your left." But Jesus answered, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?" They said to Him, "We are able." He said to them, "My cup you shall drink; but to sit on My right and on My left, this is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by My Father." (Matthew 20:20-23)
Let me introduce you to a mother who may, in some ways, best represent the mothers of today. She wanted her boys to be recognized! She wanted to make sure they were not overlooked and got everything they deserved (and possibly a bit more).
Salome was a follower of Jesus who appears briefly in the gospels. She is sometimes identified as the wife of Zebedee, the mother of James and John, two of the Apostles of Jesus, and sometimes also as the sister of Mary, mother of Jesus.
From the scripture we see that she recognized that the kingdom belonged to Jesus. She also desired entrance into the kingdom for her boys. However, she did not want to settle for any place but wanted her boys in on the ground floor of the kingdom. I’ll be the first to say that at first glance at this passage, we might become a bit annoyed or upset with the mom of James and John for asking with boldness that her children sit next to Jesus in His kingdom. Actually we should not be so inclined to think that. Good mothers are those who are quick to want the best and to defend their children. What better care can a mother give to her children than to desire and strive to lead them to enter the kingdom of God by confession and belief in Jesus Christ? There is none!
Though her request was not in line for Jesus to answer … she had great expectations that her sons could and would fit the order. Jesus forecasted that James and John would drink from the cup of suffering … and they did. James was put to death for his faith and John was exiled to the island of Patmos. Both fulfilled the expectations of mother and Savior.
To see a mother get in the middle of their children’s lives is nothing new. You can see and hear them everywhere promoting the talents and features of their child to get them into a club or on a stage to sing, dance, play sports or model. But not very many are as focused on getting them into the Kingdom as this lady was. Many a mother has vented her anger at a coach, teacher or leader when they did not get their way. Sometimes they remove the child from the group as punishment for the leader not doing things their way. It is interesting to note that just because she did get her way she did not pull the boys out of the seminary they were in at the feet of Jesus.
In Mark 15:40, Salome is named as one of the women present at the crucifixion and is listed among the women who went to Jesus' tomb to anoint his body with spices. No, she did not succumb to parent pride. She understood and followed Jesus all the way to the cross and beyond.
Mom … what expectations are you laying out before your children? Are they kingdom minded? Lay out before your children the expectation of knowing God’s Word through reading and studying it. Lay out before your children the expectation of being a witness wherever they go and with whomever they are with. Set your expectations as high as the kingdom of God … Mrs. Zebedee did!
Scripture to Claim:
He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. (Matthew 10:37-38)
