St Matthew Chapter XX : Verses 17-28
Contents
- Matt. xx. 17-28. Douay-Rheims text & Latin text (Vulgate).
- Notes on the text.
Matt. xx. 17-28
 |
| St James the Greater. J-J Tissot. Brooklyn Museum. |
Et ascendens Jesus Jerosolymam, assumpsit duodecim discipulos secreto, et ait illis :
18 Behold we go up to Jerusalem, and the Son of man shall be betrayed to the chief priests and the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death.
Ecce ascendimus Jerosolymam, et Filius hominis tradetur principibus sacerdotum, et scribis, et condemnabunt eum morte,
19 And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to be mocked, and scourged, and crucified, and the third day he shall rise again.
et tradent eum gentibus ad illudendum, et flagellandum, et crucifigendum, et tertia die resurget.
20 Then came to him the mother of the sons of Zebedee with her sons, adoring and asking something of him.
Tunc accessit ad eum mater filiorum Zebedæi cum filiis suis, adorans et petens aliquid ab eo.
21 Who said to her: What wilt thou? She saith to him: Say that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left, in thy kingdom.
Qui dixit ei : Quid vis? Ait illi : Dic ut sedeant hi duo filii mei, unus ad dexteram tuam, et unus ad sinistram in regno tuo.
 |
| St John the Beloved. J-J Tissot. Brooklyn Museum. |
22 And Jesus answering, said: You know not what you ask. Can you drink the chalice that I shall drink? They say to him: We can.
Respondens autem Jesus, dixit : Nescitis quid petatis. Potestis bibere calicem, quem ego bibiturus sum? Dicunt ei : Possumus.
23 He saith to them: My chalice indeed you shall drink; but to sit on my right or left hand, is not mine to give to you, but to them for whom it is prepared by my Father.
Ait illis : Calicem quidem meum bibetis : sedere autem ad dexteram meam vel sinistram non est meum dare vobis, sed quibus paratum est a Patre meo.
24 And the ten hearing it, were moved with indignation against the two brethren.
Et audientes decem, indignati sunt de duobus fratribus.
25 But Jesus called them to him, and said: You know that the princes of the Gentiles lord it over them; and they that are the greater, exercise power upon them.
Jesus autem vocavit eos ad se, et ait : Scitis quia principes gentium dominantur eorum : et qui majores sunt, potestatem exercent in eos.
26 It shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be the greater among you, let him be your minister:
Non ita erit inter vos : sed quicumque voluerit inter vos major fieri, sit vester minister :
27 And he that will be first among you, shall be your servant.
et qui voluerit inter vos primus esse, erit vester servus.
28 Even as the Son of man is not come to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a redemption for many.
Sicut Filius hominis non venit ministrari, sed ministrare, et dare animam suam redemptionem pro multis.
Notes
Note. — Harmonizing this section with the parallel passages in St Mark and St Luke, where the latter speaks of Jesus having gone forth into the way, we may conclude that He and His disciples had descended the road that led from Ephrem (whither He had retired after the resurrection of Lazarus), and that they were now on the highway which led to Jerusalem, and must needs pass Jericho on their way. Our Lord may have gone direct to Jericho from Ephrem, or He may have returned to Perea, and then recrossed the Jordan at the Fords, just opposite Jericho, and so joined the caravan of pilgrims on their journey to Jerusalem.
17. Jesus going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve, etc. St Mark gives additional details: Jesus went before them, and they were astonished, and following were afraid (x. 32). Jesus had walked on ahead of His disciples for some time, now He evidently rejoined them.
apart. Special stress is laid here on the secrecy of our Lord’s communications to His apostles. Thus He took them “apart” (κατ’ ἰδίαν). Only the apostles were privileged to hear our Lord’s plain predictions concerning His Passion.
and said to them. St Mark has, he began to tell them the things that should befall him. For the two other solemn predictions of the Passion to the apostles alone, see xvi. 21, xvii. 21, 22.
Note. — St Luke’s narration is fuller here. Cf. Behold we go up to Jerusalem, and all things shall be accomplished which were written by the prophets concerning the Son of man. The disciples, however, understood none of these things and this word was hid from them (St Luke xviii. 34) once again. This time our Lord speaks more plainly, and reveals the time, place, and circumstances.
18. Behold. Jesus calls attention to what is shortly to take place.
we go up to Jerusalem. The Crucifixion is to take place at the end of their journey, and in Jerusalem, and it is to take place in fulfilment of the prophecies, in order that all things shall be accomplished which were written (St Luke xviii. 31).
shall be betrayed. By one of His own apostles, but Jesus does not reveal the name.
the chief priests and the scribes. To the Sanhedrin, the ecclesiastical court.
they shall condemn him to death. The Jews, His own people, will deem Him worthy of death. How this prophecy must have come back to the memory of St Peter and St John when in the hall of Caiphas they heard the cry, “ He is guilty of death " (infra, xxvi. 66).
19. shall deliver him to the gentiles, — i.e. to the Romans. The sceptre had passed away from Juda. The Israelites were no longer free to execute the death sentence. Pilate himself said to our Lord, Thy own nation and the chief priests have delivered thee up to me (St John xviii. 35).
to be mocked, and scourged, and crucified. St Matthew relates the fulfilment of two of these prophecies (see infra, xxvi. 67, 68, xxvii. 27-31, 35). St Matthew alone gives the mode of death — crucifixion, the death of a condemned slave.
the third day he shall rise again. Another clear prediction concerning the Resurrection. “ As the sun breaks through dark clouds, so does this promise here shed its blessed light.”
20. Then came to him the mother, etc. Her name was Salome, as we see from two parallel passages of the gospels. Cf. Among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee (infra, xxvii. 56).
And there were also women looking on afar off: among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the less, and of Joseph, and Salome (St Mark xv. 40). Salome is here clearly identified with the mother of the sons of Zebedee. She was one of the band of devoted women who followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto Him. When she stood afar off gazing on our Lord on the cross, she must have realized the folly of her petition. As she is generally referred to as the mother of the sons of Zebedee, we may conclude that Zebedee was dead.
with her sons. St Matthew alone records that the mother accompanied her sons, who dared not immediately present their request, consequently they endeavoured to obtain first a formal promise of compliance. Thus St Mark records that James and John, the sons of Zebedee, come to him, saying : Master, we desire that whatsoever we shall ask thou wouldst do it for us.
adoring. The word “adoring” signifies the act of homage used by Orientals when addressing a king.
21. Say that these, etc. Both the mother and her sons used much the same language : And they said; Grant to us, that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory (St Mark).
one on thy right hand, etc. In these words they ask for the highest places of honour in Christ’s Messianic kingdom. Christ had promised that the Twelve should sit “on twelve thrones,” and these two disciples, in their ambition, ask that their thrones or seats may be nearest to His. Possibly they were jealous of St Peter.
22. You know not what you ask. They knew not what suffering this would entail. There is an accent of tenderness in our Lord’s answer. He foresaw the “ cup ” of which these two disciples would drink.
Can you drink the chalice, etc. Our Lord speaks figuratively. The disciples would, from their familiarity with the Old Testament, know that the “chalice” was a symbol either of good or evil fortune, but He evidently refers here to His sufferings, since in His agony in Gethsemani He speaks of His Passion as the chalice presented to Him by His Father. The “chalice” was also an allusion to the Hebrew feasts, where the father of the family filled with wine the cup of each one present.
In the parallel passage we find added here : or be baptized with the baptism wherewith I am baptized? The word “baptism ” expresses much the same thought. It represents the afflictions which were to overwhelm our Lord. It especially referred to His Crucifixion, by which Jesus was to pass to His glorious life.
We can. The promise was a rash one, as their conduct proved at the time of the Passion, when his disciples leaving him, all fled away (St Mark xiv. 50). Still it shewed a certain devotedness and willingness on their part. “ It is the first expression on the part of the apostles that they are prepared to suffer with Christ.”
23. My chalice indeed, etc. In the case of St James this prediction was fulfilled when Herod the king stretched forth his hands to afflict some of the church, and he killed James the brother of John with the sword (Acts xii. 1, 2). He was the first apostle who shed his blood for Christ. As regards St John, the prediction was accomplished when he was scourged (see Acts v. 40), and when, as St Jerome relates, he was, by order of Domitian, plunged into a cauldron of boiling oil, from which he emerged uninjured, owing to a miraculous interposition of divine power. Afterwards St John was banished to Patmos, where he remained until the accession of Nerva. He closed his days at Ephesus.
is not mine to give, etc. These words mean that Jesus could not give places of honour arbitrarily like an Eastern monarch : the places in His kingdom would be given by His Father, to those for whom they were destined, i.e. who had merited them. These places of honour, He goes on to explain, are reserved for those who humble themselves ; for him who shall be the servant of all.
On another occasion Christ also refers to the place on the right hand as being the reward of acts of charity and humble service performed for His sake. Then shall the king say to them that be on his right hand ; Come, ye blessed of my Father, possess you the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave me to eat : I was thirsty, and you gave me to drink : I was a stranger, and you took me in (St Matt. xxv. 34, 35, etc.).
24. the ten hearing it. Some commentators are of opinion that St James and St John proffered their request in the presence of the Ten. Others think that they came secretly to our Lord, and that the Ten came to hear of it. The two opinions may be reconciled by supposing that the other apostles were at some little distance when Salome with her sons approached our Lord, that they saw by their attitude that she was asking some favour. When they learned what she had requested, they were moved with indignation against the two brethren.
were moved with indignation. Evidently they were reproaching James and John for their ambitious request.
25. But Jesus called them to him. Our Lord stopped the strife by calling them all to Him. The Ten had by their anger shewn their own ambition, hence all were guilty of the same fault.
 |
| OCR not available. Reproduced from source document. |
Totus tuus ego sum
Et omnia mea tua sunt;
Tecum semper tutus sum:
Ad Jesum per Mariam.
No comments:
Post a Comment