Commentary on a Harmony of the Evangelists Matthew Mark and Luke John Calvin (continued)
Matthew 20:20-23; Mark 10:35-40
Matthew 20:20-23; Mark 10:35-40
Matthew 20:20-23
Mark 10:35-40
20. Then came to him the mother of Zebedee's children with her sons, worshipping, 1259 and asking something from him. 21. And he said to her, What wilt thou?
She saith to him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, one at thy right hand, and the other at the left, in thy kingdom. 22. And Jesus answering said, You know not what you ask. Can you drink the cup which I shall drink, and be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized? They say to him, We can. 23. He saith to them, You shall indeed drink my cup, and you shall be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized; but to sit at my right hand, and at my left, is not mine to give; but it shall fall to those for whom it is prepared by my Father. 1260
35. And James and John, sons of Zebedee, came to him, saying, Master, we desire that thou shouldest do for us whatsoever we shall ask. 36. And he said to them, What do you wish that I should do for you? 37. And they said, Grant to us that we may sit, on at thy right hand, and the other at thy left, in thy glory. 38. And Jesus said to them, You know not what you ask. Can you drink the cup which I drink, and be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized? 39. And they said to him, We can. And Jesus said to them, You shall indeed drink the cup which I drink, and you shall be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized: 40. But to sit at my right hand, and at my left is not mine to give; but it shall fall to those for whom it is prepared. 1261
Matthew 20:20. Then came to him the mother of Zebedee's children. This narrative contains a bright mirror of human vanity; for it shows that proper and holy zeal is often accompanied by ambition, or some other vice of the flesh, so that they who follow Christ have a different object in view from what they ought to have. They
1259"S'enclinant a luy;" — "bowing down to him." 1260"Mais ceux ausquels il est apparelle de mon l'ere [l'auront];" — "but those for whom it is prepared by my Father [shall have it.]"
1261"Mais il sera [donne] a ceux ausquels il est prepare;" — "but it shall be given to those for whom it is prepared."