“When you sit on your glorious throne, we want to sit in places of honor next to you, one on your right and the other on your left.”
They sound like a real humble pair, eh?
But Jesus said to them, “You don’t know what you are asking! Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering I am about to drink? Are you able to be baptized with the baptism of suffering I must be baptized with?”
“Oh yes,” they replied, “we are able!”
Then Jesus told them, “You will indeed drink from my bitter cup and be baptized with my baptism of suffering.” (Mark 10:37-40)
They had no idea what they were bargaining for when they boldly stated, ‘yes we can!’ When Jesus said they would share in his suffering, I have to wonder if they looked back on this years later while in the midst of the brutality visited upon them and realized just how little they understood what Jesus meant.
James would become the first Apostle to die - by the sword via King Herod’s orders. Church tradition tells us John was dropped into a basin of boiling oil – and survived! He was then banished to serve as slave labor in the mines on the island of Patmos. So yes, they did join Jesus in His ‘baptism of suffering’.
From their current glorious location, I’m sure these seem like both worthy and minor inconveniences on their pathway to eternity.
#LoveMatters