Matthew 20:20

§ 107. AMBITIOUS REQUEST OF SALOME FOR HER SONS, Matthew 20:20-28 .

20. Mother of Zebedee’s children The mother of Zebedee’s children was Salome; and the children were James and John, the beloved disciple. Their residence was at Bethsaida, on the shore of Lake Gennesaret. The father, though named, never appears in Gospel history after their discipleship; from which it is inferred that he was either dead or of an insignificant character. From the silent agreement of all the evangelists in thus leaving Zebedee in the background, Mr. Blunt, in his book on the Undesigned Coincidences of the Gospels, draws a very ingenious and forcible proof of the truth of Gospel history. The tacit consent that there was a Zebedee, who did indeed exist, but was of no sort of consequence to the history, except as the husband of Salome and the father of James and John, can be explained only on the ground of its actual truth.

However faulty the conduct of Salome appears on this occasion, she manifested a true, undying love for the Saviour in the most trying times of his subsequent sufferings. She was not solely attracted to him by the ties of self-interest or hopes of royal bounty. She was among those who stood by him to the last at the cross, and among the earliest to embalm him at the grave. She listened to the testimony of the angel that he had risen, and was one of the women that saw the risen Saviour by the way, and bore the message to the disciples.

Came with her sons Both mother and sons were inspired with a common ambition. Worshipping him Doing him reverence as already a divine King, the Messiah. Her reverence is none the less profound from the fact that she comes to desire a royal favour.