Why did the sons of Zebedee ask (through their mother) for positions in the kingdom of heaven when Jesus had clearly indicated to them that in Jerusalem, he would be condemned to death and crucified? Only two possible answers: either they knew what they were asking for, or they did not.

But what if it was really the mother who wanted this and the sons were simply agreeable to her wish? We then see a case of misguided ambition of a mother who only wanted the best for her two boys. But the truth is that this idea is likely to be in the minds of the ten other disciples as well. It is just that a woman had the courage to voice it, rightly or wrongly. This explains the indignation on their part, revealing the underlying competitive nature of the relationship amongst the disciples and their later argument about who amongst them is the greatest. The point here is not whether the request should have been made or not. Rather, it is about the misguided ambition that Mrs Zebedee and the disciples all harboured and the servant attitude that Jesus wishes for them to adopt instead, using himself as reference for the Son of God came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.

As Christians, we are always invited to guard against personal ambition in the name of God's mission and to pray for the grace to be the servant in all that we do.