“Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him.” (Matthew 20:20)
We don’t know much about Salome. Scripture gives us just a few glimpses, just enough to let us know she was present.
Present when Jesus taught.
Present at the cross.
Present again at the tomb.
Salome was a mother who followed Jesus closely, not just for her own sake, but on behalf of her sons; James and John, the Sons of Thunder.
And in that one bold move recorded in Matthew 20, she did what every mother, at some point, has wished they could do. She knelt before Jesus Christ and made a request for her children’s future.
It wasn’t a perfect request. She said to Him: “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.” Some might call her request presumptuous. But it was bold. Honest. Raw. And most importantly, it was brought before Jesus.
She asked, and Jesus did not rebuke her for asking. Instead, He responded with truth and foresight. “You don’t know what you are asking,” He said. Then turning to her sons, He asked, “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?” And they answered: “We can.” (Matthew 20:22)
Such a beautiful picture. A mother surrendering her sons to a path she may not fully understand, but trusts God with. And what a contrast to Rebekah, who also had a vision for her son’s future, but tried to make it happen by human schemes and favoritism, rather than petition and surrender.
What if Rebekah had asked instead of plotted?
What if she had said, “Lord, you promised the older would serve the younger, show me how to guide that process, even if it costs me”?
What if she, too, had knelt before God in surrender?
Come to think of it, if Salome was asking this of Jesus Christ, knowing who He was, it probably wasn’t the first time she had prayed that way. She reminds me of those traditional African mothers we all know: you know the ones who carry around photos of their children, interceding for them at every chance; those who pour oil on their legs in the middle of the night, give them holy water to drink, and whose hands you wake up to in the quiet hours, gently praying over you.
Those mothers whose faith and perseverance hold families together. Blessed are those who know these mothers, and blessed are these mothers themselves. Salome was one of them, a mother who dared to ask, who prayed persistently, and surrendered fully.
Salome’s story teaches us that it never hurts to ask God. Even if the answer is no. Even if the answer is “not the way you think.” Because in the asking, we surrender. In the asking, we say, “I want what’s best for them and I trust that You know what that is.”
James and John went on to become pillars of the early church. James was the first apostle to be martyred. (Acts 12:1-2). He was the first apostle to die for his faith, thus fulfilling Jesus’ prophetic words in Matthew 20:23.
We are not certain about John’s death, but we know that while on exile in the Island of Patmos, he received the Revelation of Jesus Christ (what we now know as the Book of Revelation). John also wrote the Gospel of John, 1, 2, and 3 John. He is popularly known as “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” (John 19:26-27). And he even cared for Mary, (the mother of Jesus Christ) after His death (another sign of trust and maturity)
So, they drank the cup indeed. Both sons shared in Christ’s suffering, James through martyrdom and John through exile (Revelation 1:9). But they did so as men who were offered to God by a mother who was present, prayerful, and surrendered.
Dear Parents:
What if instead of trying to manipulate outcomes for our children, we simply prayed to God and entrusted them to Him?
What if we trusted His “no” just as much as His “yes”?
What if we asked, not for positions, but for purpose?
What if we surrendered our children as ‘pleasures’ to God?
May we be parents who follow Jesus closely. Who ask boldly. And who surrender completely.
A Parent’s Prayer of Surrender
Lord, I release my children into Your hands.
I may not always know what’s best, but You do.
Help me to be bold in prayer, humble in expectation, and faithful in surrender.
Use them for Your glory, even if it costs more than I understand.
This was such a blessing. Thank you!
This was such a blessing. Thank you!