Matthew 20:21b She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom.

I am grateful it was not John and James who asked, but rather their mother. It might be harder to explain if they had. John and James had been taught better. Having spent so much time with Jesus, perhaps they had not yet shared with their mother what Jesus had said.

Luke 20:42 Beware of the scribes, which desire to walk in long robes, and love greetings in the markets, and the highest seats in the synagogues, and the chief rooms at feasts;

I do not blame the mother for her asking. It was the custom of Jews to desire good seating. Even today you can tell who donates the most in local synagogues by where they sit. After the custom of her heritage it was not a totally unreasonable request.

For what it’s worth most of the things we ask of Jesus are not unreasonable. When we do not get what we ask we do wonder what happened to our answer. Is that a no? Is that a not yet? Do I need to rephrase or amend my request? But does it occur to us that we ask amiss?

Matthew 20:22a&23c Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask….to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give.

Jesus would not cross boundaries. He was born with a purpose and a direction. He knew why He was there and what He had to do. Anything beyond the bounds of what His Father showed Him to do to glorify the Father, He would not touch.

Matthew 20:23d but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father.

The will of the Father is paramount. Do we seek His will in that which we ask?