Matthew 20:20-28 (A mother pleads for her sons.)

Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favour of him. ‘What is it you want?’ he asked. She said, ‘Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.’ ‘You don’t know what you are asking,’ Jesus said to them. ‘Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?’ ‘We can,’ they answered. Jesus said to them, ‘You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.’

When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers. Jesus called them together and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave – just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.’

I would love to eavesdrop on conversations that take place on the afternoon of Mothering Sunday. Once the flowers have been given and the family lunch has been enjoyed, there comes a time when some bright spark will raise the question of the validity of Mothering Sunday in this day and age. These days roles within the household are shared more equally by both parents. No longer is it the case that mothers are the unsung stay-at-home nest providers whilst the fathers are out at work. Also, and thankfully, both parents can be as gentle, caring, understanding and forgiving as each other. The caricaturisation of male and female is a dangerous game. To say that a father rewards a child with a firm handshake and a pat on the back whereas a mother gives them a hug and a kiss would attract a lot of criticism. And yet Fathers’ Day will never match Mothers’ Day. And many a believer will be drawn to the open arms of Mary. 

Our Bible story this week plays into the hands of those who still see mums and dads acting very differently. Here we see a mum doing what dad would never do. The mother of Zebedee’s sons kneels in front of Jesus to ask him a favour on behalf of James and John. We can almost hear Zebedee in the background saying, ‘For goodness sake, woman, get up and leave Jesus alone. Let our sons prove themselves and fairly earn any future promotion.’ Mothers! 

When I was young, I remember both our mother and our father being very proud of me and my two sisters. But it was my mother who instilled in me the thought that I was special. It took me decades to shake off that view…but also to understand why she believed it. I now realise that I am special, not necessarily to you but to my mother. And I am special to my father. In the same way that a ‘special offer’ in a shop will attract one customer but leave another unimpressed, being special is not a universal quality. Something or someone is special only because the beholder has seen something that others might not have done. 

The mother of the sons of Zebedee believed her sons were special. It’s a lovely thought that you and I, though not necessarily God’s gift to mankind, are special to somebody somewhere. Today, let’s thank God from such people. Let us also grasp the opportunity to make other people feel that they are special. And let us turn to God and see in him the typical parental belief that you and I are special in his eyes.