NOTES for Mat 20:22

Jesus is heading to Jerusalem, where His Kingdom must be fulfilled in its fullness. And the disciples are ready, as those close to Him, to share with Him the glory proper to Him: they are ready to recline beside Him at the meal, having first performed ritual washing together with Him, and to drink from His royal cup. But He stops them: they do not imagine what depth He is about to be immersed into and what cup He must drink. These lines of the Gospel were written not only to describe the apostles' lack of understanding and ambitions; they were addressed, and are addressed now, to new disciples of Christ who are just as ready to share with Him the promised triumph, but do not want to remember that the Kingdom of God is realized in service and self-sacrifice. The Son of God came into this world to serve. Why did we come here?