The mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus with a request (Mat 20:20-28). With her boys at her side, she said “Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your kingdom.” Though their mother asked the question, Jesus directed His two-part answer to her sons. First, to receive such positions in the kingdom of God would require suffering. Second, even though they did suffer, granting the positions they requested was not the prerogative of Jesus. Those positions would be assumed by those His Father had already chosen.
The other ten disciples were angry with the “Sons of Thunder” because of their attempted power grab. Perhaps, all twelve had an errant view of the kingdom of God. Unlike the kingdoms or nations of this world, perhaps, the kingdom of God is more about serving than ruling. It is more about serving than being served. Jesus ended this discussion with a statement about greatness in the kingdom of heaven, “And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave — just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”