ACC ~ Mark 10 v38a

AN UNTIMELY REQUEST

CHRYSOSTOM: Do you see? They did not understand what they were asking for when they were talking to him about crowns and rewards and the privilege of the first seats and honors even before the contest had begun. Christ was communicating with them on two levels when he said: “You do not know what you are asking for.” [1] One was that they were talking about an earthly kingdom and he had said nothing about this. There had been no announcement or promise about a visible kingdom on earth. The other was that, when they sought at this time the privilege of the first seats and the honors of heaven, when they wished to be seen as more illustrious and splendid than the others, they were not asking for these things at the right time. The timing was precisely wrong. For this was not the right time for crowns or prizes. It was the time for struggles, contests, toils, sweat, wrestling rings and battles. ON THE INCOMPREHENSIBLE NATURE OF GOD 8.32-33. [2]

[1] Mt 20:22; Mk 10:38.

[2] TLG 2062.016, 48-774.33-49; FC 72:225-26**.

Mk