Fathers

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What the Fathers say

Matthew 20:21

Western Saints

Hilary of Poitiers

The literal sense of this is that the mother begged the Lord for the sake of her two sons. But the spiritual sense is deeper and full of symbolic significance: Think of the analogy as that between the disciples of John the Baptist and the apostles. Both [groups] suffered. Both [groups] were to die. They were the two sons of Israel who were struggling against the Pharisees. After John had suffered and died, some of his disciples came to inquire of the Lord. …

Commentary on Matthew 20.11 ↗

Thomas Aquinas

Therefore there follows the explication of the petition: and he said to her: say that these my two sons may sit, the one on your right hand, and the other on your left, in your kingdom. But there is a question: whence had this woman conceived this idea? She had heard about the passion and the resurrection; hence she had conceived something carnal, that immediately with glory he ought to be in Jerusalem; therefore she wished to ask for preeminence for her sons. …

Commentary on Matthew ↗