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I start by offering you my warmest regards.

My name is Paolo, and until recently I had a superficial approach to the Bible. I had always considered it to be  the word of God, but I did not examine it with due attention.

Now, however, I have started to meditate on it and study it with more devotion, and today I have come across a verse that confuses me.

I’m talking about a verse from the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 20 verse 23: He replied, “My cup you will indeed drink, but to sit at my right and at my left (, this) is not mine to give but is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.”

My doubt is the following: if Jesus is God, how come He says that it is not up to Him to decide who will be sitting at His right and left side?

Saint Pius X in his catechism explains that the Holy Trinity always works together.

I thank you in advance for your response and I assure you of my prayers.

May the Lord bless you


Priest’s response

Dear Paolo,

1. The passage you refer to is known: the mother of the apostles James and John, sons of Zebedee, asks for them to be placed one on the right and the other on the left  side in His Kingdom.

Jesus answered her with the words you reported.

2. St. Thomas, commenting on this passage of the Gospel, says that from these words the Arians argued that “the dignity of the Father and the Son is not equal”.

The Arians denied the divinity of the Son, saying that He is the first creature of God, but He is not God

3. In this regard it is necessary to remember that in Christ there were two natures: the divine and the human.

The divine one has always operated in communion with the Father:The Father and I are one.”” (Jn 10.30). Therefore, the first and second place were agreed upon by the Father and the Son together.

Nonetheless,  it is not up to Christ according to His human nature to establish who should have those places.

4. Biblical scholar Father Marco Sales comments: “Jesus speaks here as a man sent by the Father to carry out the work of the redemption of men.

As a man He is only the executor of the Father’s will, and therefore the distribution of places in the Kingdom of God does not belong to Him; but this is reserved for the Father, who in His eternal decrees, assigned them to whoever He wanted to.

As God Jesus Christ is equal to the Father, and everything that is the Father’s is also His: “Everything of mine is yours and everything of yours is mine” (Jn 17:10). And he can say: “It is you who have stood by me in my trials; and I confer a kingdom on you, just as my Father has conferred one on me, (Lk 22:28,29)”.

5. I wish you will continue to progress in your understanding of the Holy Scriptures. In fact, the Holy Spirit says through the mouth of Paul that “All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that one who belongs to God may be competent, equipped for every good work”. ( 2 Tim 3:16,17).

It is therefore useful for four reasons.

First, to teach the truth, or rather the truths of faith.

Second, to refute errors.

Third, to correct vices and turn away from evil.

Fourth, to give effective rules for the practice of good in order to guide man to holiness.

Together with this wish, while I thank you for the prayers you have assured me, I bless you and accompany you also  with mine,

Father Angelo