132 QUAKER ASPECTS OF TRUTH 



talking about during their journey, and it transpired 

 that they had been quarrelling as to which of them 

 should be greatest when the campaign had been fought 

 and won, and the Messianic Kingdom established. 

 So He told them that whoever would be first in His 

 Kingdom should be last of all ; and, taking a little child 

 in His arms He warned them that unless they flung 

 aside their selfish ambitions and became as that little 

 child, they never could enter the Kingdom at alh 



But even after that, we find James and John coming 

 secretly to Jesus, and asking Him that they might sit, 

 one on His right hand and one on His left, occupying 

 the places of greatest honour in His government, when 

 the Kingdom was established. Sadly He told them, 

 **Ye know not what ye ask/' And then followed the 

 question, '* Are ye able to drink of the Cup that I drink 

 of and to be baptised with the Baptism that I am baptised 

 with ? ** And, thinking only of the hardships of the 

 campaign, they glibly answered, ** We are able/' 

 Whereupon He sadly told them, '' Ye shall indeed drink 

 of the Cup that I drink of, and be baptised with the 

 Baptism that I am baptised with, but to sit on My right 

 hand and on My left is not Mine to give/' Then, when 

 the other disciples heard that James and John had gone 

 behind their backs, trying to steal a march upon them, 

 they were very angry. And Jesus called them all to Him, 

 and pointed out that the world-conquerors lorded it 

 over the conquered races ; but in His Kingdom, all that 

 would be reversed, and those would be accounted 

 greatest who served most humbly. 



But in spite of all Christ's teaching, only two of His 

 disciples seem to have realised the futility of their hopes : 

 these were Judas and the doubting Thomas. The one 

 has ever stood as the type of infidelity, whilst the other 

 ought by right, to have equally stood as the type of true 

 Faith. The crushing of all bis ambitious hopes filled 



