These two disciples had already been favored. They were with Jesus when He raised Jairus’ daughter from the dead; they were with our Lord on the Mount of Transfiguration, and, later on, in the Garden of Gethsemane, and witnessed His agony. Though of the inner circle, yet they possessed characteristics of their own. They were more eager for extreme measures for pushing their Master’s cause than was even the tempestuous Peter. Their self-poised love of the truth made them zealous. It was they who rebuked the one who cast out demons in Jesus’ name, because he did not follow them. They requested Christ to call down fire from heaven to burn up the Samaritan village that refused to receive them on account of an old prejudice against the Jews. If these disciples could have had their own way, that village, with all its inhabitants, innocent and guilty, would have speedily been reduced to ashes. How little they understood their Lord, or even themselves. They did not get the idea from their Lord, for He came to save men’s lives, and not to destroy them. Possibly Salome may have thought her sons had some claim to these honors. The family had some business standing. They had partners and servants. John had some acquaintance with the High Priest, the great head of the Hebrew Church. They had left all to follow Jesus, giving up not only their business prospects, but their friendship with ecclesiastical aristocrats, and now she was looking out for a good place in His kingdom for her sons. Probably the two brethren had directed this request through their mother, because they remembered the rebuke which had followed their former contention about precedence. She asked simply, directly, humbly, nothing for herself, but what she thought was her due. He gave her no rebuke, as He would have been sure to do if she had asked through any selfish motive. Turning to James and John He questioned them about their fitness for such promotion. Could they drink of His cup and be baptized with His baptism? They thought they were able. They knew better what He meant when Herod beheaded James, and John was banished to Patmos. Salome remained true to her Lord. When the terrible death-hour came she stood beside the cross, held there by her faith and love through the jeers of the mocking crowd, the dying agony of her Saviour, and the darkness which veiled His terrible suffering. [Illustration: SEEKING THE LIVING AMONG THE DEAD.]