The request that the sons of Zebedee make of Jesus in today's Gospel passage is shaped by the long history of ancient Israel and the contemporary understanding of the role of the Messiah. The Israelite monarchy was established by Saul in the 11th century B.C. His successor, David, expanded the territory of the kingdom, making Jerusalem the capital. The glory days of the monarchy came during the reign of his son Solomon, who transformed the kingdom into a small empire, with even more expanded borders. But right after Solomon the land was split in two, the Kingdom of Israel in the north and the Kingdom of Judah in the south. In time, both areas were overrun by conquerors, and the Israelites came to live under the oppression of a series of foreign occupies - the Assyrians, the Babylonians, the Persians, the Greens, and the Romans, the last of whom held sway at the time of Jesus.
In the midst of their oppression, the Israelites received prophecies that God would send a Messiah who would liberate them. Their understanding of the coming of the Messiah was that he would be a military conqueror who would overthrown the occupiers and would rebuild the great kingdom of the past, making it even more glorious. That is how the disciples also saw Jesus, as the king who would usher in the new golden age. Hence the request of the sons of Zebedee. Their hope was that once Jesus became the king of the new monarchy, they could be the top officials in his court, enjoying all the power, wealth, and glory that would come with such positions.
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