Who is at Jesus' Left and Right?

Dear Apologist, why does Jesus say, “to sit at my right or at my left is not mine to give but is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father."  Who are those positions for?  



This statement is found in Matthew 20 and Mark 10.  Jesus had just predicted His death in Jerusalem when James and John suddenly request to be seated at His left and right hand when He comes into glory:

"Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. 'Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask.'

'What do you want me to do for you?' He asked.

They replied, 'Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.'

'You don’t know what you are asking,' Jesus said. 'Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?'

'We can,' they answered.

Jesus said to them, 'You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.'” - Mark 10:35-40

And by that, they were thinking of positions of temporal power when Jesus took up the mantle of a conquering king.  Obviously, they were mistaken in that assumption.

But what did Jesus mean in His reply?


Consulting the Fathers:

Saint Hilary of Poitiers, in his commentary on Matthew, proposed that those positions were meant for the Apostles, the Patriarchs, and Moses and Elijah:

"That honor is so set apart for others (as that the Apostles shall not be strangers to it) who shall sit on the throne of the Twelve Patriarchs to judge Israel. Also, as may be ascertained from the Gospels themselves, Moses and Elias shall sit with them in the kingdom of heaven, seeing that it was in their company that He appeared on the mount in His apparel of splendor."

Saint Jerome says it belongs to all those who are among the saved at the final judgement:

"Therefore if you shall be found to be such as to be fit for that kingdom of heaven which My Father has made ready for the conquerors, ye shall receive the same. He said not, Ye shall not sit there, that He might not discourage the two brethren; while He said not, Ye shall sit there, that He might not stir the others to envy."

Saint John Chrysostem, to the contrary, said no one may sit at Jesus’ left and right because His throne is so far above the status of mere creatures.

"That seat seems to be unapproachable to all, not only men, but Angels also; for so Paul assigns it peculiarly to the Only-Begotten saying, “To which of the Angels said he at any time, Sit thou on my right hand?” The Lord therefore makes answer, not as though in verity there were any that should sit there, but as condescending to the apprehensions of the petitioners."

[All citations from Aquinas's Catena Aurea]


My Theory:

I have my own theory regarding Jesus' in tent.  I focus on how Jesus had just made one explicit and one veiled reference to His crucifixion.  So I wonder... perhaps when He spoke about positions on His left and right, He was still referring to His passion?

In this case, the ones sitting on Jesus' left and right would be the two men crucified along with Him:

"And sitting down, they kept watch over him there. Above his head they placed the written charge against him: 'This is Jesus, the king of the Jews'.  Two rebels were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left." - Matthew 27:36-38