In what is probably the same incident, Mark makes it clear that it is James and John themselves who are asking for the favour. So maybe they got their mother to ask on their behalf. Brave boys that they were!
The request was to be able to sit at the right and left hand of Jesus in His kingdom. The good part of this is that at least they realised that Jesus would be the king of kings. The bad part is that they still had not grasped what the kingdom was about.
Jesus then speaks to James and John directly (adding weight to the view that the mother was just asking on their behalf). He asks them if they can drink the cup that He would drink. In saying this He is asking if they can go through what He has to go through, namely the cross.
Without having a clue what they are talking about, James and John say yes. Interestingly Jesus agrees with them, even though they do not understand what He is talking about. Shortly, James and John would, along with the rest of the disciples, desert Jesus. However, later on they would both indeed suffer for Christ. Jesus knows full well our weaknesses and shortcomings, but He also knows what the Holy Spirit is capable of doing within us, the way that He can transforms us into what we are meant to be.
The rest of the disciples are indignant about James and John's request, but Jesus knows that their attitude is no better. So He teaches all of them about the nature of the kingdom. It is not about gaining position or prestige, but about serving. In the kingdom the only authority we have is the authority to serve others.
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