Labour and Reward

Τὴν αἴτησιν τῆς μητέρος τῶν υἱων Ζεβεδαίου οὐχ ὡς ἀδύνατον αὐτῳ παραιτ εἶται  ὁ Κύριος· ὁ γὰρ βούλεται δύναται· ἀλλ' ὡς ἄτοπον ἀπεπέμψατο. Εἰπὲ γὰρ, φησὶν, ἵνα οἱ δύο υἱοι μου καθίσωσιν, εἶς ἐκ δεξιῶν σοι, καὶ εἶς ἐξ εὐωνύμων σου ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ σου. Ὁ δὲ δίκαιος μισθαποδότης, εὐλόγῳ τινὶ κρίσει σωφρονίζει τὸ ἄτοπον. Οὐκ ἔστιν ἐμον δοῠναι ἁπλῶς τοῖς αἰτοῦσιν, ἀλλὰ παρασχεῖν μισωὸν τοῖς καμοῦσιν· οὐκ ἔστι γὰρ δικαίου κριτοῦ τοὺς ἱδρῶτας παριδεῖν, καὶ ῥᾳθύμοις παρασχεῖν. Εἰ τοίνυν τῆς καθέδρας ἐρῶσι, τοὺς ἀγῶνας οὐκ ἀγνοοῦσιν, ὦν ἐκείνη βραβεῖον τοῖς νομίμως ἀθλοῦσιν ἠτοίμασται. Ἅγιος Ἰσίδωρος Του Πηλουσιώτου, Βιβλιον Πρῶτον, Ἐπιστολὴ ΡΑΖ' Νειλῳ

The question of the mother of the sons of Zebedee was not for something that exceeded the power of the Lord, since had He wished He was able, but it was refused as something absurd. 'For say,' she said, 'that my two sons will sit with you, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.'  1 But that righteous one who gives reward with reasonable judgement chides the absurdity. It is not mine to give what you have asked, but to furnish reward to those who have toiled, for it is not of correct judgement to have contempt for the sweat stained righteous and to reward those who are indolent. If then it is so for those who love to sit in seats, ignorant of struggle, so He has ready the prize for those whose custom it is to run the race. Saint Isidore of Pelustium, Book 1, Letter 137 To Nilus 1 Mt 20.21