The disciples’ silence that follows this question speaks for itself. They do not dare tell the Master that on the way they had been quarrelling about who among them was the greatest. They don’t hide their quarrel with evasions. They become silent, and that says something. With this “silence” we must remember that the disciples had noticed often enough that they could not hide anything from Jesus. He fathoms the hearts and sees through the people. His question already tells them that he knows everything about it. Their silence is therefore not a stubborn reaction but an embarrassed one. One look or question of Jesus is enough to make clear to them how their discussions had ignored the reality of the Master.1
34 But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest.