Here I disagree strongly. It is everywhere clear in Mark - read with pauline eyes - that the death of Jesus represents the maximum ''of the his glory'' (even the moment, per Tom Dykstra, when the Messianic Secret is revealed). Therefore insofar the Golgotha is the glory of Jesus, the two thieves are sharing the same glory relative to be ''on his left and right''.The two thieves being hung next to Jesus is not a fulfillment of any prediction that two people would sit next to Jesus in his glory. The two things are connected, yes. But the one does not fulfill the other without remainder.
Therefore the value of the martyrdom of the sons of Zebedee is virtually less than the value of the ''martyrdom'' of the two thieves: entirely vain, completely zero.
Not even when Jesus himself explains that the ''thorns'' represent ''thirst for glory'' in Mark 4:19 ?No, I do not. I do not see any substantive connection between thorns and a thirst for glory.