3. Jesus' passion and the way of service (10:32-45)

With this third prediction, the sense of drama is acute: Jesus and his disciples are traveling to Jerusalem, the place of betrayal. The blindness of the disciples is manifest both by their astonishment (v.32) and by the ensuing discussion of places in honor. Still believing that “Christ” signified “glorious King,” James and John hope to reserve seats of honor. Jesus redirects their attention to suffering and calamity, his and theirs, for the kingdom has not yet been fully realized. Within the community of faith, discipleship entails service for one another, best exemplified by Jesus himself, who came to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. This is the secret by which salvation is made available: Jesus' sacrificial death. For Mark, to understand this is to understand Jesus' true significance.