A Mother Asks Jesus a Favor^(A)

²⁰ Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee [^CJames and John] came to Jesus with her sons. She ·bowed [knelt] before him and asked ·him to do something for her [a favor of him].

²¹ Jesus asked, “What do you want?”

She said, “·Promise [Grant; Declare; ^LSay] that one of my sons will sit at your right ·side [hand] and the other will sit at your left side in your kingdom [^Cthe positions of highest authority beside the king].”

²² But Jesus said, “You don’t understand what you are asking. ·Can you [Are you able to] drink the cup [^Csymbolizing suffering, and perhaps God’s judgment experienced by Jesus on the cross; Jer. 25:15–29] that I am about to drink?”

The sons answered, “Yes, we ·can [are able].”

²³ Jesus said to them, “You will drink from my cup. But ·I cannot choose [it is not for me to grant/say] who will sit at my right or my left; those places belong to those for whom my Father has prepared them.”

²⁴ When the other ten ·followers [disciples] heard this, they were ·angry [indignant] with the two brothers.

²⁵ Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the ·Gentiles [nations] love to ·show their power [lord it] over the people. And their ·important leaders [high officials; ^Lgreat ones] love to ·use [exert] their authority [^Lover them]. ²⁶ But it ·should not be [must not be; is not to be] that way among you. [Instead, ^LBut] Whoever wants to become great among you must ·serve the rest of you like a servant [^Lbe your servant]. ²⁷ Whoever wants to become first among you must ·serve all of you like a slave [^Lbe slave of all]. ²⁸ In the same way, the Son of Man did not come to be served. He came to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many people [Is. 53:12; John 11:49–50].”

Two Followers Ask Jesus a Favor^(A)

³⁵ Then James and John, sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus and said, “Teacher, we want ·to ask you to do something for us [you to do whatever we ask].”

³⁶ Jesus asked, “What do you want me to do for you?”

³⁷ They answered, “Let one of us sit at your right side and one of us sit at your left side in your glory [^Cthe messianic kingdom].”

³⁸ Jesus said, “You don’t understand what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I must drink? And can you be baptized with the same kind of baptism that I must go through?” [^CBoth “cup” and “baptism” symbolize suffering, and perhaps God’s judgment experienced by Jesus on the cross; Jer. 25:15–29.]

³⁹ They answered, “Yes, we can.”

Jesus said to them, “You will drink the same cup that I will drink, and you will be baptized with the same baptism that I must go through. ⁴⁰ But ·I cannot choose [it is not for me to grant/say] who will sit at my right or my left; those places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.”

⁴¹ When ·the other ten followers [^Lthe ten] heard this, they began to be ·angry [indignant] with James and John.

⁴² Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of ·other nations [the Gentiles] love to ·show their power [lord it] over the people, and their ·important leaders [high officials; ^Lgreat ones] love to ·use [exert] their authority [^Lover them]. ⁴³ But it ·should not be [must not be; is not to be] that way among you. [Instead, ^LBut] Whoever wants to become great among you must ·serve the rest of you like a servant [^Lbe your servant]. ⁴⁴ Whoever wants to become the first among you must ·serve all of you like a slave [^Lbe your slave]. ⁴⁵ In the same way, the Son of Man did not come to be served. He came to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many people [Is. 53:12; John 11:49–50].”

Be Like a Servant^(A)

²⁴ ·The apostles also began to argue [^LThen an argument/dispute occurred among them] about which one of them was the ·most important [greatest]. ²⁵ But Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles ·rule [lord it] over them, and those who have authority over others like to be called ·‘friends of the people’ [‘Benefactors’]. ²⁶ But you must not be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the leader should be like the servant. ²⁷ [^LFor] Who is more important: the one ·sitting at the table [^Lreclining] or the one serving? Is it not the one ·sitting at the table [^Lreclining]? But I am like a servant among you.