Greatness Is Serving^(A)

^35 (B)Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, “Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask.”

Greatness Is Serving^(A)

^20 (B)Then the mother of ^(C)Zebedee’s sons came to Him with her sons, kneeling down and asking something from Him.

²¹ And He said to her, “What do you wish?”

She said to Him, “Grant that these two sons of mine ^(D)may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your kingdom.”

²² But Jesus answered and said, “You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink ^(E)the cup that I am about to drink, ^[a]and be baptized with ^(F)the baptism that I am baptized with?”

They said to Him, “We are able.”

²³ So He said to them, ^(G)“You will indeed drink My cup, ^[b]and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared by My Father.”

^24 (H)And when the ten heard it, they were greatly displeased with the two brothers. ²⁵ But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. ²⁶ Yet ^(I)it shall not be so among you; but ^(J)whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. ^27 (K)And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave— ^28 (L)just as the ^(M)Son of Man did not come to be served, ^(N)but to serve, and ^(O)to give His life a ransom ^(P)for many.”

³³ And He ^(A)took Peter, James, and John with Him, and He began to be troubled and deeply distressed.

³⁷ And He permitted no one to follow Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James.

¹⁹ When He had gone a little farther from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the boat mending their nets. ²⁰ And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him.

²⁰ Then she said, “I desire one small petition of you; do not ^[a]refuse me.”

And the king said to her, “Ask it, my mother, for I will not refuse you.”

¹⁶ Now I ask one petition of you; do not ^[a]deny me.”

And she said to him, “Say it.”

⁴ And when the woman of Tekoa ^[a]spoke to the king, she ^(A)fell on her face to the ground and prostrated herself, and said, ^(B)“Help, O king!”

⁵ Then the king said to her, “What troubles you?”

And she answered, ^(C)“Indeed I am a widow, my husband is dead. ⁶ Now your maidservant had two sons; and the two fought with each other in the field, and there was no one to part them, but the one struck the other and killed him. ⁷ And now the whole family has risen up against your maidservant, and they said, ‘Deliver him who struck his brother, that we may execute him ^(D)for the life of his brother whom he killed; and we will destroy the heir also.’ So they would extinguish my ember that is left, and leave to my husband neither name nor remnant on the earth.”

⁸ Then the king said to the woman, “Go to your house, and I will give orders concerning you.”

⁹ And the woman of Tekoa said to the king, “My lord, O king, let ^(E)the ^[b]iniquity be on me and on my father’s house, ^(F)and the king and his throne be guiltless.”

¹⁰ So the king said, “Whoever says anything to you, bring him to me, and he shall not touch you anymore.”

¹¹ Then she said, “Please let the king remember the Lord your God, and do not permit ^(G)the avenger of blood to destroy anymore, lest they destroy my son.”

And he said, ^(H)“As the Lord lives, not one hair of your son shall fall to the ground.”

Jesus Transfigured on the Mount

^2 (A)Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and led them up on a high mountain apart by themselves; and He was transfigured before them.