The Request of James and John^(A)

³⁵ James and John, the sons of Zebedee, went to Jesus^[a] and told him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask you.”

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

³⁷ They asked him, “Let us sit in your glory, one on your right and one on your left.”

³⁸ But Jesus told them, “You don’t realize what you’re asking. Can you drink from the cup that I’m going to drink from or be baptized with the baptism with which I’m going to be baptized?”

³⁹ They told him, “We can.”

Jesus told them, “You will drink from the cup that I’m going to drink and be baptized with the baptism with which I’m going to be baptized. ⁴⁰ But it’s not up to me to grant you a seat at my right or my left. Those positions have already been prepared for others.”

⁴¹ When the ten other disciples^[b] heard this, they began to be furious with James and John. ⁴² Jesus called his disciples^[c] and told them, “You know that those who are recognized as rulers among the unbelievers^[d] lord it over them, and their superiors act like tyrants over them. ⁴³ That’s not the way it should be among you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, ⁴⁴ and whoever wants to be first among you must be a slave to everyone, ⁴⁵ because even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many people.”