A Mother's Request

20 (A)Then (B)the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him with her sons, and (C)kneeling before him she asked him for something. 21 And he said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Say that these two sons of mine (D)are to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, (E)in your kingdom.” 22 Jesus answered, (F)“You do not know what you are asking. Are you able (G)to drink the cup that I am to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.” 23 He said to them, (H)“You will drink (I)my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, (J)but it is for those for whom it has been (K)prepared by my Father.” 24 And when the ten heard it, they were indignant at the two brothers. 25 But Jesus called them to him and said, (L)“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles (M)lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 26 (N)It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant,[a] 27 and whoever would be first among you must be your slave,[b] 28 even as the Son of Man came not to be served but (O)to serve, and (P)to give his life as a ransom for (Q)many.”

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Notas al pie

  1. Matthew 20:26 Greek diakonos
  2. Matthew 20:27 Or bondservant, or servant (for the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface)

Jesus Teaches about Serving Others

20 Then the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus with her sons. She knelt respectfully to ask a favor. 21 “What is your request?” he asked.

She replied, “In your Kingdom, please let my two sons sit in places of honor next to you, one on your right and the other on your left.”

22 But Jesus answered by saying to them, “You don’t know what you are asking! Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering I am about to drink?”

“Oh yes,” they replied, “we are able!”

23 Jesus told them, “You will indeed drink from my bitter cup. But I have no right to say who will sit on my right or my left. My Father has prepared those places for the ones he has chosen.”

24 When the ten other disciples heard what James and John had asked, they were indignant. 25 But Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. 26 But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. 28 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

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