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.”

Who Is the Greatest?

^24 (A)A dispute also arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest. ^25 (B)And he said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles ^(C)exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. ^26 (D)But not so with you. Rather, let ^(E)the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves. ²⁷ For who is the greater, ^(F)one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But ^(G)I am among you as the one who serves.

²⁸ “You are those who have stayed with me ^(H)in my trials, ²⁹ and ^(I)I assign to you, as my Father assigned to me, a kingdom, ^30 (J)that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and ^(K)sit on thrones judging ^(L)the twelve tribes of Israel.