Book of Common Prayer
Light out of darkness
4 For this reason, since we have this work entrusted to us in accordance with the mercy we have received, we don’t lose heart. 2 On the contrary, we have renounced the secret things that make people ashamed. We don’t use tricks; we don’t falsify God’s word. Rather, we speak the truth openly, and recommend ourselves to everybody’s conscience in the presence of God.
3 However, if our gospel still remains “veiled,” it is veiled for people who are perishing. 4 What’s happening there is that the god of this world has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they won’t see the light of the gospel of the glory of the Messiah, who is God’s image. 5 We don’t proclaim ourselves, you see, but Jesus the Messiah as Lord, and ourselves as your servants because of Jesus; 6 because the God who said “let light shine out of darkness” has shone in our hearts, to produce the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus the Messiah.
Treasure in earthenware pots
7 But we have this treasure in earthenware pots, so that the extraordinary quality of the power may belong to God, not to us. 8 We are under all kinds of pressure, but we are not crushed completely; we are at a loss, but not at our wits’ end; 9 we are persecuted, but not abandoned; we are cast down, but not destroyed. 10 We always carry the death of Jesus about in the body, so that the life of Jesus may be revealed in our body. 11 Although we are still alive, you see, we are always being given over to death because of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may be revealed in our mortal humanity. 12 So this is how it is: death is at work in us—but life in you!
The request of James and John
32 They were on the road, going up to Jerusalem. Jesus was walking ahead of them; they were amazed, and the people following were afraid.
Again he took the Twelve aside and began to tell them what was going to happen to him. 33 “Look,” he said, “we’re going up to Jerusalem. The son of man will be handed over to the chief priests and the legal experts, and they will condemn him to death, and hand him over to the pagans. 34 They will taunt him and spit at him and flog him and kill him—and after three days he will rise again.”
35 James and John, Zebedee’s sons, came up to him.
“Teacher,” they said, “we want you to grant us whatever we ask.”
36 “What do you want me to do for you?” asked Jesus.
37 “Grant us,” they said, “that when you’re there in all your glory, one of us will sit at your right, and the other at your left.”
38 “You don’t know what you’re asking for!” Jesus replied. “Can you drink the cup I’m going to drink? Can you receive the baptism I’m going to receive?”
39 “Yes,” they said, “we can.”
“Well,” said Jesus, “you will drink the cup I drink; you will receive the baptism I receive. 40 But sitting at my right hand or my left—that’s not up to me. It’s been assigned already.”
41 When the other ten disciples heard, they were angry with James and John. 42 Jesus called them to him.
“You know how it is in the pagan nations,” he said. “Think how their so-called rulers act. They lord it over their subjects. The high and mighty ones boss the rest around. 43 But that’s not how it’s going to be with you. Anyone who wants to be great among you must become your servant. 44 Anyone who wants to be first must be everyone’s slave. 45 Don’t you see? The son of man didn’t come to be waited on. He came to be the servant, to give his life ‘as a ransom for many.’ ”
Scripture quotations from The New Testament for Everyone are copyright © Nicholas Thomas Wright 2011, 2018, 2019.