Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

²⁰ At this point the mother of the sons of Zebedee arrived with her sons and knelt in front of Jesus to ask him a favour.

²¹ “What is it you want?” he asked her. “Please say that these two sons of mine may sit one on each side of you when you are king!” she said.

²² “You don’t know what it is you are asking,” replied Jesus. “Can you two drink what I have to drink?” “Yes, we can,” they answered.

²³ “Ah, you will indeed ‘drink my drink’,” Jesus told them, “but as for sitting on either side of me, that is not for me to grant—that belongs to those for whom my Father has planned it.”

²⁴ When the other ten heard of this incident they were highly indignant with the two brothers.

^25-28 But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the heathen lord it over them and that their great ones have absolute power? But it must not be so among you. No, whoever among you wants to be great must become the servant of you all, and if he wants to be first among you he must be your slave—just as the Son of Man has not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life to set many others free.”