Matthew 20:20-28

A Request for James and John

20:20 Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her sons, and kneeling down she asked him for a favor. ¹  20:21 He said to her, “What do you want?” She replied, ²  “Permit ³  these two sons of mine to sit, one at your ⁴  right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.” 20:22 Jesus ⁵  answered, “You don’t know what you are asking! ⁶  Are you able to drink the cup I am about to drink?” ⁷  They said to him, “We are able.” ⁸  20:23 He told them, “You will drink my cup, ⁹  but to sit at my right and at my left is not mine to give. Rather, it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.”

20:24 Now ¹⁰  when the other ten ¹¹  heard this, ¹²  they were angry with the two brothers. 20:25 But Jesus called them and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those in high positions use their authority over them. 20:26 It must not be this way among you! Instead whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, 20:27 and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave ¹³  – 20:28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom ¹⁴  for many.”

Matthew 23:11

23:11 The ¹⁵  greatest among you will be your servant.

Mark 9:34

9:34 But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest.

Mark 10:35-45

The Request of James and John

10:35 Then ¹⁶  James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him and said, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask.” 10:36 He said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?” 10:37 They said to him, “Permit one of us to sit at your right hand and the other at your left in your glory.” 10:38 But Jesus said to them, “You don’t know what you are asking! Are you able to drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I experience?” ¹⁷  10:39 They said to him, “We are able.” ¹⁸  Then Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink, and you will be baptized with the baptism I experience, 10:40 but to sit at my right or at my left is not mine to give. It is for those for whom it has been prepared.” ¹⁹ 

10:41 Now ²⁰  when the other ten ²¹  heard this, ²²  they became angry with James and John. 10:42 Jesus called them and said to them, “You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those in high positions use their authority over them. 10:43 But it is not this way among you. Instead whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, 10:44 and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave ²³  of all. 10:45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom ²⁴  for many.”

Luke 9:46-48

Concerning the Greatest

9:46 Now an argument started among the disciples ²⁵  as to which of them might be ²⁶  the greatest. 9:47 But when Jesus discerned their innermost thoughts, ²⁷  he took a child, had him stand by ²⁸  his side, 9:48 and said to them, “Whoever welcomes ²⁹  this child ³⁰  in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me, for the one who is least among you all is the one who is great.” ³¹ 

Luke 22:24-27

22:24 A dispute also started ³²  among them over which of them was to be regarded as the greatest. ³³  22:25 So ³⁴  Jesus ³⁵  said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those in authority over them are called ‘benefactors.’ ³⁶  22:26 Not so with you; ³⁷  instead the one who is greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader ³⁸  like the one who serves. ³⁹  22:27 For who is greater, the one who is seated at the table, ⁴⁰  or the one who serves? Is it not ⁴¹  the one who is seated at the table? But I am among you as one ⁴²  who serves.

Romans 12:10

12:10 Be devoted to one another with mutual love, showing eagerness in honoring one another.

Philippians 2:3

2:3 Instead of being motivated by selfish ambition ⁴³  or vanity, each of you should, in humility, be moved to treat one another as more important than yourself.

[20:20]  ¹ tn Grk “asked something from him.”

[20:21]  ² tn Grk “said to him.”

[20:21]  ³ tn Grk “Say that.”

[20:21]  ⁴ tc A majority of witnesses read σου (sou, “your”) here, perhaps for clarification. At the same time, it is possible that the pronoun dropped out through haplography or was excised because of perceived redundancy (there are two other such pronouns in the verse) by א B. Either way, the translation adds it due to the requirements of English style. NA²⁷ includes σου here.

[20:22]  ⁵ tn Grk “And answering, Jesus said.” This is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation. Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[20:22]  ⁶ tn The verbs in Greek are plural here, indicating that Jesus is not answering the mother but has turned his attention directly to the two disciples.

[20:22]  ⁷ tc Most mss (C W 33 Ï, as well as some versional and patristic authorities) in addition have “or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” But this is surely due to a recollection of the fuller version of this dominical saying found in Mark 10:38. The same mss also have the Lord’s response, “and you will be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized” in v. 23, again due to the parallel in Mark 10:39. The shorter reading, in both v. 22 and v. 23, is to be preferred both because it better explains the rise of the other reading and is found in superior witnesses (א B D L Z Θ 085 Ë^1,13 pc lat, as well as other versional and patristic authorities).

[20:22]  ⁸ sn No more naïve words have ever been spoken as those found here coming from James and John, “We are able.” They said it with such confidence and ease, yet they had little clue as to what they were affirming. In the next sentence Jesus confirms that they will indeed suffer for his name.

[20:23]  ⁹ tc See the tc note on “about to drink” in v. 22.

[20:24]  ¹⁰ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.

[20:24]  ¹¹ tn Grk “the ten.”

[20:24]  ¹² tn The word “this” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

[20:27]  ¹³ tn See the note on the word “slave” in 8:9.

[20:28]  ¹⁴ sn The Greek word for ransom (λύτρον, lutron) is found here and in Mark 10:45 and refers to the payment of a price in order to purchase the freedom of a slave. The idea of Jesus as the “ransom” is that he paid the price with his own life by standing in our place as a substitute, enduring the judgment that we deserved for sin.

[23:11]  ¹⁵ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[10:35]  ¹⁶ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[10:38]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “baptism I am baptized with.” This same change has been made in v. 39.

[10:39]  ¹⁸ sn No more naïve words have ever been spoken as those found here coming from James and John, “We are able.” They said it with such confidence and ease, yet they had little clue as to what they were affirming. In the next sentence Jesus confirms that they will indeed suffer for his name.

[10:40]  ¹⁹ sn After the first passion prediction in 8:31 Jesus rebuked Peter as having been used by Satan. After the second passion prediction in 9:31 the disciples were concerned about who would be the greatest in the kingdom. After the third passion prediction in 10:33 James and John asked for positions of honor and rulership in the kingdom, revealing their complete misunderstanding of the nature of the kingdom and exposing their inadequacy as true disciples of Jesus. Jesus replied that such positions were for those for whom it has been prepared.

[10:41]  ²⁰ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.

[10:41]  ²¹ tn Grk “the ten.”

[10:41]  ²² tn The word “this” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

[10:44]  ²³ tn Though δοῦλος (doulos) is normally translated “servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free individual serving another. BDAG notes that “‘servant’ for ‘slave’ is largely confined to Biblical transl. and early American times…in normal usage at the present time the two words are carefully distinguished” (BDAG 260 s.v. 1). The most accurate translation is “bondservant” (sometimes found in the ASV for δοῦλος), in that it often indicates one who sells himself into slavery to another. But as this is archaic, few today understand its force.

[10:45]  ²⁴ sn The Greek word for ransom (λύτρον, lutron) is found here and in Matt 20:28 and refers to the payment of a price in order to purchase the freedom of a slave. The idea of Jesus as the “ransom” is that he paid the price with his own life by standing in humanity’s place as a substitute, enduring the judgment that was deserved for sin.

[9:46]  ²⁵ tn Grk “among them”; the referent (the disciples) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[9:46]  ²⁶ tn The use of the optative mood means the answer is not clear (BDF §§267.2.3; 385.2.2).

[9:47]  ²⁷ tn Grk “knowing the thoughts of their hearts” (an idiom).

[9:47]  ²⁸ tn On this use of παρά (para), see BDF §239.1.1.

[9:48]  ²⁹ tn This verb, δέχομαι (decomai), is a term of hospitality (L&N 34.53).

[9:48]  ³⁰ sn Children were very insignificant in ancient culture, so this child would be the perfect object lesson to counter the disciples’ selfish ambitions.

[9:48]  ³¹ tn Grk “among you all, this one is great.” The absence of a comparative term here makes the point that comparison should not be done.

[22:24]  ³² tn Or “happened.”

[22:24]  ³³ tn Though the term μείζων (meizwn) here is comparative in form, it is superlative in sense (BDF §244).

[22:25]  ³⁴ tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the dispute among the apostles.

[22:25]  ³⁵ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[22:25]  ³⁶ sn The title ‘benefactor,’ highlighting grace and meaning something like “helper of the people,” was even given to tyrants (2 Macc 4:2; 3 Macc 3:19; Josephus, J. W. 3.9.8 [3.459]).

[22:26]  ³⁷ tn Grk “But you are not thus.”

[22:26]  ³⁸ tn Or “the ruler.”

[22:26]  ³⁹ sn And the leader like the one who serves. Leadership was not to be a matter of privilege and special status, but of service. All social status is leveled out by these remarks. Jesus himself is the prime example of the servant-leader.

[22:27]  ⁴⁰ tn Grk “who reclines at table,” as 1st century middle eastern meals were not eaten while sitting at a table, but while reclining on one’s side on the floor with the head closest to the low table and the feet farthest away.

[22:27]  ⁴¹ tn The interrogative particle used here in the Greek text (οὐχί, ouci) expects a positive reply.

[22:27]  ⁴² sn Jesus’ example of humble service, as one who serves, shows that the standard for a disciple is different from that of the world. For an example see John 13:1-17.

[2:3]  ⁴³ tn Grk “not according to selfish ambition.” There is no main verb in this verse; the subjunctive φρονῆτε (fronhte, “be of the same mind”) is implied here as well. Thus, although most translations supply the verb “do” at the beginning of v. 3 (e.g., “do nothing from selfish ambition”), the idea is even stronger than that: “Don’t even think any thoughts motivated by selfish ambition.”