just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many [paying the price to set them free from the penalty of sin].”

“For the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of an estate who went out in the morning at dawn to hire workmen for his vineyard.

And He said to her, “What do you wish?” She answered Him, “Command that in Your kingdom these two sons of mine may sit [in positions of honor and authority] one on Your right and one on Your left.”

But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles have absolute power and lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them [tyrannizing them].

But Jesus replied, “You do not realize what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup [of suffering] that I am about to drink?” They answered, “We are able.”

He said to them, “You will drink My cup [of suffering]; but to sit on My right and on My left this is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by My Father.”

And when the [other] ten heard this, they were resentful and angry with the two brothers.

And two blind men were sitting by the road, and when they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David (Messiah)!”

and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your [willing and humble] slave;

Then [Salome] the mother of Zebedee’s children [James and John] came up to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down [in respect], asked a favor of Him.

Jesus stopped and called them, and asked, “What do you want Me to do for you?”

It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant,

As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed Him.

As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, He took the twelve [disciples] aside, and along the way He said to them,

So those who are last [in this world] shall be first [in the world to come], and those who are first, last.”

Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes; and immediately they regained their sight and followed Him [as His disciples].

They answered Him, “Lord, we want our eyes to be opened.”

When he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius for the day, he sent them into his vineyard.

Am I not lawfully permitted to do what I choose with what is mine? Or is your eye envious because I am generous?’

“Listen carefully: we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and scribes (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court), and they will [judicially] condemn Him and sentence Him to death,

The crowd sternly told them to be quiet, but they cried out all the more, “Lord, Son of David (Messiah) have mercy on us!”

and will hand Him over to the Gentiles (Roman authorities) to be mocked and scourged and crucified, and He will be raised [to life] on the third day.”

But the owner of the estate replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no injustice. Did you not agree with me for a denarius?

And about the eleventh hour (5:00 p.m.) he went out and found others standing around, and he said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here idle all day?’

saying, ‘These men who came last worked [only] one hour, and yet you have made them equal [in wages] to us who have carried [most of] the burden and [worked in] the scorching heat of the day.’

“When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last [to be hired] and ending with the first [to be hired].’

And he went out about the third hour (9:00 a.m.) and saw others standing idle in the market place;

and he said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right (an appropriate wage).’ And they went.

Those who had been hired at the eleventh hour (5:00 p.m.) came and received a denarius each [a day’s wage].

When they received it, they protested and grumbled at the owner of the estate,

Now when the first [to be hired] came, they thought they would get more; but each of them also received a denarius.

He went out about the sixth hour (noon) and the ninth hour (3:00 p.m.), and did the same thing.

Take what belongs to you and go, but I choose to give to this last man [hired] the same as I give to you.

They answered him, ‘Because no one hired us.’ He told them, ‘You go into the vineyard also.’