Jesus and those with him were on their way to Jerusalem. He was at the front of the group. His followers were wondering what was happening, and the people who followed behind them were feeling afraid. Jesus gathered the twelve apostles again and talked with them alone. He told them what would happen in Jerusalem. He said, “We are going to Jerusalem. The Son of Man will be handed over to the leading priests and teachers of the law. They will say that he must die and will hand him over to the foreigners, who will laugh at him and spit on him. They will beat him with whips and kill him. But on the third day after his death, he will rise to life again.”
Then James and John, sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus and said, “Teacher, we want to ask you to do something for us.”
Jesus asked, “What do you want me to do for you?”
The sons answered, “Let us share the great honor you will have as king. Let one of us sit at your right side and the other at your left.”
Jesus said, “You don’t understand what you are asking. Can you drink from the cup that I must drink from? Can you be baptized with the same baptism that I must go through?”
The sons answered, “Yes, we can!”
Jesus said to the sons, “It is true that you will drink from the cup that I drink from. And you will be baptized with the same baptism that I must go through. But it is not for me to say who will sit at my right or my left. God has prepared those places for the ones he chooses.”
When the other ten followers heard this, they were angry with James and John. Jesus called all the followers together. He said, “The non-Jewish people have men they call rulers. You know that those rulers love to show their power over the people. And their important leaders love to use all their authority over the people. But it should not be that way with you. Whoever wants to be your leader must be your servant. Whoever wants to be first must serve the rest of you like a slave. Follow my example: Even the Son of Man did not come for people to serve him. He came to serve others and to give his life to save many people.”
Then they came to the town of Jericho. When Jesus left there with his followers, a large crowd was with them. A blind man named Bartimaeus (meaning “son of Timaeus”) was sitting by the road. He was always begging for money. He heard that Jesus from Nazareth was walking by. So he began shouting, “Jesus, Son of David, please help me!”
Many people criticized the blind man and told him to be quiet. But he shouted more and more, “Son of David, please help me!”
Jesus stopped and said, “Tell him to come here.”
So they called the blind man and said, “You can be happy now. Stand up! Jesus is calling you.” The blind man stood up quickly. He left his coat there and went to Jesus.
Jesus asked the man, “What do you want me to do for you?”
He answered, “Teacher, I want to see again.”
Jesus said, “Go. You are healed because you believed.” Immediately the man was able to see again. He followed Jesus down the road.
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