Mark 10:36 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And he said to them, "What do you want me to do for you?"

NIV: "What do you want me to do for you?" he asked.

NASB: And He said to them, 'What do you want Me to do for you?'

CSB: "What do you want me to do for you?" he asked them.

NLT: What is your request?' he asked.

KJV: And he said unto them, What would ye that I should do for you

NKJV: And He said to them, “What do you want Me to do for you?”

James and John's request is not entirely without precedent. Jabez was a man from the tribe of Judah. He prayed that God would protect him from pain and enlarge his border. His request may refer to a geographical area where he could grow crops or feed his sheep, but it probably also meant he wished to have more power and influence. Jabez was known to be honorable, and God answered his prayer (1 Chronicles 4:9–10).

Years later, God approached David's son Solomon with an offer: "Ask what I shall give you" (1 Kings 3:5). Solomon asked for wisdom. God blessed his humble request by also making him the richest, most honored, and most landed king in Israel's history (1 Kings 3:3–14).

God doesn't mind when we ask Him for things. He gave us the ability to desire. Sometimes, our desires are exactly what He wants in that moment, like Mary of Bethany anointing Jesus with perfume (John 12:1–8). Sometimes our wishes are in God's plan, but the timing isn't right, like Paul's desire to visit the church in Rome (Romans 1:9–10). Other times, our desires aren't bad, they just aren't what God has in mind. Or, God simply has other people in mind, and not us, such as with Paul's attempt to preach the gospel in Asia (Acts 16:6).

Even our selfish desires provide us with an opportunity for growth, as James and John experience here. Jesus engages with James and John, drawing out what it is they want. Once they are honest about their desires, Jesus can lead them in the harder work of submitting those desires to God and altering their ambitions to fit into the kingdom of God. No matter our desire, when we approach God honestly with it, He can use that to make us more spiritually mature.

Mark 10:35–45 describes the arrogant request of James and John to have positions of power and authority in Jesus' coming kingdom. This comes after learning that Jesus values the powerless like women and children (Mark 10:1–16), that those with earthly power and wealth can have a hard time following God because they can tend to value their possessions more (Mark 10:17–22), and that part of Jesus' plan for His kingdom is to die a horrible death (Mark 10:32–34). Neither Luke nor John record this account, but Matthew adds that James and John's mother is involved in the request (Matthew 20:20–28).

In this passage, Jesus again confronts the Pharisees by clarifying God's views on marriage and divorce. He reminds the disciples not to dismiss the spiritual perspective of children. This chapter also records Jesus' encounter with the rich young ruler, who becomes an object lesson in why wealth makes it hard for people to rely on God. After this, Jesus deftly sets aside an arrogant request from James and John, and again predicts His impending death. Just prior to the triumphal entry of chapter 11, Jesus is sought out by Bartimaeus, whom He heals of blindness.

In between chapters 9 and 10, Jesus resumes His public teaching as He travels to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles (Luke 9:57—18:14; John 7—10). We meet Him here across the Jordan in Perea and follow as He makes His way west again to Jericho. This chapter surrounds a third prophecy of Jesus' death (Mark 10:32–34) with lessons on His value for those others often dismiss: women (Mark 10:1–12), the powerless (Mark 10:13–16), those who value God more than the world (Mark 10:17–31), servant-hearted leaders (Mark 10:35–45), and those with bold faith (Mark 10:46–52). Next is the triumphal entry and the beginning of Passion Week.

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus' servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel's authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus' miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus' teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus' ministry being misunderstood by others.