Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee approached him with her sons and did him homage, wishing to ask him for something. 21 He said to her, “What do you wish?” She answered him, “Command that these two sons of mine sit, one at your right and the other at your left, in your kingdom.” 22 Jesus said in reply, “You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I am going to drink?” They said to him, “We can.” 23 He replied, “My cup you will indeed drink, but to sit at my right and at my left [, this] is not mine to give but is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.” 24 When the ten heard this, they became indignant at the two brothers. 25 But Jesus summoned them and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and the great ones make their authority over them felt. 26 But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; 27 whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave. 28 Just s

Now the feast of Unleavened Bread, called the Passover, was drawing near, 2 and the chief priests and the scribes were seeking a way to put him to death, for they were afraid of the people.  3 Then Satan entered into Judas, the one surnamed Iscariot, who was counted among the Twelve, 4 and he went to the chief priests and temple guards to discuss a plan for handing him over to them.  5 They were pleased and agreed to pay him money.  6 He accepted their offer and sought a favorable opportunity to hand him over to them in the absence of a crowd.   Unleavened bread was eaten with the Passover meal based on the instructions to Moses from God when the Israelites hastily prepared to leave Egypt (Exodus 12:8).  Jesus was going to celebrate the Exodus of God’s chosen people from slavery, and he was also going to his own Exodus (Lk. 9:31).  As Jesus predicted, the chief priests and the Scribes rejected him, and plotted to kill him (Lk. 9:22).  The religious leaders had failed in their attempts

Then he proceeded to tell the people this parable. “[A] man planted a vineyard, leased it to tenant farmers, and then went on a journey for a long time.  10 At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenant farmers to receive some of the produce of the vineyard. But they beat the servant and sent him away empty-handed. 11 So he proceeded to send another servant, but him also they beat and insulted and sent away empty-handed.  12 Then he proceeded to send a third, but this one too they wounded and threw out.  13 The owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I shall send my beloved son; maybe they will respect him.’  14 But when the tenant farmers saw him they said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Let us kill him that the inheritance may become ours.’  15 So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What will the owner of the vineyard do to them?  16 He will come and put those tenant farmers to death and turn over the vineyard to others.” When the people heard this, they e

After he had said this, he proceeded on his journey up to Jerusalem.  29 As he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples.  30 He said, “Go into the village opposite you, and as you enter it you will find a colt tethered on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it here.  31 And if anyone should ask you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you will answer, ‘The Master has need of it.’”  32 So those who had been sent went off and found everything just as he had told them.  33 And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying this colt?”  34 They answered, “The Master has need of it.”  35 So they brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks over the colt, and helped Jesus to mount.  36 As he rode along, the people were spreading their cloaks on the road; 37 and now as he was approaching the slope of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of his disciples began to praise God aloud with joy for al

Then he took the Twelve aside and said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem and everything written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled.  32 He will be handed over to the Gentiles and he will be mocked and insulted and spat upon; 33 and after they have scourged him they will kill him, but on the third day he will rise.”  34 But they understood nothing of this; the word remained hidden from them and they failed to comprehend what he said.  35 Now as he approached Jericho a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging, 36 and hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what was happening.  37 They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.”  38 He shouted, “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!”  39 The people walking in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent, but he kept calling out all the more, “Son of David, have pity on me!”  40 Then Jesus stopped and ordered that he be brought to him; and when he came near, Jesus asked him, 41 “What do you want me to do