“What would ye that I should do for you?”
The full verse · Mark 10:36 · KJV
he unto , ye that should for ?
Asked by
Jesus: the Son of God and promised Messiah, going up to Jerusalem after telling the twelve that He would be condemned, killed, and rise the third day (Mark 10:32-34)
Asked to
James Son of Zebedee: son of Zebedee and brother of John, who came with John asking Jesus to do whatever they desired (Mark 10:35); John: son of Zebedee and brother of James, one of the twelve (Mark 10:35)
The Scene
On the road up to Jerusalem, right after Jesus tells the twelve He will be mocked, scourged, and killed, James and John come and say, "Master, we would that thou shouldest do for us whatsoever we shall desire" (Mark 10:32-35).
Why It Was Asked
The purpose behind the questionJames and John wanted a blank promise. Jesus would not give one. Gill says, "Christ insists upon their telling him the particular thing they wanted to have done for them, before he would give them any promise, though he knew very well what it was they were desirous of." By asking, Jesus brought their real desire into the open, so He could answer it. Barnes (on Matthew 20) explains what lay behind the request: "They were still looking for a temporal kingdom."
The Response
What Scripture recordsThey answered, "Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory" (Mark 10:37). Jesus said, "Ye know not what ye ask: can ye drink of the cup that I drink of?" (Mark 10:38). They said, "We can," and He told them they would share His cup and baptism, but the seats were "not mine to give" (Mark 10:39-40). When the other ten were displeased, Jesus taught that whoever would be great must be their minister, "For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many" (Mark 10:41-45).
Historical Context
The world behind the wordsSitting at a king's right and left hand meant the highest honor. Barnes writes, "To sit on the right and left hand of a prince was a token of confidence, and the highest honor granted to his friends."
Matthew's account says their mother came with them and made the request, and Jesus asked her, "What wilt thou?" (Matthew 20:20-21). Gill reads Mark's question as spoken to the brothers and to their mother, and to them through her.
The Bigger Picture
Where this fits in God's storyJesus is not afraid of our desires. He asks us to name them. Here His question exposed a request for glory just after He had spoken of His suffering (Mark 10:33-34). Matthew Henry observes that if Jesus granted all our desires, "it would soon appear that we desire fame or authority," and we "should often be ruined by having our prayers answered. But he loves us, and will only give his people what is good for them."
Mark records Jesus asking almost the same question a few verses later, to blind Bartimaeus: "What wilt thou that I should do unto thee?" (Mark 10:51). Bartimaeus asked for his sight and then "followed Jesus in the way" (Mark 10:52). The same question drew out a request for status from two disciples and a request for mercy from a blind beggar.
Look Closer
Why did Jesus ask what they wanted, instead of just agreeing?
Carry the question into prayer and conversation.
Lord, You ask what I want You to do for me; when You look at my requests, what do they show about what my heart is really seeking?
A prayer to carry into the day.
- James and John asked for seats of honor; Bartimaeus asked for sight. What do your prayers usually ask for, and what does that suggest about what you value?
- Tell about a time you were glad God did not give you exactly what you asked for.
For you, a small group, a friend, or the dinner table.
Jesus invites you to tell Him plainly what you want. You do not need to hide your desires or dress them up. Bring them into the open, as He asked James and John to do.
Then be ready for Him to reshape them. James and John wanted glory; Jesus offered them His cup and a life of serving. True greatness, He said, is to be "servant of all" (Mark 10:44), because He Himself came "to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45).
This does not mean every request for honor or blessing is selfish. Jesus did not send them away for asking. He answered with truth about the cost, and with Himself as the pattern.
Built from the biblical text and checked against trusted commentaries and lexicons. References & Sources
Keep questioning
“What wilt thou?”
“Can ye drink of the cup that I drink of? And be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?”
“Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?”
“What wilt thou that I should do unto thee?”