Whoever Exalts Himself Shall Be Humbled

Then, the mother of the sons of Zebadee approached him with her two sons and kneeled before him, showing him that she wanted  to ask him something. He said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Command that my two sons here may have a seat in your kingdom,  one on your right and the other on your left.” But Jesus answered  her, “You do not know what you are asking; can you drink from the cup that I will drink?” They said to him, “We can.” Jesus answered  them, “It is true that you will drink from the cup that I will drink, but as for being seated on my right or on my left, it is not for me to grant, but it will be for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.” Having heard this, the other ten disciples were filled with indignation  against the two brothers. Jesus called them  to himself  and  said to them, “You know that the princes of the nations rule over them and that the mighty treat them with authority. It shall not be the same among you; but let him who wants to become the greatest be your servant, and let him who wants to be the first among you be your slave; just as the Son of man has not come to be served but to serve and to give his life for the redemption of many. (Mt. 20:20-28)