“For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went
out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. After
agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into
his vineyard. And going out about the third hour he saw others
standing idle in the marketplace, and to them he said, ‘You go into
the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they
went. Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he
did the same. And about the eleventh hour he went out and found
others standing. And he said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle
all day?’ They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said
to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’ And when evening came, the
owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and
pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.’
And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them
received a denarius. Now when those hired first came, they thought
they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius.
And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house,
saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them
equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching
heat.’ But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no
wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what belongs
to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to
you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me?
Or do you begrudge my generosity?’ So the last will be first, and
the first last.”

  And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve
disciples aside, and on the way he said to them, “See, we are going
up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the
chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death and
deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and
crucified, and he will be raised on the third day.”

  Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him with her
sons, and kneeling before him she asked him for something. And he
said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Say that these
two sons of mine are to sit, one at your right hand and one at your
left, in your kingdom.” Jesus answered, “You do not know what you
are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?” They
said to him, “We are able.” He said to them, “You will drink my
cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to
grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my
Father.” And when the ten heard it, they were indignant at the two
brothers. But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the
rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones
exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. But
whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever
would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man
came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a
ransom for many.”

  And as they went out of Jericho, a great crowd followed him. And
behold, there were two blind men sitting by the roadside, and when
they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, “Lord, have
mercy on us, Son of David!” The crowd rebuked them, telling them to
be silent, but they cried out all the more, “Lord, have mercy on
us, Son of David!” And stopping, Jesus called them and said, “What
do you want me to do for you?” They said to him, “Lord, let our
eyes be opened.” And Jesus in pity touched their eyes, and
immediately they recovered their sight and followed him.

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001
by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by
permission. All rights reserved.