Today's readings continue in a slightly different form from that of yesterday: the need for service without reward. Doing the right things in the right way because they are right and not for glory, honour, praise or reward. Jesus has just told his disciples for the third time about his coming passion and glory. Their first reaction is one of alarm and puzzlement. How can the people kill their own Messiah? But the mother of two of them sees an opportunity. She uses her contact with a person in authority to get some short-cut privileges for her sons. Understandable indeed but not the way that God or Jesus works. In any case, the places at the right and left of Jesus are not privileges given to the first people who just ask. Jesus works by quite other standards. Those places will be given to those who deserve them and to no one else. And those who deserve them are those who follow Jesus most closely. But the other ten disciples are not much better. They are angry and indignant about the backdoor tactics of James and John. So Jesus teaches them about real greatness. To be great in Jesus' world is not to enjoy exclusive privileges but to be totally at the service of others. Jesus himself is the perfect example. It is a lesson we do not find easy to learn or to follow.