He
said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?”
Mark 10:36
Mark 10 [35.] James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came near to him, saying, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we will ask.”
Mark 10 [36.] He said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?”
Mark 10 [37.] They said to him, “Grant to us that we may sit, one at your right hand, and one at your left hand, in your glory.”
Meaning:
James and John had asked Jesus to promise in advance to do whatever they asked (Mark 10:35). Jesus does not refuse them outright, nor does he agree to an open promise. He simply asks a question: “What do you want me to do for you?” This short verse shows the wisdom and patience of Jesus, and it contains a question he still asks every person who comes to him.
- A question instead of a blank promise
Jesus would not make a promise without knowing what it involved. Herod had sworn to give the daughter of Herodias whatever she asked, and his rash oath led to the death of John the Baptizer (Mark 6:21-23). Jesus is not a careless king. He loves his disciples, but he will not hand over his authority to their wishes. By asking what they want, he brings their hidden desire into the open, where it can be examined and corrected.
- Jesus draws out the heart
Jesus often asked questions to reveal what people were thinking. When the disciples had argued on the road, he asked, “What were you arguing among yourselves on the way?” (Mark 9:33). Here too his question invites James and John to put their ambition into words. When they do, it is plain how little they have understood his teaching about the cross (Mark 10:37-40). The psalmist prayed, “Search me, God, and know my heart” (Psalm 139:23). Jesus’ questions do this kind of searching work.
- The same question to a blind beggar
Mark records Jesus asking exactly the same question just a few verses later, to blind Bartimaeus at Jericho: “What do you want me to do for you?” (Mark 10:51). The contrast is striking. James and John, who had walked with Jesus for years, asked for glory and power. Bartimaeus, a beggar by the roadside, asked simply to see. The disciples’ request was refused; the beggar’s was granted at once, and he followed Jesus on the way (Mark 10:52). Mark sets the two scenes side by side so that readers can learn what kind of asking pleases God.
- An invitation to ask
Jesus’ question is also generous. He wants to hear his followers’ requests. He taught, “Ask, and it will be given you. Seek, and you will find” (Matthew 7:7), and he assured them that the Father gives “good things to those who ask him” (Matthew 7:11). Paul urges believers, “in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6).
The Significance of Mark 10:36
- Bring your desires honestly to Jesus
Jesus invites people to tell him what they want. Prayer is not a performance but an honest conversation, in which we put our desires before him, knowing that he cares.
- Let him correct what we ask
Not every desire is good for us. When we bring our requests to Jesus, we must also be ready for him to reshape them, as he reshaped the ambitions of James and John. “The Spirit also helps our weaknesses, for we don’t know how to pray as we ought” (Romans 8:26).
Cross-References:
Mark 10:51: "Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?”" The same question asked of blind Bartimaeus.
Matthew 7:11: "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!" God delights to give good things.
Psalm 145:18: "Yahweh is near to all those who call on him, to all who call on him in truth." God hears those who call on him sincerely.
Hebrews 4:16: "draw near with boldness to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and may find grace for help in time of need." Believers are invited to ask with confidence.
Conclusion: When James and John asked Jesus for an open promise, he answered with a question: “What do you want me to do for you?” In this way he refused to be manipulated, drew their hidden ambition into the light and invited them to speak honestly. Mark repeats the same question later to blind Bartimaeus, inviting readers to compare a request for glory with a request for sight, and to bring their own desires to Jesus with honesty and humility.
PIB Scriptures are derived from the World English Bible