But it shall not be so among you, but whoever wants to become great among you shall be your servant.
Parallel translations
- KJV But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister:
- BSB But it shall not be this way among you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,
- NKJV Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.
- NASB But it is not this way among you; rather, whoever wants to become prominent among you shall be your servant;
- NLT But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant,
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Among Jesus' followers it must be different: greatness comes through being a servant. The kingdom measures status by humble service, not authority over others.
Overview
Jesus directly reverses worldly leadership: the one who would be great must serve. This is not a denial of leadership but a redefinition of it as self-giving service to others. The principle reshapes every Christian relationship and finds its perfect model in Christ himself.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- Matt 23:8–12But don’t you be called ‘Rabbi,’ for one is your teacher, the Christ, and all of you are brothers.
- Luke 14:11For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
- Matt 20:26–27It shall not be so among you, but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.
- Mark 9:35He sat down, and called the twelve; and he said to them, “If any man wants to be first, he shall be last of all, and servant of all.”
- Luke 9:48and said to them, “Whoever receives this little child in my name receives me. Whoever receives me receives him who sent me. For whoever is least among you all, this one will be great.”
- Gal 5:13For you, brothers, were called for freedom. Only don’t use your freedom for gain to the flesh, but through love be servants to one another.
- 1 Pet 5:5–6Likewise, you younger ones, be subject to the elder. Yes, all of you clothe yourselves with humility, to subject yourselves to one another; for “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
- Luke 18:14I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
- Rom 12:2Don’t be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what is the good, well-pleasing, and perfect will of God.
- 1 Cor 9:19–23For though I was free from all, I brought myself under bondage to all, that I might gain the more.
- John 13:13–18You call me, ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord.’ You say so correctly, for so I am.
- John 18:36Jesus answered, “My Kingdom is not of this world. If my Kingdom were of this world, then my servants would fight, that I wouldn’t be delivered to the Jews. But now my Kingdom is not from here.”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Mark drives urgently to the cross, showing Jesus the Son of God as the suffering Servant who 'came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.'
How Mark 10:43 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.