What does Jesus mean by asking, "What do you want Me to do for you?" Text of Mark 10:36 “And He asked them, ‘What do you want Me to do for you?’ ” Immediate Narrative Setting James and John have just approached Jesus with a request for places of honor in His glory (Mark 10:35–37). Their question exposes ambition; Jesus’ counter-question exposes motive. Two dozen verses later, the same words are spoken to blind Bartimaeus (Mark 10:51), whose request is a cry of desperate faith. Mark intentionally brackets these scenes to contrast self-seeking with faith-filled dependence. Original Language and Rhetorical Force The Greek τί θέλετέ με ποιήσω ὑμῖν? places θέλετέ (“do you will/desire”) first, accenting volition. Jesus forces the petitioner to articulate desire so the true condition of the heart surfaces. It is a Socratic device that invites self-examination before divine scrutiny. Old Testament Echoes 1 Kings 2:20 (“Make your request, my mother, for I will not refuse you.”) and 2 Chronicles 1:7 (“Ask! What shall I give you?”) frame royal grant scenes. Solomon’s request for wisdom became a paradigm of rightly ordered desire (Proverbs 4:7). By echoing these moments, Jesus implies He is the greater Solomon (Matthew 12:42), offering gifts yet testing hearts. Theological Themes 1. Divine Omniscience and Human Freedom The omniscient Christ already knows the petitioner’s need (Matthew 6:8), yet He honors creaturely freedom by inviting explicit petition. Prayer is not information transfer but relationship formation. 2. Servant Leadership vs. Worldly Ambition Jesus’ next words redefine greatness: “Whoever desires to be first must be slave of all” (Mark 10:44). The question therefore functions as a mirror; James and John see distorted ambition, Bartimaeus sees a merciful King. 3. Faith as Vision In Mark’s structure, physical blindness mirrors spiritual blindness. James and John “see” but do not perceive; Bartimaeus, though blind, “sees” who Jesus is (Son of David). The repeated query emphasizes that true sight is faith (Hebrews 11:1). Discipleship Implications Every disciple must answer the same question. Do we treat Jesus as a means to self-exaltation or as Lord to be trusted? The passage warns against a prosperity cult of entitlement while affirming bold petition grounded in surrender (John 14:13–14 balanced by James 4:3). Prayer Paradigm A healthy request will • Align with the revealed will of God (1 John 5:14) • Aim at God’s glory, not personal status (1 Corinthians 10:31) • Flow from faith that He is able and good (Hebrews 11:6) • Rest in submission—“Yet not what I will, but what You will” (Mark 14:36) Christological Significance Immediately after this dialogue Jesus predicts His atoning death (Mark 10:45). The One asking, “What do you want?” will Himself supply the deepest need—redemption. The question thus points forward to the cross, where He does for us what we could never do for ourselves (2 Corinthians 5:21). Comparative Gospel Passages • Matthew 20:32; Luke 18:41—parallel to Bartimaeus • John 1:38—Jesus’ first words in John, “What do you seek?” Similar diagnostic query. The convergence across two independent traditions (Mark/Q and Johannine) underscores authenticity, supported by early papyri such as P45 (c. AD 200) that preserve these interrogatives. Historical Reliability Archaeological corroborations—Nazareth house excavations (2009), Galilean fishing boat (1986), and first-century synagogue at Magdala (2009)—anchor Mark’s geography in verifiable sites. Codex Sinaiticus (AD 330-360) and the Chester Beatty papyri witness to a stable Markan text. Such data refute late-myth theories and confirm that the episode rests on eyewitness memory (cf. Papias, fragment 3). Pastoral Application Believers are invited to approach Christ with transparent petitions. Unbelievers are confronted with a test: What, ultimately, do you want Jesus to do? Grant temporal perks or open spiritual eyes? Eternity hinges on that answer (John 3:36). Summary Jesus’ question in Mark 10:36 is a diagnostic probe, an invitation to faith, a challenge to selfish ambition, and a doorway to grace. It reveals hearts, redirects motives, and spotlights the Servant-King who alone can fulfill the deepest human need—salvation and sight. |
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