What kind of authority did Jesus give church leaders?

²⁰Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her sons, kneeling and asking a certain thing of him.

²¹He said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Command that these, my two sons, may sit, one on your right hand, and one on your left hand, in your Kingdom.”

²²But Jesus answered, “You don’t know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” They said to him, “We are able.”

²³He said to them, “You will indeed drink my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with, but to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give; but it is for whom it has been prepared by my Father.”

²⁴When the ten heard it, they were indignant with the two brothers.

²⁵But Jesus summoned them, and said, “You know that the rulers of the nations lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.

²⁶It shall not be so among you, but whoever desires to become great among you shall beyour servant.

²⁷Whoever desires to be first among you shall be your bondservant,

²⁸even as the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

¹Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to his disciples,

²saying, “The scribes and the Pharisees sat on Moses’ seat.

³All things therefore whatever they tell you to observe, observe and do, but don’t do their works; for they say, and don’t do.

⁴For they bind heavy burdens that are grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not lift a finger to help them.

⁵But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad, enlarge the fringesof their garments,

⁶and love the place of honor at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues,

⁷the salutations in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi, Rabbi’ by men.

⁸But don’t you be called ‘Rabbi,’ for one is your teacher, the Christ, and all of you are brothers.

⁹Call no man on the earth your father, for one is your Father, he who is in heaven.

¹⁰Neither be called masters, for one is your master, the Christ.

¹¹But he who is greatest among you will be your servant.

¹²Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

¹Now before the feast of the Passover, Jesus, knowing that his time had come that he would depart from this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.

²During supper, the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him,

³Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he came from God, and was going to God,

⁴arose from supper, and laid aside his outer garments. He took a towel, and wrapped a towel around his waist.

⁵Then he poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

⁶Then he came to Simon Peter. He said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?”

⁷Jesus answered him, “You don’t know what I am doing now, but you will understand later.”

⁸Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I don’t wash you, you have no part with me.”

⁹Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!”

¹⁰Jesus said to him, “Someone who has bathed only needs to have his feet washed, but is completely clean. You are clean, but not all of you.”

¹¹For he knew him who would betray him, therefore he said, “You are not all clean.”

¹²So when he had washed their feet, put his outer garment back on, and sat down again, he said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you?

¹³You call me, ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord.’ You say so correctly, for so I am.

¹⁴If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.

¹⁵For I have given you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you.

¹⁶Most certainly I tell you, a servant is not greater than his lord, neither one who is sent greater than he who sent him.

¹⁷If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.

¹I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and who will also share in the glory that will be revealed.

²Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, exercising the oversight, not under compulsion, but voluntarily, not for dishonest gain, but willingly;

³neither as lording it over those entrusted to you, but making yourselves examples to the flock.

⁴When the chief Shepherd is revealed, you will receive the crown of glory that doesn’t fade away.

⁵Likewise, 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.”

⁶Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time;

⁷casting all your worries on him, because he cares for you.