Matthew 20:28

Context

In Matthew 20, as Jesus is going up to Jerusalem, he foretells his suffering and resurrection for the third time (Matthew 20:17-19). Immediately afterward, the mother of the sons of Zebedee, James and John, asks Jesus to let her two sons sit at his right and left in his kingdom. When the other disciples hear of this, they are indignant, and Jesus teaches them that while the rulers of the Gentiles exercise authority over others, "whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister," and whoever would be chief must be a servant. This verse concludes that teaching, and in it Jesus presents his own way as the basis for servanthood: "Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many."

The parallel passage in Mark (Mark 10:45) ends with nearly identical words. In Mark, however, the two disciples make the request themselves rather than through their mother. "Son of man" is the title Jesus used to refer to himself.

Interpretation

• As an example of servanthood: This reading is widely accepted across denominations. Because the verse stands as the conclusion to a dispute over leadership, it is read as presenting the life of Jesus as the standard by which the community of disciples should treat one another.
• As a declaration of ransom: The word "ransom" (Greek lytron) denotes the price paid to free a slave or captive. It is used here with the preposition anti, which can be rendered "in place of." On this basis, many in the Reformed and evangelical traditions take the verse as grounds for understanding Jesus' death as an atonement in which he took the place of sinners. Many scholars see Isaiah 53:10-12, where the suffering servant "bare the sin of many," as the background to this saying.
• The ransom theory: Some early Church Fathers, such as Origen, explained that the ransom was paid to Satan. This view was widely criticized in Western theology from the time of the medieval theologian Anselm onward. Today many read the ransom as a metaphor that emphasizes the resulting liberation rather than the question of "to whom" the price was paid.

Debates and Issues

• The scope of "many": Some in the Calvinist tradition connect this expression with the doctrine of limited atonement set forth in the Canons of Dort, the teaching that Christ's atoning work was intended for the elect. The Arminian and Wesleyan traditions hold that "many," in Hebrew idiom, is an inclusive expression that encompasses "all." They therefore read it together with 1 Timothy 2:6, which says that Christ "gave himself a ransom for all." Some Reformed scholars likewise hold that the expression emphasizes the contrast between "the one" and "the many" rather than limiting the scope of the atonement.
• Manuscripts: Some Western manuscripts, such as Codex Bezae, are known to add after this verse a passage instructing guests to take the lower seat at a feast, similar in content to Luke 14:8-10. Korean Bible translations such as the Korean Revised Version and the New Korean Revised Version do not include this passage in the text.

In the Korean Church

The phrase "not to be ministered unto, but to minister" is frequently quoted in sermons and exhortations at ordination and installation services for church officers. In this setting, the verse serves as grounds for understanding church office as service rather than authority. It is also often read together with Mark 10:45 in Holy Week sermons and at the foot-washing services held by some churches.

Related Passages

• Mark 10:45
• Isaiah 53:10-12
• 1 Timothy 2:5-6
• Philippians 2:5-8
• John 13:14-15