Codex Bezae offers an interesting variant reading of Matt 20:28: “But seek to increase from that which is small, and to become less from that which is greater.”1 This Jesus-saying (perhaps an agraphon) seemed to a scribe to fit within the context of Jesus’ teaching about glory, honor, and “greatness.” Jesus’ message would have been discouraging to many readers entrenched in the agonistic Greco-Roman culture. Because honor was treated as a limited good (there was only so much of it to go around), daily one vied for honor and competed to “best” the other.2 While modern Westerners sometimes scoff at the secret request of the mother of James and John that her sons be given prime seats at the eschatological banquet (Matt 20:20–21), it would not have been a surprise to the other disciples. They were probably upset on account of jealousy, not propriety! The second part of the Codex Bezae Jesus-saying – “to become less” – was utter foolishness in such a competitive world. Jesus was not actually encouraging the disciples to be underachievers; rather, he was undermining a status quo that locked people into shame and poverty.