Is 53:10-11
The LORD was pleased
to crush him in infirmity.
If he gives his life as an offering for sin,
he shall see his descendants in a long life,
and the will of the LORD shall be accomplished through him.
Because of his affliction
he shall see the light in fullness
of days;
through his suffering, my servant shall justify many,
and their guilt he shall bear.
Mk 10:35-45
James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus and said to him,
"Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you."
He replied, "What do you wish me to do for you?"
They answered him, "Grant that in your glory
we may sit one at your right and the other at your left."
Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking.
Can you drink the cup that I drink
or be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?"
They said to him, "We can."
Jesus said to them, "The cup that I drink, you will drink,
and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized;
but to sit at my right or at my left is not mine to give
but is for those for whom it has been prepared."
When the ten heard this, they became indignant at James and John.
Jesus summoned them and said to them,
"You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles
lord it over them,
and their great ones make their authority over them felt.
But it shall not be so among you.
Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant;
whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all.
For the Son of Man did not come to be served
but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many."
First off, I think it's interesting that Holy Mother Church gives us this frist reading right now. In the middle of Ordinary Time. Doesn't she know that's a Lent reading?!? I jest, of course, but it's an interesting question to consider...
ReplyDeleteSecond, I like the implied promise of resurrection: "If he gives his life as an offering for sin / he shall see his decendants in a long life." It's a bit like Abraham trusting that the Lord can raise up decendants, even if Isaac dies. Not quite sure how that will work out, Lord, but I'm trusting that you can bring life from death.
Third, did Jesus pull a bait 'n switch on James and John? He gest them all excited about drinking the cup He is to drink, and then says, "Well, you're locked into the cup drinking bit, but no promise on the glory..." What gives?
I think it is funny because James and John probably didn't understand what Jesus meant by cup and baptism. They were like we can drink from a cup and He was baptized in the Jordan, yeah we can do that.
ReplyDeleteTwo really great insights from the deacon who preached today:
ReplyDelete(1) James and John ask to be at Jesus' right and left when He is "in Your glory". When is He glorified? He makes this very clear: when He is lifted high on the cross. What what does it meant to be on His right and His left? It means being crucified with Him. So when He says, "You do not know what you are asking," He really means it.
(2) Though they do not fully understand what they're asking for, James and John give the right answer: they choose to follow Christ. Most of the time we don't know what we're asking for, but we should embrace God's will with the gusto that James and John display. This reminded me of a story that Rich Mullins told at a concert in Lufkin, TX in 1997:
You will never understand what you're doin'. But God will. I asked my dad one time, "How did you know you were ready to get married?" And he said, "Oh, I didn't." He said, "In fact, the only reason I got married was because I wasn't ready. If I had known what I was in for I would have run screaming from the room." And I said, "So, are you sorry?" And he said, "No, I'm not sorry at all." He said, "I did not understand what I meant when I said 'I do', but I'm so glad I said it. I had no idea that my wife was going to live this long - or what a glorious life she would give me."