Reading I: Jeremiah 18:28-20,
Psalm 31:5-6,14,15-16
Gospel: Mt:20:17-28 Full Readings
Save me O Lord in your Kindness.
Today's responsorial psalm is a prayer for the persecuted, the abandoned and the rejected because of doing the work of God even as we see in the first Reading.
Jeremiah because of his prophecy and proclaiming the word of God which was contrary and challenging the people of the time, their ways and leaders, is plotted against to be killed.
The people of Judah and Jerusalem prefer to stay in their old pagan ways to listen to the word of God. This leads them to a plan of ending his life.
This shows that choosing to be a disciple and to serve the Lord is at the same time choosing rejection, persecution, prosecution, and even martyrdom. Even Jesus, told his disciples of the cross of discipleship, but he again promises them not to worry for he will give them what to say in courts and in any situations. God didn't give Jeremiah to them until he had to complete his mission and that we should not fear to take up the work of God in every situation of our lives, and in any way we are called to. We should know that God is always with us, and he will not put us to shame, when we are doing his work. To withdraw strength from God we need to pray, a prayer asking God to save us from all the hands of our enemies and persecutors for that we should do his work diligently, for without prayer we are far from God, we notice that all the prophets and even Jesus himself prayed before he did anything, we are also encouraged especially in this Lent to pray that we may overcome or temptations and all barriers that may come in our way of proclaiming the word of God as well as serving him with all our lives.
We however, have to remember that we have to do the work of God as servants, not ask for higher places to sit as Kings and queens but to act in a most Humble way of servant leadership. The gospel today shows us the mother of two sons of Zebedee asking Jesus for a favour for his sons to sit at his sides, but Jesus' response would not make the mother happy. The mother's understanding of the kingdom of God is the worldly understanding, that there is power over others, authority over all the Earth and where the people in power are served. However the kingdom of God to Jesus is different, it involves drinking the cup of Jesus, that is to do the works which Jesus himself did, suffering and his death on the cross. On top of these is being a servant to all the people , even Jesus himself, came to serve not to be served. For the servant will be made greater than the one who exalts himself.
This gospel challenges us to. How have we made ourselves bosses to be served than to serve others? In our families, as a head, are you serving the needs of the family, or you are just head by name? How have you as a leader whether in church, political arena, business arena, and other spheres become a servant, don't know your work that people will be proud of you and exalt you? Let us emulate the example of Jesus , who would not seek game, but I'd the most famous now, who gave himself to serve but he is the most served now, and who had all the qualities of servant leadership. Let us not seek to exalt ourselves but our humility and servantship will raise us up, and let us try to work for the good of us and our neighbours as well for the whole human race, to give our lives to serve rather than to wait to be served.
God bless you and blessed Lenten season
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