2 Corinthians 4:7-15,
Ps126:1-2ab.2cd-3.4-5.6,
Matthew 20:20-28 Full Readings
The Road to Heavenly Glory
Today we celebrate the feast of James, the son of Zebedee and the brother of John the apostle and evangelist. He was present, with Peter and John, at the special miracles worked by the Lord, at his transfiguration and in the garden of Gethsemane. He was the first of the apostles to be put to death (see Acts 12:1-3) around the year 42.
Today's Gospel presents to us the mother of James and John asking Jesus for a favour that her two sons would sit one at the right and the other at the left in Jesus' heavenly kingdom. Jesus' reply is gentle but somehow radical and challenging. Entering heavenly glory requires one to drink the cup which Jesus drank and being a servant of others as Jesus was. It is not as easy as their mother thought.
Mothers have a particular place in the Gospels. The miracle at Cana happens because Mary ignores Jesus’ shyness about performing it. The mother of James and John, equally clear-sighted, sees that there are high positions to be got and will not rely on her young and inexperienced sons to get them for themselves. But her clear sight is only human sight, and she sees the glory to be had without seeing the price to be paid. Jesus tells her that she doesn't know what she was asking.
Why did Jesus say this? Brethren, the path to glory, that is, the path to sitting at His right and left in the Kingdom, is the path of the Cross not just by mentioning. It’s the path of freely embracing the sufferings of the Cross with Jesus. It’s not possible to enter into His glory without first walking with Him through His death. Entering the Kingdom of God requires imitating Jesus in all what he did and said, Jesus came to show us the way to the kingdom through His life and teachings, following these and drinking the same cup of Jesus will make us enter the kingdom of heaven.
As Jesus asked His Apostles, “Can you drink the cup that I am going to drink?” or In other words, can you embrace my Cross? Can you embrace my suffering? Can you walk with me through my ultimate sacrifice and participate in that sacrifice by also offering your lives?, He is also asking us today. The Apostles James and John were ready and indeed they drank it and now they are in heavenly glory. Can you drink the same cup of Jesus? If we want the heavenly glory, our answer should be Yes.
Jesus' reply is also a guiding principle of any successful leader. All of us are leaders in one way or the other and if we want to be successful leaders and that our names will be remembered, we have to embrace humility and servantship. A true leader is the one who serves not waiting to be served. Let Jesus be our role model in this.
As we see from first reading, our Christian life and ministry are a treasure in an earthen vessel (it is not by right that the Gospel has been entrusted to us and to proclaim it but by God’s grace). They are full of trials and tribulations; but God’s power is always at work in every believer to sustain and perfect this gift, making it to bear abundant fruit despite the human limitations of those who possess it. Jesus called James alongside his brother John and made them part of his inner circle of Apostles despite their shortcomings. Jesus tried to get them to understand clearly the true concept of Christian leadership which entails humble service of God and fellow men and women without self-interest. We too though we may fail in our mission and leadership, God will always be there to raise us up to take us in His glory provided we are embracing His cup.
Reflect today on how ready you are to take up the cross and embrace the cup of Christ. This is the only way to enter God's glory. Pray for the Spirit to guide you always to embrace the cup of Jesus.
Let us pray
Lord, I want to embrace and drink your cup daily, grant me courage and perseverance to embrace with love, humility and the spirit of servantship. Amen.
Be blessed and May St James intercede for us.
May i alwas desire to drink the cup which Jesus drunk
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