Jeremiah 18: 18-20;
Psalm 31:5-6.14.15-16;
Matthew 20: 17-28 Full Readings
Who Would Like to Sit Besides Jesus in His Kingdom?
Me! All of us would say that. But do we understand the conditions of sitting at the right or left of Jesus in his Kingdom? Today's Gospel sheds light on this and gives us a way that enables us to sit with Jesus in his Kingdom.
The Gospel reading gives us the third of Jesus’s great prophecies of the Passion and is followed immediately by the request of the mother of Zebedee’s sons for a high position in the Kingdom. She has simply not listened to the words of the Master! In Mark’s Gospel it is worse, for there the request is made by the sons of Zebedee themselves directly after hearing what is to befall Jesus. Obviously Matthew wanted to tone down the rebuke and criticism of the disciples who are to become the leaders of the Church. Did the disciples or even the mother of the two sons of Zebedee understand what they are asking? No!!
Remember, Jesus and the disciples were heading to Jerusalem for the Passover. Soon, Jesus would undergo his Passion. At this point, the disciples were overjoyed because everything was going well. Jesus was attracting huge crowds. He was very popular. They believed he was the Messiah, the descendant of King David who soon would be crowned king! The Passover was the traditional date for crowning Jewish kings and the traditional place was Jerusalem. They thought everything was lining up. And, of course, it was lining up, but not at all as they were expecting. Jesus told them what to expect. Would they listen?
Jesus was to undergo suffering in order to save humanity as a Messiah which was contrary to the understanding of the Messiah among the Jews (political Messiah) and so they were not aware of this. The mother's and even disciples' understanding of the kingdom of God was a worldly understanding, that is, power over others, authority over all the Earth and where the people in power are to be served. However the kingdom of God to Jesus is different, it involves drinking the cup of Jesus. That's why Jesus asks the disciples, can you drink the cup which I am.going to drink?
Brethren, sitting at the right or left of Jesus in his Kingdom involves drinking the cup which he drank, that is to do the works which Jesus himself did, suffer like him for his sake and even accept death as he accepted it on the cross. It is not a matter of saying Yes and not acting. On top of ths is being a servant to all the people , as Jesus himself was, He came to serve and not to be served. And so he tells us if we need to inherit the kingdom of God, we must be servants not waiting to be served, and we must humble ourselves for the first will be the last and the last the first.
The Gospel outlaws titles of honour like ‘Rabbi’ and ‘Father’, and underlines that the only dignity in the Christian Church is service. Ministry of a priest or bishop is not a dignity but a service, for the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and priests and bishops and others participate in this same ministry of service. The titles of honour, ‘My Lord’, ‘Your Eminence’, etc, have no validity in the Church except insofar as they indicate a sharing in Christ’s ministry of service. The glory of ministry in the Church, whether it be archbishop, Eucharistic minister, catechist, altar-server or church-cleaner, is to be alert to the needs of others and help them come closer to our heavenly Father. A clean floor is a real help to tranquil prayer!
Back to our usual life, are there moments we have made ourselves bosses needing to be served instead of serving. 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? Do you do your work so that people will be proud of you and exalt you? Or do you forcefully look for fame? Let us emulate the example of Jesus , who did not seek fame, but today is the most famous, who gave himself in service to others but today is the most served, and who had all the qualities of servant leadership which he wants us to emulate.
Brethren, when we do this then we qualify to sit besides Jesus in his Kingdom. Most probably, people will plot to kill us or to bring us down, as they did to Jeremiah in the first reading, because of our servantship and standing for the truth, but one who persists up to the end, will be saved.
Let us Pray
Tend my humility and sevantiship God so that I will be able to drink the cup of Jesus with love and service and then inherit and sit besides Jesus in your kingdom. Amen
Blessed Lenten Season
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