Saint Lorenzo Ruiz and Companions
The Greatest in the Kingdom
Beloved friends, when we think of children, our first thoughts are of how much trouble they give, how petty and naïve they appear. Think of how bothersome their noise could be around you when you are on an important phone call. Think of the anger when in their innocence they scratch lines on your car. Watch a pack of them yapping, running and jumping, bouncing aimlessly, kicking one another or breaking down a door. Yet in our gospel text of today, Jesus insists that if we must see God, we must look to children. But how are we to understand this? Of course, despite their pettiness, children are highly dependent, trusting, innocent and simple with no sense of self-importance. In which case, to belong to the kingdom of God, we must recognize our dependence and nothingness and yield ourselves to receive the kingdom as a gift of God.
from today's Gospel, among other Gospels, we see that Jesus’ disciples often struggled to understand his teaching and parables about the Kingdom of God. They also struggled to understand Jesus’ prophecies about his upcoming suffering, death, and resurrection. Over time, the Holy Spirit would enlighten their minds and enable them to recall and understand his words. From a merely human point of view, we get how the disciples struggled with Jesus’ prophecies about his death in Jerusalem: Why would this man, who preached with authority and went about doing good, be put to death? If Jesus is the Messiah, sent by God to rule and save his people, then why would he be killed? On the way to Jerusalem, Jesus had to repeat his teaching about his death and resurrection three times to his disciples to make it sink in. Am I slow to understand the mystery of Jesus’ passion, death, resurrection, and ascension?
This misunderstanding led them to argue amongst themselves about who is the greatest among them. Their thinking was that Jesus would establish his kingship from a worldly perspective and so they were struggling for the greatest positions. Little did they know that Jesus' kingdom is not of this world and that being the greatest in this kingdom not only involves suffering but also being childlike. The appetite for glory and greatness seems to be inbred in us. Who doesn't cherish the ambition to be "somebody" whom others admire rather than a "nobody"? Even the psalms speak about the glory God has destined for us. "You have made them a little lower than God and crowned them with glory and honor" (Psalm 8:5). Jesus made a dramatic gesture by placing a child next to himself to show his disciples who really is the greatest in the kingdom of God.
What can a little child possibly teach us about greatness? Children in the ancient world had no rights, position, or privileges of their own. They were socially at the "bottom of the rung" and at the service of their parents, much like the household staff and domestic servants. What is the significance of Jesus' gesture? Jesus elevated a little child in the presence of his disciples by placing the child in a privileged position of honor at his right side. It is customary, even today, to seat the guest of honor at the right side of the host. Who is the greatest in God's kingdom? The one who is humble and lowly of heart - who instead of asserting their rights willingly empty themselves of pride and self-seeking glory by taking the lowly position of a servant or child.
Jesus, himself, is our model. He came not to be served, but to serve (Matthew 20:28). Paul the Apostles states that Jesus "emptied himself and took the form of a servant" (Philippians 2:7). Jesus lowered himself (he whose place is at the right hand of God the Father) and took on our lowly nature that he might raise us up and clothe us in his divine nature. "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble" (James 4:6). If we want to be filled with God's life and power, then we need to empty ourselves of everything which stands in the way - pride, envy, self-seeking glory, vanity, and possessiveness. God wants empty vessels so he can fill them with his own glory, power, and love (2 Corinthians 4:7). We must not be filled always with the desire of being great in the worldly sense because it will always create jealousy amongst ourselves and always fall into the trap of seeing ourselves in competition with others even within the Church, and we can become jealous of those who appear to be holy and who are recognized for their good work for Christ.
St James in the second reading warns us that where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every foul practice and that most of the wars, conflicts, coveting, killing fighting and all other vices exist among us because of our passions burning within us such as desire for greatness. we must be aware of these so that they do not happen among us as Christians. Rather we must fight for greatness in Jesus' way: to be childlike, depending on God and God alone though as we see in the first reading, the righteous will always be persecuted. Be ready for suffering, persecution and even being killed if you want to obtain greatness in heaven.
Let us Pray
Lord Jesus, I thank You for the natural desire for greatness that has been instilled within my soul. Please purify that desire and help me to direct it toward holiness so that I will be able to store up in Heaven the many treasures You wish to bestow.
Be blessed
No comments:
Post a Comment