Saturday, October 17, 2015

Reflection for Sunday October 18, Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time; Mark 10:35-45

Gospel: Mark 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."
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Reflection:
A young man aspired to become a priest. When this young man was asked by the person in-charge of screening the aspirants why he wanted to become a priest. The young man said, I want to serve the people and I want to become their servant.

 However this was not his real motivation. The young man wanted to become a priest because he wants to be powerful. And he wants the people of their community to look-up to him and he yearned for respect and adulation.  

We have in our gospel the brothers James and John who asked that they be seated beside Jesus in His kingdom. Why did they ask for this underserved honor? What were they thinking when they said this shameful request? Were they really following Jesus because they want to serve or they simply want power and adulation?

We see that the real intention of James and John was they wanted the people to see that they are close to Jesus. Therefore to their minds; seating beside Jesus evokes power and influence! So they would also be revered and adored as Jesus was being revered and adored.

How many of us really know that to follow Jesus is to follow Him with humility? How many of us really know that to be close to Jesus is to strip ourselves of power. How many of us really know that to be close to Jesus is not to hunger for adulation and respect?  

We will never be close to Jesus if we want power and adulation. This is for the reason that real closeness with Jesus requires us to detest power and adulation. And when we detest power and adulation we now begin to embrace servanthood and humility.

Why do you follow Jesus? -  Marino J. Dasmarinas    

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