Gospel: Matthew
20:17-28
As Jesus
was going up to Jerusalem, he took the Twelve disciples aside by themselves, and
said to them on the way, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of
Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will
condemn him to death, and hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and
scourged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day.”
Then the
mother of the sons of Zebedee approached Jesus with her sons and did him
homage, wishing to ask him for something. He said to her, “What do you wish?” She
answered him, “Command that these two sons of mine sit, one at your right and
the other at your left, in your kingdom.” Jesus said in reply, “You do not know
what you are asking. Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?” They
said to him, “We can.” He replied, “My chalice you will indeed drink, but to
sit at my right and at my left, this is not mine to give but is for those for
whom it has been prepared by my Father.” When the ten heard this, they became
indignant at the two brothers. But Jesus summoned them and said, “You know that
the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and the great ones make their
authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever
wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first
among you shall be your slave. Just so, 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:
Do you
wish to follow Jesus?
If we
want to truly follow we should prepare for the many sacrifices that we have to
do and face for the greater glory of God. Many of us are averse to sufferings
and sacrifices we want a life of ease and comfort. But life of ease and comfort
are not the way of life of Jesus for His way of life is laden with trials,
humility and sacrifice.
Using
their mother as their emissary the two disciples were aspiring to be great in
the eyes of men yet they were followers of Jesus. Are they really followers or
just pretending? If they are true followers they would have not ask for the
best seats beside Jesus.
Let us
not lose sight of the fact that the true essence of following Jesus is to serve
with humility. And not to serve for us to be seen or to seek the highest place
of prominence for us to be noticed, admired and respected.
The true
follower is not hungry for power, prestige and entitlement. He is content to
humbly serve even if nobody will notice him. The more that he is not noticed
for what he does the more that he would favor it.
This is the
paradox of true discipleship, it contradicts our way of earthly thinking and it
directs us to the real essence of discipleship which involves humility and sacrifice.
Do you
still wish to follow Jesus? – Marino J. Dasmarinas
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