Gospel: Mark
10:32-45
The
disciples were on the way, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus went ahead of them.
They were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. Taking the Twelve aside
again, he began to tell them what was going to happen to him. “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 who will mock him, spit upon him, scourge him, and put him to
death, but after three days he will rise.”
Then
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 chalice 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 chalice 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:
Are you
willing to carry the cross of Jesus?
Jesus
began to tell his disciples what was going to happen to him: his passion, death
and eventual resurrection. Then, James and John requested Jesus that in his
glory they be allowed to sit beside him.
Why in
his glory only they want to sit beside Jesus? Why didn’t they tell Jesus that
they would be with him also through his passion and death?
Often
times we are like James and John we only recognize the presence of Jesus in our
lives during our glorious moments and our life’s triumphs. When we are beset
with problems we feel that Jesus has forsaken us. Let us always remember that
Jesus wants to be with us always, he wants us to embrace him fully regardless
of our life situations.
James and
John also desired greatness because they wanted to sit beside Jesus in his
glorious moments. But Jesus rebuked them when he said: “Whoever wishes to be
great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will
be the slave of all.”
In the
church there are those who always want to been seen with their Priest/Pastors
because it evokes greatness, power and prestige. But for Jesus the true measure
of greatness is when you are always ready to serve regardless if you're seen,
regardless if you're recognized or not.
Let us
not seek recognition when following Jesus for when we seek recognition we are
only following our selfish motives and bloated egos. – Marino J. Dasmarinas
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