Sports and life by the sports kibitzer

Today's Reflections  

         

Ambition of James and John 

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Mk 10:32-45

³²[Jesus and his disciples] were on the way, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus went ahead of [his disciples]. 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. ³³“Behold, we are going 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 ³⁴who will mock him, spit upon him, scourge him, and put him to death, but after three days he will rise.” ³⁵Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” ³⁶He replied, “What do you wish [me] to do for you?” ³⁷They answered him, “Grant that in your glory we may sit one at your right and the other at your left.” ³⁸Jesus 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?” ³⁹They 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; ⁴⁰but to sit at my right or at my left is not mine to give but is for those for whom it has been prepared.” ⁴¹When the ten heard this, they became indignant at James and John. ⁴²Jesus 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. ⁴³But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; ⁴⁴whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all. ⁴⁵For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Reflection:

Whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant. Jesus may very well ask, “Again?” After his third prediction of his passion, James and John ask him for the first places when he enters into his kingdom. The others get angry when they hear of this (perhaps because they want to compete for the same places themselves).

Jesus reiterates his lesson that greatness in his kingdom for his followers does not lie in the position that they hold but in the service that they give. This time he gives himself as an example. He has not come to be served but to serve and to lay down his life as a ransom for many.

Jesus, give us your mind and heart.

Help us aspire to true greatness

and seek to serve rather than be served!