Merciful Servant

 

Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time

~~~ Isaiah 53:10-11 ~~~ Psalm 33 ~~~ Hebrews 4:14-16 ~~~ Mark 10: 35-45 ~~~

 

Jesus came as a servant to our world,

but not even his closest disciples had a handle on that fact.

In their eagerness to be favored by Jesus they made ridiculous requests.

 

They actually expected Jesus to do whatever served them well...

whatever they thought was in their best interest.

We should find great comfort with James and John

because if they could not

understand why Jesus came to earth,

maybe we should be less harsh on ourselves.

 

Even though Jesus had told them before that

he was going up to Jerusalem to die;

they continued to insist that they 'could drink the same cup'.

 

"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."

 

Previously these same disciples had been reprimanded by Jesus

for arguing among themselves about which one of them was the greatest.

They just could not get the point that Jesus was going to suffer.

He was going to suffer unto his death.

It is probably safe to say that none of them; neither James or John

would have taken his place on the cross.

 

They looked upon Jesus as they had looked upon other rulers...

they all had a chosen few that sat with them in the place of honor.

But Jesus was not like any of the previous rulers.

Jesus was not going to have a kingdom littered with appointed positions.

Jesus was not going to rule as any earthly king would rule.

 

"...the Son of Man did not come to be served
but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many."

 

 The disciples wanted to be given special places of honor,

but Jesus came to give us special graces.

Jesus became one of us so that he could truly understand

what it meant to be human.

Jesus wanted us to be able to identify with him

 in our human joys and sufferings.

 

It was clear that Jesus was not impressed with the material things of this world.

Having special places and granting special favors for a chosen few 

were not part of his plan.

He came that we might all have share in the salvation blessing

he would secure for each of us. 

 

 

We do not have to sit at the right or the left of Jesus to be the

recipients of his mercy, grace, and love.

The cup Jesus drank for us was the cup full of pain and agony

for all the sins of the whole world.

Jesus was doing the will of the Father

when he came down from heaven.

Jesus was doing the will of the Father

when he walked the long road to Calvary. 

 

Jesus was doing the will of the Father when he stretched his arms

reaching out to the right and to the left.

His outstretched arms embraced all of eternity

before those very disciples who wanted their own special favors.

 

If you want 'special' favors from the Lord then prehaps you should

examine if you are doing the will of God the Father.

Are you serving the needs of those around you?

 

The suffering of our one Lord was way beyond our comprehension.

 

"...through his suffering, my servant shall justify many,
and their guilt he shall bear."

 

Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.