My Servant Shall Justify Many

October 18, 2009

Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time

By Rev. Joe McCloskey, S.J.

(But the LORD was pleased to crush him in infirmity.) If he gives his life as an offering for sin, he shall see his descendants in a long life, and the will of the LORD shall be accomplished through him. Because of his affliction he shall see the light in fullness of days; through his suffering, my servant shall justify many, and their guilt he shall bear. Isaiah 53:10-11

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has similarly been tested in every way, yet without sin. Hebrews 4:14-15

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. Mark 10:42-44

Piety

A true piety brings greatness in the Kingdom of God. Greatness belongs to the quality of the service we offer to one another. If I try to treat everyone as better than myself I have the beginnings of greatness for the Kingdom of God. Our reflection of Christ in our lives finds its greatest challenges in the fact that being God he did not think it too much to surrender all the God controls over the world to be just like anyone of us. God loved us so much that he was willing to be one of us. Can I love Christ so much that I am willing to be one with Christ? Surrendering all my controls over the things in my life brings conformity to Christ’s way of living life. Love takes us to oneness with the beloved.

Study

We study the life of Christ to learn how to better be like Christ in our lives. The challenge is to love the Lord my God with my entire mind, my heart, my soul; to do so with all the strength of heart and soul. It is no small challenge that the Lord puts to us by his example. Who would not want to be close to him? Our reluctance could be because we realize what closeness to Christ implies being close to the cross of Christ. It is not crowded around his cross. James and John did not realize the truth that closeness to the Cross of Christ is the measure for how much love of Christ is ours. Discipleship is the carrying of our Cross in his name. We do that without thinking in our love for family and friends. How could we not reach out to their pain and their needs? Piety does that for us with Christ of everyone. It pushes us out of our comfort zone into making comfortable those who are suffering around us. It shows up in the sacrifices we make in our lives even for strangers.

Action

The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God when we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him. Paul tells us that the glory that will be ours by our carrying the cross makes a mockery of what we suffer. How little our cross will seem against the backdrop of the glory waiting for us in our union with Christ. Christ sympathizes with our weaknesses because he has been tested in every way, yet without sin. So we can confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace.

Service of one another is the action called for if we want future greatness. When we are asked for help, we need to make the one asking feel like he is doing us the favor. Saying thanks to the one who needs our help even as we cheerfully offer our service speaks volumes about the love of God in our hearts that we are sharing. Anticipating and doing the service before we are asked makes for a cheerful giver. Rejoicing with the chance to put ourselves out for others makes for closeness to Christ. Anticipating the needs of others makes us good servants of one another. By putting ourselves in the last and the lowest place we offer ourselves to Christ because we are thus trying to be just like him. The last shall be first in the kingdom of heaven.