“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.” Matthew
20:26B-28
Piety
Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I
am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but
will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)
Please light our way out of competition and confusion so that we will
hear your word and act on it.
Study
The
New American Bible points out that “The request of the sons of Zebedee,
made through their mother, for the highest places of honor in the kingdom,
and the indignation of the other ten disciples at this request,
show that neither the two brothers nor the others have understood
that what makes for greatness in the kingdom is not lordly power but humble
service. Jesus gives the example, and his ministry of service will reach its
highest point when he gives his life for the deliverance of the human race from
sin.”
Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of God?
The way Jesus explains that answer is further
proof that the Lord operates in a fashion that is the opposite of how power is
judged in the world. Matthew uses the
analogy of a slave. Anyone who was
expected a messiah to ride in on a powerful horse and lead an army against the
invading Romans would be sorely disappointed.
The slave analogy is parallel to the analogy Jesus uses in Mark’s Gospel
when as the example of power, Jesus points to a child. Not a soldier. Not a King.
Not a Pharisee.
Beyond the illustration, Jesus takes this one
step further – and asks us to do as he does in service to others, not in
demanding to be served by others. Everything that comes after this is the fulfillment
of these words. However, the disciples
are still unaware of what the fulfillment of these words really mean. Even as they witness the arrest, trial and
execution of Jesus, they will remain confused over what this means until they
finally have the realization – the epiphany – that comes with the Resurrection.
Action
Being close to Jesus is not something to
fight over or for which we can compete as James and John (the sons of Zebedee)
learn. Being close to Jesus requires
actions, not words.
In the very long
treatment that The New Yorker magazine gives to the anti-nuclear movement, one
of the striking images to me in the story is the demeanor of Sr. Megan Rice and
her “one-ness” with nature. She feels close
to Jesus because she accepts his word and acts on it including by living (once
sentenced for a Plowshares action) among the powerless in Africa and then in prison and advocating
for their needs above her own. She will
not be asking to sit at Jesus’ right or left hand. When we get to heaven, that place is probably
where we will find her when she is not loving and living among the poor.
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