“The Son of Man did not come to be served
but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many." Mk 10:45
What future do you wish for yourself? Some seek riches or
fame, but most just desire happiness and a little recognition for their hard
work. In today’s Gospel, James and John seek a promise of special recognition when
Jesus comes into His glory. Nothing much really - they just want to reserve the
places of highest honor at His right and His left. After all, they have given
up everything to follow Jesus, and of the twelve, they believe they are most
deserving.
Jesus knows His reign in glory will only be realized by
passing through the passion of suffering and death. He asks them if they know
what it means to stand by His side and drink the cup He is to drink. Not
understanding, they are sure they can do it. Still, Jesus does not guarantee
them places of honor, instead promising that they will share in the cup of
suffering.
The rest of the Apostles are indignant at the request. Jesus
reminds them that the Son of Man did not come to be honored, but to serve and
give His life as a ransom for many. His followers must be willing to do the
same, taking the last place, serving others, sacrificing all, even their lives.
The Apostles sometimes get worldly goals confused with
heavenly goals; they will stumble and fall along the way, but in the end, these
unlikely heroes will all follow Jesus to the Cross. Just as Jesus gave His life
for His Church, so will the Apostles, and so will countless Christian martyrs
throughout history, many known only to God.
And what of us? While we may suffer in small ways for our
faith, most of us are not put to the test. Can we drink the cup, and are we
willing to be crucified beside our Savior? That’s the true place of honor and
the final recognition we all desire. We must be prepared to stay beside our
crucified Lord, accepting our crosses and rejecting honor and glory, trusting
in God to keep us close to His heart for all eternity.
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