GOSPEL READING:
Mark 10:32-4532 And they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them; and they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. And taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him, 33 saying, "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man will be delivered to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death, and deliver him to the Gentiles; 34 and they will mock him, and spit upon him, and scourge him, and kill him; and after three days he will rise."
35 And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to him, and said to him, "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you." 36 And he said to them, "What do you want me to do for you?" 37 And they said to him, "Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory." 38 But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?" 39 And they said to him, "We are able." And 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; 40 but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared."
41 And when the ten heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John. 42 And Jesus called them to him and said to them, "You know that those who are supposed to rule over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. 43 But it shall not be so among you; but whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. 45 For the Son of man also came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
Meditation: Why did Jesus, the Messiah, have to suffer
and die for us? Jesus called himself the "Son of Man" both to
identify himself with our human condition, subjected to pain and
death, and with his divine mission to restore the world to the
glory God had intended from the beginning of creation. The 'Son of
Man' is a prophetic title for the Messiah recorded in the prophecy
of Daniel (see the Book of Daniel 7:13-14). In Jesus' time the
Jewish people were looking for a Messiah who would set them free
from the oppressive rule of Rome. Jesus came to set people free
from the worst oppression of all - the tyranny of endless slavery
to sin, Satan, and death. Jesus came to bring us into a new
covenant relationship with God that would not end with death but
lead to everlasting peace, joy, and abundant new life.
Why did the Messiah have to suffer rejection, condemnation,
and death on a cross?
On no less than three different occasions the Gospel accounts
record that Jesus predicted he would endure great suffering
through betrayal, rejection, and condemnation to tortuous death.
The Jews resorted to stoning and the Romans to crucifixion - the
most painful and humiliating death they could devise for criminals
they wanted to eliminate. No wonder the apostles were greatly
distressed at such a prediction! If Jesus their Master were put to
death, then they would likely receive the same treatment by their
enemies.
Why did Jesus freely and willingly lay down his life for us? Did
not God promise that his 'Anointed One' (the literal meaning of
'Messiah' and 'Christ' in Hebrew and Greek) would deliver his
people from their oppression and establish a kingdom of peace and
justice? The prophet Isaiah had foretold that it was God's will
that the "Suffering Servant" make atonement for sins through his
suffering and death (Isaiah 53:5-12). Jesus paid the price for our
redemption with his own blood. The ransom Jesus paid sets us free
from the worst tyranny possible - the tyranny of sin and the fear
of death. Jesus' victory did not end with death but triumphed over
the tomb when he rose again on the third day. Jesus defeated the
powers of death through his resurrection. Do you want the greatest
freedom possible, the freedom to live as God truly meant us to
live as his sons and daughters?
Jesus weds authority with sacrificial love and service
Jesus did the unthinkable! He wedded authority with selfless
service and with loving sacrifice. Authority without sacrificial
love is brutish and self-serving. Jesus also used stark language
to explain what kind of sacrifice he had in mind. His disciples
must drink his cup if they expect to reign with him in his
kingdom. The cup he had in mind was a bitter one involving
crucifixion. What kind of cup does the Lord have in mind for us?
For some disciples such a cup entails physical suffering and the
painful struggle of martyrdom. But for many, it entails the long
routine of the Christian life, with all its daily sacrifices,
disappointments, set-backs, struggles, and temptations.
Through death to self we serve and reign with Christ our
victorious Lord
A follower of Jesus must be ready to lay down his or her life in
martyrdom and be ready to lay it down each and every day in the
little and big sacrifices required. An early church father summed
up Jesus' teaching with the expression: to serve is to reign
with Christ. We share in God's reign by laying down our
lives in humble service as Jesus did for our sake. Are you willing
to lay down your life and to serve others as Jesus did?
Lord Jesus, your death brought life and freedom. Make me a servant of your love, that I may seek to serve rather than be served, and share in your victory over sin, suffering, and death.
Psalm 147:12-15,19-20
12 Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem! Praise your God, O Zion!
13 For he strengthens the bars of your gates; he blesses your sons within you.
14 He makes peace in your borders; he fills you with the finest of the wheat.
15 He sends forth his command to the earth; his word runs swiftly.
19 He declares his word to Jacob, his statutes and ordinances to Israel.
20 He has not dealt thus with any other nation; they do not know his ordinances. Praise the LORD!
Daily Quote from the Early Church Fathers: The way to glory and honor, by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"Ponder how profound this is. They were conferring with him about glory. He intended to precede loftiness with humility and, only through humility, to ready the way for loftiness itself. For, of course, even those disciples who wanted to sit, the one on his right, the other on his left, were looking to glory (Matthew 20:20-23; Mark 10:35-40). They were on the lookout, but did not see by what way. In order that they might come to their homeland in due order, the Lord called them back to the narrow way. For the homeland is on high and the way to it is lowly. The homeland is life in Christ; the way is dying with Christ (Matthew 6:25; Mark 8:35; Luke 9:24; 17-33). The way is suffering with Christ; the goal is abiding with him eternally. Why do you seek the homeland if you are not seeking the way to it?" (excerpt from TRACTATE ON JOHN 28.5.2.13)
