Reflections: The Request that Jesus Refused to Grant
James and John were two opportunists.Their one aim was to
rise in the ranks. To achieve their end, they did not hesitate
to beg.
They did not mind how much envy and resentment they
aroused in their companions. Their aim was to scramble up
the career ladder.
But at what price to themselves?
In the course of their rise
to the top, people lose themselves, their own souls, whatever
they do or achieve will be worthless. Power hardens the
human heart. A hard-hearted person is incapable of love.
It is by giving that we receive, and it is by serving that we
grow in love.
More on the Readings
Our First Reading:
Pleased to Crush Him
There is a section of four "Suffering" poems in the last part
of the book of Isaiah. They describe a person whom God
calls a servant who goes through some terrible ordeal, seemingly
without any reason.
In today's poem, God states the
purpose of the torture--to "justify" or restore the people's
relationship with God. The author seems to be describing
either a stereotype of any righteous sufferer or the people
of Israel taken as a whole.
The Church interprets these passages as prophecies about Jesus,
the Servant of all.
Gospel Reading
Apostolic Ambition
Initially Jesus’ apostles may havejoined Him in the hope
that He was a political revolutionary. They thought that He
would launch a rebellion and set up a new kingdom in Israel.
This helps us understand the un-saintly arrogance in
their quarrel today.
Jesus has specifically rejected any political
motives. The apostles hear only what they want.
They anticipate holding prominent offices in the new reign
to come. We must remember that saints are first of all, human
beings. They begin with the same ambitions and
failings that we have, but rise above them.
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Dismissal
At the end of Mass, we are not simply dismissed. We are sent out in the Lord's name and with the Lord's power to build up of His kingdom in the world. When Mass concludes, we do not just leave the building; we enter the world with a mission!
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