Coffee With God

 

 

Reflection: Mark 10:35-45

Desires for power, positions, wealth and glory are part of man’s life. How far does one nurture these desires would decide how far does he/she moves away from the Kingdom of God. The Gospel presents a dispute among the 12 apostles. It turns out to be an issue of a family – two brothers conspire against the rest of the group. James and John are in their moment of selfish interests, present their petition for the best offices in the Kingdom, that Jesus would establish soon! Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem and he even spoke about his impending death three times. While talking to them about the torture and his death, Jesus also told them, “But on the third day, he will rise.” Perhaps that was the only part that got registered into their head and lost everything else that he spoke about his sufferings and death. They believe that their ‘miracle-working’ master would rise and soon establish his kingdom. Their dreams for glory do not stop even in the face of death. The lust for power and the aspiration to occupy places of honour are so deeply rooted in human beings. On their way to Jerusalem, the disciples’ attention moves to the Roman palaces and the glory that the world offers. If Jesus would establish his Kingdom and begins his rule from Jerusalem, the glory of the ruling class could soon belong to them. Jesus stops them and invites them to participate in his chalice and baptism. Chalice referred to a well-known custom in Israel: the father or the one who occupied the first place at the table, would offer a drink from his cup to the person of his choice, as a gesture of esteem and affection. Jesus offers his chalice to the disciples – meaning, he holds them as his beloved ones. The image of baptism indicates the passage through the waters of death. The sufferings and afflictions are often compared in the Bible to immersion in deep waters (Ps 69:2-3; 42:8). The only path available for a disciple of Jesus is the passage through the baptism of service and self-sacrifice. The desires for power, position and glory are not the benchmark of the disciple, but only the gentiles search and crave for them! If this is any yardstick to identify a disciple of Jesus, we Christians may have to do a lot of soul-searching to find out if I am truly a disciple or a pagan! Jesus goes a step further to clarify this standard by citing his own life example: “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve.”