Power Is Dangerous

October 17, Sunday

Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Have you noticed how in their campaign for office most politicians use the word “service”? Very much they say they want to be the servants of the people and to be elected so that they can serve. But when they are elected, whom do they serve? Most usually serve themselves first and then make the people serve them. That should never be the way of the Church. People in church office or as ordinary faithful should have the ambition to serve one another and in this way to serve God. That was Jesus’ way. We ask him today to make it our way.

 

First Reading: Isaiah 53:10-11

Still, it’s what God had in mind all along,
    to crush him with pain.
The plan was that he give himself as an offering for sin
    so that he’d see life come from it—life, life, and more life.
    And God’s plan will deeply prosper through him.

Out of that terrible travail of soul,
    he’ll see that it’s worth it and be glad he did it.
Through what he experienced, my righteous one, my servant,
    will make many “righteous ones,”
    as he himself carries the burden of their sins.
Therefore I’ll reward him extravagantly—
    the best of everything, the highest honors—
Because he looked death in the face and didn’t flinch,
    because he embraced the company of the lowest.
He took on his own shoulders the sin of the many,
    he took up the cause of all the black sheep.

 

Second Reading: Hebrews 4:14-16

Now that we know what we have—Jesus, this great High Priest with ready access to God—let’s not let it slip through our fingers. We don’t have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He’s been through weakness and testing, experienced it all—all but the sin. So let’s walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help.

 

Gospel: Mark 10:35-45

 James and John, Zebedee’s sons, came up to him. “Teacher, we have something we want you to do for us.”

 “What is it? I’ll see what I can do.”

 “Arrange it,” they said, “so that we will be awarded the highest places of honour in your glory—one of us at your right, the other at your left.”

 Jesus said, “You have no idea what you’re asking. Are you capable of drinking the cup I drink, of being baptized in the baptism I’m about to be plunged into?”

 “Sure,” they said. “Why not?”

Jesus said, “Come to think of it, you will drink the cup I drink, and be baptized in my baptism. But as to awarding places of honour, that’s not my business. There are other arrangements for that.”

When the other ten heard of this conversation, they lost their tempers with James and John. Jesus got them together to settle things down. “You’ve observed how godless rulers throw their weight around,” he said, “and when people get a little power how quickly it goes to their heads. It’s not going to be that way with you. Whoever wants to be great must become a servant. Whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave. That is what the Son of Man has done: He came to serve, not to be served—and then to give away his life in exchange for many who are held hostage.”

 

Prayer
Our God and Father,
your Son Jesus was your equal
and yet he made himself our brother and servant.
May his Spirit be alive in us
and dispose us to become, like your Son,
powerless and vulnerable,
so that we can serve one another,
especially the weakest of our brothers and sisters.
In this way may people experience
how bold you make our love.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

Reflection:

The Glory of the Lord and that of the world

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.”

 

Video available on Youtube: The Glory of the Lord and that of the world