Is 53:10-11;
Heb 4:14-16; Mk 10:35-45
Todays Gospel places before us two
beautiful themes. The trust and confidence of James and John, the sons of
Zabedee, in the glory of Jesus and the teaching of Jesus to be practiced in his
kingdom to attain glory.
James and John, the sons of Zabedee,
approached Jesus with a request: "Master, allow us to sit one at your
right hand and the other at your left in your glory. James and John
witnessed many times the opposition that Jesus faced from the religious
leaders; they experienced the bitterness of the clergy against Jesus; they
sensed the dangers that awaited Jesus on his way ahead; in spite of them
all they could still connect glory with a Galilean carpenter. This is an
amazing confidence and loyalty.
The challenges James and John had continued
to be the challenges of every Christian in every age, but they made their
appearance in their contemporary forms – like challenges of dogmas,
challenges raised by philosophies, challenges caused by political systems,
challenges by attitudes and so on. The confidence of James and
John in the Ultimate Triumph of Jesus should inspire us also to aspire for
greatness.
This passage also tells us about
the standard of Greatness in the Kingdom of Jesus when Jesus places
before us the concept of the servant leader. In the kingdom of Jesus the
standard was that of service. Greatness consisted, not in reducing
other men to one’s service, but in reducing oneself to their service.
Hannibal Barca was a military commander of the
Carthage army in 247 BC. He led a famous campaign in the second Punic War
against the Roman army, remaining undefeated until the very gates of Rome. His
most famous military accomplishment was the battle of Cannae, where he defeated
a Roman army size double of his. What was the secret of his success? He
was a man who led by example. He would sleep among his soldiers and would not
wear anything that made him distinct above his soldiers. He would lead the
armies into battle and be the last to leave the battlefield. Even today he
stands as a model for leadership.
Ernest Shackleton is another great example of a
servant leader. He was an early 20th century explorer whose ship was
crushed in Antarctic ice. After countless brushes with death, including an
800-mile journey in open boats across the winter Antarctic seas, Shackleton
brought every one of his 27 crew members home alive. It took two years, but his
sense of responsibility toward his men never wavered. One of the many tactics
he used to serve his men was to share sleeping quarters with those who were
most disgruntled instead of his favourite people to be around. These leaders
put the needs of the people they lead ahead of their own. So they became great.
Kipling has a poem called "Mary's
Son" which is advice on the spirit in which a man must work.
If you stop to find out what your wages will be
And how they will clothe and feed you,
Willie, my son, don't you go on the Sea.
For the Sea will never need you.
And how they will clothe and feed you,
Willie, my son, don't you go on the Sea.
For the Sea will never need you.
If you ask for the reason of every command,
And argue with people about you,
Willie, my son, don't you go on the Land,
For the Land will do better without you.
If you stop to consider the work you have done
And to boast what your labour is worth, dear,
Angels may come for you, Willie, my son,
But you'll never be wanted on Earth, dear!
Jesus told his disciples plainly what his mission
was, how he was going to accomplish it and what should be the criteria of
greatness among his disciples. He summarized his mission in one sentence: "The
Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a
ransom for many." According to Jesus, greatness consists not in what
we have, nor in what we can get from others but in what do we give to others.
Jesus thus overturned all our values, teaching us that true greatness consists
in loving, humble, and sacrificial service. For Jesus, true service means
putting our gifts at the disposal of others. For our contemporaries Mahatma
Gandhi, Martin Luther King and Mother Teresa, greatness lay in the giving of
their whole self to the very lowest, treating them as brothers and sisters and
living close to them.
This is the lesson that the church places before
us today. This is the lesson that the Saints have put into practice, and
achieved greatness. This is the lesson that the world expects from the
followers of Jesus. This is the only lesson that can take us to greatness.
In order to achieve this genuine greatness we should have confidence
in ourselves. James and John expressed that confidence when they requested
Jesus to grand a place to them on his right and left.
When the kingdoms of the earth consider greatness
as power, in the kingdom of Jesus, greatness is gained by service. Today
the world needs people whose ideal is service. Let us be among them. May God
Bless us.
Satish