29th
Sunday in Ordinary Time B. October 20, 2024
Isaiah 53:10-11; Hebrews 4:14-16; Mark 10:35-45
Theme:
We, Christian Missionaries, are Called to be the “Servants” and “Slaves” of All
Today is World Mission
Sunday. In prayer, we remember all missionary women and men who preach and live
God’s Word worldwide. From our baptism, we all are missionaries as we are
called to carry out the mission of the Church. Today’s Scripture readings teach
us that to be disciples or Christian missionaries, we must be the “servants”
and “slaves” of all. In our first reading, Isaiah prophesies about a servant
who will suffer and give his life to justify many and bear their iniquities.
Our second reading reminds us that Jesus was tested in every way, yet without
sin. In the Gospel, Jesus teaches his disciples and us the condition for
discipleship or missionary life: To be the “servants’ and “slaves” of all.
Today’s Gospel passage
and the Third Prediction of Jesus’ Passion (10:32-34) form one literary unit. Mark
places it between the story of the Rich Man (10:17-31), which we heard last
Sunday, and that of the Blind Bartimaeus (10:46-52), which we will read next
Sunday. The context is that Jesus and his disciples are on the journey to
Jerusalem, where Jesus will suffer his Passion and death and will resurrect after
three days. In Mark 10:32-34, the passage that comes immediately before our
Gospel story, Jesus announces these three events (his Passion, Death, and
Resurrection) to his disciples for the third time. Then, in our Gospel passage,
he prepares them to understand the conditions for discipleship. Note that in
the Gospel of Mark (also in Matthew), Jesus announced to his disciples his
Passion, Death, and Resurrection three times on their journey to Jerusalem. All
three stories follow the same pattern. (1) Jesus announces his Passion, Death,
and Resurrection; (2) his disciples react by objecting or misunderstanding him or
ignoring him; (3) Jesus teaches them a lesson based on their reactions.
Our Gospel text is a
narrative story structured in two distinct movements. The first movement
captures the dialogue between Jesus and the two sons of Zebedee about their request
(vv. 35-40). The second movement is Jesus' teaching to all disciples regarding
the conditions for discipleship (vv. 41-45).
The first movement of our
story commences with an utterly open-ended demand from James and John: “Teacher,
we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” (v.35). This demand is their
reaction to what their Master had previously told them. Jesus announced to his
disciples privately that in Jerusalem, where they were going, he would be
handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, condemned to death, but after
three days, he would rise (vv. 32-34). Our Gospel story picks up here. Upon
hearing this, the two brothers come up with their request. In reply, Jesus
says, “What do you wish me to do for you?” (v.36). This is a profound question.
Humanly speaking, I believe Jesus expected these two disciples to tell him something
like how they could help and support him in his distress or how they could prevent
this tragedy from happening. James and John are not concerned about their
Master’s suffering but about their future. They asked Jesus for privileged places
in his glory. In his response, Jesus first explains to them that their request
involves “drinking the cup” he drinks and “being baptized” with the baptism
with which he is baptized. This means they must first accept the cross, which
is the only way leading to the glory they request. Second, Jesus lets them know
that he does not assign honored places in his glory since these places are “for
those for whom it has been prepared.” (V. 40). This means the privileged places
in Jesus’ glory are already assigned to those who, amid suffering, will remain
his disciples until the end.
The disciples reveal
their selfish motivation for discipleship. They have been following Jesus not for
service but for reward. This first part of the Gospel is an interpellation to us,
too. What are our motivations for following Jesus? We should not follow Jesus
just for him to do us favors. We have accepted to be baptized (and to have our children
baptized) not solely because we want to go to heaven but to become Christian
missionaries where we live to help others go to heaven with us.
Jesus asks us, as he did
to his disciples, “What do you wish me to do for you?” Instead of being selfish
like James and John by asking for our own privilege in his glory, let our
response show him our sympathy. Our response can be, for instance, “Lord, let
us help you through many people around us who are distressed; Lord, tell us how
we can assist your Church; Lord, show us how we can be good missionaries where
we live.” The sacred author of our second reading tells us that Jesus’ glory is
meaningful and accessible because he willingly accepted to sympathize with our
weaknesses and to be tested in every way, yet without sin. In our turn, let us
also sympathize with him, who shares his sorrow with us today by sympathizing, supporting,
and assisting our brothers and sisters who go through a lot where we live.
The second movement of
our Gospel is Jesus’ teaching to all the group. James and John were not the
only ones who did not sympathize with Jesus; the other ten also did not do.
They became indignant at James and John because they, too, had the same
ambitions. They were angry about why the two brothers requested only for
themselves but not for the whole group. Jesus now delivers significant
teachings on discipleship and service to all twelve disciples and us. He tells us
that whatever authority we exercise must be rendered as a service, not for
personal aggrandizement, but for others. In our missionary works, we must be the
“servants” and “slaves” of all (vv. 42-44). He calls us to imitate the type of
his authority: “[He] did not come to be served but to serve and to give his
life as a ransom for many.” (V.45).
May the liturgy of this
Mass enable us to become the “servants” and “slaves” of all in our missionary
work in our Churches, families, and wherever we live. Amen.
Rev.
Leon Ngandu, SVD
SVD USS Biblical Apostolate Coordinator &
Retreat Center Director
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