29th Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)

Sunday 20 October 2024
Mk 10,35-45

“James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to him and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” And he said to them, “What is it you want me to do for you?” And they said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.”“When the ten heard this, they began to be angry with James and John. So Jesus called them and said to them, “You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognise as their rulers Lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many””
(Mk 10,35-37.41-45)

The protagonists in this Sunday’s Gospel passage are James and John, the “sons of thunder” who, no less, say to Jesus, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you”. This is very far from the prayer that Jesus taught them: “Our Father… YOUR will be done…”! The sons of Zebedee ask Jesus, instead, to do THEIR will, which is that they would be seated one to the right and the other to the left of Jesus, in His glory.
In reality, there isn’t much to be surprised about here. Often the disciples are depicted in colours marked by their inability to understand, their incredulity, hardness of heart… But let’s try and ask ourselves: ‘And if I was in their position? Would I really have understood more?”. I believe that even today, with all the knowledge and understanding received through the course of the Church’s two thousand year history, the Gospel remains a great challenge for each of us.
With extreme clarity, Jesus shines the light on the reality of the exercise of power according to the world’s mentality, that is according to the logic of profits and self-interest on the part of those who govern and not to the advantage of the community. And here Jesus turns things upside down by establishing a new mentality in which the logic of power is no longer prevalent, replaced by the logic of love. Jesus presents a mentality in which following the Master means learning to serve, day after day, exactly as He did: He, who first loved us so much that He gave His life for us. Considering the challenge to which we’re called when we profess ourselves ‘Christian’, let’s remember that He made Himself doulos, which literally means, a slave!
When you look at the Crucifix, always remember that Jesus became sin for you: our sin was crucified on the Cross. This is why our victory springs forth from the Cross!

p. Giuseppe