Mark 10:35-45

Gospel according to Mark 10:35-45

James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus and said to him, "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you." He replied, "What do you wish me to do for you?" They answered him, "Grant that in your glory we may sit one at your right and the other at your left." Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I drink or be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?" They said to him, "We can." Jesus said to them, "The cup that I drink, you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; but to sit at my right or at my left is not mine to give but is for those for whom it has been prepared." When the ten heard this, they became indignant at James and John. Jesus summoned them and said to them, "You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all. For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many."

Reflections

The disciples came to Jesus, unsettled. They had been debating who is the most virtuous among them and who will be a leader. Jesus entrusted Peter with the leadership role, because through the Holy Spirit, he recognized that Jesus was the Messiah. The next thing that happened is that Jesus had to rebuke Peter about thinking with human minds about avoiding suffering. Peter still thought of the Messiah as a victorious king. Jesus pointed to the opposite: it is through service and suffering that He will reach resurrection and eternal life. His obedience to the will of the Father to the point of offering his life for others is that Jesus was exalted by the Father to the highest glory.

Next, the disciples witnessed a rich young man who turned away sad because he was not ready to let go of his riches and in clinging to them, he forfeited the path of charity and service. “Who can then enter the Kingdom of God?” the disciples asked. Jesus told them that it is only through the grace of God that one can earn a place in Heaven, there is no earthly merit that will grant this in the eyes of God. Obeying the commandments, leading a virtuous life, pleases God. It glorifies and praises God. This is how the just will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, because those who love God and obey His commandments, are His, and remain with Him.

Finally, two of the disciples approach Jesus with a request: “Grant that we sit, one one your right and one on your left in your Kingdom.” The request shows that the disciples still have not grasped the essence of Jesus’ message: to be great in the Kingdom of God, one needs to humble oneself and obey the will of the Father. One cannot force oneself into a position, or order the ways of God, but one needs to approach Him with humility. But as irreverent, inopportune, and misguided as this question may have been because of lack of understanding, Jesus doesn’t skip the request. He turns to the disciples and dialogues with them. In this dialogue he makes himself available, and present. Jesus explains to them yet again, that the path to glory is through suffering and service.

There is a radical shift of mindset and change of heart that is required from the disciples. Instead of competing with each other and comparing each other, Jesus orients them toward the goal and the objective: serve God with all your heart, and all your might and give your life to him. Love others as God loves you. Offer yourself in service to causes great or small.

Saint Therese of Lisieux wrote about the “Little ways” in her autobiography entitled “The Story of a Soul.” Rather than lofty theological ideas that are explained to a learned audience, St. Therese talks about her life and how she came to dedicate herself to the service of God as a Carmelite nun. The “little ways” are everyday, ordinary tasks that she performed with a lot of prayer and love. St. Therese’s main massage is that : “...in his Son, God came to look for the weak and imperfect, and that He desires to be present and at work especially in the midst of our brokenness and sins.” (1) “Life presents enough challenges and opportunities for grace.”(2) The way to heaven is to “do little things with great love.” (3) The way she explained this is the following: “Instead of being discouraged, I said to myself: God cannot inspire unrealizable desires. I can, then, in spite of my littleness, aspire to holiness. It is impossible for me to grow up, and so I must bear with myself such as I am with all my imperfections. But I want to seek out a means of going to heaven by a little way, a way that is very straight, very short, totally new.” (3)

Sources

1. Cabrera, J. (2024). Discover the Little Way of St. Therese. Little Flower Basilica. Carmelite Spirituality. Retrieved from: www.littleflowerbasilica.org Accessed: October 19, 2024.
2. Society for the Little Flower (2024). Frequently Asked Questions and Answers. Retrieved from: www.littleflower.org
3. St. Therese of Lisieux (1898-1996). The Story of A Soul. Third Edition. Ics Publications.