Word to the Wise
Wednesday, March 11, 2009 - Wednesday in the Second Week of Lent
[Jeremiah 18:18-20 and Matthew 20:17-28]The Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.
Both Jesus and Jeremiah are contemplating a violent reaction and a terrible fate while Mother Zebedee is contemplating a glorious future for her two sons in Jesus' kingdom! In the modern parlance of psychology, there appears to be a "cognitive dissonance" here! Mom and sons don't seem to be "getting it!" They and she seem to think there is going to be a victorious revolution of some sort and somebody has to be in charge alongside Jesus. It may as well (or in their eyes, "ought to be") them! To make matters worse, the rest of the gang appear to be infected with the "power virus." The criticism leveled at the Zebedee mom and sons appears to be more in the line of sour grapes! The enthusiastic and brave (maybe with a "gulp!") answer of James and John about drinking the same chalice as Jesus shows that they really don't know what lies ahead! When the chips were down, they turned tail and ran. Tradition tells us that James did indeed suffer martyrdom but John died in bed! What I find so appealing in this incident is its humanity! As someone who has been a pastor at campuses as well as at a regular inner city parish, I am well aware of the "power" interests that can spring up. It can be in the form of a simple request by an organization for a place to put their "stuff" in a parish where that kind of space may be at a premium! Or it may be a "turf" dispute between ushers and altar society! While these kinds of things are going on, the work of serving God's people is compromised because one organization or person refuses to speak to another. They look to the pastor to "empower" them so they can come out on top! Jesus would "empower" all of the Twelve (including Judas till he turned traitor), but not for "ruling over." He empowered them, as he empowers us, for "service to" our brothers and sisters. That kind of service is our only real power! This is something both pastor and parishioner, bishop and diocese, pope and church need to remember every day! AMEN