Word to the Wise
Wednesday, February 28, 2024 - 2nd Week of Lent - Wed
[Jer 18:18-20 and Matt 20:17-28]"You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and the great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave. Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many." [Matthew]
The mother of the sons of Zebedee (James and John) was ambitious for her boys. Whether they put her up to it or she did it on her own, there was a clear misunderstanding of what is meant by "the Kingdom of heaven." No doubt mom, James and John understood kingdom as a political unit with a single ruler holding the power of life and death over all his or her subjects. Some rulers were benign and some were cruel. Herod fit in that second category, for sure! Pilate was ultimately removed from his position for being cruel! The evangelist, in recounting this incident, was simply noting something of common knowledge and showed Jesus' challenge to the kind of thinking that mom and her boys and the rest of the disciples (who were upset at this "end run for power") were demonstrating.
Power is like any kind of addictive substance. The 19th century Catholic British nobleman, Lord Acton, wrote to one of the English bishops at the time of the debate over infallibility, "Power corrupts. Absolute power tends to corrupt absolutely." He was writing about Pius IX!!! Yes, power is not just a secular political notion. It gets into any organization or group. Jesus had to confront his disciples about what power should be in the KIngdom of heaven. It meant and still means service. Jesus gave the best example in washing the feet of the disciples at the Last Supper. [John 13:1-14].
With power comes responsibility (and blame!). This may be one reason in my own Dominican order why many brothers say "No way!" when the community wants to elect them as Prior (superior). I've held that office at least three times in my own Dominican life and hope that my age [81] will protect me from ever having to do it again! The community is usually suspicious of anyone eager for the job, like James and John! From Pope to Sunday Mass Usher, power must be handled with a mix of gentleness and firmness that result in true leadership. This was true for the disciples in Jesus' day and it is still true now. AMEN