Word to the Wise
Sunday, October 20, 2024 - 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time - B
[Isa 53:10-11; Heb 4:14-16; Mark 10:35-45 or 10:42-45]"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." [Mark]
When I was an undergraduate student, my major subject was political science. The essence of that subject is the way people perceive and exercise power in the public domain. But the exercise of power can be present in smaller units such as family relationships or personal friendship or, and this is more to my point today, in matters of faith and the Body of Christ. It is a problem wherever there are two or more persons! Today's gospel scripture presents us with an example from Jesus' disciples. Who is going to be "powerful" in the Kingdom of God?
James and John, two of the earliest of Jesus' disciples, try to obtain status as well as power in what they thought would be Jesus' new "kingdom." The models of power that they would have known were people like the Romans or Herod. This kind of power was coercive, i.e. the ability to command. In the social realm, this would have been manifested by where one sat at table or elsewhere with the one who ruled over all! Prestige and power went together. When James and John approach Jesus, he asks them if they would be willing to undergo what he would be undergoing. In short, real power would come with self-sacrifice for others and not with prestige and coercion.
The challenges of power in the Body of Christ can range from being an usher at Mass to being Pope. Jesus did give "power" to his disciples to teach, heal and cast out demons. But all of this power was to be exercised in a spirit of service. Jesus' washing of the feet of the disciples at the Last Supper as well as his passion, death and resurrection were done as acts on behalf of others. Pastors or anyone in a position of leadership must learn to delegate and trust and "empower" others to serve the Body of Christ. James, John, the disciples with Jesus and all of us have to learn this lesson over and over again. AMEN