Who are you in this story
Wednesday, March 15, 2017
8:29 AM
Matt 20.17-28
17 While Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he
took the twelve disciples aside by themselves, and said to them on the way,
18‘See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to
the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death; 19then they
will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified; and
on the third day he will be raised.’
20 Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee
came to him with her sons, and kneeling before him, she asked a favour of him.
21And he said to her, ‘What do you want?’ She said to him, ‘Declare that these
two sons of mine will sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your
kingdom.’ 22But Jesus answered, ‘You do not know what you are asking. Are you
able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?’* They said to him, ‘We are
able.’ 23He said to them, ‘You will indeed drink my cup, but to sit at my right
hand and at my left, this is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it
has been prepared by my Father.’
24 When the ten heard it, they were angry
with the two brothers. 25But Jesus called them to him and said, ‘You know that
the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants
over them. 26It will not be so among you; but whoever wishes to be great among
you must be your servant, 27and whoever wishes to be first among you must be
your slave; 28just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to
give his life a ransom for many.’
The cost of leadership means that one must
make themselves the servant of all. Richard Preston noticed that Cree leaders
often led by being the most gracious and giving individual in the situation.
They did not rely on violence or manipulation but sought the good of everyone
involved. In this passage Jesus contrasts the Gentile rulers of the day, who
got their way by being tyrants. They rely on competition, deceit and violence
to dominate and control. Jesus said that in the Church this should not
characterize us. Yet like John and James, we want positions of power. I read this story today in my office and I
ask myself, "who am I in this story?"
"Creator, give me more love, that I might
treat people the way you treat me, with love and grace."
