October 21, 2018 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time 1st Reading: Is 53:10–11 2nd Reading: Heb 4:14–16 Gospel: Mk 10:35–45
James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus and said to him, “Master, we want you to grant us what we are going to ask of you.” And he said, “What do you want me to do for you?” They answered, “Grant us to sit one at your right and one at your left when you come in your glory.” But Jesus said to them, “You don’t know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I drink or be baptized in the way I am baptized?” They answered, “We can.” And Jesus told them, “The cup that I drink you will drink, and you will be baptized in the way I am baptized. But to sit at my right or at my left is not mine to grant.
It has been prepared for others.” On hearing this, the other ten were angry with James and John; Jesus then called them to him and said, “As you know, the so-called rulers of the nations act as tyrants and their great ones oppress them. But it shall not be so among you; whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you shall make himself slave of all. Think of the Son of Man who has not come to be served but to serve and to give his life to redeem many.”
D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE
(Daily Gospel in the
Assimilated Life
Experience)
A crow sits on a tree doing nothing all day. A small rabbit sees the crow, and asks him, “Can I also sit like you and do nothing all day?” The crow answers in the affirmative. So the rabbit sits on the ground below for he cannot climb to sit beside the crow. All of a sudden, a fox appears, jumps on the rabbit and eats him. The lesson is: to be sitting all day doing nothing in the workplace, you must be sitting very high up or you’ll be eaten up by intrigues.
The fable above cited reflects a mentality about power and authority, which is contrary to how God wants power to be exercised. When Jesus descended from his throne of power and became incarnate he showed humanity how power should be exercised. Yet it seems that humanity abhors humility. Consider the case of the Apostles James and John. Being close followers of Jesus, they were always exposed to his teachings. But they had no qualms displaying their hunger for power by asking for reserved seats in heaven. Jesus said to them “Whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant”.
Because we too occupy positions of power in different proportions, we too are in positions of service. Let’s not be like the crow. Neither should we be like the rabbit. Let us use our positions of power to serve as Jesus did. Only then shall we inherit true greatness in the kingdom of heaven.
– (Atty.) Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., D.M.
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