Power

...Jesus called them and said to them, ‘You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.’ Mark 10:42-45

So Jesus here is speaking about power, about notions of power. What are our various notions of power? We have Jesus speaking about what happens among the Gentiles. Remember that Jesus is speaking as someone who knows that his word, his gospel, is to go out among the Gentiles too, and not just among the Jews. So this word, as he is speaking, he is aware will also be sent eventually to the Gentiles.

The Gentiles "lord it over" their people as rulers. They act as dictators. The great, among the Gentiles, are those who make slaves of others, who demand servility from others, who can push other people around. Well, we certainly can say this notion of power has not altogether left us, has not altogether left the world!

In another text for today's reading, we quote St. Paul:

You must understand this, that in the last days distressing times will come. For people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, inhuman, implacable, slanderers, profligates, brutes, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to the outward form of godliness but denying its power. Avoid them! 2 Timothy 3:1-5

Note that he says these people he describes are "...holding to the outward form of godliness but denying its power." I pay special attention to the word "power" here, used with the term godliness. An outward form of godliness that is hollow and empty, that denies the power in godliness. Here he's referring to those behaving as the ones described by Christ - yet pretending to be Christians, outwardly godly. And in so doing, they are denying the power of godliness.

So power, in spiritual terms, is the power that does not act to manipulate, that does not see its potency in the ability to push others around, to get them to bend to our will. No, spiritual power is something different. It serves the good, for all. Even in its chastisement, in its prophecy. This is not about personalities, not about the ability to force others to do our will. Spiritual power is in doing the will of God, doing what is good for all, not serving our own will. The only way I know to find this in my own life is through prayer, and asking for guidance, putting myself aside for a moment, and holding the door open to be taught what is best for all - and what way I can serve that.