The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve

Now Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples aside on the road and said to them, "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn him to death, and deliver him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify. And the third day he will rise again."

Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to him with her sons, kneeling down and asking something from him. And he said to her, "What do you wish?" She said to him, "Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one on your right hand and the other on the left, in your kingdom." But Jesus answered and said, "You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?" They said to him, "We are able." So he said to them, "You will indeed drink my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with; but to sit on my right hand and on my left is not mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared by my Father."

And when the ten heard it, they were greatly displeased with the two brothers. But Jesus called them to himself and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave -- just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many."

- Matthew 20:17-28

In yesterday's reading (For many are called), we read of the life of the kingdom, how it is always "calling" to those who wish to work in the vineyard of the world, so that all will receive the same reward. This parable was told to the apostles in the spirit of the teaching of humility. However, Jesus taught them that they will receive the reward of the place prepared for them in judgment. Today, we continue with themes of humility, as Jesus has continued teaching throughout the past several readings. In this case, he once again emphasizes the humility especially expected among the leadership of his church - and which is set by his own example.

Now Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples aside on the road and said to them, "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn him to death, and deliver him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify. And the third day he will rise again." We begin with another iteration of Jesus' future in this world. He will be betrayed to the leadership of the temple, he will be condemned to death, delivered to the Gentiles "to mock and to scourge and to crucify. And on the third day he will rise again." As they are on the road to Jerusalem, Jesus prepares them once again. In this case, amongst these readings about humility within the church and especially among the hierarchy, Jesus emphasizes his suffering that he will face - to set an example for today's teaching.

Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to him with her sons, kneeling down and asking something from him. And he said to her, "What do you wish?" She said to him, "Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one on your right hand and the other on the left, in your kingdom." My study bible notes on the next section of today's reading: "Here is yet another discussion about greatness and rank among the disciples. Matthew reports that the mother of Zebedee's sons requested positions of honor for her sons, but John's and James's own involvement is revealed by the plural you in the Greek of v. 22 and by their answer, We are able." So, we are immediately given an example of the disciples seeking a greater honor than the rest; in this case, John and James Zebedee (and their mother), two of Jesus' closest disciples, who shared the moment of Transfiguration, along with Peter.

But Jesus answered and said, "You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?" They said to him, "We are able." So he said to them, "You will indeed drink my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with; but to sit on my right hand and on my left is not mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared by my Father." My study bible notes, "Christ calls his Crucifixion a cup and his death a baptism. The Cross is a cup because he drank it willingly (Heb. 12:2). His death is baptism, for he was completely immersed in it, and by it he cleansed the world. He does not say the seating arrangement is not mine to give (v. 23) to diminish his own authority; he means that it is not his alone to give." Clearly, the places prepared in the Kingdom are those prepared by God, the Trinity, not Christ alone. In all things, he does the will of the Father. That will include his baptism of crucifixion, the cup of suffering he will endure as a human being "for the life of the world." So the disciples will also follow in his example, many of them dying a death by crucifixion, in martyrdom, as they testify to this gospel.

And when the ten heard it, they were greatly displeased with the two brothers. The rest of the disciples are very upset that two of their members would desire a position of greatness superior to the rest. But Jesus called them to himself and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant." Jesus gives us a taste here of what rank and hierarchy are to be like in his kingdom, and how this is contrasted with that of the "Gentiles" - that of worldly power. My study bible says, "Here is a new definition of greatness. All offices and positions in the Church are for the service of God's people based on love." Worldly power is manipulative; it is based on the capacity to push others around, emphasized by force. But in this kingdom, Jesus asks for a different perspective: "whoever desires to be great among you, let him be your servant." This is to be a kingdom of love -- the church a model of that love! And with love goes humility, in exemplary form, a reflection of the grace we receive from God.

And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave -- just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many." My study bible notes here: "The Only Begotten Son possessed the power to give his life voluntarily, and to take it up again (John 10:17). Christ, the lover of man, did not shun death, for he wished to prevent the whole world from perishing in sin. For many in Aramaic means 'for all.' " We have a kind of a repetition of the teaching Jesus has already given us twice in recent readings. In Tuesday's reading, he taught, "But many who are first will be last, and the last first." And in yesterday's reading, he taught, "So the last will be first, and the first last." Today he teaches that whoever first among the disciples, "let him be your slave." The love among those who work for the kingdom should be exemplary; it should reflect the grace given to us all through the love of God. This is a teaching on humility, that reflects the deep love that God has for all of us, even (perhaps especially) for those who are lost, whom God wishes to call back in reconciliation, through grace.

So, what are we to make of today's reading and teaching on humility among the disciples? How do our churches measure up to this standard? (I have many readers from all different denominations, so I address my questions to all of us.) We have had many recent readings in which Jesus has taught us not just about faith, but about the need for humility, which also comes from detachment. In so many ways, and at so many levels, he has taught us recently about this necessity. Not only will he suffer himself this great calamity of scourging and crucifixion, but he asks of his apostles and disciples that they serve one another in that same spirit of love. He has extended this in his teachings to the "little ones" of the church "whose angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven," to the women at the mercy of their husbands (regarding easy divorce), to the "little children" who must not be forbidden from coming to Christ, "for of such is the kingdom of heaven." He has taught about the importance of detachment from possessions, so that nothing stands in the way of this heavenly relationship - and addressed the fact that the disciples have left all behind for him and for this kingdom. But today we are taught that even among the disciples themselves, they are to set the greatest example, and follow him. What does this mean for us, and for our churches? How do our hierarchies reflect this kind of love? Each of us (as individuals) has our own work to do, in our own way. But I think that perhaps none of us is exempt from these teachings; and we will each find them at work in our own lives. We will each have challenges to meet of things we need to give up, that conflict with the teachings of humility we will find as we go along this path, things from which we need to detach in order to more fully fulfill this teaching of love and the importance of salvation in the kingdom. Over and over again, we come back to the idea that nothing stands in the way of our relationship to God - it is this relationship that teaches us who we are, who we need to be, and to become. In this way we fulfill the spirit of this promise of the kingdom, and we help others to do likewise. In this sense, God asks each of us to return in reconciliation, to find out who we are in his kingdom, in this love and this grace. Salvation is the act of finding ourselves, and of giving up all that stands in the way of that realization in this relationship that defines grace. Would we were to take it to heart more deeply, our own love for others would reflect that grace that seeks for all to find this same reconciliation. What choice today will you make that serves that embrace of love? From what will you detach that stands in its way?

For many are called

"For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.' So they went. Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise. And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle, and said to them, 'Why have you been standing here idle all day?' They said to him, 'Because no one hired us.' He said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right you will receive.' So when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, 'Call the laborers and give them their wages, beginning with the last to the first.' And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius. But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius. And when they had received it, they complained against the landowner, saying, 'These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.' But he answered one of them and said, 'Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what is yours and go your way. I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good? So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few are chosen."

- Matthew 20:1-16

In yesterday's reading, Jesus spoke to his disciples about the difficulty of attaining the kingdom of God with attachment to riches. (See With God all things are possible.) They discussed the sacrifices the disciples themselves had made, and what their reward will be. Jesus ended yesterday's reading with the statement, "But many who are first will be last, and the last first." And today, he continues to elaborate on the rewards of the kingdom for the faithful - those who are with him as his disciples, and those who will come. We begin with a parable for today's reading, in which Jesus further illustrates the nature of the kingdom in this particular respect of reward.

My study bible has a long note on this entire passage which I will report here: "Jesus describes a startling reversal of positions (v. 16; 19:30). In this parable: (1) the vineyard is the life God gives us in the world; (2) the day is the time of laboring, the here and now; (3) the laborers are those he calls to fulfill his commandments; (4) early in the morning and the third, sixth, ninth, and eleventh hours refer to the different ages of those who draw near to God: those who from earliest youth, from mature age, or from very old age hold to virtue. God's generosity provides equal access to and enjoyment of rewards in the life of the Kingdom for both early and late comers. Jesus teaches the former they should neither be proud of their long service, nor question those called at the eleventh hour -- lest they themselves lose all. To the latter, he teaches it is possible even in a short time to recover everything. In Jesus' ministry this parable applies to the Pharisees and sinners, while in the early Church it applies to Jews and Gentiles. St. John Chrysostom's famous Easter sermon is based on this parable; for him the reward is the Lord's rich banquet of the Easter eucharist."

Let us take the parable piece by piece: "For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard." We recall that parables are "word pictures" intended to vividly represent ideas and concepts through images to us. Jesus repeatedly uses these word-pictures to give us aspects of the kingdom he wishes to illustrate. Today, we are focused on the notion of service and reward - and he starts with a landowner who owns a vineyard, and hires laborers to work at a particular price per day. He starts out early in the morning. One thing that is interesting to note in this parable is the fact of the times of day Jesus indicates that new laborers come. These correspond to the different hours of the day in which prayers are traditionally offered. However, in this parable, we can liken these "times" to a number of different types of time.

"And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.' So they went. Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise. And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle, and said to them, 'Why have you been standing here idle all day?' They said to him, 'Because no one hired us.' He said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right you will receive.' " We know of the traditional prayer "hours" in the Church that correspond to these times. This vineyard owner calls all to work. Whomever he finds idle, he calls to work. This is how Christ approaches us. As my study bible indicated, it really doesn't matter at what time in our lives we are called, all are called equally here. Some hear the call at one time in their lives, others hear it at other times. And we all receive a promise for our labor, our service in this vineyard.

"So when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, 'Call the laborers and give them their wages, beginning with the last to the first.' And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius. But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius. And when they had received it, they complained against the landowner, saying, 'These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.' But he answered one of them and said, 'Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what is yours and go your way. I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good? So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few are chosen." It strikes me most significantly that we are all given equal wages for a very important reason. First of all, there is the whole issue of time, which is very interesting as a spiritual concept. The Lord, of course, and his Kingdom, dwell in an eternal time. The moments of time we have in our lives - as the clock ticks, so to speak - are all opportunities for choices. We have time in order to make choices - we can choose to be laborers for this kingdom at any time. The call is always there. But the Kingdom is in an eternal time: all of us who are called will receive the same reward. We make choices when we make choices - when we, too, decide that we are to be laborers for hire in this kingdom. The apostles and disciples, of course, were first. In yesterday's reading, we learned that they will sit in judgment - a high honor indeed. But for those of us who have come afterward, we all have our moments of choice, too, and we, too, will receive our reward.

There is another aspect to this parable that suggests itself as well, and that is the aspect that teaches us once again how dearly God wants each of us. It doesn't matter "what time" we say yes, when in our lives we respond to this call. The opportunity is always there. The caller in the marketplace will always come to appeal to those who are idle, to ask them if they want to be a part of this project, to labor in this vineyard for something. And their reward will be there. It is the same as Jesus' teaching on the "lost sheep" in this respect. The caller returns to the marketplace to collect those who are still idle, just as the shepherd rejoices over the return of one lost sheep. We are always called.

So, what will your response be? God so loves every one of us that the opportunities are there for us all -- we are given time. There is not only the time of our lives in this world, but also the time of the world. The judgment of the Age has not come - and the gospel still goes out to the world. So, in the time of your life, what will it be? What is there to labor for - and where is the reward for you? In the previous readings most recently, we have encountered a discussion on humility, and on detachment, and the spiritual need for the cultivation of both. In order to receive the reward, the riches of the "treasure in heaven," we must respond. We ask for a life with the Spirit, and the rewards we find for service in that vineyard. But without our "yes," we will never realize the joy of that work - the reward of richness to our lives that makes it worthwhile and gives sustenance and spiritual food. When do you make your choice? To work in that vineyard is to experience the beauty of its service - but the call will be there for everyone who has not yet chosen this path.