Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?

 

 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, Jesus taught the apostles the parable of the Vineyard:  "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 an the 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 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 my eye evil because I am good?'   So the last will be first, and the first last.  For many are called, but few chosen."

 

 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."  This is the third time Jesus predicts to the disciples what will happen to Him at Jerusalem, in Holy Week.  But now there is a difference; He is truly going up to Jerusalem and has started that journey with them.   My study Bible comments that Christ's repeated prediction of His Passion was meant to encourage and strengthen the disciples for the terrifying events that they would face.  According to Theophylact, my study Bible notes, it is as if Christ were saying, "think on all these [words and miracles], so that when you see me hanging on the Cross, you will not imagine that I am suffering because I am powerless to do otherwise."

 

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.   That the journey to Jerusalem has truly begun at this time no doubt has provided incentive for John and James Zebedee, and their mother, to make this request for positions of authority in the kingdom they assume will be established by Christ at Jerusalem.  My study Bible comments that this quest for temporal power and glory is unfitting for a disciple, and it also shows an earthly misunderstanding of the Kingdom  of God.  Here St. Matthew reports that it is the mother of Zebedee's sons who requested this honor, however, Jesus replies in the plural you -- revealing John's and James' own involvement.  This is also the case in Mark 10:36. 

 

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 here that Christ calls His Crucifixion a cup and His death a baptism.  The Cross is a cup, it says, because Christ drank it willingly (Hebrews 12:2).  His death is a baptism, for He was completely immersed in it, and yet it cleansed the world (Romans 6:3-6).  Jesus' prophecy of Sts. John and James participating in the same cup and baptism reveals the life of persecution and martyrdom they would lead after Pentecost.  St. James would become the first apostle to be martyred (Acts 12:2).  St. John would go on to a long life through the persecutions of the early Church, and exile.  In so doing, he would produce the Gospel of John, three Epistles of John, and the Revelation, in addition to his care for the Virgin Mary, Mother of God, and his guidance and teaching for the early Church.  My study Bible adds that Christ declaring that the places of honor in the Kingdom are not His to give does not mean that He lacks authority.  This means, in particular, that they are not His to give arbitrarily.  Instead He will give them to those for whom God has prepared them.  Moreover, we're asked to note that with regard to sitting as equals on the right and left hand of Christ in His Kingdom, St. John Chrysostom teaches that no one could possibly occupy such a position.  Regarding the highest places of honor that can be given to human beings, the icons of the Orthodox Church universally show the Virgin Mary (most blessed among women - Luke 1:28) and St. John the Baptist (greatest born of women -- Matthew 11:11) holding these places.

 

 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."  Let us keep in mind that what has precipitated this question by Sts. John and James and their mother is Christ's revelation of the mysteries of the Cross, the reality which will take place during Holy Week.  My study Bible remarks that this small-minded dispute about authority and power is out of place in such a contexts.  So His correction comes through first comparing His disciples to the power-hungry Gentiles, whom they themselves considered an abomination, and contrasting them to Himself, who serves us although He is Lord of all.  For many is a Semitic expression which means "for all."

 

 So Jesus has set His sights for Jerusalem, and the disciples follow in uncertainty of what is to happen there.  That is, they may likely be assuming that all will go according to their expectations of the Messiah.  This would be for the Messiah, Jesus the Christ, will establish an earthly kingdom, ridding the Jews of the occupiers and colonial oppressors, bringing the kingdom of David back again.  But despite Jesus' warning them three times of what is to happen at Jerusalem and during Holy Week, they still apparently don't quite know what to expect.  Thus, we can read the request on behalf of Sts. John and James Zebedee by their mother.  However, as my study Bible indicates, we can rest assured that all will change after Pentecost, and at the coming of the Holy Spirit, for it is then that we see these disciples in their roles for the true Kingdom of God and in full service to Christ, just as He indicates when He speaks of their cup and their baptism.  We might marvel at such a change which will be wrought in Christ's disciples, but this is part and parcel of the gospel message and the message of the Church.  For on full display in the Gospels are these character "flaws" (if you will) and vulnerabilities in even the pillars of the Church, the three closest disciples to Christ and those strongest in the faith.  That is, Sts. Peter, John, and James.  These are the three which Jesus takes with Him on a number of occasions for critical faith and support, such as the healing of the daughter of the ruler of the synagogue at Capernaum (see Matthew 9:18-26), of the event of the Transfiguration (see Matthew 17:1-13).  The Gospels clearly show the flaws of these men also, in the request in today's reading for temporal power and authority on behalf of Sts. James and John, and the repeated times Jesus may take St. Peter to task for his overconfidence and exuberance (such as his swearing that he would die with Him when St. Peter will in fact deny Him three times; see Matthew 26:31-35; 69-75).  The Gospels stand our earthly expectations on their heads, for they reveal to us thoroughly both arrogance and cowardice on the part of these great pillars of the Church.  But these human failures and characteristics only reveal to us something more powerful, and the true gospel message, that these same men whose vulnerabilities are revealed here will be those who will go on to lives of extraordinary sacrifice and courage on behalf of Christ and His Church, and who will in effect serve us all by doing so.  There is no greater love than this, as Christ has testified (John 15:13).  This is the gospel message and testimony to the extraordinary power of faith and grace at work, in particular in the coming of the Helper, the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit (John 14:26).  Let us bear in mind that these men were not chosen in a contest of strength and courage (such as a gladiatorial contest), they weren't picked from key men in an army or military capacity.  They were of faith, humble enough to be taught by Christ, to follow their Lord, and to believe in the redemption of life according to the faith given to them, and in the Spirit and the Covenant of Christ which followed, a true embrace of the Messiah and His teachings.  We will never know the internal transformations and struggles wrought in these men, but we can know for certain the testimonies we read in the Gospels about them, and the Acts and Letters that follow.  For they have come before us so that they show us the way, and that the Holy Spirit may also come to us and reside in us and help us with our own failures, flaws, and vulnerable points in life.  Extraordinary courage may not be so very extraordinary after all when faced with life and its choices in the grasp of faith and the life of the Spirit, for such has been found also by very many others, and perhaps you and I as well.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, and with the baptism I am baptized with you will be baptized

 

 Now they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was going before them; and they were amazed.  And as they followed they were afraid.  Then He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them the things that would happen to Him:  "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; and they will mock Him, and scourge Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him.  And the third day He will rise again."

 

Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, "Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask."  And He said to them, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  They said to Him, "Grant us that we may it, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory."  But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you ask.  Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?"  They said to Him, "We are able."  Jesus said to them, "You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, and with the baptism I am baptized with you will be baptized; 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."  And when the ten heard it, they began to be greatly displeased with James and John.  But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, "You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.  Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.  And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all.  For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

 

- Mark 10:32–45 

 

Yesterday we read that, as Jesus was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, "Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?"  So Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good?  No one is good but One, that is, God.  You know the commandments:  'Do not commit adultery,' 'Do not murder,' 'Do not steal,' 'Do not bear false witness,' 'Do not defraud,' 'Honor your father and your mother.'"  And he answered and said to Him, "Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth."  Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, "One thing you lack:  Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me."  But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.  Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!"  And the disciples were astonished at His words.  But Jesus answered again and said to them, "Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God!  It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."  And they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, "Who then can be saved?"  But Jesus looked at them and said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible."  Then Peter began to say to Him, "See, we have left all and followed You."  So Jesus answered and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel's, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time -- houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions -- and in the age to come, eternal life.  But many who are first will be last, and the last first."

 

  Now they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was going before them; and they were amazed.  And as they followed they were afraid.  Then He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them the things that would happen to Him:  "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; and they will mock Him, and scourge Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him.  And the third day He will rise again."  This is the third time Christ predicts His Passion to the disciples.  Now they are clearly going to Jerusalem, already in Judea and on the road going up to the Holy City.  The disciples are amazed because they know the hostility of the religious leaders in Jerusalem which Jesus has so far avoided, and they are afraid.  These repeated predictions of Christ's Passion were intended to encourage and strengthen the disciples for the terrifying events they will face there, my study Bible says.  It adds that it also confirms that Christ was going to His death of His own will and choosing.  We must remark upon the detail that Jesus gives them; they are prepared for all the humiliation and rejection He will face. 

 

 Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, "Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask."  And He said to them, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  They said to Him, "Grant us that we may it, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory."  But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you ask.  Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?"  They said to Him, "We are able."  Jesus said to them, "You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, and with the baptism I am baptized with you will be baptized; 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."  And when the ten heard it, they began to be greatly displeased with James and John.  My study Bible calls this quest for temporal power and glory unfitting for a disciple, and it shows an earthly misunderstanding of the Kingdom of God.  It seems quite likely that James and John (and their mother, as reported in St. Matthew's Gospel) expect that this travel to Jerusalem will culminate in Jesus the Messiah establishing a worldly kingdom for Himself.  Thus they ask for the highest places in that kingdom they imagine, on His right and on His left, and speak of a worldly glory.  My study Bible notes that Christ calls His Crucifixion a cup and His death a baptism.  It explains that the Cross is a cup because He drank it willingly (Hebrews 12:2).  His death is a baptism, for He was completely immersed in it, yet it cleansed the world (Romans 6:3-6).  Christ's prophecy of John and James participating in this same cup and baptism is a prediction of the life of persecution of martyrdom they would lead after Pentecost.  St. James will become the first to be martyred among the apostles (Acts 12:1-2), and St. John will go on to a long life of persecution and exile in the early Church, giving us one Gospel, three Epistles, and the Revelation.  My study Bible also explains that Christ declaring that the places of honor in the Kingdom are not His to give does not mean that He lacks authority.  It means, instead, that they are not His to give arbitrarily.  Instead, He will give them to those for whom God has prepared them.  Moreover, according to St. John Chrysostom, my study Bible says, no one could possibly occupy such a position.  Regarding the highest places of honor that can be given to human beings, the icons of the Church universally show the Virgin Mary (the most blessed among women; Luke 1:28) and St. John the Baptist (the greatest born of women; Matthew 11:11) holding these places.  

 

  But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, "You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.  Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.  And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all.  For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."  This is another repeated emphasis by Christ on what constitutes greatness in His Church and the Kingdom, and in particular the use of worldly power for those who will become responsible for His flock.  See also the readings from Monday and Tuesday.  For many is an Aramaic expression which means "for all."

 

The transformation (or perhaps we should say transfiguration/metamorphosis) of Sts. James and John Zebedee is a remarkable illustration of the power of the Holy Spirit and the effects of Pentecost that will manifest in the Church after Christ's Ascension.  They will go from the two who request Christ's highest places in what they imagine will be a popularly-expected worldly kingdom presided over by the Messiah, to the two great apostles who will suffer and sacrifice so much for the Church.  St. Mark tells us that Christ gave them the name "Sons of Thunder"  (Mark 3:17), and the truth of this name is borne out in their subsequent histories in the early Church.  Thunder would be the apt description of the effects of their own voices for Christ and evangelization.  St. James was a powerful (and perhaps even "fiery") orator for the Church, hence the first target of the wrath of Herod Agrippa against the early Christian movement.  St. John, of course, became a prolific spokesman in that he produced so much of the word we are given in the New Testament.  His Gospel, Epistles, and the Revelation remain for us among the most powerful inspired Scripture in existence, to this day studied, read, debated, and treasured in the Church among the faithful.  So much of St. John's writing determines what we understands about Jesus, and in particular his Gospel is the Gospel of love, and it is his words that teach us that God is love (1 John 4:8).  These men would truly go on to the cup and baptism of Christ, and lives of great sacrifice as well as great service.  We can understand the fulfillment of the name given to them by Christ in their subsequent histories in the Church, the "thunder" of their advocacy of the gospel reaching far and wide and even into today's world through the widespread dissemination of the New Testament through the internet and the world.  So we are given two great examples in today's reading, both of the power of the Spirit and Christ's ministry, and the transformational power we find in the Church, and which continues to create saints -- great and small -- today.  It is this power evident in these men that works to help all of us today to manifest the fruits of the Spirit, and to rely upon the power of God even to work through our weaknesses (2 Corinthians 12:9).

 

 

 

 

Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?

 

 Now they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was going before them; and they were amazed.  And as they followed they were afraid.  Then He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them the things that would happen to Him:  "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; and they will mock Him, and scourge Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him.  And the third day He will rise again."

 

Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, "Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask."   And He said to them, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  They said to Him, "Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory."  But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you ask.  Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?"  They said to Him, "We are able."  So Jesus said to them, "You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, and with the baptism I am baptized with you will be baptized; 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."  And when the ten heard it, they began to be greatly displeased with James and John.  But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, "You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.  Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.  And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all.  For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

 

- Mark 10:32–45

 

Yesterday we read that, as Jesus was going out on the road toward Jerusalem, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, "Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?"  So Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good?  No one is good but One, that is, God.  You know the commandments:  'Do not commit adultery,' 'Do not murder,' 'Do not steal,' 'Do not bear false witness,' 'Do not defraud,' 'Honor your father and mother.'"  And he answered and said to Him, "Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth."  Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, "One thing you lack:  Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me."  But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!"  And the disciples were astonished at His words.  But Jesus answered again and said to them, "Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God!  It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."  And they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, "Who then can be saved?"  But Jesus looked at them and said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible."  Then Peter began to say to Him, "See, we have left all and followed You."  So Jesus answered and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel's, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time -- houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions -- and in the age to come, eternal life.  But many who are first will be last, and the last first."

 

 Now they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was going before them; and they were amazed.  And as they followed they were afraid.  Then He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them the things that would happen to Him:  "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; and they will mock Him, and scourge Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him.  And the third day He will rise again."  My study Bible comments that Christ's repeated predictions of His Passion were intended to encourage and strengthen the disciples for the terrifying events they would face.  They also confirm that Christ was going to His death of His own will and choosing.  This is the third time Jesus has warned the disciples of what will happen at Jerusalem.   

 

 Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, "Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask."   And He said to them, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  They said to Him, "Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory."  But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you ask.  Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?"  They said to Him, "We are able."  So Jesus said to them, "You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, and with the baptism I am baptized with you will be baptized; 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."  And when the ten heard it, they began to be greatly displeased with James and John.  But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, "You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.  Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.  And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all."   Once again there is discussion among the disciples as to who would be appointed to positions of greatness (see also this reading).  My study Bible notes that this quest for temporal power and glory is unfitting for a disciple, and it shows an earthly misunderstanding of the Kingdom of God.  (Perhaps -- as with the previous dispute over who would be great -- now that they are headed toward Jerusalem, the disciples expect an earthly Kingdom to be established by Jesus.)  Christ calls is Crucifixion a cup and His death a baptism.  The Cross is a cup, my study Bible explains, because He drank it willingly (Hebrews 12:2).  His death is baptism, for He was completely immersed in it, but it cleansed the world (Romans 6:3-6).  Jesus' prophecy of John and James participating in this same cup and baptism shows the life of persecution and martyrdom they will lead after Pentecost.  My study Bible further explains that Christ declaring that the places of honor in the Kingdom are not His to give doesn't mean that He lacks authority.  It means, instead, that they are not His to give arbitrarily.  They will be given to those for whom God has prepared them.  Additionally, my study Bible asks us to note that with regard to sitting as equals on the right and left hand of Christ in His Kingdom, St. John Chrysostom teaches that no one could possibly occupy such a position.  Regarding the highest places of honor that human beings can be given, the icons of the Orthodox Church universally show the Virgin Mary (the most blessed among women; Luke 1:28) and John the Baptist (the greatest born of women; Matthew 11:11) holding these places.  Jesus repeats His teaching on greatness as linked with humility and service, and that the first shall be last.  

 

"For even 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 explains that for many is an Aramaic expression which means "for all."

 

As Jesus begins to go toward Jerusalem, He begins to prepare the disciples also for their road ahead.  At this stage, it is the disciples who bring problems to Him that He addresses in terms of their perspective on authority and "greatness."  Christ has already addressed this question of leadership in a previous reading (here), teaching them about graciousness in dealing with the "little ones" in the Church, as well as about service and humility.  This previous reading was followed by a staggering warning about abuses within His Church, and what the consequence to abuse of authority -- particularly with regard to those who are "least" in the Church.  Here in today's reading, Jesus once again emphasizes the responsibility of authority, that a "great" position is not given in order to "lord it over" others, but to serve.  It's most important that we understand that Christ Himself here indicates that He Himself will set the tone for those who follow in His footsteps.  He will sacrifice His life for the rest.  As my study Bible affirms, both John and James will follow with His cup and His baptism.  James will be the first disciple to die a martyr (Acts 12:1-2).  John will go on to a long life of service to the Church under persecution and himself in exile, giving us one Gospel, three Epistles, and the Revelation.  He will also be the one assigned by Christ to take His place as Mary's son (John 19:26), living with her and caring for her after Christ's death.  He is known also as the beloved disciple.  While in today's reading, their expectations are focused on their possible positions in a worldly kingdom, they would go on to become exemplary disciples and saints of the Church, truly serving "many" as did Christ.  Without them we would not have the Church that we have, nor the tremendous insights and understanding we know from John's works, as well as the beauty of the Light that is Christ, and possibly the most important foundation of Christian theology and our knowledge of God.  Let us keep in mind that these disciples would leave their own communities, so their expectations about the kingdom of the Messiah would be completely upended.  In persecution, in exile, in martyrdom, all the things they thought they wanted would be things they would sacrifice for Christ's Kingdom, and the new way it brought to the world.  

 

 

 

 

That you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel

 

 Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest.  And He said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called 'benefactors.'  But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves.  For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves?  Is it not he who sits at the table?  Yet I am among you as the One who serves.  

 

"But you are those who have continued with Me in My trials.  And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me, that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel."

 

- Luke 22:24–30 

 

Yesterday we read that, when the hour had come, Jesus sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him.  Then He said to them, "With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God."  Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, "Take this and divide it among yourselves; for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes."  And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me."  Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.  But behold, the hand of My betrayer is with Me on the table.  And truly the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!"  Then they began to question among themselves, which of them it was who would do this thing.

 

  Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest.  And He said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called 'benefactors.'  But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves.  For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves?  Is it not he who sits at the table?  Yet I am among you as the One who serves."  My study Bible comments that this small-minded dispute is out of place in the context of the mysteries which Christ has just revealed (see yesterday's reading, above).  Jesus corrects His disciples by first comparing them to the power-hungry Gentiles, whom my study Bible says they already considered to be an abomination, and contrasting them to Himself, who serves us, although He is Lord of all.  

 

 "But you are those who have continued with Me in My trials.  And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me, that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel."  My study Bible quotes the commentary of St. Ambrose of Milan:  "Christ judges by discerning the heart, and not by examining deeds.  So also the apostles are being shaped to exercise spiritual judgment concerning faith, and in rebuking error with virtue."  The apostles will judge not with earthly judgment, my study Bible says, but by the witness of their own lives.  As God's kingdom begins with Christ's Resurrection, it notes, the authority of judgment has already been given to the apostles and their successors in the journey of the Church on earth (Matthew 16:19; John 20:23).  

 

 It's always remarkable to me how the disciples will betray all the impulses of human beings which are contrary to the intentions of Christ's Kingdom.  They show us who we are, in this sense, and the things we all battle against.  In particular this includes all of our varied and myriad impulses of selfishness and especially a desire for worldly power and position.  As my study Bible implies, how can they have any idea how in contradiction and out of place their squabble and their concerns are after receiving the holy mystery of the Eucharist?  But such is the stuff of the Gospels.  It's often long after events and teachings have taken place that the disciples come to grasp the fullness of Christ's meaning -- with more to come in the history of the Church.  But they tell us who we are, and so our Gospels show us what we're up against.  Jesus redirects them in an absolutely powerful manner.  For what He is doing is giving them the image of the true power they will wield, the high places which will be assigned to them in the Kingdom.  But it is not the type of Kingdom that they expect.  One can read in the Revelation that "a great, fiery red dragon" appeared as a sign in heaven, and "his tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth."  This is a story in symbolic language of the fallen angels, drawn by Satan in his own self-centered desire for power, and accepting human worship rather than serving God.  The one-third of the angels drawn down with him (whom we now call demons, and formed the backdrop of the story of pagan worship of a pantheon of gods) are meant to be replaced by human beings -- those who will serve in Christ's heavenly kingdom.  These are those, like the apostles, who have continued with Christ in His trials by following Him in this world.  They will take the place of the angels who failed to shepherd humankind (see Isaiah 14:12-15; Ezekiel 28:12-19; Genesis 6:1-4; 2 Peter 2:4; Jude 1:6 Revelation 12:7-9; Matthew 25:41).  The aspirations of the apostles for places in a worldly kingdom are redirected by Christ to a goal of service (as He serves) and a heavenly kingdom that awaits a destiny that belongs to "those for whom it is prepared by My Father" (see Matthew 20:20-23).  As we have commented recently and throughout this blog, Christ comes to wage a spiritual battle in this world, to reclaim it -- and us -- for Himself and the Kingdom of heaven from the one known as the ruler of this world in the language of St. John's Gospel, the god of this age as St. Paul writes.   Let us remember that God is enthroned -- or not -- in the hearts and minds of human beings.  But moreover, there is a greater destiny for us, upon which rests the life of the world, meaning the whole of creation in the language of Scripture.  Jesus has come to prepare such a destiny for us; let us follow Him into the spiritual battle He asks of us.  Let us do as He directs the disciples in today's reading, take our minds from being conformed to this world and to the place that Christ prepares for us, and where He asks us to follow.   For that is how the good fight is fought.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many

 

Deësis mosaic, Hagia Sophia cathedral, 13th century, Constantinople, Byzantine Empire

 

 Now they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was going before them; and they were amazed.  And as they followed they were afraid.  Then He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them the things that would happen to Him:  "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 the Gentiles; and they will mock Him, and scourge Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him.  And the third day He will rise again."

 

Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, "Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask."  And He said to them, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  They said to Him, "Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory."   But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you ask.  Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?"  They said to Him, "We are able."  So Jesus said to them, "You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, and with the baptism I am baptized you will be baptized; 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."  And when the ten heard it, they began to be greatly displeased with James and John.  But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, "You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.  Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.  And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all.  For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

 

- Mark 10:32–45 

 

Yesterday we read that as Jesus was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, "Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?"  So Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good?  No one is good but One, that is, God.  You know the commandments:  'Do not commit adultery,' 'Do not murder,' 'Do not steal,' 'Do not bear false witness,' 'Do not defraud,' 'Honor your father and your mother.'"  And he answered and said to Him, "Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth."  Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, "One thing you lack:  Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me."  But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.  Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!"  And the disciples were astonished at His words.  But Jesus answered again and said to them, "Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God!  It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."  And they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, "Who then can be saved?"  But Jesus looked at them and said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible."  Then Peter began to say to Him, "See, we have left all and followed You."  So Jesus answered and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel's, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time -- houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions -- and in the age to come, eternal life.  But many who are first will be last, and the last first."

 

  Now they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was going before them; and they were amazed.  And as they followed they were afraid.  Then He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them the things that would happen to Him:  "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 the Gentiles; and they will mock Him, and scourge Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him.  And the third day He will rise again."  My study Bible comments that Christ's repeated predictions of His Passion were intended to encourage and strengthen the disciples for the terrifying events they would face.  Additionally, these predictions confirm that Christ was going to His death of His own will and choosing.  As He is now going up to Jerusalem, going before them, this much is certain.

 

 Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, "Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask."  And He said to them, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  They said to Him, "Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory."   But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you ask.  Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?"  They said to Him, "We are able."  So Jesus said to them, "You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, and with the baptism I am baptized you will be baptized; 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."  And when the ten heard it, they began to be greatly displeased with James and John.  But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, "You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.  Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.  And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all."   Once again, questions of who among them will be the greatest in the kingdom they can only imagine come up among the disciples; this time it is James and John Zebedee who make this request.  My study Bible comments that this quest for temporal power and glory is unfitting for a disciple and shows an earthly misunderstanding of the Kingdom of God.  In St. Matthew's Gospel, it is noted that the mother of Zebedee's sons makes this request, but Jesus responds in the plural "you" there, and the brothers' own involvement is clear here in St. Mark's Gospel.  Christ calls His Crucifixion a cup and His death a baptism.  The Cross is a cup, my study Bible explains, because He drank it willingly (Hebrews 12:2).  Christ's death is a baptism, as He was completely immersed in it, yet it cleansed the whole world (Romans 6:3-6).  Christ's prophecy of John and James eventual participating in the same cup and baptism reveals the life of persecution and martyrdom which they would lead after Pentecost.  James would be the first martyr among the disciples, and John lived a long life under persecution and exile.  My study Bible also states that Christ declaring that places of honor in the Kingdom are not His to give does not mean that He lacks authority.  It means, instead, that they are not His to give arbitrarily.  They will be given to those for whom God has prepared them.  Also, with regard to sitting as equals on the right and left hand of Christ in His Kingdom, St. John Chrysostom teaches that no one could possibly occupy such a position.  Regarding the highest places of honor that can be given to human beings, the icons of the Orthodox Church universally depict the Virgin Mary ("most blessed among women" Luke 1:28) and John the Baptist ("greatest born of women" (Matthew 11:11) holding these places.  

"For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."  For many, according to my study Bible, is an Aramaic expression, which means "for all."

 

 In its commentary on the request of John and James Zebedee, my study Bible tells us that the icons of the Orthodox Church universally depict the Virgin Mary and St. John the Baptist in the highest places of honor given to human beings, next to Christ.  It quotes from Luke 1:28 and Matthew 11:11, giving us the words from Scripture regarding these two saints.  In the case of the Virgin Mary, the words are of the Archangel Gabriel, in greeting Mary at the Annunciation to her of Christ's birth.  The words describing John the Baptist are those spoken by Jesus Christ.  The mosaic above, called Deësis, which means, in Greek, "Supplication" or "Prayer" shows the Virgin Mary and St. John the Baptist on either side of Christ enthroned, praying on behalf of humanity.  St. John the Baptist is considered to be a figure of the Old Testament, the greatest of all the prophets, while Mary the Mother of God is the "queen" among the saints, also called "All Holy" in the Orthodox tradition.  She is considered the supreme saint to call upon at all times.   In James 5:16 we read, "The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much."  As she is considered to be the greatest among the saints, her compassion is one that turns no one away.  These traditions are born out through the 2,000 year experience of the Church, the prayers and supplications of believers throughout the centuries.  In the mosaic above, we can see the expressions of compassion on the faces of the saints at prayer, and we know that their lives were those of great sacrifice for the love of Christ and of the gospel of the kingdom of God He preached.  All of this speaks to us of love and compassion, love and blessing within the gracious love of God -- even for the Son who came to live among us as one of us, to share our burdens and griefs and die out of love for us.  Ultimately the story of Jesus is a story of so many who were loved by Him and who shared in His love, for He goes to His cup and His baptism "for many," as the text says, meaning for all of us.  Let us consider the compassion and love of a loving God, seeking to free us from the slavishness of a life devoted to a different kind of power, one that knows exploitation and hardship, greedy demands of passions, and stripping us to a bare materialism without pity.  Let us, together with these greatest of saints, participate in the joy of His Kingdom, for there is the place of His love for all of us in which we, too, may share. 

 

 

 

You do not know what you ask

 

 Now they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was going before them; and they were amazed.  And as they followed they were afraid.  Then He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them the things that would happen to Him:  "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; and they will mock Him, and scourge Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him.  And the third day He will rise again."

Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, "Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask."  And He said to them, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  They said to Him, "Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory."  But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you ask.  Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?"  They said to Him, "We are able."  So Jesus said to them, "You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, and with the baptism I am baptized with you will be baptized; 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."  And when the ten heard it, they began to be greatly displeased with James and John.  But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, "You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.  Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.  And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all.  For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

 

- Mark 10:32–45 

 

Yesterday we read that as Jesus was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, "Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?"  So Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good?  No one is good but One, that is, God.  You know the commandments:  'Do not commit adultery,' 'Do not murder,' 'Do not steal,' 'Do not bear false witness,' 'Do not defraud,' 'Honor your father and your mother.' "   And he answered and said to Him, "Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth."  Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, "One thing you lack:  Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me."  But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.  Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!"  And the disciples were astonished at His words.  But Jesus answered again and said to them, "Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God!  It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."  And they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, "Who then can be saved?"  But Jesus looked at them and said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible."  Then Peter began to say to Him, "See, we have left all and followed You."  So Jesus answered and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel's, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time -- houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions -- and in the age to come, eternal life.  But many who are first will be last, and the last first."

 

  Now they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was going before them; and they were amazed.  And as they followed they were afraid.  Then He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them the things that would happen to Him:  "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; and they will mock Him, and scourge Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him.  And the third day He will rise again."  My study Bible says that Christ's repeated predictions of His Passion were intended to encourage and to strengthen the disciples, as they will come to face terrifying events.  Let us make careful note of the fact that they are now on the road and going up to Jerusalem.  Additionally, my study Bible also comments that these warnings by Jesus confirm that He is going to His death in Jerusalem of His own will and choosing. 

Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, "Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask."  And He said to them, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  They said to Him, "Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory."  But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you ask.  Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?"  They said to Him, "We are able."  So Jesus said to them, "You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, and with the baptism I am baptized with you will be baptized; 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."  And when the ten heard it, they began to be greatly displeased with James and John.  But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, "You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.  Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.  And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all."  In our readings from Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, Jesus has already been addressing the question of "greatness" among His disciples.  In yesterday's reading (above), Jesus addressed the question of great possessions and the obstacle that can be to entering the kingdom of God.  Here, my study Bible comments that this quest for temporal power and glory is unfitting for a disciple and shows an earthly misunderstanding of the kingdom of God.   In Matthew's Gospel it's reported that the mother of Zebedee's sons makes the request for this honor, but as is clear in the Greek text, Christ responds by addressing them in the plural ("What do you want Me to do for you?"; verse 36).  My study Bible notes also that Christ calls His Crucifixion a cup and His death a baptism.  It says that the Cross is a cup because He drinks it willingly (Hebrews 12:2); His death is baptism because He was completely immersed in it, yet it cleansed the world (Romans 6:3-6).  Here it is also noted that Christ's words to the Zebedee brothers are a prophecy.  That they will indeed participate in the same cup and baptism shows the life of persecution and martyrdom which both would lead after Pentecost.  Furthermore, that Christ says the places of honor in the Kingdom are not His to give doesn't mean that He lacks authority.  What it means is that these are not Christ's to give arbitrarily.  He will give them to those for whom God has prepared them.  With regard to sitting as equals on Christ's right and left hand in His Kingdom, St. John Chrysostom says that no one could possibly occupy a position like that.  In terms of the highest places of honor given to human beings, my study Bible notes that the icons of the Church universally show the Virgin Mary (the most blessed among women - Luke 1:28) and John the Baptist (the greatest born of women - Matthew 11:11) holding these places.  

 

 "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."  For many as used here is an Aramaic expression, which means "for all."

As pointed out above, in several readings this week Jesus has addressed the issue of greatness and what that is in His Church and His Kingdom.  Therefore, it is somewhat surprising at this stage that these apostles, John and James Zebedee, who together with St. Peter make up three "pillars of faith," should now come to Christ with this request.  They are the ones, together with Peter, whom Jesus has taken with Him in times that called for the greatest strength of faith:  in the healing of Jairus' daughter, and at the Transfiguration (and the healing that followed).  It seems quite possible that, at this stage when Jesus' intention is very clear that He is setting off on the road to Jerusalem, the brothers (and their mother, as indicated in St. Matthew's Gospel), believe that the purpose of going to Jerusalem is to inaugurate this Kingdom, which they assume will be an earthly one.  Perhaps it is, after all, because James and John have been so close to Jesus as part of His "inner circle" together with Peter that they seek these places of honor. But, as in the cases where Peter's behavior is disappointing (such as in his denials of Christ to come at Mark 14:29-31), or the times the disciples haven't measured up to the kind of faith Christ would ask of them (as in this reading), or have so lacked understanding it seemed to exasperate Jesus (in this reading), perhaps we are given these examples by the disciples to teach us something important.  For we learn primarily that discipleship is not a one-time quiz or test that we either pass or fail, but a lifelong journey.  Indeed the word for disciple in the Greek of the Gospels means "learner" (μαθητής/mathetes).  In modern Greek this word is used to mean "student."  Discipleship, in the context of the Gospels, is a lifelong road.  And we can see for ourselves, through the remarkably short three-year period of Christ's ministry, how the disciples grow and become the apostles they would eventually be.  As my study Bible pointed out, both John and James Zebedee (also named "Sons of Thunder" by Jesus as we read in Mark 3:17) would truly both drink Christ's cup and be baptized with His baptism.  James would be the first of the apostles to be martyred (in AD 44, beheaded by King Herod Agrippa I in Jerusalem; see Acts 12:2).  John would go on to a long life of persecution and exile, producing one Gospel, three Epistles, and the Revelation, as well as caring for Mary the Mother of God (John 19:26).  So what is it that will take these two men (and presumably their mother) from the ones who demand the two most important places in Christ's Kingdom, on His right and on His left, to the ones who would serve with the kind of greatness that Jesus has described over the course of the past several readings?  Christ's Passion itself, just ahead of them in Jerusalem, will without a doubt take them through its shattering realities and the tremendous story of Christ's sacrifice "for many," as Jesus prophesies in today's reading.  But the powerful spiritual realities to come, of Resurrection, and of the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, as well as the growth of the Church and its many servants to come, will no doubt have their effects upon all of them.  Let us take these examples to heart, and understand that for each of us, our journey forward into discipleship and deepening faith might very well take us through the deep changes of heart and mind as exemplified by these Sons of Thunder.  Let us be grateful for the grace we're given and the examples in the Gospels.  When these men make their request of Jesus, He tells them truthfully, "You do not know what you ask."  But they would learn in time, and through faith.  Let us remember that we, also, may have a lot to learn along the way.  Clearly, when we pray, we also may not know what we ask.  Let us keep our patience and keep learning as disciples throughout our lives, and pray for the grace to change and accept what we're meant to learn. 

Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?

 

 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 of 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, 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, Jesus told a parable of the kingdom of heaven:  "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 the 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 chosen." 

 

  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."  Now, the text notes for us, Jesus is going up to Jerusalem.  As He begins this final journey, He warns the disciples for the third time of His Passion to come.  My study Bible comments that Christ's repeated prediction of His Passion is meant to encourage and strengthen them for the terrifying events they will be facing.  Theophylact is cited here, who comments that it is as if Christ were saying to them, "Think on all these [words and miracles], so that when you see me hanging on the Cross, you will not imagine that I am suffering because I am powerless to do otherwise."

 

 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 of 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."   We've already been given to understand that there is concern among the disciples for the places they might expect in Christ's kingdom (see this reading).  At this stage it's likely they expect an earthly kingdom to be established by the Messiah, and so Christ gives them repeated warnings about what is to come at Jerusalem.  My study Bible comments that this quest for temporal power and glory is unfitting for a disciple, and it shows an earthly misunderstanding of the kingdom of God.  Here, we're told that it is the mother of Zebedee's sons who requests this honor (perhaps also letting us know that she is among the women from Galilee who travel with and support Christ's ministry).  But John's and James' own involvement in this desire is shown by a plural "you" in Christ's response in the Greek (verse 22), and in Mark 10:35.  We must note also that Christ calls His Crucifixion a cup and His death a baptism.  My study Bible comments that the Cross is a cup because He drank it willingly (Hebrews 12:2).  His death is baptism as He was completely immersed in it, yet it cleansed the world (Romans 6:3-6).  Christ's prophecy of John and James participating in the same cup and baptism shows the life of persecution and martyrdom they will lead after Pentecost.  Moreover, Christ declaring that the places of honor in the Kingdom are not His to give doesn't mean He lacks authority.  Instead, it indicates they aren't His to give arbitrarily.  They will be given to those for whom God has prepared them.  (See Wednesday's reading, in which Jesus tells them that "you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.")  With regard to sitting as equals on the right and left hand of Christ in His Kingdom, my study Bible cites St. John Chrysostom, who teaches that no one could possibly occupy such a position.  Regarding the highest places of honor given to human beings, the icons of the Orthodox Church universally depict the Virgin Mary (most blessed among women - Luke 1:28) and John the Baptist (greatest born of women - Matthew 11:11) holding these places. 

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, 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."   Let us keep in mind that Christ has just revealed to the disciples (for the third time) that He "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."  So let us consider in that light how out of place this request is in light of such revelation.  My study Bible comments that Jesus corrects the disciples by first comparing them to the power-hungry Gentiles, whom they themselves considered an abomination, and contrasts them to Himself.  He serves us, although He is Lord of all.   For many is an Aramaic expression which means "for all." 

 

 As noted above, the popular expectations of the people were that a Messiah would be an earthly deliverer, one who would throw off Roman rule and re-establish the kingdom of David and the fortunes of Israel.  With that understanding, we might assume that it is quite likely that the request by the mother of Zebedee's sons (the disciples John and James) comes in expectation of such a worldly kingdom, and hope that these important places will be given to them.  As my study Bible notes, Jesus' response using the plural "you" indicates that it's not just their mother who's making this request!  So we contrast this request with the very somber note in Jesus' warning, informing the disciples -- for the third time -- that He will suffer and be killed.  We can be fairly certain that this information is nearly impossible for the disciples to fathom, and likely they are unable to take it in and truly understand.  What they make of His words that "the third day He will rise again" we also don't know, and likely they have no idea.  Mark's Gospel tells us not only that they did not understand, but they were also afraid to ask Him (Mark 9:30-32).  Jesus more or less tells them so when He says in response to the Zebedees' request, "You do not know what you ask."  In this light, Jesus' preparation of the disciples for the eventuality of the Church must include teachings on humility, on the capacity for service.  There is so much that they will have to learn to separate from themselves in order to truly become the Church of the gospel message.   He teaches that James and John not only must understand His own mission, but be prepared to follow Him.  He asks them, "Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?" and promises them that indeed they will.  He contrasts the Gentiles, who worship the pagan gods of power and acquisition, with Himself, who, although He is the Son, has come to serve all.   Even those places at His right and left hand are not His to give, but will go to the ones for whom the Father has prepared them.  Power and authority, for Jesus the Son of God, are vested in grace and service and self-emptying, and this is the great secret to the Kingdom and the Church which seeks to bear that Kingdom into the world.  It's a lesson that is too frequently forgotten, but is indispensable and invaluable -- the one precious thing we truly need.  James and John will go on to fulfill Christ's prediction about their future lives.  James will be the first martyr among the disciples, and John will go on to a long life lived in persecution and exile, leaving the Church His Gospel and three Epistles characterized by love, and the Revelation which gives the ultimate promise of the Bridegroom and the New Jerusalem for all.  But let us understand once more for ourselves, and think about the great seeming paradox (to us) of God's power and authority, which is qualified by grace, mercy, self-emptying, and service.  For we also are to go and do likewise, and follow Him.  This Advent, we would do well to consider how our own lives might benefit and follow this pattern.   For often, strange as it may seem to worldly eyes, it is in the giving up and serving Christ that we find who we really are, and what truly belongs to us.

 

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many

 

 Now they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was going before them; and they were amazed.  And as they followed they were afraid.  Then He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them the things that would happen to Him:  "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; and they will mock Him, and scourge Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him.  And the third day He will rise again."

Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, "Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask."  And He said to them, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  They said to Him, "Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory."  But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you ask.  Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?"  They said to Him, "We are able."  So Jesus said to them, "You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, and with the baptism I am baptized with you will be baptized; 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."  And when the ten heard it, they began to be greatly displeased with James and John.  But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, "You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.  Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.  And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all.  For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

 

- Mark 10:32–45 

 

Yesterday we read that as Jesus was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, "Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?"  So Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good?  No one is good but One, that is, God.  You know the commandments:  'Do not commit adultery,' 'Do not murder,' 'Do not steal,' 'Do not bear false witness,' 'Do not defraud,' 'Honor your father and your mother.'"  And he answered and said to Him, "Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth."  Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, "One thing you lack:  Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me."  But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.  Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!"  And the disciples were astonished at His words.  But Jesus answered again and said to them, "Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God!  It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."   And they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, "Who then can be saved?"  But Jesus looked at them and said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible."  Then Peter began to say to Him, "See, we have left all and followed You."  So Jesus answered and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel's, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time -- houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions -- and in the age to come, eternal life.  But many who are first will be last, and the last first."  

 

Now they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was going before them; and they were amazed.  And as they followed they were afraid.  Then He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them the things that would happen to Him:  "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; and they will mock Him, and scourge Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him.  And the third day He will rise again."  This is the third time we've read that Jesus warns the disciples about what is to come in Jerusalem.  Let us note, they are now on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and so the events of what we call Holy Week are drawing near.  Jesus gets even more specific in His warnings to the disciples, saying that He will be betrayed to the chief priests and scribes.  He includes that He will be delivered to the Gentiles, who will mock Him, scourge Him, and spit on Him and kill Him.  My study Bible notes that Christ's repeated predictions of His Passion were intended to encourage and strengthen the disciples for the terrifying events they would face.  Once again, He also confirms that He goes to His death of His own will and choosing. 

 

Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, "Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask."  And He said to them, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  They said to Him, "Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory."  But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you ask.  Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?"  They said to Him, "We are able."  So Jesus said to them, "You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, and with the baptism I am baptized with you will be baptized; 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."    Yet again we find the disciples concerned with issues of greatness and position (see also this reading, in which they disputed among themselves who would be greatest).  My study Bible comments that this quest for temporal power and glory is unfitting for a disciple and shows an earthly misunderstanding of the Kingdom of God.  In Matthew's Gospel, it is written that the mother of Zebedee's sons requested this honor, but James' and John's own involvement is clear as Jesus addresses them in the plural "you" and also here in this passage in Mark.  My study Bible adds that Christ calls His Crucifixion a cup and His death a baptism.  The Cross is a cup, it explains, because Christ drank it willingly (Hebrews 12:2).  His death is baptism, as He was completely immersed in it, but it cleansed the world (Romans 6:3-6).  Christ's prophecy of John and James participating in the same cup and baptism shows the life of persecution and martyrdom they would lead after Pentecost, James being the first of the Twelve to be martyred, and John living a long life of persecution.  My study Bible also notes that Christ declaring that the places of honor in the Kingdom are not His to give does not mean that He lacks authority.  Instead, it means that they are not His to give arbitrarily.  Rather, Jesus will give them to those for whom God has prepared them.  My study Bible asks us to note also that with regard to sitting as equals on the right and left hand of Christ in His Kingdom, St. John Chrysostom teaches that no one could possibly occupy such a position.  With regard to the highest places of honor that can be given to human beings, in the icons of the Orthodox Church it is universally depicted that the Virgin Mary (the most blessed among women -- Luke 1:28) and John the Baptist (the greatest born of women - Matthew 11:11) hold these places on the left and right of the opening to the altar.

 

And when the ten heard it, they began to be greatly displeased with James and John.  But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, "You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.  Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.  And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all.  For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."  For many is an Aramaic expression which means "for all."

It seems that as Jesus and the disciples go toward Jerusalem, expectations are high among the disciples (and today, among John and James Zebedee) that Jesus will be coming into a physical kingdom.  Thus, their concern about their places within that kingdom.  No wonder Jesus repeatedly tries to tell them about what is to come in Jerusalem.  Not only does He need to prepare them for the entirely (to them) unexpected outcome.  He also must change their own expectations about what it will mean to be apostles of the Kingdom of God.  It will mean the same cup and baptism which Jesus Himself will endure.  So often, we seem to expect the establishment of a beautiful kingdom with all of its attendant splendor will be established for us because of our faith.  But our faith simply doesn't really work that way.  In yesterday's reading, Jesus taught in reply to Peter, "Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel's, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time -- houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions -- and in the age to come, eternal life.  But many who are first will be last, and the last first."  Note Jesus' reassurance of some sort of recompense or replenishing of losses or sacrifice endured for the sake of Himself and the gospel.  But these things will come through our faith, and most likely through the Church in some way; worship houses, brothers and sisters in the Church.  Notice also that Jesus is careful to say that these things will come with persecutions as well.    But here in today's reading, Christ's emphasis is once again on service.  They are not to look to the kingdoms of the Gentiles to think about what the Kingdom of God is all about, and what they must be about.  Christ's servants are not to lord it over others, even to exercise authority in the same style.  If these disciples truly want to be great in His Church, then it is they who must serve others instead.  "Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.  And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all."  If we are to be great in our Church, among believers, and within His Kingdom, then it is we who must be prepared to serve.  How does that happen?  We pray for others.  We seek to do good to our brothers and sisters.  We comfort.  We extend a kind word.  We give what we can and when we can.  We are to show compassion (Matthew 25:31-46).  Sometimes even just sitting with someone is an act of kindness and compassion, and can make all the difference in a hard circumstance.  For if we listen to Jesus, then this is what we are made for.  We are made to help, and to find ourselves in what we can do to help.  Jesus goes so far as to say that whoever desires to be first shall be a slave of all.  Note that this has nothing to do with socially significant acts, designed to be approved of and noticed.  Christ does not establish rules defining what being a servant or slave means here.  This is not about a solution to social and political problems on abstract terms.  Above all, these are personal actions He's speaking of, personal kinds of relations, personal "right-relatedness."  For it is where there is need that we can be truly helpful.  And finally there is the great caveat, "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."  He sets the example.  If we want to look to the One whom we follow, we look to Him.  When we steep ourselves in prayer, and find ourselves in Christ's own love, then we find the energy to do as He asks.  Let us not leave out our own preparedness  and pacing for this journey, just as Jesus prepares and paces the disciples in so many ways.