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.

 

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

Deesis mosaic, 13th century.  Haghia Sophia cathedral, Constantinple

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

Yesterday we read that Jesus taught:  "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 idle here 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."  My study bible comments here that Christ's repeated prediction of His Passion is meant to encourage and strengthen the disciples:  after Jesus is in Jerusalem they will face the terrifying events to come.  According to Theophan, it is as if Jesus is 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."   My study bible calls this question for temporal power and glory unfitting for a disciple, and says that it shows an earthly misunderstanding of the Kingdom of God.  Here, Matthew tells us that it was the mother of Zebedee's sons who made this request.  But Jesus' responses is in the plural you (in the Greek text), when He says, "You do not know what you ask . . .."  Mark 10:35 clearly indicates the involvement of John and James as well.

"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."   Jesus refers to His Crucifixion as a cup and His death as a baptism.  My study bible says that the Cross is a cup because Jesus 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).  Jesus' prophecy of John and James participating in the same cup and baptism shows the life of persecution and martyrdom they would lead after Pentecost.   That these places of honor requested by the mother of Zebedee's sons (and John and James themselves) is not Christ's to give doesn't mean that He is lacking in authority.  Rather, my study bible points out, it means that they are not Christ's to give arbitrarily.  Instead, these places will be given by Christ to those for whom God has prepared them.  St. John Chrysostom, additionally, teaches that to sit as equals on the right and left hand of Christ in His Kingdom belongs to no one -- for there is none who could occupy such a position.  Regarding the highest places of honor given to human beings, in the icons of the Orthodox Church it is universally depicted that the Virgin Mary (most blessed among women, Luke 1:28) and John the Baptist (greatest born of women, 11:11) hold 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."  For many, my study bible says, is an Aramaic expression which means "for all."

What does it mean to accept a place of honor?  We have to think about this in terms of Christ's answer to Zebedee's wife Salome, the mother of the apostles James and John.  Jesus makes it clear that the places of honor in His Kingdom are not about favoritism.  They are not about doing political favors.  Neither are they even about how close Jesus might be to one disciple or another in a worldly sense (for these men are surely His friends, and one of them -- John -- will be the one to whom He entrusts the care of His mother at the Cross; see John 19:26).  Jesus makes it very clear that the positions of honor which may come in is Kingdom are those for whom God has prepared such places.  This authority does not rest only in Jesus, but rather in the will of the Father and -- perhaps even more importantly -- within the grand scheme of salvation for an entire cosmos.  This "event" therefore, of honor in the Kingdom, involves much more than a temporal sense of Jesus' ministry.  It involves all who are to come, and all that is to become in the salvation plan of God.  Moreover, it involves spiritual judgment, even the ultimate judgment in the hands of Christ.  Therefore, when you or I speak about honor, about whom we should honor in our hearts and in our lives, about how we ourselves might find honor in our lives, let us consider first of all to Whom it is that Jesus turns when He's asked about places of honor.  He makes it clear that all things rest in the hands of God, and it is to God that all must turn in honor in order to realize honor.  That is, there is an entirety to the plan of salvation not only for this world and all of the people in the world, but in terms of the entirety of a cosmos,  a created order of things, the full range of time and space and all that is within it.  Honor, in short, comes only from the One who has such a perspective, and we don't know what roles we may play in such a purview.  Consider, for instance, the long-range effects of one person's choice and another's.  We don't really know where such things will lead.  We don't know the depth of commitment in their hearts to God, nor their actual level of participation in the life of God.  Who can know these things?  Only God can know such things.  But there is one thing of which we can be certain:  that is that Jesus turns the attention from the places of honor to what it takes to fulfill that honor and to live that honor.  That is, He focuses their attention upon the cup of His Crucifixion, and the baptism of His death.  These are the things that are asked of Jesus in the fullness of the story of salvation and in His role in it.  Can they be prepared to drink that cup and accept that baptism for themselves?  Will they participate in the same honor in which He will play that role?  The answer is surely yes, as James Zebedee will be the first of the apostles to be martyred (Acts 12:1-2), and his brother John will go on to a life of exile and persecution, to care for Christ's mother, and to have attributed to him one Gospel, three Epistles, and the Revelation.  Each one will fulfill the cup and baptism asked of them as well.  But the answer of Christ, and this question posed to these disciples, "Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?" is really a question that applies to each of us.  It is, moreover, a question to be asked throughout time of all who would follow Jesus.  This is because, to one extent and another, we must all be prepared to follow in Christ's footsteps -- but even more importantly, to participate in His life.  We do this through the sacraments, through the Eucharist and the commemoration of His life and Incarnation, through our understanding of His Ascension, and even as we await His return.  We participate in the same sense in which the rich man was asked to give up His possessions to receive eternal life (in this reading).  It is not that we each must follow some pre-ordered prescription of what we must do.  It is, rather, that as we move forward in faith in Christ, and grow in that discipleship, there will be cups and baptisms that are asked of us, and that this is the way of the Cross, to which each of us is called.  We are called to become what we must be in Christ's image of who we are, and that image is shaped, formed, and transfigured in the life He offers.  What that means for each one of us is specific to each, as St. Chrysostom has commented on the story of the rich young man.  But it is indeed the way of the Cross.  It is, indeed, the call for humility and especially for us to honor the very place -- or rather, the Person -- from whom all honor comes.  Jesus goes on to set the record straight with the rest of the disciples when He contrasts the "Lordship" of the Gentiles (and worldly power) with the kind of Lordship He exercises.  His power is in the reality of the love that is the substance of God, and all power and authority extends from God who is love (1 John 4:7-8).  In that understanding, it is the One who will lay down His life for His friends in an expression of the greatest love to whom we turn to define "honor" (John 15:13).  In the icon above, a mosaic made in the 13th century on the wall of the Hagia Sophia Church in Constantinople, we see a scene which is called in Greek "Deesis" (which means prayer or supplication).  It shows the risen Christ, the Almighty.  Closes to Him are Mary ("blessed among women") and John the Baptist ("among those born of women no one greater").  Both bow to Christ in the position of prayer.  Let us consider those whom we join when we do the same, and enter into the honor of those who honor God with their lives.

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 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 of all 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 points out here that Christ's repeated predictions of His Passion were intended to encourage and strengthen the disciples for the terrifying events they would face.  It suggests that this also confirms that Christ was going 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 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."  My study bible suggests that this question on the part of James and John Zebedee for temporal power and glory is unfitting for a disciple.  It says that this shows an earthly misunderstanding of the Kingdom of God.  In Matthew's Gospel, we are told that it was the mother of Zebedee's sons who requested this honor (Matthew 20:20-21).  But clearly from their answer in the plural (and the text here in Mark), John and James themselves are involved in this request!  That's important, because it is consistent in the Gospels that we are given the mistaken understandings of the disciples, and their correction by Christ.  It tells us that we are all on a journey, and our faith and discipleship is not about immediate perfection.  Jesus makes this clear by telling them, "You do not know what you ask."   My study bible also comments that Christ calls His Crucifixion a cup and His death a baptism.  The Cross is a cup, it says, because He drank it willingly (Hebrews 12:2).  His death is baptism, as He was completely immersed in it, and yet it cleansed the world (Romans 6:3-6). 

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 of all shall be slave of all."   Christ's prophecy of John and James participating in the same cup and baptism shows the life of persecution and martyrdom that each will indeed lead after Pentecost.  James would be the first among the apostles to be martyred (Acts 12:1-2).  John would face persecutions throughout his life, including exile on the island of Patmos, where the Revelation occurred (Revelation 1:9).  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.  Instead, it means that they are not His to give arbitrarily.  Those places will be given instead to those for whom God has prepared them.   St. John Chrysostom comments with regard to those sitting as equals on the right and left hand of Christ in His Kingdom, that no one could possibly occupy this 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.

"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."

Over the past several readings, Jesus has been emphasizing humility and service, as well as sacrifice.  He has emphasized the apostles' care of the littlest ones, and made it clear the highest penalty would be paid for abuse.  He has taught about divorce, and the hardness of heart involved in easy divorce.  He has also spoken about the precious value of children in His sight.  In today's reading, there is once again a dispute about places of greatness (see also Monday's reading, which began this "cycle" of recent readings).  In today's case, it is James and John Zebedee who, in a sense, separate themselves from the rest of the disciples, and ask for the particular places of honor they desire.  But Jesus teaches them about honor by speaking about sacrifice.  He speaks of Himself first as one who will sacrifice, as He begins addressing this question by speaking about His own cup and baptism.  That is, His cup of the Crucifixion, and His baptism of death.  In a sense, He is telling them that they must be prepared to follow Him even into these places of the greatest sacrifice -- if they wish these places on His right and His left.  But even so, He cannot give these places in an arbitrary sense.  When we think of this Kingdom, we must accept that it is a communion far greater, wider, and deeper than we can understand.  Moreover, even He will defer to this wider authority than we understand.  But this leads Christ to a profound conclusion for all of us who live in this world and seek to serve that Kingdom, for Christ compares the values that govern His understanding of greatness to those which govern worldly kingdoms, when He says, "You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them."  He uses this as stark contrast to the living Kingdom which the apostles will bear into the world, and which we as faithful seek also to bear into the world, when He says, "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 of all shall be slave of all."  So, in the first place, Jesus seeks to give us an understanding of greatness for ourselves that is at odds with the "greatness" of the worldly.  Moreover, this teaching about sacrifice also applies to us, who form the Church today, as much as it did to the apostles.  We are once more given the understanding that to participate in Christ's kingdom, we will seek to follow Him wherever He leads.  But let's think for a moment about a pragmatic way of turning to this thinking about greatness.  We have modern notions of greatness that also have to do with aspirational achievement of a certain status within the society.  Due to the huge machinery of public relations, which also includes every medium of communication open to us today, we might think of rap stars, movie stars, or pop stars of any kind as "great."  We have ratings agencies that monitor the attention the public pays to various public spectacles (for want of a better word) such as popular television programs, or sports spectacles.  We follow our favorite teams, or city teams in all kinds of sports.  Individual athletes, as in the ancient world, may also be considered great.  We root for politicians and parties, we hate their opposition.  But Jesus addresses directly the notion of power as tied with greatness, and that worldly notion of power as one who may "lord it over" another.  In this sense, we can still see Jesus' understanding in the ways in which the person who occupies a "great" place may exploit, use, and command power over others.  There is a great deal of popular attention to the abuse of positions of "greatness," especially private abuses of individuals (such as sexual abuse of any kind) that would not be so readily tolerated by others.  In this difference we can see to some degree the conflict of Jesus' perspective with a worldly perspective.  But far from being merely moralistic, Jesus' understanding of greatness extends right down to our identity and existence, for we are to see ourselves within a continuum in which the One who sacrificed for all is at the top.  And it is this "greatness" with which we are to ally ourselves and our sense of ourselves.  Those for whom aspiration includes a place of greatness in which we may simply "lord it over" others are therefore still opposed to the kingdom of God.  For there is a fundamental disconnect between these concepts of greatness.  As we still, to a certain extent, live in a world in which some who lord it over others are seen as great, let us consider where our own understanding of greatness comes into our lives in order to monitor or regular our responses to life.  What do we admire?  Whom do we admire?  To what sort of greatness do we aspire?  Moreover, we could ask ourselves what sort of greatness we model for others.  Do we show the maturity of sacrifice for the sake of the good?  Or are our own notions of greatness for ourselves nevertheless tinged with the selfishness of this worldly model Christ presents of the Gentile kingdoms?  What kind of love do we carry?  What friendships are important to us?  Where is our honor?  We live in a world rich in material goods and prosperity, particularly for those "first world" countries at the top of a list of developed or industrial nations.  But at the moment, as I write my blog, due to the pandemic of the coronavirus, each country is to some extent shutting down its usual economic activity in order to combat the virus, so that health care systems do not become more overwhelmed than necessary.  This is an admitted prioritization of particular need over other need, and it is also a prioritization of health care for all who may have access to that system.  So we see ourselves as sacrificing for the greater good.  We call our doctors heroes, as well as so many others who work for us all.  At this time, let us stop to consider our models of greatness.  How do they fit with this particular time, or our actions right now?  What can we do to get more closely in touch with Christ's vision for what makes us truly great?  It is a good time, an important and essential time to focus in prayer.  For it is in a crisis like this that time for ourselves in prayer is so important.  Through prayer we will find strength and hone our top priorities.    We will find guidance for how to conduct ourselves through uncertainty.  And we will focus on better ideas of what is essential and important, and what is not.  It is at times like these, in fact, that God lifts up the lowly and scatters the proud in their conceit (Luke 1:46-55).  If we are wise, and willing to see beyond the usual appearances the world presents, this is a time of opportunity to focus on who we are and where we are, to get ourselves "right with God," to refocus on life with the right priorities to stand us in good stead through the future.  We may adjust ourselves and our identities better, and repent (or change) the things that don't put us on a good road.  Let us not be like those who scatter.  Let us endure in His word, in His strength, and in His love, by finding what is real and true in God's sight.  This is our opportunity!

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

 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 Jesus has warned the disciples about what will happen in Jerusalem.  What is new here is the greater detail, and the fact that He is openly headed to Jerusalem -- which has the disciples both amazed and afraid.   My study bible says that Christ's repeated predictions of His Passion were intended to encourage and strengthen the disciples for the terrifying events they will face; it also confirms that Christ goes to those events by His own will and choosing, in full awareness of what is to come.

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; . . .."    Yet again the question comes up about occupying the positions of greatness in the kingdom that the disciples expect will happen (see Monday's reading), as Jesus is headed toward Jerusalem.  We can see a reflection of James and John's personae in the fact that it is John who previously asked Jesus about one "who does not follow us" who was casting out demons in Christ's name (also in Monday's reading).  We know also of the closeness of John to Christ, the disciple to whom Jesus will later entrust His mother's care (John 13:23, 19:26, 20:2).   In a kind of parallel to the warnings about what will happen to Jesus in Jerusalem, Jesus is again taking painstaking care to teach the disciples about power and humility, and wielding the authority which He confers.  His questions also pointedly parallel His newer and more explicit previews of what they will witness happening to Him.  He questions if they are able to drink His cup of the Crucifixion and endure His same baptism of death.  My study bible explains that the Cross is a cup because Christ drank it willingly (Hebrews 12:2), and His death is baptism, because He was completely immersed in it, and yet it cleansed the world (Romans 6:3-6).  This prophecy regarding John and James shows their lives of persecution and martyrdom which will come after Pentecost.  John will live a long life enduring exile and fierce persecution of the Church; James will be the first apostle to be martyred (Acts 12:1-2).

". . . 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 explains that Jesus is not saying He lacks authority.   He's indicating that these places are not His to give arbitrarily; they will go to those for whom God has prepared them.  Moreover, St. Chrysostom explains that to sit as equals on Christ's right hand and left would not be possible for anyone.  Regarding the highest positions 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.

 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."   Finally, regarding notions of power, Jesus gives yet another -- and more explicit -- exposition on power and authority, and their use among His disciples and in His Church.   This is yet another instance of Jesus' giving an explicit reference for the third time, when He uses language emphasizing that those who wish to be "first" must be "last" (Mark 9:35, 10:31, 10:44).  My study bible adds that for many is an Aramaic expression that means "for all."

How do we use power?  How do we use authority?  Jesus goes to the heart of what we consider true authority and power.  He cuts to the depth of what it means to be a Christian.  Jesus' ideas about gracious behavior in positions of authority would be extended to the societies in which Christianity took root.  It is the underpinning, to my thinking, of development of systems of justice that attempt to protect the innocent who are unjustly accused.   The Book of Pastoral Rule, written by Pope Gregory the Great in the sixth century, would be adopted not only by those in monastic and ecclesial orders, but would be introduced as part of early formal education for the aristocratic classes.  The concept of noblesse oblige, and what it means to be a gentle-person, in my opinion, comes directly from this influence.   Our very concepts about what it means to have polite manners, common courtesy, can be traced to Jesus' teachings.  Even notions of courtly love, making their appearance in twelfth century literature, come from a Christian understanding of women and the influence of the image of Mary the Mother of Christ.   Each of these concepts can be tied to Christ's notion of true power and authority, particularly in the way in which He contrasts contemporary Gentile use and understanding of power with the ways in which the apostles must come to understand their places of authority and power.  Where we fail in our societies and institutions today, we fail to take Jesus' words seriously.  This extends both from nominal positions of authority and power at all levels of our society all the way down to our most intimate relations with one another and within families.  What is it to be gracious?   What does it mean to be humble, even when wielding great authority and power?  These are questions we need to ask ourselves every day regarding the most appropriate way to live our lives, and conduct not only most becoming but also most effective on any level.  Jesus sets the tone for leadership:  He is loyal to His followers.  He corrects in private.  He exercises love in all of His actions.  Let us note that none of these things, as expressed in Jesus' character, means that we refrain from expressing the truth at particular times and where it will be effective; nor does it mean there are no rebukes or corrections.  This is a rigorous undertaking for each of us, and if we take personal responsibility seriously, then we take Christ's teachings here seriously.  It makes the epitome of good leadership, but is the distinguishing character of those who wish to bear Christ into the world.  Let us consider the ways in which we fall short, and ways in which we change and adapt to that which He teaches -- even when others don't.

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

 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 gave the parable of the Workers in 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.  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 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."    This is the third prediction Jesus makes of His Passion.  My study bible says that these repeated predictions were meant to encourage and strengthen the disciples for the terrifying events that they were going to face.  According to Theophan, it's 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."  We note the details of this prediction:  He will be delivered to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify.  The precise and vivid nature of the prediction leaves no doubt that what is coming is fully known to Christ.  At this point, Jesus sets His journey toward Jerusalem.  Popular expectations would lead the disciples to believe there will be the manifestation of a worldly kingdom without end.

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."  My study bible says that the request for temporal power and glory is unfitting for a disciple and shows an earthly misunderstanding of the Kingdom of God.  Matthew reports here that it is the mother of Zebedee's sons who makes this request, but John's and James' own involvement in the request is revealed in Jesus' reply, as you is plural in Jesus' words "You do not know what you ask."  As if to drive the point home, this isn't the first time the disciples are concerned with places of honor in this worldly kingdom they expect to manifest in accordance with popular understanding of the Messiah.  See also this reading, in which the disciples ask Him, "Who then is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"

"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."   Jesus calls His Crucifixion a cup and His death a baptism.  The Cross is a cup because He drank it willingly, my study bible says (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 here of the participation in the same cup and baptism shows the life of persecution and martyrdom they would lead after Pentecost.  Jesus also declares here that the places of honor in the Kingdom are not His to give.  It doesn't mean that He lacks authority, my study bible tells us.  Instead, it means that they are not His to give arbitrarily.  He will give them to those for whom God has prepared them.  St. John Chrysostom teaches that no one could possibly occupy a position as an equal on the right and left hand of Christ.   As to the highest places of honor that can be given to human beings, the icons in the Eastern Church universally depict the Virgin Mary (most blessed among women -- Luke 1:28) and John the Baptist (greatest born of women -- 11:11) holding these places among the saints.

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."  Once again (as in the previous reading, when the disciples asked "Who is the greatest in the kingdom heaven?") Jesus responds with a teaching on humility and the proper use of power in His Church.   As Jews, they consider the power-hungry Gentiles an abomination.  Jesus contrast these worldly rulers to Himself.  He serves all of us, although He is Lord of all.  He will give His life for all (for many is used as an expression in Aramaic and in Greek to mean "for all"). 

Christ emphasizes humility over and over again.  He contrasts this humility with the power-hungry kings of the Gentiles who populated the kingdoms of His time.  If we read about the history of Israel, and indeed the world, we read about kingdoms and conquering and ongoing wars carving out first this border then that one.  While kings were known for their worldly power, the family of Herod the Great was distinguished in its cruelty and intrigue.  His son, Herod Antipas, ruled over Galilee in Jesus' adult life; it was he who had John the Baptist locked in prison, and finally beheaded (see this reading).  In modern times, many of us live in countries where certain rights are guaranteed to citizens, but we can look around and see ongoing wars and violence in the pursuit of power on many scales and levels; in that sense, worldly power is quite clearly still with us as it was in Christ's day.  Jesus' words contrasting the type of humility He's looking for still ring a deep and loud difference between the pursuit of worldly power and an understanding of His authority.  Who are the littlest ones?  Why are they so important in His Church?  His disciples will enter into the cup and baptism that is His.  Specifically, John Zebedee will live a long life of exile and persecution; His brother James will be the first martyr among the Twelve (Acts 12:2).  Humility and service are all about surrendering to God our own impulses for power and living as God wishes us to.  To serve the littlest is to serve with love and care for Christ's family.  But Jesus speaks of more than service here.  He will give His life as a ransom -- for everyone.   Ransom is more than simply a payment.  A ransom is what sets people free who are held captive, imprisoned, or kidnapped.  A ransom is demanded by soldiers or mercenaries who hold hostages and demand payment to set them free.  Jesus is not talking about a payment to God; He's rather speaking of the sacrifice He will make for all of our freedom, so that we are set free by the things that hold us captive.  His willingness to go through His death and suffering is not only an act of supreme love.  It is also an act that sets all of us free, made with His authority and freedom as the Son.  As a human being, He faces and endures all that the evil of the world can set before us to deter us from loving God and finding ourselves in God's love.  It is a supreme act of freedom in "overcoming the world" (John 16:33) so that we, too, may participate in His life, death, and Resurrection and in that freedom that He offers to us.  We may suffer persecutions for the sake of this belonging to His Kingdom, but we are free in His love to find the things that make for life in abundance here and now in His love and as a part of His family.  Spiritual life is a mystery.  It is complex and has depths that we don't suspect, that a world which denies such existence fails to acknowledge.  But the experience of this love is unmistakable, and His words about love and service and the benefits of humility are undeniable.  John and James will enter into His work, His cup and His baptism.  John will leave us the most transcendent words of love in the Gospel, Epistles and Revelation that bear his name (whether each is written directly by him or by a disciple of his is irrelevant to the unmistakable and distinctive common thread that runs through all of them).   This is the power of Christ at work in our lives, to live and work for all and leave the world with beauty and truth that serve all.  Let us consider what He can do with our lives, His way.

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 gave a parable about those who labor for the Kingdom:  "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."  This is the third prediction Jesus has made of His Passion.  My study bible says that His repeated predictions were meant to encourage and strengthen the disciples for the terrifying events they are going to face.  According to Theophan, 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."  This time, He begins on His way to Jerusalem.

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."   My study bible says that the quest for temporal power and glory is unfitting for a disciple, and it also shows an earthly misunderstanding of the Kingdom of God.  Matthew tells us that it is the mother of Zebedee's sons (John and James) who requested the honor.  But John's and James' own involvement is given in Jesus' statement, as He addresses them in the plural here, and in Mark 10:35.  As He is on His way to Jerusalem, the place where the Messiah must come to claim His Kingdom, they perhaps expect an imminent worldly assumption of power.   Jesus calls His Crucifixion a cup and His death a baptism.  These words have great significance.  The Cross is a cup because He drank it willingly (Hebrews 12:2), and it is His commitment to humankind, for whom He willingly suffers for love.  His death is baptism, because He is completely immersed in it, yet it cleansed the world (Romans 6:3-6), just as our baptism is meant to be a death to the old life which awakens us to the new life of His Kingdom.  Jesus' prophecy of John and James participating in the same cup and baptism shows the life of persecution and martyrdom they would lead after Pentecost.  My study bible adds that Christ declaring that the places of honor in the Kingdom are not His to give doesn't mean that He is lacking in authority.  What it means rather is that they are not His to give arbitrarily.  Those places will be given by Christ to those for whom God has prepared them.  St. John Chrysostom teaches that, with regard to sitting as equals on the right and left hand of Christ in His Kingdom, no one could possibly occupy such a position.  But with regard to the highest places any human being can occupy, those are given in the tradition of the Church to the Virgin Mary (most blessed among women - Luke 1:28) and to John the Baptist (greatest born of women - 11:11).

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."  Jesus first uses the rulers of the Gentiles as an example of the hunger for power, whom the disciples already consider an abomination (such as ruthless rulers like Herod the Great).   His way of greatness is through service.  He then uses Himself as example by which they should measure greatness or leadership ("first among you").  Christ serves although He is Lord of all.   For many is an Aramaic expression meaning "for all."

As Jesus is heading to Jerusalem, despite His several predictions of His suffering, death, and Resurrection, the disciples clearly have no idea what to expect.  In terms of their requests regarding "greatness" in His Kingdom (see also this earlier reading), it would seem that it is unthinkable to them that the Messiah will not manifest a worldly kingdom in Jerusalem.  Our first understanding of the position of the disciples is their own mindset which comes of traditional expectations about the Messiah.  Despite having been His disciples, they as yet are unprepared for what His sacrifice on the Cross will mean.  It won't be until after Pentecost, and at the sending of the Holy Spirit by the Father, that they begin to fully understand the things that Jesus has taught them.  In accordance with their expectations, they begin to wonder, as the approach to Jerusalem begins, what their places will be in the Kingdom which they expect.  As such, the mother of the Zebedee brothers John and James asks for the highest positions for her sons.  But Jesus is not through with teaching the disciples what they need to know for the life that is ahead of them in His service.  In many of our recent readings in Matthew's Gospel, Jesus has been emphasizing service, and the need of the disciples both for humility and for care of the "littlest ones," the humble in the Church.  It has all been an extraordinary teaching about power and its use, and the nature of the power of the Kingdom which He will establish through His Church.  Standing a worldly notion of power on its head, Jesus contrasts the power-hungry Gentile rulers to those who will be in positions of leadership in His Kingdom, those who would be great and first.  His image for the great is as a servant, and for the first among them is as slave.  We must note that He is addressing the group about how to recognize the qualities in those whom they would call great among them, and whom they would call first.  Jesus establishes what it is to rule with God-like power.  It is to exercise authority by service, by sacrifice, by the rule of love.  It is the one commandment with which He will leave us (John 13:34, 15:12), and in which is found all the Law and the Prophets (22:37-40).  St. Paul tells us that we are to bear one another's burdens, in order to practice this love.   The cup which we drink -- which we do in remembrance of Him -- is one which must be drunk in true fellowship.  Jesus sets the tone in His purpose in going to Jerusalem to serve all of humankind via sacrifice and by the great love of God, so that we understand the ground upon which we stand and the life in which we are invited to participate.  Let us find our own ways to dwell within it and remember how He has taught His disciples.

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 then 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 has predicted His Passion to the disciples.  My study bible says that these predictions are intended to encourage and strengthen them for the terrifying events they were going to face.  It also confirms that He goes to his death of His own will and choosing.  Each warning has come with more details of what is going to happen.

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."  My study bible says that the question for temporal power and glory is unfitting for a disciple -- and that it shows an earthly misunderstanding of the Kingdom of God.  Here Christ calls His Crucifixion a cup, and His death a baptism.  The Cross is a cup because He will drink it willingly (Hebrews 12:2).  His death is a baptism in that He will be completely immersed in death, yet it will cleanse the world (Romans 6:3-6).  When Jesus tells John and James that they will both "drink the cup that I drink, and with the baptism I am baptized with you will be baptized,"  He speaks of their lives of persecution and martyrdom after Pentecost.  Acts 12:2 tells us that James was the first apostle to be killed (when Herod began persecuting the Church).  John lived a life of exile and persecution to great old age (see Revelation 1:9).  And once again, Jesus begins to teach about what humility is and means in practice, especially for those who would be leaders in His Church.  He tells them that the positions they seek are not His to give arbitrarily; they will be given to those for whom God has prepared them.  With regard to the "highest places" given to human beings, the tradition from the time of the early Church depicts the Virgin Mary (most blessed among women - Luke 1:28) and John the Baptist (greatest born of women - Matthew 11:11) holding such honor. 

Once again, as He has done throughout Mark's Gospel from the time of His first prediction of His coming Passion, death, and Resurrection, Jesus emphasizes humility to His disciples as the chief virtue that leads to all the rest for them.  Even with regard to the use of His own power and authority (bestowing the places of honor on His right and His left), Jesus tells the disciples that these are not His to give; it will depend upon the Father's preparation.  It is interesting that as He makes His third prediction of His betrayal, Passion, death, and Resurrection, Jesus tells the disciples that He will be delivered to the Gentiles.  And then, when He once more begins to teach them about power, authority, and humility, He mentions the Gentiles in reference to the use of power:  "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."   Certainly the rulers of the state, the emperors and kings of His time, can be put into this category that Jesus defines by saying they "lord it over them."   By this time Jesus is no doubt aware that His Church will go among the Gentiles, and be established among "the nations."   To lord it over another is to have absolute power and possession over them.  Jesus contrasts this idea of leadership with the idea that those among them who desire to become great must be their servant.   The impact of this address in the plural you -- that whoever would be their leader must be also their servant -- seems to be extraordinary.  Note that He doesn't address those who would be leaders, but rather those who would accept a leader and what quality such a leader must have.  And then He does address directly whoever would desire to be first:  "And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all."   Such a person must make an effort so as to be render themselves the slave of all.  Quite an incredible teaching to hear, either way!  But Jesus has a way with words that conveys His messages with distinct flavor.  We who are in the Church must seek to make sure we understand what our leaders are to be.  But for those who seek such leadership, the task is presented even more arduously in terms of the effort required in the true mastery of leadership.  Each one of us should take His teachings to heart in terms of how we live our lives and set our goals.  It is, as He says, His own life that sets the standard for all the rest of 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."   It is with His help and God's work in us, our participation in His baptism and cup, that we learn His way and make the changes He asks of us.  This itself is the great gift that changes our lives and makes leaders of any of us.

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 gave a parable to His disciples, teaching about 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.'   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 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 use 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 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."  This is the third prediction Jesus makes to the apostles of His coming Passion, death, and Resurrection.  Each prediction gives them more vivid details.  My study bible says that Jesus' repeated prediction of His Passion was meant to encourage and strengthen them for the terrifying events they are going to face.  Theophylact comments that it's as if He were saying to them, "Think on all these [words and miracles], so that whenyou 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.  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."   Jesus has just made a prediction of His Passion, but the disciples remain focused on concepts of the Kingdom in a worldly sense.  It seems quite clear that they believe His Resurrection will mean an immediate manifestation of a Kingdom on earth.  My study bible says that this quest for temporal power and glory is unfitting in a disciple.  Matthew tells us that it is the mother of Zebedee's sons (James and John) who requests the honor.  But as the Greek makes clear, Jesus is addressing James and John in the plural you when He replies, "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?"  He calls His Crucifixion a cup and His death a baptism.  My study bible says that the cross is a cup because He drank it willingly (Hebrews 12:2), and His death is baptism, because He was completely immersed in it, and at the same time it cleansed the world (Romans 6:3-6).  These disciples will participate in this same cup and baptism in lives of persecution and martyrdom after Pentecost.  James will be the first martyr among the Twelve, John will be put into exile and live a long life through the depth of persecutions of the early Church, giving us three Epistles, one Gospel, and one Book of Prophecy (Revelation).  Jesus displays His own humility before the Father when He says the the places of honor in the Kingdom are not His to give.  Christ does not lack authority, but these places are not His to give arbitrarily.  They will be given to those for whom God has prepared them.  St. John Chrysostom, says my study bible, tells us that no one could sit as an equal on the right and left hand of Christ in His Kingdom.  As to the highest places of honor for human beings, the Church historically and traditionally gives such place to the Virgin Mary (most blessed among women) and John the baptist (greatest born of women).

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."  Over and over again, as Jesus has prepared the disciples for the journey to Jerusalem, He teaches them the message of humility as leadership, as image of the kind of power He wishes to rule in His Church.  Here is the clearest and most explicit teaching on the difference between worldly power and the kind of power at work through Him, in the Kingdom He wishes to bring into the world.  It is the kind of power He wishes to be at work in them and among them. The Church is not supposed to be a competition, nor a bloodthirsty battle among aristocrats for power and position (such as was exemplified for example in their contemporaries Herod the Great, and his son in Galilee, Herod Antipas).

The political conditions of worldly power of Jesus' time and place were particularly bloodthirsty.  Herod the Great and his family were extreme, even by Roman standards, in terms of ruthless rule, murder and intrigue -- even among themselves.  If we read the Old Testament books written in the century or two prior to Jesus' birth, we get a picture of the Mediterranean world of the Near and Middle East to be one of constant battles for kingdoms and power among the Romans and the various dynasties who were successors to Alexander the Great.  There hardly seems to be any time of peace at all, nor any steady alliances but rather a dizzying array of constant warfare and changing allegiances depending on the circumstances.  Certainly the Jews suffered through this period (and the temple suffered abuse), and awaited a deliverer, a Messiah.  This is why that particular time and place of Christ's birth is so important, essential to this story and to the popular hopes and expectations of the people.   It's into this world of competition and slaughter that Jesus is born, the Deliverer, the Messiah.  One can understand the impulse of James and John here, given the reality of the world they lived in.  Today, too, we can only see the competition and slaughter of the Middle East if we understand on worldly terms the naked nature of ambition, greed, and pure materialism.  It's St. Paul who taught that "the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil" (1 Timothy 6:10), and he gives it as a warning to those who would stray from the faith via greediness, resulting in a life of great sorrows.  As followers of Christ -- and this is particularly so for Christians from the early apostolic churches of the Middle East -- we may find ourselves wondering where our Deliverer is, and where we are headed.  But we turn to Him.  There are those today who theorize that martyrdom and persecution in the period of the early Church has been exaggerated, but there is little doubt of persecution happening today, particularly in the places of the earliest Christian churches.  Most Westerners have little idea about the survival and coexistence of Christians in the Middle East throughout the centuries.  But now is a time in which, in many countries, their survival as a community is threatened by world events, great powers playing politics, and alliances that defy all reasonable understanding save one: power and greed.  Mercenary armies cruelly repress all who disagree with their particular point of view of faith, including those of nominally the same faith.  For Christians and others, conditions threaten their very survival in ancestral homelands.  We can look around ourselves and see a time of tremendous divisiveness and dissension.  Into this our Church must follow Him and His teachings, His commandments, His prayer for God's will to be done on earth as it is in heaven.  We carry this Kingdom in our hearts, and we have those who have come before us, learning the same hard lessons in a harsh time.    It may be the best time for prayer -- but that moment is always now.