XXV SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
WHO IS THE MOST IMPORTANT?
By our Pastor, Fr. Carmelo Jiménez
Last Sunday, in the Gospel of Saint Mark, we heard the first announcement of the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus. The passage ended with Jesus reprimanding Peter: “You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.” (Mk 8:33) Jesus continues, addressing everyone, the people and the disciples, and he tells them: “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself…” (Mk 8:34), meaning to leave behind “himself”. Following this line of thought, the Gospel passage for this Sunday presents the second announcement of the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus and brings with it a reproach for the disciples who are only concerned with knowing which of them is the most important.
“The wicked say: Let us beset the just one, because he is obnoxious to us; he sets himself against our doings, reproaches us for transgressions of the law.” (Wis 2:12) The just one, because of his way of living, his attitudes and his behavior, is a permanent reproach that provokes in the Jews and the wicked people, persecution against the just one. The just one lives a very different life than everyone else and his ways are strange for the world, but not for God.
The Apostol James in his letter always speaks strongly about the way we live out our faith. In contrast with the apostles who are arguing about who is the best, the second reading invites us to live as the just one: “But the wisdom from above is first of all pure, then peaceable, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, without inconstancy or insincerity. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace for those who cultivate peace.” (Jas 3:17-18)
The announcement of the passion and resurrection appears three times in the Gospel of Saint Mark. It means that Jesus insisted about this point, because it was of special importance in his plans. The reality of his imminent death forms part of Jesus’ instruction to his disciples. They are on a journey toward Jerusalem. The fact that they are traveling toward Jerusalem is really important because it is when Jesus Christ intensifies his instructions to his disciples. The point of teaching while walking is that the disciple should be willing to follow his master and his path until the end.
“He began to ask them, ‘What were you arguing about on the way?’ But they remained silent. They had been discussing among themselves on the way who was the greatest.” (Mk 9:33-34) The Lord tries to put things in their place, distinguishing between the way humans think and the way God thinks: as humans we have the ambition to prevail over others, to stand out, to occupy the highest place. The logic that the Lord proposes is totally different: to be in first place you have to put yourself at the service of everyone and be the last of all. We can understand this well but our human ambition is resistant to accept it, because it means a commitment to be and live as Jesus Christ, who “did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mk 10:45)
Let us ask God for the grace to know that we are his disciples, following Jesus and his example, to love and to serve with humility but with our whole heart. May God grant us the grace to be the first ones to serve and in this way, one day attain the eternal glory. Amen.