1 Peter 1:18-25; Mark 10:32-45
HOMILY:"Authority - not to control but to empower!"
We now come to the third and final foretelling of his passion, death and resurrection by Jesus. We are now going to see what discipleship of Jesus really means.
The disciples have not quite reached this stage of discipleship yet. As Jesus steps out firmly on the road to Jerusalem, his disciples straggle behind. As far as they were concerned, Jesus was out of his mind. To go to Jerusalem at this time was asking for trouble, serious trouble. Everyone knew the Jewish leadership was out to get Jesus. Jerusalem was the last place to go.
Nevertheless, some might have thought he is going there to reveal himself as the Messiah, the Saviour-King of Israel. Perhaps it was in that frame of mind that Jesus is approached by two of his closest disciples, James and John: "Allow us to sit one at your right hand and the other at your left in your glory."
And by "glory" they are almost certainly thinking in worldly terms of Jesus as an earthly, victorious, all conquering king. The kind of person they expected the Messiah to be.
Not surprisingly, the other ten were highly indignant when they found out what James and John had done behind their back. They wanted exactly the same things themselves.
Jesus patiently gives them another lesson on what real greatness in his Kingdom consists of. In Jesus' world those are really great who put themselves and their unique gifts to promote the well-being of brothers and sisters, especially those in most need.
'Authority' is not to control but to empower. And it is the role of anyone in authority to generate ideas, energy, creativity in those for whom one is responsible. In other words to serve those who have been entrusted to one's authority. After 2,000 years of Christianity it is a lesson practically all of us have yet to learn.
Source:
http://livingspace.sacredspace.ie/O1084G/
Vally Mendonca, S.J.
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