October 21, 2018

 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time B Isaiah 53: 10-11; Hebrews 4: 14-16; Mark 10: 35-45 I’m sure that most of us can look back at our parents and grandparents and see how hard they worked to give us the opportunities to ‘advance’ in this world of ours. Many of them were first or second generation citizens. Some might have come from different situations in their countries of birth and experienced hardship. I’m sure many of us heard them tell us how much they sacrificed for us. Most of us saw how they sacrificed and we are so very grateful. They raised us and taught us many life-long values that we have passed on. We have indeed been blessed and it has been an honor to pass these on as a part of our heritage and our deep seaated love of family and life. Part of what we have passed on is our faith and love of God. Tradition tells just act John the Evangelist was the youngest of the twelve apostles perhaps only a teenager. Tradition also tells us that he was the only one not married. He also was the only apostle that stayed at the foot of the cross with Jesus’ mother, Mary. John’s brother was James; the two of them were partners in the fishing business with their father and Peter and his brother Andrew. They must have had a business that was growing considering they had the five of them working and perhaps others they had hired. Today their mother came to Jesus asking for His help in giving her sons a good ‘position’ when He came into His kingdom. Did she expect Jesus to be a earthly ruler…a king even? Did she realize that He was the Messiah? Did she realize that Jesus would die and save the world? Did she know that Jesus would usher in an enormous persecution and killing of all those who followed His way? Did she know what she was asking? The apostles had no idea what would happen. Jesus answered them by identifying greatness with sacrifice. Whoever wishes to be great must be a servant, for Jesus came to serve and not be served. This is the total way of God. Love and service. We see this in today’s readings. Isaiah starts this off with the fourth and last of the“Servant of the Lord” oracles. The footnote in the Catholic Study Bible describes it in this way, “An extraordinary description of the sinless Servant, who by his voluntary suffering atones for the sins of his people and saves them from just punishment at the hands of God. Only in Jesus Christ is the prophecy perfectly fulfilled.” Since the servant runs counter to the prevailing interests of past monarchs, Ahaz and Hezekiah, He suffers: the world dismisses Him, oppresses Him, and ultimately puts Him to death. No one wants a poor king they want a glorious one. The scripture commentary in Sunday Homily Helps states, “At first hearing it comes as a surprise to learn that God was pleased ‘to crush His infirmity.’ But this was so because His suffering brought about so much good. He gave His life as an offering for sin. He bore the guilt of others, His death won them justification before God. By what the servant endured for God the entire nation is renewed and brought back to life. They now regard the servants as the one who healed them. They now know that service to God is their highest honor.” The people of Jesus’ time did not know a king who was like them nor a high priest. These lived with servants and in luxury. They didn’t associate with the ordinary people, ever. They were above and beyond these ‘underlings’. Paul tells us Jesus wasn’t like that…because of His humanity, Jesus is able “to sympathize with our weaknesses..one who has similarly been tested in every way”