Today’s Gospel gives us hope that we are not the only ones who get it wrong and misunderstand the Good News of Jesus. In this account, the disciples show us that there is “nothing new under the sunâ€. Jesus, calling Himself “the Son of Manâ€, is trying to prepare the disciples for the ordeal that lies ahead, an ordeal that is necessary for the Father’s plan to come to fruition. By becoming disciples of Jesus, the disciples have clearly recognized that He is a man of power of God.
When Jesus questioned them as to what they had been arguing about, the disciples must have felt like naughty schoolchildren who had just been caught by teacher. They lower their heads in shame and say nothing, but Jesus does not need an answer; he knows their antics too well. Being a good teacher, Jesus knows that he is going to have to start again, so he goes back to basics and uses a visual aid in the hope that this time they’ll get the point; the kingdom of God is not about power struggles or greatness.
If the kingdom of God is to be a reality for our world today, it is vital that we, the modern disciples of the Lord, fully understand the values of Jesus and try to live by them. This is no easy feat when one considers how counter cultural they are. We live in a self-centered world where the dominant philosophy is “I’m all right, Jackâ€, and the weaker members of society are often overlooked and undervalued. This is certainly not the vision of Jesus for our world, as can be plainly seen from the importance Jesus gives to the least and the little of our world.
In this coming week, let us make an effort consciously to evaluate our motivations and attitudes. Are we living by Gospel values or are we putting ourselves first? Do we keep an eye out for the more vulnerable and weak of our community or are our own needs the most important? Are we overly concerned about our status to the extent that we look down on others around us? In our prayer, let us not be afraid to speak with the Lord about our lives and the direction they should take. To walk the way of the Lord is to walk with humility, always aware of the needs of those who travel alongside us.
“Never repay injury with injury. For it is written: “’Vengeance is mine; I will repay,’ says the Lord.†“But if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.†Do not be conquered by evil but conquer evil with good.†(Romans 12:17,19,20-21)