Servant of All
I came across a question that caught my eye this past week regarding the gospel we have just heard. “How
often do we secretly find ourselves standing with James and John, hoping for the public recognition of being with
Jesus in glory?” Seeking status has never left the Church and will probably never leave it. Bishop Sklba in his
book, Fire Starters, makes the following observation regarding the story of James and John. “This is not merely
an isolated event in the history of the earthly ministry of Jesus but a spiritual plague that has afflicted the entire
history of Catholic Christian leadership—and the communities they serve. (page 137)” Jesus pointed out to the
two of them that glory only comes after suffering. In the two verses preceding this incident Jesus instructed the
disciples that they were going up to Jerusalem where He would be handed over, put to death, and be raised up on
the third day.
Have you ever been misunderstood, judged unfairly, or been rejected because of your faith in Jesus
Christ? Most of us have probably not been rejected, but we have experienced being misunderstood or judged
unfairly because of our belief in Jesus Christ. Those moments remind us that discipleship is not meant to be
easy, but transformative. We all remember the massacre at Emmanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in
Charleston, S.C. Immediately following the massacre the members of the congregation announced that they
forgave the shooter and were praying for him that he would be saved. The intended race riot the shooter hoped
for caused just the opposite; it brought people together in solidarity. This is the cup of which Jesus spoke to
James and John. This is the baptism He told His followers they would share in. This is the cup we must drink
from if discipleship is to be transformative.
What would have been the appropriate question for James and John to ask Jesus after He revealed His
passion, death and resurrection to them a third time? I believe the question ought to have been, “Lord, what do
you ask of us?” We don’t define the terms of discipleship or set its limits—Jesus does.
We all have experienced those moments when, because of our belief in Jesus Christ, we have had times of
rejection, or misunderstanding, or being judged unfairly. In response to those moments I usually found myself
complaining bitterly. Who among us wouldn’t have? It is only in retrospect that I have come to realize that
those were the times Jesus was inviting me to drink more fully of the cup He was offering me. Instead of
allowing discipleship to be transformative, I was searching for the easy way out.
We live in a post-Christian era in which we will experience rejection, misunderstanding or unfair judgments
regarding our faith and our determination to follow Jesus. These times may be the opportunities the Lord gives us
to drink more fully of the cup he is offering us. These are also moments that are the road to glory, not as the
world understands it, but as God understands it. We are disciples-in-training. This is about self-emptying,
serving others, and giving one’s life. When the waters of baptism were poured over us, we were baptized into
the suffering, the dying and the rising of Jesus Christ. The question for us to consider is, “Are we ready to
choose our baptism into His suffering, dying and rising?
Fr. Dennis