Who will be great in the Kingdom?

 Photo:  Canva.com

 

In several ways today's gospel from Mark 10:32-45 is amazing. First of all Jesus and the disciples are going to Jerusalem. Jesus tells the Twelve what was going to happen to him. He would be condemned by the chief priests and scribes, handed over to the Romans who will put him to death but he reminds them that he will rise on the third day. Mark tells us how lonely Jesus was. He was walking on ahead of them by himself. The others were in a daze afraid of what would happen when they got to Jerusalem. But James and John seem to have totally misunderstood the seriousness of Jesus' words. They come to Jesus and ask if they could have positions of power in his kingdom. Jesus does not criticize them for he knows that they that will follow him to the end even if it means suffering and death. He sees that they believe that his kingdom will come. But he then tells them they he is not able to often them positions of power. When the other ten hear of the request of James and John they are indignant feeling that they are claiming an unfair advantage. Jesus teaches them the important lesson that those who will be great in his kingdom will be those who humbly serve just as Jesus himself came not to be served but to serve. We are all called to follow Jesus as closely. That should be our main ambition. But Jesus reminds us that we are not to desire to lord it over others but to serve them humbly.