Greed, money and prestige.
We can split up the Gospel of Mark into two sections. The
first up to the event that we heard about in last week’s Gospel when Jesus asks
“Who do people say I am” and we get that great profession of faith from Peter
“You are the Christ.” The second half of the Gospel is of Jesus and his
disciple’s journey to Jerusalem. There is also a journey of discovery of what
the disciple’s role was with Jesus. And so we get the question from the sons of
Zebedee about who is the greatest. (The revelling of who the disciples are does
not appear in Mark’s Gospel)
This wanting to be the greatest comes from Greed and
prestige: Inflating ourselves so that we are greater than anyone else. This is
not then just a 21st Century problem. St James points out where this
worldly value actually comes from. “You want something and you haven’t got it;
so you are prepared to kill.”
But how do we kill? We do it by many different ways, by
our fight for power and prestige our jealously over position and objects. We
may trample over people to get to where we want to be: So that our egos can be
inflated and for a short time feels better about ourselves. This kind of behaviour is very self
destructive it leads to very many different problems not just for us but for
those around us.
But, Jesus makes it perfectly clear to them that there
are no favourites with the Lord instead he is gentle and reminds them what
being a disciple means. It is not one of position or authority for the greatest
in the Kingdom of God must be the least.
It is dying to worldly ambition which spawn jealously and ambition power
and seeking disharmony. “If anyone wants to be first, he must make himself last
of all and servant of all.” This is
contradictory to the way that the world sees power and prestige. To be a
servant of all means to be able to walk in their shoes to empathise with people
and to love them as Jesus loves us.
There are many examples of how we can become servants to
each other. One of the most powerful ways I think is to follow the example of
Jesus at the Last Supper where he washes his disciple’s feet. When I have participated
in this at the Liturgy it has been one of the most powerful experiences of my
priesthood. I have also seen this acted out in the Larche community where both
the core members and the helpers wash each other’s feet. What a great example
of following Jesus this is.
An example of this would be the life of Blessed Mother
Theresa of Calcutta. She was able to walk with the poor in India and love them.
To see beyond her own needs and be their servant to see the person of Jesus in
them.
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