25th Sunday: The futility of climbing

 

"If you wish to be first, he shall be the last of all . . ."

Mark 9: 30 - 37

The Word: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/092224.cfm

O God, who founded all the 

commands of your sacred Law

upon love of you and of our neighbor,

grant that, by keeping your precepts,

we may merit to attain eternal life.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

God, for ever and ever.

(collect of Mass)

As a young child I was a notorious climber: up on chairs, stairs, over rocks on hills, etc. I don’t remember the turning point when I realized that such things, to a small child, can be dangerous and disruptive. 

In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus does warn us about the futile pursuit of climbing; not in the way a child may do so on a chair or table. But rather, as the disciples, with some shame I suppose admit to him they have been arguing about “who is the greatest.” Who has the competitive edge? We don’t know what they were saying but you can imagine the competition between Peter, Matthew, James and John as to who was deemed #1 in Jesus’ “kingdom.” It all seems a bit ludicrous as they stand in the presence of the Son of God. 

Nonetheless, their desire to climb higher and outdo one another is then addressed by Jesus in a stark manner. He takes a child, puts his arms around him and reminds them that in his kingdom, the greatest is the lowest, as children were in ancient society.  That sort of perspective is hardly what they imagined for them. I would assume they stood there somewhat dumbfounded. Like a child?

So, what does it mean to be a leader in the way of Christ?  "To know one's place in the world" is a well-supported definition.  To be simple and to reach out to the small and the great.  To respect the dignity of every person.  To sit in the lowest place among the "common" people; to serve the needs of others despite a position of authority.

According to scholars, the Greek word that Mark uses in his Gospel for servant, that Jesus surely intended, is diakonos. Essentially this servant is the one who performs the menial tasks, the work of a slave.  This is greatness in Jesus’ world and so it should be in ours.

It conjures up a picture of St. Teresa of Calcutta or our own Pope Francis. By their example they embody an image of humility.  In doing so, in being a servant, our interaction with one another becomes a way to welcome Christ himself.  In our society, so bent on wealth, power, beauty, and fame, such greatness as Jesus describes often goes unnoticed or is at best dismissed as nothing.  Yet, in the mind of God and that of Christians such true greatness and power are far more lasting and Christ-like. 

The second part of this Sunday’s Gospel is a continuation of Jesus teaching his disciples about the full meaning of his ministry and its ultimate purpose: “The Son of Man is to be handed over to men and they will kill him, and three days after his death he will rise." It stands in stark contrast to the divisive speech of the disciples and Jesus’ response to the greatness of a follower. As Jesus gave everything of himself for the sake of humanity and fulfilled the Father’s will, so we too, in our Christian life achieve greatness not through seeking fame and fortune but through a heart of loving service, “diakonos,” towards one another.  A life of compassion, mercy and love is far greater than ruling through power, manipulation and fear.

Our second reading from Wisdom foretells the suffering of the “prophet.”  With an almost sarcastic tone we read: “For if the just one be the son of God, God will defend him and deliver him from the hand of his foes . . . Let us condemn him to a shameful death; for according to his own words, God will take care of him. (Wis 2: 17ff). Let’s call his bluff and challenge his claim!

So, the ever-present character of a Christian is once again illustrated in stark example for us. Our gathering for Eucharist is the true encounter with Christ whose ultimate example of service with love was offered on the cross.  The giving of himself for our sake and his real and constant presence in the Eucharist is a testimony not only of his love for us but generates the energy we need to love one another.

The good that we do in the name of Christ comes back to us one hundred-fold.  It’s just the way it works. Only then are we truly a humble people. Fr. James Martin, SJ puts it well: "Humility is one of the gateways to the spiritual life.  It is also one of the most necessary attributes for any kind of life in prayer."