TOTAL SELF GIVING

In the Gospel of Mark (Mk 10:35-45), Jesus predicted for the third time His passion, death and resurrection. He was preparing His disciples for His impending death. Instead, the disciples did not understand Him. James and John asked Him to be seated at His right and left. They wanted the two highest places of honor. The rest of the apostles became indignant at the two brothers because they were also contending for places of honor. They were arguing among themselves who was the greatest. Jesus used the occasion to teach His disciples about radical discipleship. The true meaning of leadership, authority, power, greatness, glory, honor is servanthood because service is love in action. The glory of Jesus is His passion, suffering and death because it reveals His total self giving. He is radically obedient to  the Father because He knows that He alone can save us. Redemption and salvation are effected by God and God alone. St. Irenaeus said that the glory of God is man fully alive. God wants the best for us and when we work for the well being of others, we glorify Him. There is so much work to do in our world today because there is war, violence, culture of death, greediness, division and God is not glorified when we become agents of death. He is our Father and we are His children. We are called Christians and we bear the name of Christ. Therefore, we are called to imitate His total self giving: giving all and loving to the end. Jesus said that whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant and whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all. I did not come to be served but to serve and to offer my life as a ransom for many (Mk 10:43-45). The whole life of Jesus is service and sacrifice from birth to death. He was born in a manger and the stable was a place to feed the animals. That already points to Himself as the bread of life, feeding, nourishing and sustaining us. The Cross is the ultimate serving, loving and caring. His self sacrificial actions on the Cross reveal God’s total and undivided love for all of us.