Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

“Are you able to drink the cup that I drink.”

 

Gospel Reading: Mark 10:32-45

 

And they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them; and they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. And taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him, saying, "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man will be delivered to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death, and deliver him to the Gentiles; and they will mock him, and spit upon him, and scourge him, and kill him; and after three days he will rise." And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to him, and said to him, "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you." And he said to them, "What do you want me to do for you?" And they said to him, "Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory." But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?" And they said to him, "We are able." And Jesus said to them, "The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared." And when the ten heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John. And Jesus called them to him and said to them, "You know that those who are supposed to rule over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you; but whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of man also came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

 

In today’s gospel reading, James and John are just a little bold in asking Jesus to sit at his side in the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus challenges them when he says, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?" Basically, Jesus is telling James and John that their request is a little bit self serving. Even worse, this request causes conflict among the other disciples. Who would be so bold as to ask this question?  The other disciples want to know why James and John should get to sit at the right hand of the Father because the two are no better than they are. The gospel reading says that the other disciples “began to be indignant at James and John.” Jesus, feeling the tension among his disciples said to them: “but whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of man also came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” So what is Jesus calling us to do? We must be willing to drink of His cup and live His baptism. Jesus’ cup was one of sacrifice and servitude. Therefore, to reign in the Kingdom of Heaven, we must be willing to make great sacrifices. We must be willing to be servants to those who are least. We must be willing to wash the feet of the lowliest of mankind.

 

Jesus calls us to drink His cup. This means living a truly Christian life and making daily sacrifices. It is easy for us to glorify God when we’re in church and to do good deeds for our parents, our close friends or possibly even our siblings. But how easy is it for us to be a servant to the homeless, to the poor, to the elderly, to the cripple? Do we go out of our way to help the poor or the aging? When was the last time you worked in a soup kitchen? Jesus came to this earth not to be served, but to serve. He came to free us from the slavery of sin. He came to free us to the bonds of our material desires.  To truly be the Messiah, Christ had to be a servant to all. Are you willing to sacrifice your life to be a servant for the Lord? You need to ask the Lord to help you discern your calling; to help you understand what it means to be his servant. Ask Him to guide you in a clear direction to be his servant.

 

A Simple Prayer

 

Lord Jesus, You died on the Cross as a ransom for many.

Give me the strength and wisdom to drink from your cup, and

to live in the fullness of your baptism.

From this nourishment, may I be a loyal servant to you.

Yours in Christ Michael Marcon