St. Luke 9:18-27 and St. Mark 10:32-45
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus
We are now just 5 days away from when we will be celebrating
and remembering our Lord’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem Temple. Our church
has prescribed the following reading - Gospel according to St. Luke 9:18-27 and
St. Mark 10:32-45 for the Tuesday before Hosanna / Palm Sunday. Dear friends,
since the first part of both the readings is common and the message same, I
would take them both together, but the second part I will be concentrating on
the reading from the Gospel of St. Mark.
In the Gospel according to St. Luke 9:18-20, Jesus asks His
disciples to say who He is to them. Just as He asked His disciples about who He
is to them, He is also constantly asking who He is for us. The Christian faith
is not just limited to say that we are followers of Christ, but Jesus requires
you to take a stand on our beliefs for ourselves. It is not what others
believe, but in whom you believe in. Who do you
say Jesus is?
In both the Gospels, St. Luke 9:21-22 and St. Mark 10:32-34
Jesus tells His disciples about His death by the hands of elders and priests
and teachers of religious law. But the disciples would seldom understand what
Jesus meant by all this, since they all still expected the Messiah to come as a
conquering king. He spoke to them the words about resurrection, but they heard
only His words about death. Jesus often spoke in parables, therefore the
disciples must have thought that His words on death and resurrection were
another parable they weren't astute enough to understand. How many of us think
on the same lines. We read our Lord’s words in the Bible and still we do not
understand Him. We still go far from Him.
In the Gospel of St. Mark, we are said that two of Jesus’
disciples went to Jesus with a request of being seated at the places of honor
beside His glorious throne. As stated before, the disciples were still assuming
that the Lord would be a conquering King and when His throne is established
they wanted to have seats of honor. We too think along the same lines. How many
of us would love to have glorious life here on earth? We think that accepting
and following Christ would give us monetary stability, long and peaceful life
here on earth. But Jesus’ Kingdom is not of this world, it is not centered in
palaces and thrones but in the hearts and lives of His followers.
How many of us are willing to suffer for Jesus? James and
John said they were willing to suffer, and yes they suffered indeed. James died
as a martyr (Acts 12:2), and John was forced to live in exile (Revelation 1:9).
It is easy for us to say that we would endure anything for Christ, and yet many
of us complain about the most minor problems. We may say that we are willing to
suffer for Christ, but are we willing to suffer the minor irritations that
sometimes come with serving others?
James and John wanted the highest positions in Jesus’
Kingdom. But Jesus told them that true greatness comes in serving others. In
today’s age, greatness is measured by personal achievement. In Christ’s Kingdom
however it is service which will make one great. Rather than seeking to have
your needs met, look for ways that you can minister to the needs of others.
“For even the Son of
Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give His life as a ransom
for many.” – St. Mark 10:45
This verse not only reveals the motive for Jesus’ ministry
but also the basis for our salvation. A ransom was the price paid to release a
slave. Jesus paid a ransom for us because we could not pay it ourselves. His
death released all of us from our slavery to sin. The disciples thought Jesus’
life and power would save them from Rome; Jesus said his death would save them from sin, and even greater slavery than Rome’s.
Hope you have blessed Lenten season
May the Lord Almighty bless you and keep you in all your ways.
Your Brother in Christ Jesus
Jobin George
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