For the Son of Man did not come to be served
but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.
For the Son of Man did not come to be served
but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.
29th Sunday in Ordinary Time
October 21, 2018
Mark 10, 35-45
Still in the St. Mark School of Discipleship we hear about two more students. This time there are names: James and John. As with all schools, there are lots of questions. Last week it was: “What must I do to share in everlasting life?” This week, the Teacher asks the question: “Can you drink the cup I shall drink or be baptized in the same bath?” The cup Jesus offers is the Cup of His Blood. The bath he offers is the one that begins in the Jordan when he is called: “Lamb of God” and ends in the bath of his blood on the cross. From one end of His life to the other there is service and caring love. There is obedience to the Will of God, and there is steadfast commitment to prayer and an all embracing, all-inclusive love that alters all his relationships in those of family and village. This is a challenge for them as much as it is for us. They have been hanging around Jesus hoping to get something. He tells them that the issue is not what they get but what they give.
Fr. Tom Boyer