Wednesday of Second Week in Lent, March 7, 2007

Scripture: Jeremiah 18:18-20. Psalm 36:5-6.14-16. Matthew 20:17-28

In all of the Gospels the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus are
announced three times in what is termed "passion predictions." Today we
have Matthew giving us the third one, which is always the most dramatic of
the three. He also has another mention of it two days before the Passover,
thus Matthew makes the predictions more timely even up to two days before
Jesus' death. John mentions these through his symbolic use of the word
"hour" which means the coming sufferings, death, and resurrection of the
Lord. In the first prediction, Peter, has already failed Jesus in the
Gospel account in Matthew. Now it is John and James who fail him by having
their mother request that they be first and second in the glory of Jesus'
kingdom which they envision as a royal and political realm. Jesus puts
them and their mother into their proper place by showing that his kingdom
is not that of a royal messiah but of a suffering servant messiah after the
sacred and inspired writing of Isaiah in the Hymns of the Suffering Servant
of God. The other ten apostles or disciples fail Jesus, too, by becoming
jealous and indignant about the sassy request of John and James through
their mother. Perhaps, the brothers, James and John, sensed that something
was wrong in their request so they had their mother do it for them. Jesus
instructs them about the nature of true leadership and what it costs to
follow him as a Servant of the Lord, a suffering one at that. They, of
course, like ourselves search for heroism from their leader and we all love
heroes, but that is not what Jesus is talking about. No number one with a
chant or song that tells others they are losers! Go home! Your team lost.
No, with Jesus, leadership is service to one another and suffering as well.
If you want to be number one, then you have to serve everyone else without
any crown on your head nor wreath nor trophy. In the spiritual realm only
Jesus is the true winner and hero and it has to do with servant leadership.
In concluding this section of Scripture we see that Jesus unlocks their
hearts and minds to the true concept of his leadership and messiahship:
"...the Son of Man (Jesus) came not to be served but to serve and give his
life as a ransome for many." And finally, as I mentioned above, Matthew
reminds us once more of the three predictions by what he says in chapter
26:1-2: "When Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said to his
disciples, "You know that after two days the Passover is coming and the
Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified." As faithful followers of
our leader Jesus we are led to pray, "WE ADORE YOU CHRIST, AND WE BLESS YOU
FOR BY YOUR HOLY CROSS YOU HAVE REDEEMED THE WORLD." Amen.