Our Scripture passage comes from the Gospel of Mark 13:24–32. This section of Mark’s Gospel contains a type of literature known as “apocalyptic” because of the cosmic references and future realities that take place as part of the “end times”. Special care must be taken when interpreting apocalyptic writings to avoid bizarre understandings or false expectations. This text does contain several important lessons for discipleship and so our reflection will focus primarily on those elements that can benefit us in our efforts to faithfully follow the Lord.

Chapter thirteen of Mark’s Gospel is often referred to as the “Little Apocalypse” as compared with the more extensive writing in the same style known as the Book of Revelation (or the Book of the Apocalypse). The word apocalypse comes from Greek and means to “un-veil” or to “remove the veil”, allowing a person to see clearly what was previously obscured. In order to properly understand this style of literature it is important to remember that the word “apocalypse” is singular, not plural, and refers to the revelation of one great hidden truth: The manifestation of Jesus Christ as Victor over the forces of sin and death and who now reigns as supreme Lord and judge of Heaven and Earth. That one great revealed truth gives meaning to all experiences of the Christian life, especially moments of difficulty, persecution, and even martyrdom at the hands of oppressive earthly powers.

This one great timeless revelation is portrayed in a variety of different ways and can be applied in multiple historical contexts ranging from the persecutions of the Emperor Nero in AD 64-68 to the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple by the Romans in AD 70. Throughout history persecuted Christians have found encouragement, hope, consolation, and challenge in the apocalyptic writings of the New Testament and have interpreted their experiences through those writings. However, apocalyptic literature is interpreted quite differently if a person reads it as though it were intended to communicate multiple revelations (plural) rather than one great singular revelation. Such a divergent interpretation gives rise to tabloid articles about prophetic fulfillment, “end times” books, and other attempts to guess the exact day and hour of particular events. The singular victory and exaltation of Jesus Christ is meant to be a source of enduring hope, life, and encouragement to help Christians of all time face the challenges and obstacles presented in their faith lives.

Apocalyptic literature functions in much the same way as a preview of a movie’s closing scene; once you know how the movie ends then you can watch with calmness and confidence the many trials and tense challenges faced by the various characters because you have sure and certain knowledge that all will be well in the end. Apocalyptic literature provided much the same type of consolation for Christians of the first century who were experiencing fierce persecutions. Their faith in the victory of Jesus was strengthened, and they were able to embrace difficulties and martyrdom with confidence, hope, and even joy because of the assurance of Christ’s ultimate triumph.

When you read the Book of Revelation or other apocalyptic passages, how does it change your understanding to know that these texts are communicating one fundamental revealed truth rather than a multitude of future happenings? 

What forms of persecution do Christians face today from powerful entities forcing them to act contrary to their faith? 

The good news of apocalyptic literature is that it reveals God’s effective salvation for those disciples who have no earthly recourse for help. How is the Church called to be an instrument of that salvation and how can the Church effectively carry out that ministry? 

One of the important elements revealed in this apocalyptic passage is the new authority of the Son of Man. Jesus announces that He, as the Son of Man, will ride on the clouds of heaven (Mk 14:62). Through this statement, the Son of Man (Jesus) is being revealed as the Lord of heaven and earth since in Psalm 68:4 it is God who rides on the clouds. Also, the new authority of Jesus is further revealed when He announces that the Son of Man will send His angels to gather the elect from the four winds. This act of gathering the faithful was previously attributed to God in Deuteronomy 30:4. In each of these passages it is clear that Jesus, as the Son of Man, now does what God does in the Old Testament. This new authority revealed in Jesus means that a new kingdom is emerging, and with it, the old kingdoms are passing away. Kingdoms rarely pass peacefully or quietly and so the image of a violent transition is oftentimes a part of apocalyptic literature. The passing away of former kingdoms and powers is indicated by the sun and moon being darkened, the stars falling from heaven, and the heavens being shaken.

The coming kingdom (new order) of the Son of Man and these other realities cannot coexist for a couple of reasons. First, the sun and moon were the sources of light that helped us see the world around us. In the new order it is the Son of Man who will shed light on the events of our lives and allow us to see and understand them clearly through the values of the Gospel (Rev 21:23, “The city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb”). Second, the stars were used as stable points from which people could determine their relative position on Earth and navigate to new destinations. Stars, then, gave guidance and stability. This image takes on further significance because of the ancient belief that earthly kings were identified by a corresponding heavenly counterpart (star). It is for this reason that the Magi followed the star that rose with the birth of Jesus in order to find the newborn King of the Jews. The falling of the stars, then, means more than just a change in guidance and direction in the new order. The falling of the stars primarily refers to the demise of worldly kingdoms (especially those that opposed Jesus) so that the new order, the Kingdom of God, can reign unhindered and supreme.

These earthly kingdoms included the Roman Empire as well as the leading families of Jerusalem who cooperated in the Crucifixion of Jesus. These temporal kingdoms will have no more authority in the new order. The greatest kingdom to fall, however, will be the kingdom of Satan that was manifested most graphically on Calvary. The Death and Resurrection of Jesus definitively crushed that kingdom of evil once and for all. Indeed, every other power in heaven and on earth will give way to that of the Son of Man. Those who place their hope in the passing kingdoms of this world are doomed to be disappointed and frustrated while those who place their hope in the Crucified and Risen Lord will be cared for as His faithful subjects (elect). This image challenges us to be clear about what power or authority we allow to give us direction, to determine the meaning of our life events, to guide us through every day decisions, and to be the source of our hope for future stability.

To what earthly powers or agencies do you turn for direction, understanding, stability and security? 

How does this reading challenge you to seek these gifts in Jesus Christ? 

How do great people today seek to make themselves immortal, and what does this passage teach us about the real source of immortality? 

What can a faith community do to reveal Jesus as the only true and eternal authority who can direct, interpret, guide, and give stability to our lives?

Jesus goes on to instruct the disciples on the need to faithfully interpret the signs of the time by using the image of a fig tree that sprouts at the end of winter so as to announce the beginning of spring. This is a very beautiful image and offers a rich opportunity from which to understand the new order of God’s Kingdom. The fig tree is barren in winter and seemingly lifeless. It appears dead due to the lack of foliage. However, the barrenness is only a precursor to the abundant and new life that bursts forth each spring around the time of Passover. This connection between the “new life” that bursts forth from barrenness around the time of Passover, Crucifixion, and Resurrection of Jesus at that same time should not be missed. The deeper meaning of this symbolism, when interpreted through the Death and Resurrection of Jesus, is this: What we think is the end is really the true beginning of a new and greater reality.

Christians of the early Church had a wonderful way of expressing this belief in the power of God to bring life out of death and good out of evil. They expressed their firm faith in two ways. First, when a martyr died, they referred to that day as the “Birthday” of the martyr since it was the day when their true life began even as their earthly life ended. For those who are faithful, the end is really only the beginning. Another way they professed this confidence was with graffiti written near the tombs of the martyrs. Sometimes they would juxtapose the Greek letters Alpha/Omega (meaning “beginning and end”) so that they instead read Omega/Alpha indicating that the end is actually the beginning. This beautiful expression of faith manifested the early Church’s belief in the power of Jesus’ Death and Resurrection to become the pattern for the trials and persecutions disciples experienced as well. What appeared to be the “end” of Jesus on Calvary was actually the “beginning” of His new Kingdom and resurrected life!

This mystery gives disciples hope when they face every obstacle, every closed door, every failed effort, and every organized attempt to thwart the Christian mission. There will always be difficulties in carrying on the mission of the Gospel. These difficulties occur because of the resistance of existing kingdoms to relinquish power and authority to the Kingship of Christ. It’s that simple. Jesus threatened the existing powers in His religious and political world and those powers resisted Him with all their might. There is no room in the Kingdom of God for coexistence with evil. The ongoing clash of kingdoms is a futile last effort of the lesser kingdoms of this world to retain their power and influence. In Mark 13:3 when our Lord sat opposite the Temple, Jesus gave warning that the kingdoms of this world must submit.  His posture of opposition was a declaration that the kingdoms of this world were soon to be destroyed and His more powerful Kingdom was soon to emerge.

What does the statement “The end is really the beginning” mean to you and how have you experienced that through various situations in your life? 

How does the image of the fig tree bursting forth with new life inform your understanding of the Cross and Resurrection of Jesus? 

Christians of the early Church used graffiti and intentional images such as “birthday” to profess their faith in the power of Jesus’ resurrection to overcome all things.  What are symbols or actions that can profess that same faith today? 

The passage ends with Jesus making two very important and interpretative statements. The first statement is when the Lord says that this generation will not pass away until these things have taken place, and the second statement is made when Jesus says that no one knows the day nor the hour. These two statements create a certain tension between a part of our Lord’s revelation that has already been fulfilled and another part that is awaiting whose fulfillment we still await. What has already taken place is the definitive victory Jesus won over the forces of sin and death that sought to destroy Him, and by that victory Jesus is rightfully established as the eternal Lord and judge of Heaven and Earth. What has not yet been fulfilled is the full manifestation of that kingdom on Earth.

To use a familiar image, the war may already be won but the battles rage on. We continue to experience manifestations of the power of evil in various ways throughout history on global, communal, and personal levels. These battles are real, but they cannot overcome the definitive victory Jesus has already won for us. The challenge for a Christian disciple when confronted with such a battle is to remain faithful to the Lamb of God who sacrificed Himself for our Salvation and who lives forever. By our fidelity and unwavering commitment to Jesus in the face of seemingly hopeless situations, we already share in His victory. This passage teaches us that the Lord will gather those who remain faithful (the elect) from across the face of the Earth. The Church, born from the foot of the Cross, is that faithful gathering (also known as the “Holy Remnant”) who are called to witness the new order of God’s reign even as we deal with the archaic vestiges of former reigns. Christ’s definitive victory gives us confidence that good will always ultimately triumph. The coming of God’s Kingdom, then, is not a cause of fear or concern or even curiosity for a faithful disciple but a cause of hope, confidence, and encouragement.

How does the unveiling (revelation) of Jesus’ ultimate victory in this passage give you hope, confidence, and encouragement for the situations you face?

How can a faith community help disciples remain faithful when they are engaged in a struggle with evil? 

In what settings do you experience opposition when you try to live out the values of the Kingdom of God? 

How does this understanding of the Church, as the Holy Remnant that is called to live faithfully in the Kingdom of God, challenge you to extend the Lord’s reign into other parts of your life and what are those parts? 

The French Jesuit author Pierre Teilhard de Chardin once wrote:

 “Above all, trust in the slow work of God. We are quite naturally impatient in everything to reach the end without delay. […] Only God could say what this new spirit gradually forming within you will be. Give Our Lord the benefit of believing that his hand is leading you, and accept the anxiety of feeling yourself in suspense and incomplete.”^[1]
 

^[1] De Chardin, T. Hearts on Fire, Edited by M. Harter (Chicago: Loyola Press, 2004), p. 102.

Jesus said to his disciples:
“In those days after that tribulation
the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light,
and the stars will be falling from the sky,
and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.

“And then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in the clouds’
with great power and glory,
and then he will send out the angels
and gather his elect from the four winds,
from the end of the earth to the end of the sky.

“Learn a lesson from the fig tree.
When its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves,
you know that summer is near.
In the same way, when you see these things happening,
know that he is near, at the gates. 
Amen, I say to you,
this generation will not pass away
until all these things have taken place. 
Heaven and earth will pass away,
but my words will not pass away.

“But of that day or hour, no one knows,
neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”

Our Scripture passage comes from the Gospel of Mark 12:38–44. This story is commonly known as the “Widow’s Mite” and is often interpreted as a teaching on the virtue of generosity. However, there are additional elements in this passage that offer other challenging insights and cautions for us as disciples. In order to properly interpret this passage, it is necessary to read this story of the widow in context of our Lord’s reprimand of the Scribes who “devour the households of widows” (Mk 12:40). The negative example of the Scribes who use their resources to seek their own gain is presented in stark contrast to the example of the widow who gives of her resources in a sacrificial religious offering.

The first thing Jesus does is to caution against following the example of the Scribes. Their actions, such as wearing long robes and giving greetings in market places, were intended to draw public attention to themselves. The first seats in Synagogues and first couches at dinners were places of honor that enhanced the reputation of those who occupied them. These actions may sound harmless and may be perceived as mere trappings of an honor-based society. The Gospel of Mark has already given several teachings against seeking such honors (Mk 9:35, 10:31, 10:43–44) and so this warning would be understandable in itself as a caution against pursuits of false greatness. However, Jesus then goes on to state an even more serious charge against the Scribes: They devour widows’ households and for a pretense make long prayers (Mk 12:40). This accusation goes beyond that of self-seeking and implies deception as well as manipulative insincerity. This combination of actions (self-promotion, misrepresentation, and securing power over widows’ households) implies that the Scribes may have been using their religious and public standing in order to secure a position of management (trusteeship) over the inheritance of widows.

Once in such a position, dishonest Scribes would have the power to unjustly appropriate a share of the estate for themselves. In doing so, they could easily “devour” the households of widows. This is a serious charge and is not just a matter of self-seeking. The implication is that the Scribes are using their public and religious status (best seats in the Synagogue, best seats at banquets, and greetings in the market place) to promote themselves in positions of power over the vulnerable and powerless (widows) for the sake of self-gain at another’s expense. This act of exploitation reveals that the Scribes were acting as wolves in sheeps’ clothing and were preying on the powerless of their society. Jesus harshly condemns these actions as a direct violation of Love of God and Neighbor (see the preceding pericope of Mk 12:30–31). Our Lord ends His teaching with a warning that such persons who use religious pretense for self-gain will be harshly judged. The reason for this particular harshness is because they used religion as a platform from which they could abuse others for the sake of self-gain. This is a strong condemnation of anyone who would invoke God as a justification or disguise for harmful and selfish pursuits.

How do people today use religion as a means to build up their personal reputation for the sake of self-gain and self-promotion? 

How does this passage challenge disciples to be cautious when relating to the poor and vulnerable in our midst? 

When have you been tempted to use your religious affiliation and involvement as a source of public respect and trust? 

How has the mission of the Gospel been hindered by people who use respected religious positions to do harmful things?

The second thing Jesus does is to comment on the actions of the widow who makes a contribution into the Temple treasury. In the ancient world, temples often served a mixed combination of economic, political, and religious functions. For this reason, temple treasuries were sometimes pillaged by invading armies much like banks might be robbed in today’s world. Ancient accounts indicate that the Temple of Jerusalem contained an inner area known as the “Court of the Women” in which the treasury was located. The Mishnah in Middoth 2, 5 further indicates that there were thirteen trumpet-shaped metal chests in which people were to leave financial donations. Larger and more valuable coins would have made a different sound that that of smaller and less valuable coins. Thus, the amount of benefaction would have been readily known by anyone in the Temple area at the time a donation was made due to the noise. Widows were particularly vulnerable in the ancient world because they had no inheritance rights. In the absence of a social charitable system, widows had to rely on their families for support and care. The fact that the widow in this story is described as being poor indicates that she did not have such a supportive family and lived at the mercy of public charity.

Although poor and relatively destitute, this widow offered the little she had by giving two lepta coins, which was one of the smallest possible donations. Such a gift was clearly a sacrificial act and Jesus summarizes it as representing “her whole life savings” (Mk 12:44). It is the quality of her sacrifice rather than the size of her gift that forms the basis of our Lord’s comments to the disciples. It is true that the wealthy may make larger gifts but the widow gives out of her poverty (need) rather than her abundance, and so the sacrifice of the poor is greater than that of the rich. This religious action of the widow’s generosity stands in stark contrast to the deceptive, pretentious, and self-serving actions of the Scribes. The widow put her effort and resources into a sacrificial gift of pious generosity while the Scribes put their efforts and resources into self-promotion for the sake of self-gain.

It is important to note that Jesus does not make a qualitative comment on the widow’s action but only an observation of the contrast between a faith that leads to self-giving as opposed to a faith that leads to self-promotion. Some Scripture scholars detect a note of lament in our Lord’s final words about the widow giving everything she had. This lament may be an indication that while Jesus praised the sacrificial generosity of the widow, our Lord was also saddened by the actions of misguided religious leaders who manipulated the pious attitudes of the poor in order to secure funds for a physical building. (It should be remembered that the very next passage, which follows this section, contains a prediction of the Temple’s destruction.)  Indeed, what the widow did remained a virtuous statement of her faith and generosity even if her donation may have been promoted and encouraged by the deceptive actions of the religious leaders and Scribes. Our Lord’s tone of lament may also have been in reference to the social system that created such an unjust plight for widows, which effectively reduced them to destitute poverty. With this second interpretation of our Lord’s lament, Jesus may have been praising the woman who responded with generosity even in the midst of unjust suffering. Certainly that description described our Lord on the Cross who forgave those who crucified Him.

How do you know when you are giving from your surplus or giving from your need? 

How is God calling you to be sacrificial in your generosity now? 

Why do you think the Gospels speak so much about the importance of sacrifice for disciples?  How can sacrificial acts be used as a source of self-promotion? 

How can people’s pious attitudes be manipulated today for the purpose of securing charitable donations? 

How do you know when someone is sincere and worthy in their request for financial assistance?

This Gospel passage is often used to encourage charitable giving. As disciples, we are called to be responsible and responsive in how we address situations of need as well as how we invite others to be generous as an expression of their faith. There are several important points for reflection that we can gain from this reading which can help guide us in our efforts.

●      First, this passage can serve as a caution against pursuing religious maintenance at the expense of religious mission. Buildings and facilities are intended to promote the Gospel and never to contradict it. When the maintenance of institutional buildings becomes an undue burden or impediment to the work of evangelization (including charitable concern for the poor), there exists the danger of misplaced religious values.

●      Second, great caution must be taken to never use the values and teachings of faith in a way that manipulates people’s generosity for the sake of self-gain or disordered priorities. As disciples, we are inevitably involved in various charitable endeavors. It can be easy to find ourselves in a blind competition for limited resources and to seek the support of our own charitable causes without regard for the charitable causes of others. When asking someone to support a particular charity, it is important to take care lest such a request actually diminish charitable outreach to more important causes. Sometimes the media will report obvious frivolous charitable causes that provide for the purchase of private jets, expensive homes and grandiose salaries. However, it is more difficult to assess the relative importance of charitable causes in the absence of such obvious distinctions. It is then that disciples must prayerfully discern with responsibility and accountability both the reasonableness and faithfulness of the charitable requests they pose for others.

●      Third, this passage of the contrast between the Scribe and the widow follows the previous passage containing the great commandment to love God and neighbor. This contextualization invites us to consider who are the poor and vulnerable ones whose sacrificial efforts sustain our way of life. They, too, are our “neighbors”, and if we love them with the agape love of God then we will seek to raise them from the oppressive economic and social conditions in which they live. This love will challenge us to see them as brothers and sisters and to work so that they can experience the same dignity of life and have the same opportunities for their families that we enjoy. Jesus may have been implicitly criticizing the social conditions that reduced the widow to a life of destitute poverty. Our Lord might very well criticize contemporary economic structures that exploit the poor in our world as well.

As you reflect on these three points, which one offers a particularly helpful insight to assist or challenge you in your discipleship?

 How do you know when a ministry has become too “maintenance”-focused and is no longer “mission”-focused? 

What criterion can you use to determine which charitable causes are of greater importance and which are of lesser importance? 

Who pays the price for your lifestyle? 

Why should disciples care about the economic and social conditions of people they have never met or will never see? 

What social or economic structures do you think Jesus would confront if He spoke in your world?

The Church proposes the Seven Principles of Catholic Social Teaching to assist disciples in discerning how their love of God should affect their love of neighbor. The Seven Principles are intended to serve as a checklist to help us know whether we have considered all relevant priorities and factors as we make decisions that affect others and the world around us. The Seven Principles are as follows:

1. The protection of the life and dignity of the human person

2. The call to family, community, and participation in the social order

3. The rights and responsibilities of each person

4. The preferential option for the poor and vulnerable in a given situation

5. The dignity of work and the rights of workers

6. The realization of solidarity with the situation of others

7. The care of God’s creation

How can these principles help you to live this Gospel passage in a more effective way?

What can you do to embrace these principles in your daily life?

In the course of his teaching Jesus said to the crowds,
“Beware of the scribes, who like to go around in long robes
and accept greetings in the marketplaces,
seats of honor in synagogues, 
and places of honor at banquets.
They devour the houses of widows and, as a pretext
recite lengthy prayers. 
They will receive a very severe condemnation.”

He sat down opposite the treasury
and observed how the crowd put money into the treasury. 
Many rich people put in large sums.
A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents. 
Calling his disciples to himself, he said to them,
“Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more
than all the other contributors to the treasury. 
For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth,
but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had,
her whole livelihood.”

Our Scripture passage comes from the Gospel of Mark 10:35–45. In order to understand this passage, it is necessary to remember that, in the verses immediately preceding it (Mk 10:32–34), Jesus issued the third prediction of His pending Passion, Death, and Resurrection in Jerusalem. It is, then, immediately following the announcement of suffering, that the disciples James and John seek privileged positions of honor. Let’s look at this passage to see what instruction we can gain for our lives of faith.

This passage is located at a very significant place in Mark’s Gospel. As such, the very context of the story contributes to its understanding and becomes an important interpretive key with which to unlock its meaning. In particular, this story is a continuation of previous teachings regarding the damaging pursuit of mistaken greatness. Because there are several significant lessons to be gained from this account, it is worth considering each element in detail.

●      The request for privileged positions of honor by James and John follows immediately after Jesus’ third prediction of His Passion. As we saw in the reflection on Mark 9:30–37, this contextualization is a commentary on how the Passion of Jesus continues when members of the Church give in to similar competitive ambitious pursuits of exclusive and privileged positions. James and John demonstrated an unhealthy ambition that sought inordinate honor at others’ expense. This passage is a warning to the Church reminding us that those who pursue such ambitions can cause the Body of Christ (the Church) to suffer. While Pope Francis and his predecessors have spoken strongly against such manifestations of ambition, like careerism, clericalism, and other “diseases” that afflict the Body of Christ,^[1] we need to remember that the inordinate thirst for prestige and honor through positions of ministry can afflict the Church at all levels—from the volunteers who coordinate coffee and donuts to the members of ministry teams and advisory councils. No one is immune from this temptation whether they be parishioners, deacons, priests, bishops, or even the Pope himself. When anyone seeks a position of ministry or leadership because of how it honors or benefits them personally then destructive ambition has entered their soul and the Body of Christ always suffers.

●      It is also significant that James and John approach Jesus twice in their request. First they ask the Lord to do whatever they ask and then they ask for selfish pursuits. Faith is always distorted when we try to convince God to do what we want rather than seeking God’s will for our lives so we can do what the Lord wants. At this point in Mark’s Gospel Jesus has drawn close to Jerusalem, and His journey is almost fulfilled. We see in the question of James and John that the disciples have much to learn before their journey of discipleship is completed. In particular, they still have not yet learned the proper relationship of faith and disposition of servanthood that will allow them to bear the Cross with Jesus. Disciples are to follow the Lord’s lead and not try to lead the Lord where they want to go. We can be tempted in our faith to approach God in the same way that James and John approached Jesus. This passage reminds us that authentic growth in discipleship is marked by increased surrender to God and not the desire for increased control over God.

●      Although the request of James and John was for future glory (presuming they were referring to a heavenly place of honor similar to that described in Rev 4–5), they may have been seeking temporal glory as well. The Dead Sea Scrolls reveal that the Essene community had a highly-structured society that was based in part on how they believed the messianic banquet would be ordered in the Kingdom of God. The actual meals of the community and the relative seating of its members reflected that heavenly order. James and John may have been hoping for similar places of temporal honor based on future positions in the Heavenly Kingdom. This reprimand may be a caution to the Church to avoid similar temptations of honor and prestige based on position and expressed in ceremony. As Jesus will make clear later in this passage, positions within the Church are for service to God’s people and not for the benefit of the one who receives that position.

●      The remedy Jesus offers for ambition is that of faithful suffering when He asks James and John if they can drink the cup He drinks and can be Baptized in the Baptism He will experience. That is the ultimate question of discipleship. It reminds the disciples that greatness is not found in the selfish pursuit of honorable positions or privileged status, but rather in the ability to faithfully endure hardship and suffering for the sake of Christ. The Old Testament uses the image of a cup as a symbol of suffering and wrath (Jer 25:15–29, Ps 75:8, Is 51:17, 22). Jesus will drink of this cup at the Last Supper in Mark 14:25 and in the Garden of Gethsemane in Mark 14:36. To drink from the cup of Jesus, then, is to share in our Lord’s very suffering on Calvary rendered present to us in the Eucharist. This symbol of suffering is further developed because James and John asked to be placed, one at Jesus’ left and one at Jesus’ right, when our Lord enters His Kingdom. What they did not realize is that the Kingship of Jesus is established on the cross of Calvary, and in Mark 15:27 we are told that two bandits were placed “one on His right and one on His left”. The lesson of this teaching is clear: Greatness for Christian disciples is in the ability to share in the Cross of Christ.

●      Jesus’ comment about Baptism is similar to that of the cup and connected to it. As Saint Paul reminds us in Romans 6:3–4, we were Baptized into the Death of Christ. Christian Baptism receives its life-giving sacramental power from the Cross of Christ. Jesus is asking James and John the fundamental question of discipleship: Can they follow the Lord in His suffering and not just in His glory?  They approached the Lord with a desire for greatness and Jesus has taught them the standard of true greatness: Greatness is not based on where they sit but on how closely they can remain to the Lord when it involves suffering and persecution.

As you reflect on the exchange between James, John, and Jesus, which aspect challenges you in a particularly personal way and why? 

How can positions of ministry today become a source of competition for power or prestige?

Why is suffering such an effective remedy for unhealthy ambition? 

When do you pray for positions of power or prestige? 

The next part of this passage conveys the indignant response of the other ten disciples towards James and John as well as Jesus’ instruction on the necessity of serving others. We can easily understand the very human reaction of the other ten disciples towards James and John. The two had just attempted to secure honor to the exclusion of the rest and their request was rejected. In a certain sense, James and John may have been humbled by Jesus but the other ten were seeking to humiliate them. Sometimes people can be frivolously fascinated by the shortcomings and failures of others and that disordered interest can become a sinful exploitation of other people’s difficulties. In a recent interview with the Belgian magazine Tertio, Pope Francis referred to such an unhealthy fascination with the descriptive term “coprophilia”. That’s what the ten were doing to James and John. That unhealthy and uncharitable fascination with another person’s failure continues our Lord’s suffering in the Body of Christ just as much as the inordinate ambition of James and John.

As a Church, we need to remember that Jesus desires our unity and charity towards others, especially in moments of personal weakness and failure rather than division and humiliation. It is interesting that in vs. 41 we are told that the disciples “began” to be indignant. Notice that we are never told that their indignation stopped. Mark’s Gospel has many such beginnings most of which are constructive initiatives in the ministry of Jesus but some of which are negative actions and influences that harm and weaken the Church and individual disciples (see also Mk 8:32 where Peter “began” to rebuke Jesus following our Lord’s first prediction of His Passion). Influences in the life of the Church, both positive and negative, began during the time of Jesus and continue even today.

Jesus then addresses the damaging response of the ten disciples by contrasting how greatness and authority are expressed in the secular world with how they are expressed in the Kingdom of God. The Romans governed by brutal force and relied upon tactics of intimidation to coerce their subjects into absolute submission and loyalty. Jesus used His authority to heal the sick, free those oppressed by evil spirits, and confront the disordered priorities of the religious leaders of His time. Our Lord, then, used His authority in service to others rather than in domination of them. When Jesus sent the disciples on mission in Mark 3:15 and Mark 6:7 we are told that the Lord shared His own authority with them so that they could continue His works of healing, liberation, and service to the truth. By exercising their authority in the right way (selfless, sacrificial service to others in imitation of Jesus), the disciples will be able to avoid temptations to that false worldly greatness that divides and weakens the Body of Christ. Not only are they to be servants to one another but Jesus also tells them that they must become slaves to all. That is a very powerful term; a reminder that all people—not just some people—have a right to receive the Gospel.

The disciples and the Church cannot rest until the whole world has effectively received the Gospel of Jesus. This is not so much a task we complete as it is a life-long mission we fulfill. When we drink the cup of Christ and are Baptized into our Lord’s Death and Resurrection, we belong to God who has complete and utter claim on our whole lives. Disciples, then, are ultimately slaves of the Lord who make no claim for reward, recompense, or recognition. We owe the Lord and others our service and commitment as a life condition.

When have you seen or heard one group of people celebrating someone else’s failure, and what do you think would have been a more Christian response to that situation? 

Who are people with authority in our secular world, and how do they make their authority felt? 

How are authority and power exercised appropriately in a faith community? 

What ministries most authentically manifest the authority and power Jesus entrusted to the Church? 

How does the image of being a slave of Christ inform and challenge your discipleship? 

The passage ends with a single, very powerful statement of Jesus in vs. 45 that the Son of Man came to serve, not to be served, and to give His life as a ransom for many. The ultimate service that Jesus will offer us is His Death on the Cross. It is then that the Lord “redeems” us, “saves” us, and “ransoms” us. These are all terms that we use in our prayer, yet we may not fully understand them. It’s worth reflecting for a moment on what Jesus means when He speaks of ransoming the many because it is rare in today’s world that we hear of someone being ransomed. Occasionally pirates may seize a ship and require ransom for those held captive. Sometimes we might read about a person being kidnapped and held for ransom as well, but in the time of Jesus this practice actually occurred more frequently than it does today. To ransom (or redeem) means to pay a price for someone’s freedom from captivity. It is most likely this aspect of freeing captives that Jesus wants us to focus on. The entire mission of Jesus was to lead us to freedom in the Kingdom of God.

Jesus began this journey of freedom when He identified Himself with sinful humanity and received the Baptism of repentance from John. In His life and ministry, Jesus shows us how to overcome the forces of sin and violence through forgiveness and peace. Ultimately, Jesus definitively saved us from the power of death itself by His own Death and Resurrection in which He opened the gates of eternal life to those who believe. It is our Lord’s great ministry on Calvary that ransomed us from captivity to our sin and the consequence of death. As disciples, we have been ransomed by the Blood of Jesus so that we can live in the freedom of Christ. We accept this freedom and ratify this ransom in every Eucharist we celebrate when the grace of Calvary is offered to us sacramentally in the Body and Blood of the Lord. This belief in redemptive suffering for others (that is, suffering which “pays the price” for others) was expressed in the Old Testament through the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53:11–12 and 2 Maccabees 7. Jesus is the true Servant of God whose suffering justifies many, bears their guilt and takes away their sins while gaining pardon for their offenses. This is what we mean when we profess our belief in Jesus as our Redeemer and Savior. In the normal poetic style of the mystics, St. John of the Cross described this ransom on the wood of the cross by relating it to the Fall and the wood of the Tree of Knowledge in the Book of Genesis, “Beneath the apple tree: there I took you for my own, there I offered you my hand, and restored you, where your mother was corrupted.”^[2]

How does it make you feel when someone else pays for a cost that you have incurred? 

How does this teaching of Jesus change the way you look at a Crucifix? 

When have you “ransomed” or “redeemed” someone else and what was their response? 

How does this teaching affect the way you receive Communion as the moment in which you receive the redemption Christ gained for you on Calvary?

^[1] Pope Francis, Presentation of the Christmas Greetings to the Roman Curia. Rome. (22 Dec 2014).

^[2] St John of the Cross, “Spiritual Canticle v. 23” in Complete Works, (Washington: ICS Publications, 1991), p. 474.

James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus and said to him,
“Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” 
He replied, “What do you wish me to do for you?” 
They answered him, “Grant that in your glory
we may sit one at your right and the other at your left.” 
Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. 
Can you drink the cup that I drink
or be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” 
They said to him, “We can.” 
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 or at my left is not mine to give
but is for those for whom it has been prepared.” 
When the ten heard this, they became indignant at James and John. 
Jesus summoned them and said to them,
“You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles
lord it over them,
and their great ones make their authority over them felt. 
But it shall not be so among you.
Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant;
whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all. 
For the Son of Man did not come to be served
but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”