Saturday, March 17, 2018

Lent 5




Lent 5
22 March 2018
Series B





Almighty God, by Your great goodness mercifully look upon Your People that that we may be governed and preserved evermore in body and soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Jesus catechizes His disciples. Instructing them. In the way of the cross. Revealing that He will be condemned and put to death “and after three days he will rise.Mark 10:33–34




But the Twelve do not understand. Instead, they argue among themselves about who will be the greatest, with James and John requesting the places of honor on either side of Jesus in His glory.
Jesus has come to make Himself the “slave of all” and “give his life as a ransom for many.” He shares the true glory of His cross. With all who are baptized with His Baptism and with those who drink His cup of salvation; the New Testament in His blood. By these Holy Sacraments, the Lord makes Himself known to all His people, forgiving their sins “from the least of them to the greatest.” [1]Though He is the very Son of God, “he learned obedience through what he suffered[2] and so became our great High Priest, that we may enter His glory by the way of His sacrifice.
Jesus predicts His death for the third time...
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. - Mark 10:32
Jesus is leading them to Jerusalem. Remember, throughout Jesus’ passion He's always in charge. As for the disciples, they follow begrudgingly. There is fear and confusion in the ranks. They know what is happening...He's leading them to their death. He's talking about it. They, at least, are willing to die with Him.  This is the message of the cross.
Jesus reminds them, "See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles. - Mark 10:33
These disciples. They don't need to reset their gaze. “Look, right now.” Says Jesus, “It’s happening!”      
And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And after three days he will rise." - Mark 10:34 This is how Jesus replaces fear with faith.
Jesus is being specific with the spitting and scourging. He's said it already before - And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again.” - Mark 8:31
The request of James and John
James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to him and said to him, "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you." - Mark 10:35
We request of You to do for us. They are taking Jesus at His word, "whatever you ask in My name I will grant it."  To wag our finger at James and John places us with the ten. Their request is sincere. Even if they don’t know exactly what they are asking. They are being honest and truthful. But not fully cognizant of what they are asking. 
Jesus was going the way of the cross. But not by means of glory. This kingdom is won by loosing. The leader goes ahead as the troops desert. Abandon. Abscond and flee. Jesus points to glory by doing it backwards.

The world says, "Come back with your shield or on it!" This was supposed to be the parting cry of mothers to their sons as the Spartans went off to war. Mothers whose sons died in battle openly rejoiced, mothers whose sons survived hung their heads in shame.[3] James and John desire to sit in glory. They desire their best life now. They covet glorious living.  Jesus defines glory. Glory is gained through the cross and suffering.

  And He said to them, "What do you want me to do for you?" - Mark 10:36
Jesus gives the unexpected answer, 'what do you want?' Jesus responds to this request spoken in faith.
And they said to him, "Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory." - Mark 10:37
Was this an ongoing discussion? Certainly it was. Earlier, Mark reminds us, “And they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest.” - Mark 9:33-34
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?" - Mark 10:38
Jesus shows us the character of His kingdom. “Wait until you see what I'm talking about.” He alone will drink the cup and be baptized. So, no, they can't be granted a glorious reign. But yes, they will reign in glory. But first they must enter the valley of suffering. 
Notice the Sacramental overtones of drinking and baptism. You participate also with Jesus. James would remind us, Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you encounter trials of many kinds,”[4] while St. Paul will explain, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.[5]
That is why, for the sake of Christ, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” [6]
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,” - Mark 10:39

Jesus’ words will be fulfilled in the lives of these sons of Zebedee. James will be the first of the twelve to be granted martyrdom.  John will be the last disciple standing – exiled on an island.
As for you. Yes, you! You will suffer these things also. This suffering. These crosses. Will come to you. It will happen. As you have been baptized into Christ you were buried with Him in His death. In baptism you were raised to life. And you also glory in your current sufferings. They may only last for a season. Yet you will experience these tests and trials. The way of the cross is a time of testing, trials and suffering.
 As a fellow partaker of Christ's suffering, Peter would encourage us, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.  Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.”- 1 Peter 5:6-10
Remember who you are and whose you are. As children we can come to our Father and ask, "Why?" As children ask their parents, “why is this happening to me?” so you too can come to your heavenly Father asking Him.  Read the Psalms. They are replete with such cries of lament. If you have been taught to put on a happy face, to let a smile be your umbrella, to keep your complaints to yourself, then the Psalms offers a welcome corrective. It’s worth noting that the book of Psalms contain more psalms of lament than any other form. So cry out to your heavenly Father. Ask. Seek. Knock. This is also the battle within each of us.
“…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.[7] - Mark 10:40
Remember – the Father is the director of Christ’s Passion. He is the invisible hand behind the scene. Yet, He sustains your life. He orders your days. He directs your path.
The response of the ten. 
Jesus will yell at the rest of the disciples for being indignant. But not John and James.
And when the ten heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John.” - Mark 10:41 
The ten are indignant but Jesus answers positively. The ten have false humility. Which is pernicious pride.
The ten are indignant of James and John.  It's the same response as Farris Bueller’s sister. “Why should he get to do whatever he wants, whenever he wants? Why should everything work out for him? What makes him so special?[8]  The ten are angry because James and John dared to ask of Jesus in faith.
Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, "You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. - Mark 10:42
The one's considered chief lord it. “This is how you are acting,” warns Jesus - wanting to exercise and achieve authority. “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.” - Mark 10:43-44
Not thus among you” warn Jesus. Whoever wants to be great shall be your deacon. The great ones among us must be slave of all.
For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." - Mark 10:45
The Psalmist reminds us, “And he will redeem Israel from all his iniquities.” - Psalm 130:8 Search the Scriptures. They speak of a suffering servant - One who will die for the sins of men.
Christ came to be an atoning sacrifice for men. His death is payment for your sin. You are joined with Christ. Thus you can say with St. Paul, “I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I that live, but Christ living in me. That life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me.”  – Galatians 2:20
Words -1,830
Passive sentences -5%
Readability -83.8%
Reading level – 4.3
Image © Higher Things


[1] Jeremiah 31:33–34
[2] Hebrews 5:8–10
[4] James 1:2
[5] Romans 5:3-4
[6] 2 Corinthians 12:10
[7] the word “prepared” is passive

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