God’s Children

Today’s Gospel Text:  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, 33 saying, "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man will be delivered to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death, and deliver him to the Gentiles; 34 and they will mock him, and spit upon him, and scourge him, and kill him; and after three days he will rise."

35 And James and John, the sons of Zeb'edee, came forward to him, and said to him, "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you." 36 And he said to them, "What do you want me to do for you?" 37 And they said to him, "Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory." 38 But 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?" 39 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; 40 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." 41 And when the ten heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John. 42 And Jesus called them to him and said to them, "You know that those who are supposed to rule over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. 43 But it shall not be so among you; but whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. 45 For the Son of man also came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." Mark 10:32-45

Reflection: The human ambition to achieve and to attain greatness and power can be never ceasing.

God knows this human desire, which when first manifested led the first parent to sin against God.

They sought equality with God without God and thus rebelled against his creator; the sinful nature still evident in the many actions of humans, not just when relating with one another but also in one's relationship with God.

In other words, humans adopt the ways of Satan and his qualities in order to achieve the higher goals of life.  No matter how good our actions may seem to us and how noble our thoughts but our actions if it doesn’t flow from God and in the end doesn’t lead to God then it will only lead to one's mortal self.

Hence the desire of the sons of Zebedee to sit on the right and left of Jesus in his kingdom was a desire to attain the one of the greatest position one could ever dream of. 

Jesus does not disappoint us in our desire, even if it is a wrong one but he does disappoint us by not granting us according to our worldly ambitions and ways.

Therefore he had to correct the Sons of Zebedee and remind them of a responsibility that they will have to undertake in order to reach somewhere close to their goal.

What if God doesn’t grant us the higher goals and ambitions of life as seen from our human perspective but he definitely grants us the power and authority to be his sons and daughters in Christ Jesus.(cfr. Jn. 1:12)

What goal can be greater than this; that each one who believes and accepts Jesus as their Lord and master and follow in his commands and ways will be authorized to be sons of God or children of God?

    

But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God; who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. John 1:12-13

Prayer: God our Father, we thank you for giving us the privilege to be your children and to address you as our Father. (Cfr. 1 Jn. 3: 1-2)

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