25th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Sep 19-20, 2015)

In today’s Gospel, Jesus, who was normally surrounded by a multitude of people, successfully slipped away from the crowd in order to have some “one- on-one” time with his disciples. He knew that significant events were about to unfold and he wanted his disciples to be prepared.

So, for a second time, Jesus explained to the “twelve” that he would soon be handed over to men who would kill him, and after three days, the Son of Man would rise! Obviously that’s a message that most people would find alarming especially since it was repeated; yet the disciples were strangely silent.

Perhaps their silence was influenced by wanting to avoid being reprimanded again for “not thinking as God does, but as human beings do .” (Mk 8:33) Human beings can become jealous and envious when others succeed. Perhaps that’s how the disciples felt when Jesus told Peter: “Simon son of Jonah... you are now Peter and upon this rock I will build my church.” Human beings are often disappointed when their ability and work ethic are overlooked. Perhaps that, too, was on the disciples’ minds when Jesus took only three of the twelve (Peter, James, and John) up on a high mountain to witness his transfiguration. The disciples were becoming increasingly confused and angry, and again, “while thinking as human beings do,” perhaps they wondered “why did Jesus chose them and not us”. Their confusion could have easily ignited the argument over who was the greatest among them.

In the heat of the moment, with tempers blazing with anger, the disciples must have forgotten that they all were given “front row seats” and were honored to be first-hand witnesses to the greatest love affair the world has ever known. The Father so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, so that all who believed in him would not perish but would have eternal life. But blinded by their anger the disciples must have blocked all memories of Jesus ministering in and around Galilee, doing so with a power and authority that was not of human origin. They must have forgotten that they witnessed Jesus cast out demons, forgive sinners, pray, comfort, and heal a countless number of people.

And it must have slipped their minds that as Jesus’ fame spread, his followers were gradually identifying him as: 1) the Alpha and the Omega, 2) the Good Shepherd, 3) the King of Kings, 4) the Lion of Judah, and 5) the bright Morning Star.


What were the disciples thinking as they argued about their greatness? It was actually laughably foolish for them to do so since it followed Jesus telling them that he was going to be killed and that in three days after his death he would rise. Who was the greatest? Hands down, Jesus was and is the greatest. If the disciples really thought otherwise it would have indicated how poorly they understood their mission. Those who jockeyed for bragging rights to be called the greatest were diametrically opposed to the values that Jesus hoped to instill in them. They weren’t even close to thinking as God does

The disciples’ mistaken priorities prompted Jesus to sit then down and explain to them what greatness in the eyes of God was all about. To put an exclamation point on his teaching, Jesus embraced a young child and said, “whoever receives one child such as this receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but the One who sent me.”

In the first century children were barely seen or heard from because they were considered to be at the lowest level of society. They didn’t have any legal rights. They were considered a burden and few cared for them.

Yet given children have an amazing ability to forgive and bounce back. A young child will find joy in the smallest of things. They are more pure, more innocent, more spontaneous, more trusting, more open to learning than most adults. These are some of the behaviors that Jesus desired for his disciples.

It goes without saying that Jesus set a high bar for those who wish to become his disciple. He humbled himself by embracing the cross. His obedience to the Father never wavered. He died so that we might live.

Of such a death scripture tells us, “that it is rare for someone to die for another, although some might die for a good person, but Jesus’ crucifixion demonstrates his love for all - those who are righteous and for those who are sinful. (Rm5.1-9)

When “ you think as human beings,” you often conclude that the only path to greatness is through promoting yourself. Climbing the corporate ladder means putting yourself first at all cost.

However when “ you think as God does,” you will discover that the pathway to greatness, not only involves being a faithful follower of Jesus, but it means that you will reach out and help those who are most in need. And in the process it is a safe bet that your hands will get dirty, or that you might find yourself in uncomfortable surroundings, or you will fumble around looking for the right words to say as you attempt to comfort another.

But those who embrace humility and help those most in need will begin to see things as God does. They will be at peace with God, through Our Lord Jesus; and through him they will discover the unmerited favor and love of our heavenly Father. They will be filled with grace and they will be enabled to do the work that Jesus desires of them.