Wednesday 11 March 2009

Background

It Stops Working

Look what happens to the scale
when love holds it.
It stops working.

Kabir (a mystic poet and saint of India,c.1398-1448 AD)

 

Honour and status mattered at the time this biblicalpassage was written, just as they do today.

The mother of James and John came to Jesus, with her sons,and asked that they be honoured above others. She gave no criteriaby which it can be seen that they deserved this. Perhapsunderstandably, she asked that they be special because she wantedthem to be.

It is not obvious that she had compared her sons to the otherdisciples. But she had chosen to ask that they be closer, morespecial, more chosen than the others.

In this, and other passages in the Gospels, the disciplesjostled to form a line - a pecking order or a hierarchy. This waswhat they knew. This was their tradition and their culture. Theirlives were valued by virtue of their behaviour, their age, theirgender, their wealth, their family name and their tribe. The listgoes on.

Jesus again and again cut across this jostling for position.He did so again in this story.

Jesus asked the brothers if they were willing to stand besidehim in his life, to share his life and his experience. The brotherssaid that they were. They were perhaps, in keeping with theirunderstanding of 'Messiah', expecting triumph and a new politicaland religious power through the life of Jesus. They wanted posts inthe cabinet.

But Jesus told them that they did notunderstand.

Jesus once more had to try to help them see that theirexpectations were false hopes, and that God in Jesus was usheringin a kingdom grounded in servanthood, relationships and qualitiesof a growing personal character. It was not one built on a newsystem of government or outward power.

To Ponder

How do you respond to queue-jumpers? Where mightyou have to admit you would like to jump a queue yourself?

What do you think you are fundamentally entitledto? What do you have a right to? Why? Do all people share thoseentitlements and rights with you?

Jesus asked the brothers if they would standalongside him in his life, which would include real struggle. Whowould you like to stand alongside in their lives? What might thiscost you, or lead you into?