29th Sunday OT
The Sons of Thunder ask Jesus for a favor. He listens
to their request and says, “You
do not know what you are asking.” Hearing this quiet rebuke, do the
Sons blush, shamefaced? Do they withdraw their impertinent request?
Maybe they bristle and double-down by insisting that they deserve
this honor. Or make the argument that – practically speaking –
they are the best men for the job. Mark doesn't record their
reaction, so we are left to speculate. Had they been paying attention
to their Teacher, they would've never made the request. Just before
this tense scene, Jesus laid out his future for the disciples: “...we
are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to
the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death
and hand him over to the Gentiles who will mock him, spit upon him,
scourge him, and put him to death, but after three days he will
rise.” Is this the future they want? If they follow him, this is
the future they will get! So, Jesus rebukes their favor, saying, “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 answer, “We can.” I like to think that their voices trembled
in fear...just a little.
It never hurts for us to remember that we have committed ourselves to a Way of Life that ends in sacrifice. If your faith amounts to a consoling story of Being Good and landing in Heaven, then actually living the faith in the world is going to be rough. If the cup you drink is filled with sentiment, fluffy angels, weeping statues, and avoiding being naughty, then the Cross is going to come as a big surprise. James and John have it in mind that sitting at the right and left of Jesus is about power, influence, and prestige. Few of us share this delusion. But we may have our own fantasies to dispel. Maybe we think that following Christ is a guarantee perfect health. Or a promise of material wealth. Or the perfect middle-class family lifestyle. Some seem to believe that their faith in Jesus is a ward against having to think rationally, or actually participate in the life of the world. For others all this is just a respectable place to be on a Sunday morning. Good for business and way to keep the neighbors from talking. I dare say that whatever the case, the Cross is going to come as a surprise for us all. Despite everything the Lord has said, despite our long history as a Church, it will be a Big Surprise.
At this point, you might be thinking, “Wow. Father didn't get his coffee this morning!” Not true. I did. It's just that this Gospel scene always brings to mind my motives for belief. Why am I doing this? “This” being “being a Catholic; serving as a Dominican friar and priest.” And then I start to think about the motives you might have for doing this. For being Catholic, for being here at St. Albert's for Mass, for following Christ in an increasingly insane world. For being a novice friar just starting religious life. There are as many motives as there are people to have them. No doubt we all have a story to tell about our faith. How we came to it. How we keep it. How we win and lose day-to-day. And then I remember James and John and their ridiculous request and Jesus' sad rebuke. Can you drink the cup I will drink? IOW, can you hang on the Cross I will hang on? We say we can. We wouldn't be here if we couldn't say we can. But can we? Not as long as our faith is little more than a family-imposed requirement, or a social nicety, or a middle-class American habit. No one eagerly goes to the Cross for those reasons. The only reason to hang with Christ on the Cross is b/c you have become Christ and that's just how it ends. For him, for you, for the Church.
On Wednesday this week I'll teach the novices that homilies are supposed to be exhortatory. Encouraging. Yes, they can be challenging. Should be challenging. But above all, they must be encouraging. Like a coach at half-time during a tied game. So, where's the exhortation? Whatever your motivations for being here, for being a follower of Christ, know that Christ is with you. And not only Christ but his Church as well. We do none this alone. Even if you see yourself as a lone sheep among the wolves, you are not alone. You are part of a Body. James and John wanted – foolishly – to be at the head of the body. Jesus put them in their rightful place. Serving. That's where Christ should find us when he comes again. Serving. Take your gifts – that which brings you joy – and put them at the service of the Body. That's how God perfects us. Through the gifts He's given us. Each gift, every gift works together to bring the whole Body closer and closer to perfection. When it comes time to go to the Cross, you will go with the millions who have gone before. And once there you will greet the millions who follow after. Hold fast to your faith, praying, “We can. We can drink this cup.”
