A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Mark 10:32-45
The disciples were on the way, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus went ahead of them. They were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. Taking the Twelve aside again, he began to tell them what was going to happen to him. “Behold, 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.”
Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” He replied, “What do you wish me to do for you?” They answered him, “Grant that in your glory we may sit one at your right and the other at your left.” Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the chalice that I drink or be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” They said to him, “We can.” Jesus said to them, “The chalice that I drink, you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; but to sit at my right or at my left is not mine to give but is for those for whom it has been prepared.” When the ten heard this, they became indignant at James and John. Jesus summoned them and said to them,
“You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all.
For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
Reflection:
In this Gospel, Jesus is on the road to Jerusalem. He knows exactly what awaits Him—betrayal, suffering, rejection, and the Cross. While Jesus is speaking about sacrifice, the disciples are thinking about status.
James and John approach Him with a bold request: “Grant that in your glory we may sit one at your right and the other at your left.”
They want positions of honor. They want recognition. They want to be important.
Before we’re too hard on them, we should admit that we often do the same thing.
We want our opinions respected. We want our efforts noticed. We want acknowledgment for our sacrifices. We want influence, control, and sometimes a little recognition for all the good we do.
Jesus doesn’t condemn their ambition. Instead, He redirects it.
He asks them: “Can you drink the cup that I drink?”
In other words: Are you willing to pay the price for true discipleship?
Then Jesus delivers one of the most challenging teachings in the Gospel:
“Whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all.”
In the world’s eyes, greatness comes from power, position, wealth, and influence.
In the Kingdom of God, greatness comes from humility, sacrifice, and service.
And Jesus doesn’t merely teach it—He lives it.
“For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
The King becomes a servant.
The Master washes feet.
The Savior embraces the Cross.
That is the model He gives us.
The question is who we will serve:
- Ourselves?
- Our ego?
- Our comfort?
- Or Christ and His people?
The measure of discipleship is not how many people work for us.
The measure is how willing we are to work for others.
Actions to Live Byl
Do something good this week that nobody knows about.
Help someone.
Make a phone call.
Visit someone who is lonely.
Take care of a task that benefits others.
Then resist the urge to tell anyone about it. Hidden service trains the heart in humility.
Servants look for solutions.
Most people want meaningful work.
Few people want humble work.
Jesus spent thirty years in ordinary hidden labor before three years of public ministry.
Sometimes holiness is found in answering emails, washing dishes, setting up chairs, balancing budgets, driving someone to an appointment, or listening patiently to another person’s concerns.
Jesus asked James and John if they could drink His cup. Every disciple eventually must.
Sometimes that cup is:
- forgiving someone who hurt us,
- remaining faithful during hardship,
- caring for an aging parent,
- enduring illness,
- carrying responsibilities we did not choose.
The Cross is not an interruption of discipleship.
The Cross is part of discipleship.
Audio Reflection:
