We are the Villains
Mar 8: Wednesday of the Second Week of Lent
A running theme in today’s readings is that we don’t always recognize what we need or want. And even if we do, we don’t know what gaining it will entail. We often get in our own way.
Reading 1
Jer 18:18-20
The people of Judah and the citizens of Jerusalem said, “Come, let us contrive a plot against Jeremiah. It will not mean the loss of instruction from the priests, nor of counsel from the wise, nor of messages from the prophets. And so, let us destroy him by his own tongue; let us carefully note his every word.”
Heed me, O LORD, and listen to what my adversaries say. Must good be repaid with evil that they should dig a pit to take my life? Remember that I stood before you to speak in their behalf, to turn away your wrath from them.
“Let us destroy him by his own tongue” means they’re going to lash his tongue. This was the punishment for blasphemy and false prophesy. In other words, not only were they going to attack Jeremiah, they were going to call him a liar, too!
Not only do the people plan on humiliating him, they believe they’ll be fine, because they still have their priests and scripture. “It’s not like we’re going to lose the messages from the prophets!”
We don’t always recognize the prophets in our midst. Same thing that happened to Jeremiah will happen to Jesus. Oh, hey, that’s what happens in today’s Gospel!
Responsorial Psalm
31:5-6, 14, 15-16
R. Save me, O Lord, in your kindness.
You will free me from the snare they set for me,
for you are my refuge.
Into your hands I commend my spirit;
you will redeem me, O LORD, O faithful God.
R. Save me, O Lord, in your kindness.
I hear the whispers of the crowd, that frighten me from every side,
as they consult together against me, plotting to take my life.
R. Save me, O Lord, in your kindness.
But my trust is in you, O LORD;
I say, “You are my God.”
In your hands is my destiny; rescue me
from the clutches of my enemies and my persecutors.
R. Save me, O Lord, in your kindness.
“Into your hands I commend my spirit” are, of course, Jesus’ last words. The verse is used as an antiphon in the Divine Office at Compline, the last prayer of the day. When everything else has gone wrong, when everyone else is against you, offering yourself up to God is all there is left, at the end of the day or the end of your life.
This Psalmist clearly feels like they’re facing down the crowd. Yet, aren’t we just as likely to be part of that crowd?
Verse Before the Gospel
Jn 8:12
I am the light of the world, says the Lord;
whoever follows me will have the light of life.
Following Jesus sounds great…
Gospel
Mt 20:17-28
As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the Twelve disciples aside by themselves, and said to them on the way, “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 to be mocked and scourged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day.”
Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee approached Jesus with her sons and did him homage, wishing to ask him for something. He said to her, “What do you wish?”
She answered him, “Command that these two sons of mine sit, one at your right and the other at your left, in your kingdom.”
Jesus said in reply, “You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?”
They said to him, “We can.”
He replied, “My chalice you will indeed drink, but to sit at my right and at my left, this is not mine to give but is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.”
When the ten heard this, they became indignant at the two brothers. But Jesus summoned them and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and the great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave. Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
In Mark’s version of this story,1 James and John ask Jesus directly. It's not really clear why Matthew includes their mom. It could be an allusion to Bathsheba asking David to give the kingdom to Solomon,2 but that doesn't really fit. Jesus will be King forever, and besides, Bathsheba was right, but James and John's mother isn't.
A simpler answer is that she was there, but Mark streamlined the story for his shortened Gospel, and Matthew liked the extra detail.
In any case, the Sons of Thunder (and their mom) ask for something without fully understanding what their request really means.
But here’s the thing—neither do the other apostles. The fact that the other ten are offended by the request indicates they don’t understand, either, that “whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant.”
Whether you picture yourself as one of the sons or one of the other apostles, it’s not a good look. And they’re apostles. What chance do we have?
Thank God for forgiveness.3
Literally.