James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were anxious to share the glory of Jesus in His kingdom. Clearly, they didn’t understand what they were asking for. Yes, they said that they were prepared to do whatever Jesus would to do, but they were thinking about the worldly power and prestige that would come through their association with Jesus. They had yet to learn the lesson that the kingdom of Jesus does not confer wealth and status. On the contrary, the reign of God can only come about through humble service. The first places in God’s thinking belong to those at the bottom of the pile rather that the top. Centuries earlier, the prophet Isaiah had foreseen that the leadership of Israel would no longer be in the hands of self-serving kings, but rather in those of a servant of God who would be prepared to suffer for the sake of His people. Jesus fulfills not only this new way of being a leader, but also becomes a new model of priesthood, as we read in today’s second reading. He is the supreme high priest who has access to God himself as he offers the sacrifice of His own blood in redemption for all of us. We can have absolute confidence, then, in Jesus, the servant king, the supreme high priest, who came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom of many.
As disciples of Jesus, are we moved to give of ourselves so that others may have a better life? Do we feel a human connection with people whose lives are in crisis for whatever reason? Or are we simply looking for ways to satisfy our hunger for power, possessions and pleasure? The choice to put ourselves at the service of others will never be easy. What will other people think? Is it a waste of a life when there is so much else that can be experienced in the world today? As followers of Jesus, we have the great reassurance that He has not only modelled a life of humble service and encouraged us to follow His example, He is now our intercessor in the presence of God the Father when we are in need of help. So today let us renew our commitment to follow Jesus in the way of humble service of those who need our help, trusting that He will help us to overcome our selfish tendencies to put ourselves in first place.