Homily
for the 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Cycle B)
Based
on Mk 10:35-45 (Gospel),
Is 53:10-11
(First Reading) and Heb 4:14-16 (Second Reading)
From
the Series: “Reflections and Teachings of the Desert”
LAW OF HIERARCHY
“Anyone who wants to be first among you will
be the slave to all.” (Mk 10:44)
‘
The Gospel reading for this 29th
Sunday in Ordinary Time (Cycle B) is taken from Mk 10:35-45.
Verse 35 says: James and John,
the sons of Zebedee, approached him, “Master,’ they said to him ‘we want you to
do us a favor.’
Parallel
text is from Mt 20:20-23 that says: Then the mother of the of Zebedee’s sons came him with her sons to
make a request of him, and bowed low (v.20); and he said to her, ‘What is it
you want?’ She said to him, ‘Promise that these two sons of mine may sit one at
your right hand and the other at your left hand in your kingdom.’c
(v. 21) “You do not know what you are asking’, Jesus answered. ‘Can you drink
the cupd that I am going to drink?” They replied, ‘We can.’ (v. 22)
‘Very well’, he said “you shall drink my cup,e but as for seats at
my right hand and my left, these are not mine to grant; they belong to those to whom they have been
allotted by my Father.’f (v. 23).
Footnote c
says “The apostles expect Christ’s
kingdom to be manifested very shortly and in all its glory, but this is
reserved for Christ’s second coming, cf. Mt 4:17+; Ac 1:6+”; Footnote d says “Biblical
metaphor, cf. Is 51:17+, here referring to the approaching Passion”; Footnote e says “James
son of Zebedee was put to death by Herod Agrippa about the year 44, Ac 12:2.
His brother John may not indeed have suffered martyrdom but he had no less a
share in his Master’s sufferings; and Footnote
f says “Christ’s mission on earth is not to
apportion men’s rewards but to suffer for man’s salvation, cf. Jn 3:17; 12:47.”
Verse 36, 37 and 38 say: He
said to them, ‘What is it you want me to do for you?’ They said to him, ‘Allow
us to sit one at your right and the other at your left in your glory.’ ‘You do
not know what you are asking’ Jesus said to them. ‘Can you drink the cup that I
must drink or be baptized with the baptism with which must be baptized?’
Parallel text for verse 38 are:
1.
Mk 4:13 -
He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you
understand any of the parables?c Footnote c says “The apostles’ incomprehension of Christ’s
works and words is a favorite theme of Mk. 6:52; 7:18; 8:17-18,21,33; 9:10,32;
10:38. With the exception of certain parallel places (Mt. 15;16; 16:9,23;
20:22; Lk 9:45) and of Lk18:34; 24:25,45. Mt and Lk often pass such remarks
over in silence, or even emend them; compare Mt 14:33 with Mk 6:51-52, and see
Mt 13:51, Cf. Jn 14:26+.”
2.
Lk 12:50 - There
is a baptism I must still receive, and how great is my distress till it is
over!
Footnote
Verse 39, 40, 41, 42 and 43
say:
They
replied, ‘We can.’ Jesus said to them, “The cup that I must drink you shall
drink, and with the baptism with which I must be baptized, you shall be
baptized; but as for seats at my right or at my left is not mine to grant; they
belong to those for whom it has been allotted.” When the other ten heard this
they began to feel indignant with James and John. So Jesus called them to him
and said to them, “You know that among the pagans their so-called rulers lord
it over them, and their great men make their authority over them felt. This is
not to happen among you. No; anyone who wants to become great among you must be
your servant; And anyone who wants to be first among you will be the slave to
all.
For the Son of Man himself did
not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.’
Footnote
Parallel texts for verse 41 are:
1.
Mt 20:24-28 - When the other ten heard this
they became indignant with the two brothers(v.24) But Jesus called them to him
and said, “You know that among the pagans the rulers lord it over them, and the
great men make their authority felt (v.25) This is not to happen among you. No;
anyone who wants to be great among you must be your servant (v. 26);and anyone
who wants to be first among you must be your slave(v. 27), just as the Son of
Man come not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransomg
for many.’h (v. 28).
Footnote g says “By sin
man incurs, as a debt to the divine justice, the punishment of death demanded
by the Law, cf. 1 Co. 15:56; 2 Co. 3:7,9; Ga. 3:13; Rm. 8:3-4, with notes. To
ransom them from this slavery of sin and death, Rm. 3:24+. Christ is to pay the
ransom and discharge the debt with the price of his blood, 1 Co. 6:20; 7:23;
Ga. 3:13; 4:5, with notes, By thus dying in place of the guilty, he fulfills
the prophesied function of the ‘servant of Yahweh’ (Is. 53). The Hebr. word
translated ‘many’, Is. 53:11f, contrast the enormous crowd of the redeemed with
the one Redeemer: it does not imply that the number of redeemed is limited, Rm.
5:6-21. Cf. Mt. 26:28+”; and Footnote h says “At
this point some authorities insert the following passage, derived probably from
some apocryphal gospel ‘But as for you, from littleness you seek to grow great
and from greatness you make yourselves small. When you are invited to a banquet
do not take one of the places of honor, because someone more important than you
may arrive and then the steward will have to say, “Move down lower”, and you
would be covered with confusion. Take the lowest place, and then if someone
less important than you comes in, the steward will say to you, “Move up
higher”, and that will be to your advantage.’ Cf. Lk. 14:8-10.”
2.
Lk 22:24-27 - A dispute arose also between
them about which should be reckoned the greatest (v.24) but he said to
them, “Among the pagans it is the kings who lord it over them, and those who
have authority over them are given the title Benefactors (v. 25).This must not
happen with you. No; the greatest among you must behave as if he were the
youngest, the leader as if he were the one who serves (v. 26). For who is
greater: the one at table or the one who serves? The one seated at table,
surely? Yet here I am among you as the one who serves1 (v. 27)
The First Reading is from Is 53:10-11.
Verses 10
and 11 say: Yahweh has been pleased to
crush him with suffering.h If he offers his life in atonement, he
shall his heirs, he shall have a long life and through him what Yahweh wishes
will be done. His soul’s anguish over he shall see the lighti and be
content. By his sufferings shall my servant justify many j, taking their faults
on himself. Footnote h
says “‘with suffering’ corr., cf.
versions; ‘he has pierced him’ DSIa, cf. v. 5”; Footnote
i says “‘the light’ Greek, DSIa and DSIb; absent
from Hebr.”; and Footnote j says “‘By
his suffering’ corr. following one Hebr.
MS; ‘By his knowledge’ Hebr. Before ‘servant’ Hebr. inserts ‘the just one’.”
Parallel texts are:
1.
Is 49:4
- While I was thinking, ‘I have toiled in vain, I have exhausted myself for
nothing, and all the while my cause was with Yahweh, my reward with my God.
2.
Ps 22:30 - My
children will serve him; men will proclaim the Lord to generations.
3.
Ps 74:11 - Why
hold back your hand, why keep your right hand hidden?
4.
Jn 12:24 - I
tell you, most solemnly, unless a wheat grain falls on the ground and dies, it
remains only a single grain; but if it dies, it yields a rich harvest.
The Second Reading is from Heb 4:14-16.
Verse 14 says: Since in
Jesus, the Son of God, we have the supreme high priest who has gone through the
highest heaven, we must never let go of the faith that we have professed.
Footnote
Parallel texts are:
1.
Heb 3:1 - That
is why all you who are holy brothers, and have had the same heavenly call
should turn your mind to Jesus, the apostle and high priesta of our
religion. Footnote a says “Christ
is both apostle, i.e. someone ‘sent’ by God to the human race, cf. Jn 3:17,34;
5:36; 9:7; Rm 1:1+; 8:3; Ga 4:4; and high priest representing the human race
before God, cf. 2:17; 4:14; 5:5,10; 6:20; 7:26; 8:1; 9:11; 10:21.”
2.
Heb 9:11,24 - But now Christ has come, as the high priest of all blessings which were
to come.e He has passed through the greater, the more perfect tent,
which is better than the one made by men’s hands because it is not of this
created order (v. 11). It is not as though Christ had entered into a man-made
sanctuary which was only modeled on the real one; but it was heaven itself, so
that he could appear in the actual presence of
God on our behalf (v. 24). Footnote
e says “Var. ‘blessings already won’.”
3.
Heb 10:22 - So we go in, let us be sincere in heart
and filled with faith, our minds sprinkled and free from any trace and bad
conscience and our bodies washed in pure water.
4.
Dn 13:42 - She cried out as loud as she could, “Eternal God, you know all secrets and everything
before it happens;
Verse 15 says: For it is not as if we have a high priest who
was incapable of feeling our weaknesses with us; but we have one who has been tempted in every way that we
are, though he is without sin.
Footnote
Parallel texts are:
1.
Heb 2:17-18 - It was essential that he should in
this way become completely like his brothers so that he could be a compassionate and trustworthy high priest of God’s
religion, able to atone for human sins (v . 17) That is, because he has himself
been through temptation, he is able to help others who are tested (v. 18).
2.
Heb 5:7-8 - During his life on earth,a
he offered up prayers and entreaty, aloud and in silent tears, to one who had
the power to save him out of death,b and he submitted so humbly that
c that his prayer was heard. Although, he was Son, he learnt to obey
through suffering.
Footnote a
says “Lit. ‘in the days of his flesh’ (on the word ‘flesh’ cf. Rm. 7:5+). The
emphasis of this section is on humanity; a priest must be human since he represents human beings and he must
share their sufferings since he must feel compassion for them, CF. 2:17-18 ;
4:15 Jesus suffered in this way all
through his life on earth, and especially in his agony and death”; Footnote b “Not
saved from dying. Since that was the purpose of his life, Jn 12:27f, but
rescued from death after dying, Ac 2:24f. God transformed his death by raising
him to glory after it, Jn 12:27f; 13:31f; 17:5; Ph 2:9-11; Heb. 2:9.”; and Footnote c says “Lit.
‘because of his eulabela’ (i.e, religious awe). It was because the prayers of
Christ in Gethsemane was a prayer of total submission to the will of his
Father, Mt. 26:39,42, that it was heard and answered”.
Verse 16 says: Let us be confident then in approaching the
throne of grace, that we shall have
mercy from him and to find grace when we are in need of help.
Parallel texts are:
1.
Jn 8:46 - Can
one of you convict me of sin?p If I speak the truth, why do you not
believe me? Footnote p says “i.e.
of betraying the commission entrusted to
him by God.”
2.
Rm 8:3 - God
has done what the Law, because of our unspiritual nature, was unable to do. c
God dealt with sin by sending his own Son in a body as physical as any sinful
body, and in that body d God condemned sin. Footnote c says “The
mosaic Law, imposed from without, could not be an inward principle of
salvation, 7:7+. Christ alone, who by his death destroyed our unspiritual
nature (lit. ‘flesh’) in his own person, could destroy sin whose domain the
‘flesh’ was. Man formerly carnal is now, though union with Christ, spiritual”; and Footnote d says “Lit. ‘in the likeness of sinful flesh and in
that flesh…’”
3.
2 Cor 5:21 - For our sake he made the sinless one into sin,h so that in
him we might become the goodness of God. Footnote h says “By
a kind of legal fiction, God identified
Jesus with sin so that he might bear the curse incurred by sin, Ga. 3:13; Rm
8:3.”
4.
Heb 10:19 - In
other words, brothers, through the blood of Jesus we have to enter the
sanctuarya. Footnote
a says “Only the high priest could enter the Holy of
Holies, and he could do so only once a year. From now on, all who are faithful
will be able to reach God through Christ, cf. 4:16; 7:19,25; 10:1; Rm 5:2; Ep
1:4; 2:18; 3:12; Col. 1:22.”
5.
Ep 3:12 - That is why we are bold enough to
approach God in complete confidence, through our faith in him…
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