A reading of the holy gospel according to Saint Mark. The disciples were on the road going up to Jerusalem, the capital, with Jesus walking in the lead. Their mood was one of wonderment, while that of those who followed was fear. Taking the 12 aside once more, Jesus began to tell them what was going to happen to him, to himself. We are on our way up to Jerusalem, he said, where the son of man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes.
They will condemn him to death and hand him over to the Gentiles who will mock him, spit upon him, flog him, finally kill him. But three days later, he will rise from the dead. Now James and John, Zebedee's sons, approached Jesus. Teacher, they said, we want you to grant our request. What is it?
Jesus asked. They replied, see to it that we sit, one at your right hand and the other at your left when you come into your glory. Jesus said to them, you do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I shall drink or be baptized in the same bath of pain as I? And they replied, we can.
Jesus said in response, from the cup I drink of, you shall also drink. The bath I am immersed in, you also shall share. But sitting at my right hand or my left is not mine to give. That is for those for whom it has been reserved. The other 10, on hearing this, became indignant at James and John.
Jesus called them together and said to them, you know how among the Gentiles, those who seem to exercise authority, lord it over those who are of less importance. Their great ones make their importance felt. Now it can't be like that among you. Anyone among you who aspires to greatness must serve the rest. Whoever wants to rank first among you must serve the needs of all.
The son of man has not come to be served but to serve, to give his life in ransom for the many. And this is the gospel of the lord. In the name of the father and of the son and of the holy spirit, amen. It's a source of constant wonderment to me and to others also that the disciples of our blessed lord who were with him day in and day out, they were his constant companions. And as we read these texts, what our lord says seems to be so clear, and yet it wasn't.
This text we have this morning is perfectly certain about how the disciples were looking for Jesus to restore the kingdom of Israel, somehow or other to throw the Romans out and to reestablish God's kingdom in Zion, Jerusalem. And being ambitious young men, they're asking for good jobs. They wanna be in the cabinet. Now and and, you know, this remember, they even thought this after after Christ's death. You this is not a matter of guesswork.
Just think of the disciples on the road to Emmaus. When Christ says, what are you so sad about? What are you mourning? And and they said, haven't you heard? And then it's clear that here, the the disciples walking on the road to Emmaus are terrifically downcast and utterly frustrated because all their hopes for Jesus who would be the lord and would restore the kingdom of Israel, put them in good jobs in Jerusalem, all of it had flopped.
Flopped. Their great leader was buried in the utmost ignominy. They didn't understand. They didn't understand until after Christ's resurrection. Now applying some this to ourselves, it and it's not it's not difficult to do it at all.
What do we expect by being followers of Jesus Christ? What do we expect? Whenever I ask that question, flashes into my memory a sign. I think it was down on G Street some years ago. The church was near the Woodward's Woodies there on G Street.
And here was a very beautiful sign on the outside of this very lovely church opposite Saint Patrick's there. It said, come in and pray a while, and you will feel better. Now, you see, I'm not I'm not objecting objecting to praying. I I rather am in favor of praying. I'm not opposed to praying for things.
Rather, matter of fact, our blessed lords gave us the lord's prayer. Give us this day our daily bread. But the point is this, in the last analysis, we serve god not for myself but for him. Now this point is being lost today. People who are giving their lives to religion, in many instance, you can't distinguish them from philanthropists or just plain men and women who are, in practice, accepting that philosophy of altruism.
Where does god come into the picture? It's very easy to you remember the whole book of Job. Remember the thrust of the old testament almost almost entirely almost entirely. It's that serve god, and he'll treat you kindly in this world. And that's, as I say, the the great problem of Job.
Job, who was an ideal man, a paragon of virtue, he gets carbored. Why? That's the question. In other words and remember, if you recall the book of Job, his best and good friends finally say, well, he must have been guilty, you know, of some very vicious crimes with which were very secret, but we don't know about. You see?
Now that idea of retribution in this life, that we serve God because it's good for us, you go to a psychiatrist because it's good for you, you go into a bar and have a drink because you feel good afterwards. So if all you're looking for is to feel good, there are a lot of ways of doing it. But it ain't religion. And so, listen, we are in the same boat with these disciples. Don't let throw stones.
It's not easy to put god first. The name of the father and of the son and holy spirit. Amen.