In today's gospel, Mark 10: 35 - 45, St. Mark gives us another snapshot of the very human disciples behaving in very human ways. This time it is James and John vying for prestige, power and influence in the kingdom. Not only do they miss the point of all that Jesus has been trying to teach them over the course of almost three years, they manage to alienate and anger the other ten disciples as well. This is not a pretty picture. As always, Jesus uses the awkward situation as a teaching moment for the disciples and for us.
Prestige, power and influence carry no weight in the kingdom. What matters is how sincerely and humbly we serve others. Jesus tell us that in the paradox of the kingdom of God, "whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all" (Mark 10: 43 - 44). As citizens of the kingdom, Jesus calls us to serve according to our capacity. And if we strive to imitate Jesus by serving others we can "confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help" (Hebrews 4: 16).
We call this kind of service stewardship, the responsible sharing and management of our time, talent and treasure. Holy Trinity Catholic Church has many opportunities for service in our parish community. If you go to our webpage, holytrinityptc.org, you will find listings of all our ministries. There is something for everyone of every age. Join with us as we strive to build the kingdom here in Peachtree City.
Our God and Father,
your Son Jesus was your equal
and yet he made himself our brother and servant.
May his Spirit be alive in us
and dispose us to become, like your Son,
powerless and vulnerable,
so that we can serve one another,
especially the weakest of our brothers and sisters.
In this way may people experience
how bold you make our love.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen
