“Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant;
matthew 20:26-27
whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave.”
Reflection
James’ and John’s mother approaches Jesus and asks that her sons be seated at the right and left side of him in his kingdom. Jesus tells them they don’t know what they are asking, and that those seats are not his to give. The other disciples become angry, but Jesus says that if anyone wishes to be great among them, they will be their servant. The Son of Man came to serve, not to be served.
Jesus shows his humility in this Gospel, urging us to do the same. We should not desire to have great places of honor in our lives or to be served by others; rather, we should serve others in all humbleness. It can be difficult to be humble in situations where you have more authority or knowledge than others. This is not inherently bad, but when we use those things to make ourselves ‘better’ than other people or do it in a selfish manner, we are not following Jesus’ example.
He asks us to approach life with a humble attitude that includes compassion, love, and obedience. Jesus gives us the perfect example to follow. When we begin to live life with this perspective, he walks with us and helps us become more like him, leading us to the kingdom of heaven.
Saint of the Day
St. James the Apostle: died ca. AD 44
About that time King Herod laid hands upon some members of the church to harm them. He had James, the brother of John, killed by the sword.
Acts of the Apostles 12:1-2
The Healing Word 