Petition the Servant

The paths of believers take them to surprising situations. This is illustrated in the texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today. Our tendency, perhaps, is to be comfortable in that “old time religion”. The sense of despair and disappointment of Jeremiah when the truth which he had to speak to the people of Judah and Jerusalem about their seeking help from politics which were not in accord with their mission as chosen people of God brought him threats of death as a collaborator with the enemy. Friar Jude Winkler comments that the consequence of doing right is often a life which becomes more difficult in relationship with some people. The followers of Jesus hear that He will suffer and give His Life as they move toward Jerusalem. This is not the image they have of the Messiah in triumph in the Holy City. The text at the end of the passage from the Gospel of Matthew tells of the request of the mother of James and John that they have special positions in the Kingdom of the Messiah. Responding to His question of whether they will be involved in the same difficulty as Jesus, He confirms their fate and instructs them in the nature of leadership by servants who put the needs of the other before their own welfare. The choice to follow the Way of fullness of Life is the path of the servant leader which will bring surprise and suffering and the communion with Jesus which motivates the acceptance of the mission.