Homily 29th
Sunday of Year B: Michael U. Udoekpo
Readings: Isa 53:10-11; Heb 4:14-16 and
Mark 10:35-45
A high
priest who sympathizes with our weaknesses
Today we
celebrate Jesus the high priest who sympathizes with our weaknesses. Two things
stand out here: human weaknesses and the role of Christ our high priest!
There are
so many human weaknesses that if we were to list them here we would come up
with an encyclopedia. But let me dwell on the particular one hinted in today’s
scriptures; namely the tendency for us to always wanting to be served by others
rather than serving them. It is very common to always wanting to control or lord
it over others!
This is an
image of the suffering Servant of YHWH in the first reading. He was punished,
tortured, slapped, and mocked. He bore the pains, the injuries, the sufferings
in the spirit of service. Isaiah 53:101-11says, I will paraphrase, he gives his
live for offering for sin so that his descendant may not only have long life,
but so that the will of God promised our
fathers, mothers, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah, and Jacob, Leah, Rachel and
Joseph may be accomplished. And through the sufferings of the Servant of YHWH
many shall be justified and their guilt wiped away. No greater service is this
than for one to die for his brothers, sisters and neighbors, which Christ the
high priest eventually did on the cross.
James and
John the two sons of Zebedee I believe were still evolving with regard to the
fuller meaning of “service in the light of Christ.” They came to Jesus asking
for position of honor in Jesus' glory. If James seats on the right, John will
take the left or vise versa.
Jesus’
response is very instructive. Let me paraphrase. “Those who rule the Gentiles
lord it over them. But it shall not be so among Christ’s disciples, among the
followers of Christ. Rather who ever wishes to be great among you should take
the role of servant- just like the son of man, the suffering servant of God who
to serve and not to be served” (Mark 10:35-45).
It makes
sense and its further instructive, when the church leaders consider themselves
and play the role of a servant. The Holy
Father, the Pope, bears the title the servant of the servants…” after the
example of Peter and Christ the high priests, both of them who had their own
challenges and share of trials.
Challenges
that can easily sweep us away especially when we allowed ourselves to be
consumed by selfishness, power mongering or unconscious over zealousness to
dominate or lord over our neighbors and the weaker members of the society;
Challenges that can sweep us away if we forget to see leadership roles as a
call to service, be it in our families, governments, public and ecclesiastical
positions.
But
whatever our weaknesses are, let us always keep in mind that we have a high
priest, Christ ever sympathetic with our weaknesses (Heb 4:14-16). Let us
constantly approach him for love, mercy, grace, and timely blessings upon us,
since we place all our hope in him (ps 33:22).
