by Fr. Tommy Lane
Last Sunday we heard Jesus’ first prediction of his passion, death and resurrection to his disciples (Mark 8:27-35). Today we heard Jesus’ second prediction of his passion, death and resurrection (Mark 9:30-36). Jesus will predict his passion, death and resurrection a third time (Mark 10:33-34). Each time, Jesus not only predicts his passion and death but afterwards gives some teaching about the implications for our own lives. So last Sunday after his first passion prediction, we heard Jesus say, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.” Today, after Jesus’ second passion prediction, because the twelve were discussing which of them was the greatest, Jesus said, “If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.” After his third passion prediction, since James and John asked for seats at either side of Jesus in his kingdom, Jesus said, “whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant.” (Mark 10:35-45) So each time Jesus predicts his passion, he also connects it with how we live our lives. Jesus’ passion, death and resurrection are not isolated from how we live our lives but have implications. That is because Jesus’ passion, death and resurrection were not isolated from his own life. One scholar said, “Jesus got himself crucified because of the way he ate,” meaning Jesus was killed because of his frequent meals and association with tax collectors and sinners. (Robert Karris Luke: Artist and Theologian p47) In today’s Gospel we see Jesus’ humble servant attitude as he challenged the thinking of the time when he welcomed a child, something that would not have been done at that time. Jesus mixing with those on the margins of society, and his miracles, irked the authorities so much that they plotted against him. The way Jesus lived his life led to his passion, death and resurrection. He was Goodness incarnate and wherever there is great good, evil is always lurking someplace in the background, which led to Jesus’ passion and death.
We heard today that the disciples did not understand Jesus’ prediction of his passion, death and resurrection. One of them misunderstood more than the others, Judas who did not have the humble servant attitude of Jesus. He did not understand that Jesus’ kingdom would not involve expelling the Romans from Palestine. He plotted with the Jewish leaders to have Jesus arrested, most likely in the hope that then Jesus would act and use his divine power in the way Judas himself wanted—to expel the Romans. But that was not Jesus’ way of living. So, Jesus went to the cross. The way Jesus lived his life led to his passion, death, and resurrection. Judas lived and thought in a way that was disconnected from Jesus’ way of living. The result was disastrous. If ever we try to live disconnected from Jesus, disconnected from his way of living, the result is not good.
We see an example of it in the second reading which says, “Where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every foul practice” (James 3:16) Judas’ problem was ambition. He was ambitious for an earthly kingdom. How true the words of the second reading are in his case, “Where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every foul practice” (James 3:16). On the other hand, when we do not live disconnected from Jesus, this is what the second reading says happens, “the wisdom from above is first of all pure, then peaceable, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, without inconstancy or insincerity.” (James 3:17) So living united with Jesus helps bring about peace, gentleness, mercy, good fruits and sincerity. Who would not want that? It is not driving out the Romans or fulfilling any modern-day ambition, but it is even more beautiful: peace, gentleness, mercy, good fruits and sincerity.
The way Jesus lived his life led to his passion, death and resurrection and we see a similar example in the first reading. In that reading from a couple of centuries before Jesus, people feel challenged by someone living a just and honest life, so they gang up against him. They said God would deliver him from his enemies and the reading concluded with them even condemning him to death. They wanted to silence the good man simply because he was good. So, the first reading is really a prophecy of Jesus’ passion and death which is why this first reading was chosen for today because there is always a link between the first reading and the Gospel. They jeered at the good man in the first reading, and we read in the gospels that while Jesus was on the cross three different groups or individuals mocked and jeered at Jesus. They tried to silence and kill Goodness itself, to silence the Gospel, to silence God. We see various attempts today also to silence Goodness, to silence the Gospel, to silence God. They might appear to succeed for a time, but God cannot be silenced. Jesus rose from the dead on Easter Sunday and God’s kingdom will succeed even if for a time it appears smaller in this world and looks as if it has lost a lot. So, in the face of attempts to drown out the Gospel, even if God’s kingdom will appear to continue to shrink and lose, we simply continue to witness to Jesus, trusting in God.
Jesus went to his passion and death because of the way he lived, he got himself crucified because of the way he ate. Jesus’ passion and death have implications for how we live our lives. The only way to live is with Jesus even when it means the cross. If ever we try to live disconnected from Jesus, try to silence Goodness, try to silence the Gospel, try to silence God, the result is not good but living united with Jesus helps bring about peace, gentleness, mercy, good fruits and sincerity.
© Fr. Tommy Lane 2021
This homily was delivered in a parish in Ireland.
More Homilies for the Twenty-Fifth Sunday of Year B
“If anyone wants to be first he must be servant of all”
Jesus shows us who is truly great - the last becomes first
Jesus on the Cross Teaching us how to respond to Unjust Suffering 2015
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