Wednesday of the Second Week of Lent
Today’s Gospel starkly confronts us with our call to emulate Christ. It gets our attention, bringing us face-to-face, front and center with our Lord himself, the Suffering Servant. As I look him in the face, the One who was so purely humble, selfless, and willing to suffer, even to undergo death for me – do I see myself mirrored there? Do I become more aware of my self-serving tendencies and inherent selfishness? Today’s Gospel brings us to a place where humility and pride collide. As we read and pray, let’s allow the text to read us, to read our lives, and to humble us toward a more authentic life of servanthood.
In our Gospel text we see Jesus privately revealing his upcoming Passion to the Twelve disciples. He spares no details, explaining to them specifically how he would suffer, die, and be resurrected. Christ describes an extreme act of selflessness, the ultimate sacrifice, founded upon a pure humility. Imagine for a moment that you’re one of the Twelve, one of Jesus’ closest companions; imagine hearing these words spoken by someone whom you dearly love, someone for whom you’ve sacrificed much to follow. How do you feel? What are you thinking?
Next, we see the mother of James and John approach Jesus and ask him to give her sons places of honor in his kingdom. I think Matthew intends that we feel shocked by her audacity and the stark contrast between her desire for her sons to assume places of prominence and Jesus’ own humble and sacrificial self-denial. What about you? What about me? We may not ask Jesus for the honor of sitting at his right or left hand, but we inflate ourselves a lot, don’t we? I invite you to pause for a moment and reflect on some of the ways that your ego desires to be elevated, the ways in which you seek to be first over others, your tendencies to think of yourself more highly than you ought. I cannot imagine approaching Jesus to ask specifically for privilege, but how often do I go behind his back, being selfish and seeking the things that serve my interests and desires, ignoring the primacy of the Gospel in my life . . .
Previously I invited us to imagine ourselves as one of the Twelve. On this side of the Cross, you and I are Christ’s companions, we are his sisters and brothers, we are members of his Body. We enjoy a place of intimacy with him, not wholly unlike his relationship with the Twelve. From this trusted place, hear Christ’s words to you again: “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death, and hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and scourged and crucified . . .” Confronted with the Lord’s Passion, do I continue to seek my own selfish ambitions (like the mother of James and John), or does Christ’s immeasurable sacrifice impel me to a deeper humility and life of service? As I gaze upon him who died for me, I feel an intense contrition for my selfishness. How can I look upon the purity of servanthood and continue to value my own self-interests above Christ’s call?
Jesus continues speaking to us, “whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave. Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Confronted simultaneously with Christ’s Passion and our own pride, what are we to do? I invite you to spend a few more moments in silence listening to the Lord as you respond to his Gospel. How do you find yourself at this place where humility and pride collide? Christ loved us so much that he sacrificed his life for us. His selfless love is vast. Let us ask today for the graces to abide in that selfless love and become more authentic selfless servants. Amen.
Elizabeth Wourms