Today’s Reflection
Gospel: Mt 20: 20-28
July 25, 2023 | Tuesday

Today’s Gospel

Then the mother of James and John came to Jesus with her sons, and she knelt down, to ask a favor. Jesus said to her, “What do you want?” And she answered, “Here, you have my two sons. Grant, that they may sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your
kingdom.”

Jesus said to the brothers, “You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I am about to drink?” They answered, “We can.” Jesus replied, “You will indeed drink my cup; but to sit at my right or at my left is not for me to grant. That will be for those, for whom my Father has prepared it.”

The other ten heard all this, and were angry with the two brothers. Then Jesus called them to him and said, “You know, that the rulers of nations behave like tyrants, and the powerful oppress them. It shall not be so among you: whoever wants to be great in your community, let him minister to the community. And if you want to be the first of all, make yourself the servant of all. Be like the Son of Man, who came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life to redeem many.”

Today’s Reflection:

Today’s reading revolves around the teaching of pursuing service rather than ambition. The mother of the sons of Zebedee made a request that his sons be assured of the two leading places in the messianic kingdom. The request shows how little the companions of Jesus had advanced in their understanding of the messiahship of Jesus. They still cannot grasp that the path to that possession of being a messiah will run through suffering and death. Aware of the reaction of the remaining ten disciples, Jesus brings the issue of ambition and power out into the open, taking the opportunity to explain how authority is to run in the community of the kingdom. What are your desires or ambition?hat are your moments of death and resurrection? If you can be considered a sign, what sign do you signify??    /Vulnerasti, 2023