25^th Sunday in Ordinary Time; September 22, 2024

Wis 2:12,17-20.  Ps 54.  Jas 3:16-4:3.  Mk 9:30-37

Deacon Jim McFadden

       Sometimes during the public ministry of Jesus, the Apostles come across as clueless.  The Gospel account from Mark begins with the Second Prediction of the Passion in which Jesus teaches and tells his disciples that “The Son of Man is to be handed over to men and they will kill him, and three days after his death he will rise” (Mk 9:30-31).  They heard what Jesus said but it obviously didn’t register because they’re arguing among themselves over which one of them is the greatest!  Are you kidding me?  The Master has just revealed to them the way of kenosis, of self-emptying love, which is the Way of the Messiah and they’re going in the opposite direction of self-aggrandizement:  who’s up, who’s down? Do people admire me? How many followers do I have?  Are we making headway on the ladder of prestige and fame?  Who’s the greatest?

            How does one break through this willful  cluelessness?  Jesus does so  with a very blunt phrase that inaugurates a reversal: the value of a person does not depend upon what role they play, how much success they have, how much money they possess, or how much prestige they enjoy.  Rather, their worth in God’s eyes is measured differently:  namely, by service: “If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and servant of all” (v. 35b).  The worth of someone is not determined by what they have, but on what someone gives.  This is the way of Jesus.

            To serve is not be courteous a la Ms. Manners but it means to act like Jesus, who summed up his life that he came “not to be served but to serve”  (10:45).  Therefore, if we are going to follow the Way of Jesus, if we are going to be his disciple, we must follow the path that he has laid out for us: the path of service.  The litmus test of whether we are indeed a follower of Jesus depends on our willingness to serve.  And, we serve, not when it is convenient or when we can work it into our schedule, or if it strikes our fancy to do so.  No, we serve no matter what the cost may be and sometimes it will feel  like a cross.  There is a spiritual dynamic at work here:  as our care and availability towards others grows, we become free inside as we’re becoming detached from the goods of the world as we give our life away.  In short, we are becoming more like Jesus.  And, the more we serve, the more we are aware of God’s presence.  Above all, when we serve those who cannot reciprocate—namely, the poor—we embrace their difficulties and needs with tender compassion and in turn we discover God’s love as we embrace them.

            After getting their attention with his in-your-face prescription, being the good teacher that he is, Jesus illustrates his point with a simple action.  He takes a child and puts him in the midst of the disciples, at the center, in the most important place, not on the periphery (cf. 9:36).  In the Gospel, the child does not symbolize innocence, but rather littleness.  For like children, the little ones depend upon others, on adults, they need to receive.  Jesus embraces the child and says that those who welcome the little one, a child, welcome him (cf. v. 37).  Who are the little ones?  Those in need of receiving who can’t give much back in return.  By welcoming  those on the margins, the neglected, we welcome Jesus.  How so?  Jesus is there with them!  And in the little one, in the person we serve, we also receive God’s tender embrace.  In the action, we draw closer to Jesus. 

            Brothers and sisters, this Gospel challenges us to ask basic questions: am I hung up on what people think a la the influencers on the social internet or do I follow Jesus and am I interested in those who are neglected.  Am I seeking personal gratification as I pursue the goods of the world like the Apostles on that day?  Do I promote myself at the expense of others and do I admire those who indulge in  narcistic self-promotion?  Do I really believe that being first means serving.  And, concretely, if I look at my planner, do I dedicate time to a “little one”, to a person who has no means to pay me back?  Am I concerned about someone who cannot give me anything in return or am I only concerned about my relatives and friends, in my in-group?  These are the questions that today’s Gospel is challenging us to ask.

            May the Virgin Mary, the humble servant of the Lord, help us understand that to serve does not belittle us, but helps us to grow.  And that there is more joy in giving than in receiving (cf. Acts 20:35).  Amen.

Reflection Questions:

1. Jesus said that he came “not be served but to serve.”  As a disciple of Jesus, do follow his example?
2. When serving others feels like a cross, how do you respond?
3. In today’s Gospel, what does not mean to be child?  When we welcome such a child, we welcome Jesus.  How so?