Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time
In today’s Collect, the Church asks God to “grant that we may always conform our will to yours and serve your majesty in sincerity of heart.” Before our eyes are then set the prophecy and explanation of Christ’s humble service from Isaiah and the Letter to the Hebrews. Christ’s own servanthood, however, is greatly contrasted by the immature ambition of the sons of Zebedee. They openly start their conversation with the Lord, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” (Mark 10:35) When they have expressed their desires for glory and positions of honor, Christ first humbles them by pointing out their ignorance of what glory means to Him. He finishes by instructing all the disciples about true greatness and position in the Kingdom of God:
“whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant;
whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all.
For the Son of Man did not come to be served
but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:43-45)
Each of us stands before these two ways of life: that of Christ, the way of service to which His Church sincerely wishes to be conformed; and that of worldly ambition which seeks to take the place of Lord and to have others feel one’s authority. How do I wish to live? Perhaps I have already discovered the emptiness that lies in trying to conform the will of the almighty and ever-living God to my own. Perhaps I have already seen a relationship strain under the weight of my imposed authority. If so, my desire should be all the greater now to turn my eyes to Christ crucified, to see the servant who has justified many, the one who humbly has born my guilt. Gazing upon my Lord who has so served me, I may see with the Psalmist, “the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him, upon those who hope for his kindness.” (Psalm 33:18) Let us turn to this one whose will is Love and pray with sincere hearts, “Thy Will be done.”