Isaiah 53:10-11
Hebrews 4:14-16
Mark 10:35-45
Bishop Untener's Homily
Dedication of the Gathering Space and Baptismal Font at St. Joseph, Beal City
On Sundays we hear little pieces of the Gospel. That can be good for reflection. But we also have to notice the connections in the whole Gospel, because each of the four Gospels is, if I can put it that way, an artistic piece. So, I want to look at today's passage from Mark and notice some of the connections it has with other parts of this same Gospel - and other connections too.
Why were the Twelve upset?
The first thing to say is that what James and John did wasn't all that bad in itself, particularly in the mid-eastern culture of that time. Honor was very important, and James and John were trying to make their honor secure. I suppose we could compare it to someone who works in a modern corporation and is always watching out for an opportunity to move ahead and get a better position. No one would fault that. It's normal. If that person saw a possibility, they probably wouldn't go and tell everyone else about it. They'd try to secure it for themselves.
But in the Gospel story, the other 10 apostles get upset with James and John. What's going on?
Well, if we look earlier in Mark's Gospel, we note that the first disciples Jesus called were four fishermen: Simon (Peter), his brother Andrew, and James and John, the sons of Zebedee. From Luke's Gospel we learn that all four of them were partners in a fishing business. Now that could make a difference. Peter and Andrew might well have said, "Hey, we were partners. Why are you trying to pull this fast one on us?" And they probably got the others stirred up.
The real problem of James and John
The basic mistake of James and John is that they didn't understand what Jesus meant when he talked about the kingdom of God. They thought in terms of royalty, and pictured it as a royal court somewhere, with different levels of honor.
But Jesus spoke of the kingdom of God as something that is taking shape here among us. Jesus had come to make the kingdom of God present in a new way, raise creation to a new level. He wanted us to know that we all have a part in this. He used the example of a tiny bit of yeast that leavens a large amount of dough, or a tiny mustard seed that grows into a large tree. Jesus preached a new way of life that would move the human race and all creation farther along toward becoming the kingdom of God. He was enlisting people who would live and teach this new way of life.
The way of life Jesus taught was no longer an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. Instead of "getting even" with someone who does evil - which simply adds more evil to the world - we are to absorb the evil, and respond with forgiveness. Instead of leaving the poor to wallow in their own misfortunes, we are to use our own resources to help them. Instead of making war, we are to make peace. And so on.
That is how the kingdom of God comes about, and that is how we get a place in the kingdom.
Now, to live that way can be risky. You can get hurt. If you are generous to others, sometimes you will get taken. If you forgive, people can take advantage of you. If you turn the other cheek, you could get injured. If you respond to evil with goodness, you could get killed. That's why the logo of the kingdom is the cross. James and John didn't understand that.
"One at your right, and the other at your left."
Now, there's a very interesting thing - one of those "connections" in the Gospel. James and John asked if in the kingdom they could sit (and I quote) - "one at your right and the other at your left."
Five chapters later in Mark's Gospel, Jesus is hanging on the cross. Listen to what Mark says: "With him they crucified two criminals, one on his right and one on his left."
The throne of Jesus is the cross. If we want to be on his right and left, we have to be willing to follow him, even to the cross.
"Can you drink the cup?"
But that's not all. In today's passage Jesus responds to James and John by asking, "Can you drink the cup that I drink?" They say, "We can." James and John were still thinking in terms of fine food and drink in the royal court.
Four chapters later in Mark's Gospel, Jesus is in the Garden of Gethsemane and he says, "Abba, Father, all things are possible to you. Take this cup away from me, but not what I will but what you will." It was the cup of suffering, and Jesus would drink it. So would James.
What became of James?
Here is another of the "connections" in the Scriptures. This time we have to go to the Acts of the Apostles - Luke's second volume which tells the story of the early Church. Less than half way through the book Luke writes: "About that time King Herod laid violent hands upon some who belonged to the church. He had James, the brother of John, killed with the sword."
James would indeed have his place next to Jesus. It's just that the route there was different than he expected.
What became of John?
As for his brother John, he appears to be one of the few members of the Twelve who was not killed for his faith - perhaps the only one. It is thought that John was a very young man when Jesus called him to be a disciple. There are indications that, after the death and resurrection of Jesus he ended up in Ephesus, way over in the northwest part of what is now Turkey. John formed a community of Christians there and was their leader for many, many years.
It is said that John lived to be a very old man and in his final years they had to carry him to the church on Sunday so that he could preach to them. Unable to give a lengthy homily he was accustomed simply to repeat the words: "Children, love one another, for love is of God, and God is love." John's disciples, hearing this repeatedly, asked him, "Master, couldn't you tell us something else instead of the same thing over and over?" John responded, "To love one another is the Lord's own commandment. It is all that is important. If you did nothing more it would suffice." John had learned well the kind of "kingdom" Jesus was talking about.
The gathering space and the baptismal pool
I close with a thought about your new gathering space and baptismal pool.
Jesus taught us a way of life that is magnificent... but also difficult. To believe in his way of life is to be in the minority of the world's population. At times it can be very difficult, even risky. We need to support one another. That's one of the major reasons why we have the Sunday Eucharist.
But we don't come to here on Sunday like people come to a movie theater. We come like a family comes to grandma's house for Thanksgiving dinner. When, on Thanksgiving, we come to Grandma's, we don't get out of the car and go right to the table and start in on the turkey. No. We're greeted, welcomed. Then we relax together for a while and mingle. We catch up on a few things; renew relationships with some family members we haven't seen in a while.
It's not as though family members agree on everything or as though all the relationships are perfect and run smoothly. But it's Thanksgiving, and we're family. There is a connection down deep that is more important than the differences.
That's why we have this gathering space.
Which leads to the baptismal pool. This pool reminds us of what makes us family. There's a connection down deep that is more important than our differences. We all have the same life within us - God's life - which we received in a special way at Baptism. So, we come to this pool every time we come to the Eucharist, and we dip our hand in it to remind ourselves of the connection with one another. It also reminds us that in these baptismal waters we died to one way of living, and rose to a new and different - and sometimes difficult - way of life.
The cross and the cup. James and John learned what they really mean. So have we. That's why we come together like this every Sunday - the cross and the cup.
Originally given on October 19, 2003