Today’s gospel reminds us that humility is one of the most important characteristics of a true Christian. Jesus wanted some private teaching time with the disciples because he needed to start preparing them for his passion and death. What greater example of humility is there than laying your life down for someone? I love that Jesus wanted to teach them privately about these challenging issues. I know that Jesus also does that with me. He meets me in the depths of my soul to reveal difficult things that I need to deal with, but he does so with tenderness and intimacy and privacy so that I will not be humiliated in any way and more able to look honestly at these things. This is the mercy with which Jesus always wants to meet us. He tried explaining that “the Son of Man is to be handed over to men and they will kill him, and three days after his death the Son of Man will rise.” This teaching did not even compute and like a typical high school classroom, no one wanted to ask any questions because they freaked out. Raise your hand if you have ever been afraid to ask for clarification on something that you did not understand. Well Jesus is one of those teachers that LOVES to answer our questions so speak up!
As the scene unfolds we get the impression that some in the group were not even listening or paying attention as the Savior of the world was giving his retreat talk, because Jesus asked, “’What were you arguing about on the way?’ But they remained silent. For they had been discussing among themselves on the way who was the greatest.” Again, back to high school we go!! Imagine Jesus telling them about his darkest hour and they are having a whose muscles are bigger contest in the back of the pack!! I know that I am guilty of letting pride and jealousy get in the way of me hearing what Jesus is trying to teach me. I have let my own lack of understanding close me off to him and turn back toward myself. But Jesus is so kind and patient and took this opportunity to love them back into relationship with him. It is one of those challenging heart to hearts that only a good soul friend can have. Here’s the deal guys…“If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.’ Taking a child, he placed it in their midst, and putting his arms around it, he said to them, ‘Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but the One who sent me.’” It’s not about being big and puffy, friends, it’s about being small and squishy. Children were the least of in ancient Middle Eastern culture and men especially would have little or nothing to do with them, yet Jesus wrapped his arms around the child and commanded them to receive the little one. In receiving the little one, we must become little. In order to put our arms around the small, we must bend down and make ourselves small. This is the proper positioning of a Christian, stooped down to be among and receive the lowly. Pulling UP the downcast with encouragement and love is the highest honor.
Jesus started today’s teaching with his own display of humility in his accepting his own passion and death, stooping down to meet us in our sinfulness, but then showing us that God wants to raise us up. One can only be raised from a low place and that low place is where we embrace the lowly. When we choose that portion, we choose to allow Jesus to pull us up and into sacrificial love. He was a servant to all as he stretched out his arms in humility, and we are called to also stretch ourselves in humility to wrap our arms around the little ones. So let’s let our biggest muscle competition be a biggest heart celebration. Let’s stoop down today and pull people up into a deeper relationship with Jesus who is waiting with open arms. It is well with my soul.
Reading 1 SIR 2:1-11
My son, when you come to serve the LORD,
stand in justice and fear,
prepare yourself for trials.
Be sincere of heart and steadfast,
incline your ear and receive the word of understanding,
undisturbed in time of adversity.
Wait on God, with patience, cling to him, forsake him not;
thus will you be wise in all your ways.
Accept whatever befalls you,
when sorrowful, be steadfast,
and in crushing misfortune be patient;
For in fire gold and silver are tested,
and worthy people in the crucible of humiliation.
Trust God and God will help you;
trust in him, and he will direct your way;
keep his fear and grow old therein.
You who fear the LORD, wait for his mercy,
turn not away lest you fall.
You who fear the LORD, trust him,
and your reward will not be lost.
You who fear the LORD, hope for good things,
for lasting joy and mercy.
You who fear the LORD, love him,
and your hearts will be enlightened.
Study the generations long past and understand;
has anyone hoped in the LORD and been disappointed?
Has anyone persevered in his commandments and been forsaken?
has anyone called upon him and been rebuffed?
Compassionate and merciful is the LORD;
he forgives sins, he saves in time of trouble
and he is a protector to all who seek him in truth.
stand in justice and fear,
prepare yourself for trials.
Be sincere of heart and steadfast,
incline your ear and receive the word of understanding,
undisturbed in time of adversity.
Wait on God, with patience, cling to him, forsake him not;
thus will you be wise in all your ways.
Accept whatever befalls you,
when sorrowful, be steadfast,
and in crushing misfortune be patient;
For in fire gold and silver are tested,
and worthy people in the crucible of humiliation.
Trust God and God will help you;
trust in him, and he will direct your way;
keep his fear and grow old therein.
You who fear the LORD, wait for his mercy,
turn not away lest you fall.
You who fear the LORD, trust him,
and your reward will not be lost.
You who fear the LORD, hope for good things,
for lasting joy and mercy.
You who fear the LORD, love him,
and your hearts will be enlightened.
Study the generations long past and understand;
has anyone hoped in the LORD and been disappointed?
Has anyone persevered in his commandments and been forsaken?
has anyone called upon him and been rebuffed?
Compassionate and merciful is the LORD;
he forgives sins, he saves in time of trouble
and he is a protector to all who seek him in truth.
Responsorial Psalm PS 37:3-4, 18-19, 27-28, 39-40
R. (see 5) Commit your life to the Lord, and he will help you.
Trust in the LORD and do good,
that you may dwell in the land and be fed in security.
Take delight in the LORD,
and he will grant you your heart's requests.
R. Commit your life to the Lord, and he will help you.
The LORD watches over the lives of the wholehearted;
their inheritance lasts forever.
They are not put to shame in an evil time;
in days of famine they have plenty.
R. Commit your life to the Lord, and he will help you.
Turn from evil and do good,
that you may abide forever;
For the LORD loves what is right,
and forsakes not his faithful ones.
R. Commit your life to the Lord, and he will help you.
The salvation of the just is from the LORD;
he is their refuge in time of distress.
And the LORD helps them and delivers them;
he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
because they take refuge in him.
R. Commit your life to the Lord, and he will help you.
Trust in the LORD and do good,
that you may dwell in the land and be fed in security.
Take delight in the LORD,
and he will grant you your heart's requests.
R. Commit your life to the Lord, and he will help you.
The LORD watches over the lives of the wholehearted;
their inheritance lasts forever.
They are not put to shame in an evil time;
in days of famine they have plenty.
R. Commit your life to the Lord, and he will help you.
Turn from evil and do good,
that you may abide forever;
For the LORD loves what is right,
and forsakes not his faithful ones.
R. Commit your life to the Lord, and he will help you.
The salvation of the just is from the LORD;
he is their refuge in time of distress.
And the LORD helps them and delivers them;
he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
because they take refuge in him.
R. Commit your life to the Lord, and he will help you.
Alleluia GAL 6:14
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
May I never boast except in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,
through which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
May I never boast except in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,
through which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel MK 9:30-37
Jesus and his disciples left from there and began a journey through Galilee,
but he did not wish anyone to know about it.
He was teaching his disciples and telling them,
"The Son of Man is to be handed over to men
and they will kill him,
and three days after his death the Son of Man will rise."
But they did not understand the saying,
and they were afraid to question him.
They came to Capernaum and, once inside the house,
he began to ask them,
"What were you arguing about on the way?"
But they remained silent.
For they had been discussing among themselves on the way
who was the greatest.
Then he sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them,
"If anyone wishes to be first,
he shall be the last of all and the servant of all."
Taking a child, he placed it in their midst,
and putting his arms around it, he said to them,
"Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me;
and whoever receives me,
receives not me but the One who sent me."
but he did not wish anyone to know about it.
He was teaching his disciples and telling them,
"The Son of Man is to be handed over to men
and they will kill him,
and three days after his death the Son of Man will rise."
But they did not understand the saying,
and they were afraid to question him.
They came to Capernaum and, once inside the house,
he began to ask them,
"What were you arguing about on the way?"
But they remained silent.
For they had been discussing among themselves on the way
who was the greatest.
Then he sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them,
"If anyone wishes to be first,
he shall be the last of all and the servant of all."
Taking a child, he placed it in their midst,
and putting his arms around it, he said to them,
"Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me;
and whoever receives me,
receives not me but the One who sent me."
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