Thunder Mom

Do you ever look back on your life and see how far you’ve come? Do you ever cringe at the things you used to value before you knew any better? Do you ever marvel at the movement of God in your life over the years? Can you pinpoint one particular moment when your life changed for good? These questions came to mind as I was meditating on today’s gospel. The Middle East is a honor/shame culture and everything was tied up into one or the other. James and John’s mom was your quintessential Jewish mom that wanted the very best for her baby boys. Raise your hand if you can relate to this kind of mom. She was bold and sassy and direct with Jesus (her boys are known as the Sons of Thunder after all!). Raise your hand if you’ve ever been bold and sassy and direct with Jesus. Okay, great, now we have all put ourselves into the scene and we just want to know the end of the story don’t we? I’ve been told that I want the Disney ending to everything and when I am unsure if a Disney ending can be achieved it messes with my inner peace. Thunder Mom just wanted to make sure that her boys would have a place on either side of Jesus and that Jesus could just wave his magic Disney wand to make that happen, “Command that these two sons of mine sit, one at your right and the other at your left, in your kingdom.” Bold. Sassy. Direct. 

I believe Jesus responds with tenderness and love in his voice for what she is asking for will eventually break her heart. I thought of Simeon’s Prophecy to Mary and Joseph regarding Jesus and that “a sword will pierce your very soul.” Jesus speaks a bit cryptically in response because he just got finished telling them that he was going to be tortured and executed, and it was apparent that they were not able to fully grasp this truth yet. Revelation is a process and if we were hit over the head with everything at once, we simply could not handle it. The truth is revealed as we grow in maturity and as we spend more and more time in his presence. Jesus used the image of the chalice to set the stage for their last supper together when he would impart the last morsels of his teachings and the most important ones at that onto his beloveds. They still needed more time with him in order to understand. I still need more time with him in order to understand the depth of the love he has for me. “’Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?’ They said to him, ‘We can.’” I get it. If Jesus asked me a question like this, I’d totally say heck yes without even thinking about it because I’d want to please him. I’m sure Jesus smiled under his breath at their willingness to please him. He loved them so much. He loves us so much. Then he used the opportunity to remind them and us that humility is the main thing when re-presenting Jesus. Jesus says, “but to sit at my right and at my left, this is not mine to give but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.” Yielding to the Father is the only way to assure your place. 

Today’s gospel closes with Jesus preparing their hearts for his greatest demonstration of humility and service when he would wash their feet at their Passover meal. “The Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Thunder Mom’s bold and sassy and direct question gave Jesus the opportunity to teach one of the most important things. As I ponder the questions at the beginning of this reflection I realize that spiritual growth is a process. The Apostles didn’t even fully realize their call until Pentecost when the Holy Spirit possessed them. Jesus is gentle and patient with his revelation in our lives and when we come to him with an honest and open heart like Salome (Thunder Mom), he will impart the answers to our questions, as we are best able to receive them. More time spent with him will reveal more. Note: Salome and her son John were both present at the crucifixion and I can’t help but think that today’s story was one of those moments that changed their hearts for good. Keep seeking the answers boldly and directly (and maybe not quite so sassy…) and Jesus will smile under his breath at your willingness to please him. It is well with my soul. 

Reading 1 JER 18:18-20

The people of Judah and the citizens of Jerusalem said,
“Come, let us contrive a plot against Jeremiah.
It will not mean the loss of instruction from the priests,
nor of counsel from the wise, nor of messages from the prophets.
And so, let us destroy him by his own tongue;
let us carefully note his every word.”

Heed me, O LORD,
and listen to what my adversaries say.
Must good be repaid with evil
that they should dig a pit to take my life?
Remember that I stood before you
to speak in their behalf,
to turn away your wrath from them.

Responsorial Psalm PS 31:5-6, 14, 15-16

R. (17b)  Save me, O Lord, in your kindness.
You will free me from the snare they set for me,
for you are my refuge.
Into your hands I commend my spirit;
you will redeem me, O LORD, O faithful God.
R. Save me, O Lord, in your kindness.
I hear the whispers of the crowd, that frighten me from every side,
as they consult together against me, plotting to take my life.
R. Save me, O Lord, in your kindness.
But my trust is in you, O LORD;
I say, "You are my God."
In your hands is my destiny; rescue me
from the clutches of my enemies and my persecutors.
R. Save me, O Lord, in your kindness.

Verse Before The Gospel JN 8:12

I am the light of the world, says the Lord;
whoever follows me will have the light of life.

Gospel MT 20:17-28

As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem,
he took the Twelve disciples aside by themselves,
and said to them on the way,
"Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem,
and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests
and the scribes,
and they will condemn him to death,
and hand him over to the Gentiles
to be mocked and scourged and crucified,
and he will be raised on the third day."

Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee approached Jesus with her sons
and did him homage, wishing to ask him for something.
He said to her, "What do you wish?"
She answered him,
"Command that these two sons of mine sit,
one at your right and the other at your left, in your kingdom."
Jesus said in reply,
"You do not know what you are asking.
Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?"
They said to him, "We can."
He replied,
"My chalice you will indeed drink,
but to sit at my right and at my left,
this is not mine to give
but is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father."
When the ten heard this,
they became indignant at the two brothers.
But Jesus summoned them and said,
"You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them,
and the great ones make their authority over them felt.
But it shall not be so among you.
Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant;
whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave.
Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve
and to give his life as a ransom for many."