Whoever wishes to be great should be servant than be served

February 24, 2016

Wednesday of the Second Week of Lent

Saint of the Day: Blessed Thomas (Tommaso) Maria Fusco, (1831-1891)

Reading 1 
Jeremiah 18:18-20

18The 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.”

19Heed me, O LORD, and listen to what my adversaries say. 20Must 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

Psalms 31:5-6, 14, 15-16

R. (17b) Save me, O Lord, in your kindness.

5You will free me from the snare they set for me, for you are my refuge. 6Into your hands I commend my spirit; you will redeem me, O LORD, O faithful God.

R. Save me, O Lord, in your kindness.

14I 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.

15But my trust is in you, O LORD; I say, “You are my God.” 16In 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 John 8:12

I am the light of the world, says the Lord;

whoever follows Me will have the light of life.

Gospel 
Matthew 20:17-18

17As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, He took the Twelve disciples aside by themselves, and said to them on the way,[1] 18“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,19and hand Him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and scourged and crucified, and He will be raised on the third day.”

20Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee approached Jesus with her sons

and did Him homage, wishing to ask Him for something.[2] 21He 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.”[3]

22Jesus 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.”[4] 23He 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.”

24When the ten heard this, they became indignant at the two brothers. 25But 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. 26But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; 27whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave.

28Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many.”[5]

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Notes on Readings:

[1] Matthew 2:17-19 - Compare with Mark 10:32-34. This is the third and the most detailed of the passion predictions (Matthew 16:21-23); 17:22-23. It speaks of Jesus' being "handed over to the Gentiles" (Matthew 27:2), His being "mocked" (⇒Matthew 27:27-30), "scourged" (Matthew 27:26), and "crucified" (Matthew 27;31, 35). In all but the last of these points Matthew agrees with his Marcan source, but whereas Mark speaks of Jesus' being killed (Mark 10:34), Matthew has the specific "to be . . . crucified."

[2] Matthew 2:20-28  Compare with Mark 10:35-45. The request of the sons of Zebedee, made through their mother, for the highest places of honor in the kingdom, and the indignation of the other ten disciples at this request, show that neither the two brothers nor the others have understood that what makes for greatness in the kingdom is not lordly power but humble service. Jesus gives the example, and His ministry of service will reach its highest point when He gives His life for the deliverance of the human race from sin.

[3] Matthew 2:20-21 - The reason for Matthew's making the mother the petitioner (compare with Mark 10:35) is not clear. Possibly he intends an allusion to Bathsheba's seeking the kingdom for Solomon; see 1 Kings 1:11-21. Your kingdom: see the footnote on Matthew 16:28.

[4] Matthew 2:22 - You do not know what you are asking: the Greek verbs are plural and, with the rest of the verse, indicate that the answer is addressed not to the woman but to her sons. Drink the cup: see the footnote on Mark 10:38-40. Matthew omits the Marcan "or be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized" (Matthew 10:38).

[5] Matthew 2:28 - Ransom: this noun, which occurs in the New Testament only here and in the Marcan parallel (Matthew 10:45), does not necessarily express the idea of liberation by payment of some price. The cognate verb is used frequently in the LXX of God's liberating Israel from Egypt or from Babylonia after the Exile; see Exodus 6:6; 15:13; Psalm 77:16 (76 LXX); Isaiah 43:1; 44:22. The liberation brought by Jesus' death will be for many; compare with Isaiah 53:12. Many does not mean that some are excluded, but is a Semitism designating the collectivity who benefit from the service of the one, and is equivalent to "all." While there are few verbal contacts between this saying and the fourth Servant Song (Isaiah 52:13 - 53:12), the ideas of that passage are reflected here.