Who is your primary focus in life?
When, in Mark’s Gospel, the disciples begin to discuss among themselves who is the greatest, one senses in their preoccupation with prominence a concern for themselves. It’s not clear if they are worried about Jesus’ statement that the Son of Man is to be handed over to men and they will kill him; ostensibly, the disciples do not understand what Jesus is talking about. In any case, Jesus tries to reorient their focus by taking a child and putting his arms around it. Jesus’ concern is for the child, the poorest of the poor, the one with the greatest need. Similarly, his disciples should reorient themselves by focusing outward, on the needs of others, rather than on themselves and on their own desire to be the greatest. They are called to serve even the least, and especially the least, and must accept to be subordinate to the very lowest members of the social hierarchy.
In fact, Jesus’ disciples are to be just, that is, life-giving, like the individual beset by the wicked in the Book of Wisdom: let us put the just one to the test that we may have proof of his gentleness and try his patience. The just one, who might be the son of God, Wisdom suggests, speaks the truth, a truth the wicked do not want to hear: he sets himself against our doings, reproaches us for transgressions of the law, and charges us with violations of our training. The wicked express concern for themselves, and are more fixated on what they themselves can get out of life than on what they can bring to it. They believe life is something they can control, whereas, as Psalm 54 reminds us, it is the Lord who upholds our lives. God is with the child, with the suffering, with anyone who is in difficulty. God hearkens to the words of our mouth, saving those beset by the wicked, whereas the wicked are prey to all of the sins of self-focus enumerated in the Letter of James: jealousy and selfish ambition and every foul practice, inconstancy and insincerity. Such men ask but do not receive, because they ask wrongly, to spend it on their passions; they are forces of disorder in the kingdom of God. Even in prayer, James suggests, we are called to serve others, focusing outward rather than on ourselves. In all we do, it is only through humility and service to other, that is, that we can be true imitators of Christ, living lives of service and sacrifice enriched by wisdom from above, full of mercy and good fruits.
This post is based on Fr. Pat’s Scripture class.
Image source: www.wordclouds.com
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