WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 28, 2024
WEDNESDAY OF THE SECOND WEEK OF LENT B
Jeremiah 18:18-20
Matthew 20:17-28
DISCIPLESHIP IS A CALL FOR SELFLESS AND SACRIFICIAL SERVICE TO HUMANITY
The burden of redeeming the world of which our Lord Jesus came to accomplish became so necessary that he had to share his concerns with his disciples. He told them of his coming suffering and death and his eventual rising from the dead.
For Jesus, the way to life and success is the way of suffering. He was not alone in this. The older prophets before him had equally experienced same. In the first reading Jeremiah lamented the kind of cruelty being meted to him for speaking the truth of God to the people. Jeremiah talked about the gang up against him and how they prepared to torture him for nothing. His crime was that he spoke of the crime of the people and admonished them to repent and turn back to God.
In this reading Jeremiah sought the intervention of God but chiefly speaks about his ordeal in the hand of the people for rendering service as a prophet and mouthpiece of God.
Jesus also speaks the same in the gospel, on how the scribes and Pharisees are ganging up against him for speaking the truth, for performing miracles, for saving lives and for reconciling people to God. Invariably, the reward man gets from serving humanity is the wrath of fellow human beings and cruel death.
Service as discipleship of Christ comes with very great prizes of suffering, hardship and sacrifice. It did not just start with Jesus but it is more intense with Jesus. Jesus only wanted to sell this idea to his disciples.
Unfortunately, the contrary is even sought by his discipes in the event of the sons of Zebedee whose mother came to plead on behalf of her two sons who wanted to sit one at his right and the other at his left hand of Jesus in his glory. That is not all. Even the other remaining disciples become indignant against the two sons of Zebedee for trying to stage a coup against the rest in wanting the greatest places of honour. It also revealed their state of mind filled with notion of enjoyment in service.
It means that the disciples themselves failed to understand the teachings and instructions of Jesus to the effect that the disciples’ rewards most times, in the act of service to humanity are suffering, humiliation, sacrifices and selflessness.
To press home his point, Jesus asked the two sons of Zebedee whether they are prepared to drink the chalice and to be baptized with his baptism. Jesus meant the chalice or cup that he drank when he asked the Father in that Gethsemane garden if it is necessary to still drink the cup. It also meant the same cup he shared with them on the last supper. It is the symbol of his sacrificial death, his blood poured out for mankind.
By this, Jesus fails to promise us his disciples any good life or successful life or position of enjoyment in this earth while serving humanity. The only promise Jesus offers us is the cross and suffering in the line of service.
Today, Jesus poses the same questions to us again. “Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?”
Heavenly Father, the cup of salvation and the baptism of suffering is what you proposed and offered to us, so that we may serve humanity and worship God properly as your disciples. Grant us the courage, fortitude and strength to face and carry our crosses with total resignation. May we never be afraid of crosses that you assign to us. And may we willingly, faithfully and happily remains focused, trusting in your power, following your counsel and at last win life through it through Christ our Lord.
Fr Norbert Uchuno
