29th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year B
A disciple of Christ is described as a personal follower of Jesus Christ. A true disciple is not just a student or a learner, but a follower, that is, one who applies what he has learned. The application of what is learnt is to imitate Christ Himself. This means that as disciples of Christ, we should imitate Him in word and deed. This in fact is what constitutes true Christian life.
In today’s gospel reading from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Mark chapter 10, verse 35 to 45, after the ten apostles heard that James and John approached Jesus requesting that He grant them the opportunity to sit one at His right and the other at His left in His glory and became indignant at James and John, Jesus summoned them and said to them, “You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all. For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
With these words, Jesus points out that His image of authority is centered on being the servant of all, that is why He told His apostle that He has come to serve and not to be served. He is teaching us to imitate Him by serving God in our service to our neighbors. Jesus exemplifies this call to service Himself as He serves His Father and others during His time by loving everyone, by healing the sick, blind, the lame, deaf, and mute; by reaching out to those in need; by feeding the hungry, etc. From His service to God His Father, Jesus teaches us that service to God is characterized by joy, humility and sacrifice.
The Psalmist in Psalm 99:2-3 encourages us to exalt and praise the great and awesome name of God for He is holy. So we need to serve God with joy and praise no matter the circumstances or situations that may arise or that surround us, or even the challenges, trials, difficulties, hardships, obstacles or struggles we face. A perfect example of this is our Blessed Mother Mary. Secondly, service to God and our neighbor has to be done with humility because it is all for the greater glory of God and not for our personal gain, glory or praise. Lastly, service to God and our neighbor is a sacrifice, a selfless and generous act as shown us by Jesus Himself with His passion and death on a cross.
So my brothers and sisters in Christ, let us be the servant or slave of all in our service to God and our neighbor as emphasized by Jesus in today’s gospel reading by serving God with joy, no matter the situation; by being humble and by being selfless and generous as Jesus is to us.
