HOMILY FOR TWENTY NINTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME OF THE YEAR B
HOMILY FOR TWENTY NINTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME OF THE YEAR B
R1: Isaiah 53:10-11
R/P: Psalm 32:4-5,18-20,22
R2: Hebrews 4:14-16
THEME: THE ROUTE TO GREATNESS
Human beings are by nature ambitious. Our ambitions are fuelled by our pride and ego and our insatiable appetite to be better than others, to be more qualified, to be more learned, to be richer, famous or more influential. The endeavour behind almost every human effort is that of the desire to be great.
The Disciples of Christ were not left out in this human quest to be great. In today’s gospel narrative, two of Christ’s apostles (James and John) approached Jesus and requested to be allowed to sit at the right and left hand of Jesus in his glory. When persons sit at the right hand and left hand of the throne, it means that they share in the power, glory and authority of throne.
In ancient times, only the queen mother and the heir to the throne were allowed seats at the right hand and left hand of the king. No one else were allowed. The request of James and John was practically a definite request to share in the power, glory and authority of Christ. The request of the two sons of Zebesee revealed a yearning ambition to be greater than the rest of the apostles. Their request revealed a desire to be special, to stand out from the rest and perhaps to exercise authority.
The other ten apostles were not innocent of this ambition as well. Their feeling of indignation when they heard of the request of James and John revealed their own personal envy. They all sought to be great; to stand out; to share in the power, authority and glory of Christ. When Christ noticed the indignation among them, he called them together and showed them the route to true greatness.
In the words of Christ, “Anyone who wants to become great among you must be your servant, and anyone who wants to be first among you must be the slave of all.”
For Christ, the route to greatness is service, sacrifice and humility.We, like the apostles are in the same boat of seeking greatness; seeking to stand out, working hard to excel and to be above others in our various walks of life. This certainty is human. Christ does not condemn this quest for greatness. Christ rather shows us the path to true greatness.
Greatness lies in service, sacrifice and humility. This runs against the trajectory of greatness in the eyes of the world. To the world, greatness means having others at your service. It means having other people’s opinion agree with your own opinion; it means having control over other people’s choices and decisions; it means having other people’s will bend to your own will. It literally means having your way all the time. But Christ changes this our idea of greatness. The key to greatness is service. We become great when we sacrifice our choices and preferences and decide to serve others. To the world, it indicates weakness; but for Christians, it is the path to greatness.
The first reading of today draws our attention to the suffering servant, who through his suffering and sacrifice procured justification and ransom for many. That suffering servant is Christ, who through his suffering and death paid the ransom for our salvation. In his suffering and sacrifice lies his greatness. His route to greatness was that of sacrifice. He invites us to sacrifice our time, talent and treasure for the good of others.
How do we pursue greatness? Do we exploit others in our quest to be great? Are we consumed by greed and avarice in our bid to become great? Has the thirst for greatness made us monsters of oppression and suppression in our society? Is our idea of greatness “sitting on the seats of power while others are at our service?” Do we lord it over people because we have the privilege of authority over them? How do we handle power and authority? Do we see power and authority as opportunities to serve, sacrifice and be humble? Or do we see it as an opportunity to exact undue influence, to pressure and to exploit others as we feed our insatiable ego? Are we driven by the lust for power? If we see greatness as “sitting on the left hand and right hand of glory and power”, then we may not be free from the unhealthy competition, rivalry, envy, jealousy, greed, avarice and selfishness that hold many in our society captive.
Let us always remember that the route to true greatness is the route of service, sacrifice and humility.
Peace be with you.
Reflection by:
Rev. Fr. Franklin Emenike,SMMM
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