Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B 2024
Ordinary Time • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 15 viewsWe talk about discipleship, but our readings lay out the life of Jesus as a life of testing and then victimhood as our ransom. Only then do they introduce James and John wanting to be great and Jesus asking if they can share his baptism and cup, his testing and passion. When they say, Yes, he responds that they will share his suffering and then goes on to generalize: whoever wants to be great should become like him, the servant of all and the slave of all, especially in giving his life as a ransom for many. That is discipleship, so when you feel the pain and the test, thank Jesus that he is making you like him so that you can also share his glory.
Notes
Transcript
Title
Title
Being a Disciple of the Full Jesus
Outline
Outline
There is a lot of talk about discipleship but little about following the full Jesus
There is a lot of talk about discipleship but little about following the full Jesus
The world is full of catechetical teaching, of discipleship groups, of closeness to Jesus, of experiencing the love of God.
Yet often we seem to want to get to the resurrection without the cross. And that is why Protestants often cannot understand Catholics. Our readings should set us straight.
The first two readings lay out the life and death of Jesus
The first two readings lay out the life and death of Jesus
He is “one who has similarly been tested in every way, yet without sin.” His life was a life of testing and temptation from his baptism to his resurrection. But he, unlike we, was victorious and therefore he can help us (you don’t ask those who have failed a test for help in passing). It is after this that he “has passed through the heavens.”
Isaiah lays out the purpose of his ultimate suffering: his life was “a reparation offering,” he went through “anguish”, he “the just one, shall justify the many” because “their iniquity he shall bear.” Now this is not just that he suffered a lot, but that he suffered a lot for us, to create “his offspring” thereby, to accomplish “the Lord’s will”, and, as we already read, “to justify the many.” This is the reason for the “victim” language in the mass especially in the Roman Canon.
Our gospel relates this to his disciples
Our gospel relates this to his disciples
James and John want to participate “in your glory” in closeness to Jesus, partaking in his authority. This is reasonable given their place in the inner core of the Twelve.
Jesus asks them, “Can you drink the cup that I drink or be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” That is the suffering that we referenced earlier and which we celebrate in baptism and eucharist. They ignorantly say, Yes, and Jesus does not say, “No you can’t, you ignoramuses.” Instead he says, “You will, but it does not guarantee left and right hands. It is part of following me.”
Finally he generalizes: in this world great ones and rulers have power and perks. But in the kingdom great ones are like me: “whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all.” Why, because “the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Notice that “ransom for many” is the high point of the sentence.
So now we have discipleship laid out for us.
So now we have discipleship laid out for us.
It is being like Jesus.
It is serving like Jesus.
It is sharing his suffering.
It is becoming our small part in being the ransom for many.
So when you feel you are dying or are about to die and experience the pain, call out with joy, “Thank you, Jesus, you are making me like you so I can be close to you when I too pass through the heavens.”
