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. (Mark 10:43b-45 NABRE)
Ambition is one of those things we struggle with as Christians in western society. Our core societal beliefs, it seems, are grounded in the so-called virtues of success and getting ahead.
Jesus confronts that mindset in today's passage with a counter-intuitive perspective for the Apostles as well as for us. In the simplest terms, Jesus calls us to be servants to others. He tells us that greatness and the opportunity to be first is bestowed on the person who willingly becomes a slave to others.
And Jesus lived this philosophy as an example for us. He served others. He even served us by suffering and dying on our behalf.
When we find ourselves wanting to ask the Lord to raise us up to a place of honor above others, we should hear these words of Jesus ringing in our hearts. Instead, let us ask for the vision to see how Jesus is asking us to serve others in our days.
Today, I will gratefully welcome each opportunity to serve.
Saint Luke, writer of the third Gospel and Acts of the Apostles, pray for us.
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