To give his life as a ransom for many

Jer 18,18-20; Ps 30; Mt 20,17-28
20 MARCH

Jesus and the disciples walk together, indeed the disciples follow their Master, but only physically. Their thinking is far from that of Jesus. You can apply to them what the Lord says through the prophet Isaiah: “My thoughts are not your thoughts, my ways are not your ways. As far as the West is from the East, my ways are far from your ways and as the sky overpowers the earth, so my thoughts overwhelm your thoughts”. Jesus knows what awaits him in Jerusalem. The Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, they will condemn him to death and hand him over to the Gentiles so that he is mocked and scourged and crucified and on the third day he will rise again. For this reason they are going up into the holy city. This is not a prophecy concerning future or distant times. It will take place in a few days. Just a week. They are already on their way and the pilgrimage is already turning towards the end.

Now the mother of the sons of Zebedee, that is, of James and John, enters the scene. She asks Jesus for a privileged place for her two sons. She wants one to the right of Jesus in his kingdom and the other to his left. She wants the first two places, those of command. They must obey Jesus only. All others owe all obedience to them. Jesus replies promptly that they do not know what they are asking. He might only give the cup of his martyrdom. He is not the one who gives places, but his Father. It is He who establishes the role of each in his kingdom. It is right to observe that Jesus speaks of the kingdom according to the divine and heavenly truth of the kingdom. James and John speak of the kingdom according to their human, earthly and reigning thoughts. Between the two visions of reign there is the denial, the full annihilation of Jesus on the cross. But it is precisely the cross that the disciples cannot conceive. It is a mystery beyond their mind. To enter into the mystery of the cross, the gift of the Spirit and his intelligence are needed.

As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve (disciples) aside by themselves, and said to them on the way, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death, and hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and scourged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day.” Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee approached him with her sons and did him homage, wishing to ask him for something. He said to her, “What do you wish?” She answered him, “Command that these two sons of mine sit, one at your right and the other at your left, in your kingdom.” Jesus said in reply, “You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I am going to drink?” They said to him, “We can.” He replied, “My cup you will indeed drink, but to sit at my right and at my left (, this) is not mine to give but is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.” When the ten heard this, they became indignant at the two brothers. But Jesus summoned them and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and the great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave. Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

The others are disdained with the two brothers. But Jesus immediately intervenes and puts peace with words of pure truth. In fact, he gives the only rule of his reign, a rule that puts everyone first and none above the others. First of all, Jesus makes a clear distinction between those who govern in this world and those who will govern in his kingdom. The leaders of the nations dominate and oppress. They let themselves be served. Jesus, head of the kingdom of his Father, did not come to be served, but to serve and give life as a ransom for many. As He takes the last place and from the last place gives life to serve humanity in need of ransom and redemption, so the disciples must take the last place and also offer their life for the ransom and redemption of their brothers. Two thousand years have passed since Jesus pronounced these words and it is still difficult for men to receive them by making them the law and style of their life. Jesus took the last place: that of the people without rights, without humanity, without dignity and without any human recognition. From the last place he has served humanity and redeemed it. As a Crucifix he poured the blood and water that give life. Christ is the one who transforms every place in last place.

Mother of God, Angels and Saints help us to make the last place of every place to serve well.