To give his life as a ransom for many

WEDNESDAY 11 MARCH (Mt 20,17-28)

Jesus knows that every word written for him by the Father must be fulfilled. He announces it to the Twelve, aside: “Behold, we ascend to Jerusalem and the Son of man will be handed over to the chief priests and scribes; they will condemn him to death and deliver him to the pagans so that he may be derided and scourged and crucified, and on the third day he will rise again”. Who hands Jesus over to the chief priests and scribes is Judas. Instead, who condemns Jesus to death is the Sanhedrin on accusation of blasphemy on the part of the high priest. Then they all hand him over to Pilate, imposing the death sentence on him by crucifixion. The one that mocks and insults him first is the Sanhedrin and then also the soldiers. After Jesus died on the cross and placed in the tomb, one the third day he will rise again. This time the travel to Jerusalem is not to work miracles and invite the people to conversion and faith in the Gospel. This one will be the last journey of Jesus. Then, it will be his glorious resurrection and his body will no longer be of flesh and bone; instead, it will be a spiritual, glorious, incorruptible and immortal body, removed from the vision of the world.

This is the world of Christ Jesus. But the disciples understand nothing. What Moses says of his people at the end of forty years, it can also be said for them at the end of the three years of following Jesus: “You have seen all that the Lord did in the land of Egypt before your very eyes to Pharaoh and all his servants and to all his land; the great testings your own eyes have seen, and those great signs and wonders. But not even at the present day has the Lord yet given you a mind to understand, or eyes to see, or ears to hear” (Dt 29,1-3). Proof of this is the fact that James and John use their mother who goes to Jesus and asks for the first two seats in the kingdom of Jesus. She wants one of her children to sit to the right of the Lord and the other to his left. This request, not agreed with the Other Apostles, creates turmoil in the Twelve. They also reach outrage against James and John. They should have never let the mother make such a request. When one thinks according to the world, the dispute always arises and there will always be discussions and struggles to occupy first places. The world ignores the fact that there will be a rigorous investigation of those on top. For every injustice, every omission, every alteration of the Law of the Lord and every arbitrariness will have to be accountable to God. Whoever is on top must always fear not to be from the will of God, not to act according to his precepts and not to follow the his Law with wisdom and truth.

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.”

Jesus does not solve the problem in the human manner, but in the divine manner. He grants everyone to sit in the first seat in his kingdom. The only thing is that he reverses places and multiplies them. In his realm the first place is the last and the last is a place that everyone can choose, because, after the last one, there will also be the last and so on to infinity. Occupying the last place there are no envies, jealousies, discussions, quarrels, altercations, opposition, insults and the like. Everyone might work in peace and serenity of spirit and heart. From the last place, everyone might serve and deliver the life to the Father in ransom for many. Eternal wisdom and knowledge in the Holy Spirit. A divine solution.

Mother of God, Angels and Saints, make us of heavenly and divine, never of human and earth solutions.