Entitlement and Authority

Twenty-ninth Sunday

in Ordinary Time

17 October 2021 

 

First Reading: IS 53:10-11

Responsorial Psalm: PS 33:4-5, 18-19, 20, 22

Second Reading: HEB 4:14-16

Gospel: MK 10:35-45 or 10:42-45

 

Reflection

By: Bernard Borja

 

Have you ever thought of how your achievements and status in life affected how you treat other people? How often do you keep in mind that we alone do not have all authority over the things that have been given to us?

I remember a time when I was in a grocery store, lining up to the cashier. A man suddenly cuts the line, annoying the others, then said, "Abogado ako. May reklamo ka?"  I thoughtI lined up in a "priority for lawyers" lane. But there was only a priority lane for seniors and PWDs, none for lawyers. I'm not sure if cutting in line is one of the perks of being a lawyer.

There was also a time when me and my wife were on the way to a beach resort for a vacation. There was a vehicle service that would take us and other visitors to the resort we're checking in. A group of young women aboard the service suddenly shouted to the driver, "Bakit kami may kasabay? Sabi exclusive ang service para sa amin?" Then one of them followed with words I could not ponder on, "Wag nyo na hintayin na magpakilala ako!"

Sometimes, our achievements and status in life change the way we look at others, especially when we think that we can bend the rules for our own benefit. In today's Gospel, there was some form of entitlement when the sons of Zebedee asked Jesus, "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you." To add context or background, James and John may have come from a wealthy family as implied during the call of the first disciples (Mark 1:20 "So they left their father Zebedee in the boat along with the hired men and followed him.") Their father, Zebedee, may be a wealthy man during his time as suggested that he has hired men. Their wealthy status may have affected how James and John think that they are more favored than the other disciples. I may also think that during this moment, with their tone of asking "we want you to do whatever we ask of you", they forgot the authority of God.

It is natural for us to pray and ask for things that we want from God. Jesus Himself said, "Ask and you shall receive. This is one of the things that we hold on to and somehow gives us assurance that our prayers will be granted. But we tend to forget prayer is a two-way dialogue. When we pray, we also need to listen because we recognize the authority of God and He alone knows whatever is good for us. Even if our prayer is unselfish or not for us alone, we offer it and trust that, "Thy will be done." Though, there are times that in our desperation, we want God to do for us whatever we ask of Him, because we think that "it is our destiny" or "it is our right to have it." But we do not realize if it really is God's will, because we forget to listen and recognize God's authority.

But in spite of us forgetting God's authority over us, He is still eager to listen to our prayers and to whatever it is that we ask of Him. Jesus' response was still a response of how a servant should be, "What do you wish me to do for you?" Authority has often been perceived as the power to control the other. What Jesus offered us is a new understanding of what authority means - it is to open ourselves to be of service to one another, not just for the benefit of one, but for the good of all.

Jesus continues to remind us that when we use our achievements and status in life for us to be perceived as higher than the others, we become slaves of how we want others to respond and do things for us. We become blinded by a power that we thought is ours. Breaking rules, or laws, will be easier for a person who thinks he or she is more favored than others. But Jesus also reminds us that He came to serve and not to be served. As the letter to the Hebrews says, we can confidently approach God to ask and receive His grace in our time of need. When we keep in mind how approachable Jesus is, and how he continues to give His life as a ransom for many, we recognize God's authority over us and we learned to serve God as He deserved.

Prayer

 

Dear Lord, teach us to recognize You in one another as we continue to learn to serve You as we should. May we listen first before we ask, for us to know what You want for us to do. May we always be reminded to acknowledge that whatever achievements and status we have in life, these are all because of Your authority over us. May we humble ourselves to follow Jesus and trust that in our deepest prayers and desires, You always listen and know what is good for us. In Jesus' Name we pray, Amen.