Homily: 29th Sunday in ordinary time cycle B

If you were to talk with my mother she might tell you that the only time in my life were I was a trouble-maker was when I started hanging out with a classmate of mine when I was in the 7th grade. My friend, Brad, was always finding new ways to cause trouble and be disobedient.

I'll never forget when he shared with me his motto and motivation for causing trouble.  He said, "It is better to reign in hell than serve in heaven."* 

There's also another example that I think is worth considering.  Right now there is a movie in theaters called Atlas Shrugged II.  I'm not too familiar with the movie but I am familiar with the author of the book that the movie is based on.  Her name is Ayn Rand and in teaching (she was a philosopher) she claimed that one of the greatest human virtues is selfishness.  She claimed that altruism was not only wrong but evil.

In regards to Christianity she held the view that the idea of the ideal man [Jesus Christ], the perfect man, the one with perfect virtue who suffered and was killed to save those who were sinners, the weak, and the non-perfect people "is a monstrous idea."**

I share these two thoughts with you because they are not random and unrelated ideas but because these two sentiments are very common today.  Our world generally dislikes the idea of "serving others" and our world does exalt the virtue of selfishness.

For many people in our culture the notion of Christianity is completely absurd and ridiculous.  The idea of willingly humbling yourself, nor striving for authority and power, the idea of self-sacrifice, and suffering for love of others is beyond offensive to many.

Yet this is exactly what our faith is about.  It is certainly what our readings are about today.

Notice what we see in the Gospel.  Jesus has told his apostles that He is bringing about God's Kingdom on earth.  He is going to Jerusalem to complete the work of building this Kingdom on earth.  He is going to suffer and die but James and John just didn't get it. 

The first thing that they ask for is power, authority, and importance. They ask if they can be the second and third in command in the new kingdom.  They want to be great and powerful like so many in our world.


Jesus says in reply, "You don't know what you are asking for."  Then he immediately asks them if they are willing to suffer.  That is the key to greatness in God's Kingdom.  A willingness to serve the least and suffer for love of others is the real mark of greatness in the Kingdom of God.  

Jesus commands them never to use their power to "lord it over others" and never to "make their authority felt" but rather to serve because He came to serve and not to be served.

We see in the first reading that this is precisely what Jesus' entire mission here on earth was about.  He came to serve us, to suffer for us, to die for us to save us and to carry our guilt.  Ayn Rand had it right... this is exactly what Christianity is about.  God, the holy and perfect one, came to suffer and die for us sinners.


He came to embrace your suffer and pain.  The only way that God can do this is if you are willing to make yourself vulnerable to God.  

We all have pain and suffering weakness and shame.  We all carry the burden of guilt and sin... I know that I do.  We all have hidden shame and those emotional wounds that we dare not ever mention to anyone.  We all carry this burden.  Yet God knows our burden because He became human to suffer with us and thus be able to heal us.

The second reading says that we do have a High Priest [Jesus] who is able to sympathize with our sufferings and weaknesses because He has shared them with us.  He can heal you... all you need to do is face you weakness, admit guilt, and share the shame and He can and will heal you.

So many people suffer courageously in such silence and it does not need to be that way! Please know that there is healing and peace available through Jesus.  I know because I've experienced it!

Jesus came to heal us and if we want to be great in His Kingdom then we must be willing to serve others.  We cannot buy into the idea that "reigning in hell" is better than "serving in heaven."  

The invitation that Jesus offered to James and John, and to us today, is to drink from the cup that Jesus drank.  This same cup, of suffering, love, service to others, and self-sacrifice, is the cup that we offer and share on the altar.  When we receive the Eucharist we are sharing in His sacrifice, we are seeking His healing, and we are committing ourselves to serving others.




* "It is better to reign in hell than serve in heaven" is a quote from John Milton's poem Paradise Lost

** I paraphrased Ayn Rand's ideas from many places but you can see the exact quote's here.  That site is a political blog and by linking to it I am not supporting their views.  I am simply using it as a good source of Ayn Rand's ideas and quotes.  You can find out more about her and her work at The Ayn Rand institute website.