‘You must become a servant of all.’
Throughout his ministry on earth, Jesus walked a path of compassion, humility and service. He embodied a true spirit of wisdom and understanding. Even when Jesus was aware that powerful forces were plotting against him and his death was imminent, he never lost sight of his desire to serve others.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus gently challenges his disciples to abandon their self-importance and ambition and instead follow his example of solidarity alongside the weak and powerless. Jesus turns human power-values on their head: his greatness comes from putting the needs of others first.
The First Reading from the book of Wisdom tells of how the godless are challenged by the truth. Their rejection of God’s law of love foretells the way in which Jesus will meet his death.
The Psalm picks up this same theme and is a prayer for strength and resilience in the face of evil and ignorance. We can imagine Jesus praying this psalm as he faced his death. The words offer comfort and consolation to those who face oppression for their beliefs today.
In the Second Reading, true wisdom is described as pure, gentle, kind and full of compassion. It directs us to become peacemakers. It is an antidote to the petty ambitions, jealousies and power-plays that were emerging in the early Christian community. We would do well to heed these words of caution in our own churches today.
This week, let us pray for the grace to be true servants of the poor, weak and powerless. In a world full of discord and fear, may we have the strength to stand against injustice and sow lasting seeds of peace and harmony.
