Searching for Servants

Sunday Homily
Our Lady of Mt. Carmel
October 22, 2006

Ambition

Can you still remember your ambition when you’re still a young boy or girl? When I was in primary school in the Philippines I remember our teachers always asked us students what we wanted to be when we grow up. I was unsure yet at that time what I wanted to be but I can still clearly remember some of my classmates’ ambitions – teacher, doctor, scientist, farmer, nurse, soldier, ramp model, astronaut and someone even wanted to become the President of the Philippines! Well, he didn’t become one!

As a young boy my first ambition was to become a soldier, not only because my father was in a military but because Rambo was famous at that time. I didn’t a become Rambo, yet. God has a different plan. I become a soldier of Christ.

Selfish Act

In the Gospel today, we heard about the ambition of the two disciples of Jesus, James and John, they are brothers and their personal ambition was to be the greatest among the other ten disciples. They said to Jesus, “Allow us to sit one at your right hand and the other at your left in your glory.” In other words, James and John, wanted to be famous among all, they aspired to be elevated in higher rank in the group. They openly express to Jesus their desire to be placed in a special position, to have an exemplary power and influence in the new community.

But James and John aren't alone in their misunderstanding: the rest of the Twelve become indignant, fearing that the best seats have been taken. So James and John not only speak of human side of the apostles but their special favour to Jesus also speaks of our inner desire as human persons. We too sometimes or oftentimes wanted to receive special treatment from other people. Sometimes deep within our being lie a longing to be famous, influential and popular, a desire to stand out among the crowd and let people know how special we are.

However, the Gospel tells us that if we want to be a follower of Christ this should not be the case. Jesus said to James and John, and to other disciples, “You do not know what you are asking.” To be a Christian is to be like Christ “who came into this world not to be served but to be served.”

Servus Servorum Dei

The motto of the late Pope John Paul II is a Latin phrase “Servus Servorum Dei” which means in English, “Servant of the Servants of God.” The late Pope considered himself as a humble servant of all the other servants of God.

Jesus is Servant, he came to serve us and if we desire to follow him we first allow him to serve us and then we serve others. This being servant will cause suffering of various kinds, which Jesus drank, but there is a future Kingdom of God. This Kingdom will be like the Land of Promise for the exiled people of Israel. James and John ask Jesus if they could be granted a special place in this kingdom. To these friends, Jesus offers them, not the thrones of glory, power, and distance, but the royal dignity of being close to him in the drinking and baptism experiences of being a served servant.

John and James did not know what they were asking for, but in the end they learned. They learned that true greatness is not domineering arrogance, but service and sacrifice of self. James was put to death by Herod Agrippa about the year 44. John died a natural death at Ephesus toward the end of the first century. But in his whole life he endured fatigues, trial of persecution and of exile as a consequence of continuing the works of Christ.

Christian service

What is our service to the world? What service can we offer to our family, friends and loved ones?

Our Lord and Master calls us to be a community of service. Our strength comes from following in the footsteps of Christ, who has not come to be served but to serve.

Self-denial is a kind service we could offer to others. Self-denial associated with the cross does not always mean martyrdom. Self denial could also mean- denying human demand for honor, power, and status. Self-denial could mean acceptance of our need to forgive and to be forgiven.

So let us pray for one another that we may learn to be servants for one another and forget our selfish desires and personal ambitions, if we want to become true disciples of Christ. Amen.