I would very earnestly ask you to check your conception of Christ, the image of Him which as a Christian you hold in your mind, with the actual revealed Person who can be seen and studied in action in the pages of the Gospels. It may be of some value to hold in our minds a bundle of assorted ideals to influence and control our conduct. But surely we need to be very careful before we give that “bundle” the name
of Jesus Christ the Son of God.
- J. B. Phillips (1906-1982), When God was Man
(Christ is not a set of principles to live by, nor, less a “state of consciousness.” Christ is a living person with whom one can be in relationship with.)
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2 COR 4:7-15; PS 126:1-6
MT 20:20-28
The mother of the sons of Zebedee approached Jesus 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 chalice that I am going to drink?"
They said to him, "We can."
He replied,
"My chalice 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."
Reflection on the Scriptures |
Now here is something very old, but may seem new. Jesus invites James and John to take their old selves and enter into Jesus’ being Servant. The human James and John, and their mother, would be more attracted to their being in positions of possessions. Here is what is really important now. Jesus invites these two not to being servants, serving God, but following Jesus in serving
God’s people. Jesus has come and continues His coming to be the Servant sent to care or, lead, find and unite God’s family, God’s creation. This is the “treasure” then, not to sit judging how others are serving or not, but accompanying Jesus and His sisters and brothers in caring, nourishing and healing. We serve within the context of earthiness which can grow old. What is new are the ways He invites us to live with the old and face the new opportunities to assist Jesus in the Creator’s constant
re-creation.
The new eventually grows old. What does assist our living with the old, is allowing Jesus to tend to us, find us, en-hearten us and then what’s new is the spirit that moves us out of our “seats” or “thrones” and out into the adventure and mystery of the new day, today, tomorrow!
Revelations of Divine Love
- by Julian of Norwich
Fourteenth Revelation, Chapter 60
“The Kind, loving, Mother”
The mother may suffer the child to fall sometimes, and to be hurt in diverse manners for its own profit, but she may never suffer that any manner of peril come to the child, for love. And though our earthly mother may suffer her child to perish, our heavenly Mother, Jesus, may not suffer us that are His children to perish: for He is All-mighty, All-wisdom, and All-love; and so is none but He,—blessed may He
be!
But oftentimes when our falling and our wretchedness is shewed us, we are so sore adread, and so greatly ashamed of our self, that scarcely we find where we may hold us. But then willeth not our courteous Mother that we flee away, for Him were nothing lother. But He willeth then that we use the condition of a child: for when it is hurt, or adread, it runneth hastily to the mother for help, with all its might. So
willeth He that we do, as a meek child saying thus: My kind Mother, my Gracious Mother, my dearworthy Mother, have mercy on me: I have made myself foul and unlike to Thee, and I nor may nor can amend it but with thine help and grace. And if we feel us not then eased forthwith, be we sure that He useth the condition of a wise mother. For if He see that it be more profit to us to mourn and to weep, He suffereth it, with ruth and pity, unto the best time, for love. And He willeth then that we use
the property of a child, that evermore of nature trusteth to the love of the mother in weal and in woe.
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