A Powerless Savior

We were created for one purpose - to know, love and serve God in this life and to live with Him in glory forever in the life to come.

Last week, the story of the rich young man reminded us of one of the things that keeps us from fulfilling that purpose, namely, love of wealth. Today’s gospel points out yet another thing that inhibits us from reaching the glory that God has prepared for us in heaven, namely, the desire for power.

Just as Jesus lived a life of poverty and called His followers to do the same, so he embraced the path of powerlessness. While He could heal any illness, drive out any demon and command the powers of nature, nonetheless He chose to serve others rather than to be served. Though He is All-Powerful, He comes to conquer us not by force of arms but by the power of love and forgiveness.

So when James and John, two of His closest apostles, approach Him asking for places of prominence in His Kingdom, Jesus is quick to point out that anyone who would follow Him would also have to leave behind any desire for power and glory. Unlike the world which values status, the Kingdom of God values service. Anyone who would follow Jesus should not be ambitious for honors but rather should strive for the meekest and most menial of positions possible. Then such a person will find favor with God.

It is difficult to overestimate how radical Jesus’ teaching about powerlessness is. When we look at our own lives, how much energy do we spend trying to get noticed by others? How much attention do we give to those who are attractive and  charismatic even though they get more attention than they need? On the other hand, how often do we overlook those who are needy and could use a kind word? Jesus made it very clear to us that whatever we do to the least of our brothers and sisters, we do to Him. If we are overlooking the meek, then we are overlooking Jesus. Until we can learn to value them as human beings with as much dignity as the rich and the beautiful, we can never discover the presence of Jesus in our world. Even more importantly, until we can learn to serve them no matter how inconvenient it may be, we can never claim a place in the Kingdom of God.

To embrace such an attitude requires from us the virtue of humility. Without humility, real holiness and knowledge of God is not possible. Saint John Vianney compares humility to the chain that holds together the beads of the rosary. Humility helps us to see ourselves as we really are. It teaches us that we are no better than anyone else. Without humility, we place ourselves at the center of the universe and claim that we are entitled to every convenience and pleasure the world has to offer. Without humility, we cannot recognize that we have a responsibility to care for others. Without humility, we cannot be grateful because we believe the world owes us. Without humility we cannot love or serve God because we claim to take His place as the end all and be all.

However, with humility we see ourselves not as competitors for status with others but as brothers and sisters. With humility, we are free to put aside our ambitions and interests to serve others. We are not focused on our misfortunes but on those who have even less than we do. We do not obsess over what we deserve but on whom we should serve. When we experience sickness or other setbacks, we do not shake our fists at God and ask why, but accept all things with grace trusting that our Heavenly Father has a plan and that He will not abandon us. Only those who are humble, who are able to accept suffering and who put ambition aside to serve others can reach the glory of Heaven.

When James and John ask to sit at the right and left hand of Jesus in His Kingdom, He tells them that those places are already reserved for those God has prepared. Who is it that sits at the right hand of Jesus in Heaven? It is His Mother and Our Lady, the Blessed Virgin Mary. When she was assumed into Heaven, God made her Queen of Heaven and Earth. Unlike any other person who ever lived, she perfectly embodies the humility that pleases God and for that reason she attained a place of glory at Jesus’ right hand. She is the perfect model for us of what it means to follow Jesus and how we are to attain the glory of heaven which God has prepared for us.

When the angel Gabriel appeared to her inviting her to be the mother of our Lord, she put aside her own plans to accept the call of God. For most of her life, she was content to live in obscurity and poverty. When Jesus began His ministry, she remained in the background, never calling attention to herself. When she did prevail on Jesus at the wedding feast at Cana, she did not ask for favors for herself but for others. The one place she did figure prominently was at the foot of the cross when Jesus had been abandoned by most of His followers. At the most shameful time of His life, she was willing to share in His suffering. For that reason, she also shared in the glory of His resurrection. We should never cease asking her to teach us the secrets of her humility and to pray for us to model it in our own lives.

Brothers and sisters, we should be ambitious not for the things of this world but for the glory of heaven where Jesus reigns. As today’s second reading tells us, we can approach Him with confidence. Unlike earthly rulers, He is not offended by our weakness or frailty. Rather that is precisely why He loves us. We can bring Him our sin, our failings and our fears for it was for just such a reason that He suffered and died for us. And it is for the hope of sharing His glory that we accept whatever sufferings may come our way knowing that they are preparing for us a seat of honor at the Heavenly banquet.