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Follow Christ is to Serve


Gospel
Matthew 20:17-28
They will condemn the Son of Man to death

Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, and on the way he took the Twelve to one side and said to them, ‘Now we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man is about to be handed over to the chief priests and scribes. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the pagans to be mocked and scourged and crucified; and on the third day he will rise again.’
    Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came with her sons to make a request of him, and bowed low; and he said to her, ‘What is it you want?’ She said to him, ‘Promise that these two sons of mine may sit one at your right hand and the other at your left in your kingdom.’ ‘You do not know what you are asking’ Jesus answered. ‘Can you drink the cup that I am going to drink?’ They replied, ‘We can.’ ‘Very well,’ he said ‘you shall drink my cup, but as for seats at my right hand and my left, these are not mine to grant; they belong to those to whom they have been allotted by my Father.’
    When the other ten heard this they were indignant with the two brothers. But Jesus called them to him and said, ‘You know that among the pagans the rulers lord it over them, and their great men make their authority felt. This is not to happen among you. No; anyone who wants to be great among you must be your servant, and anyone who wants to be first among you must be your slave, just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.’

Reflection

In this passage, Jesus redefines greatness. The world’s rulers seek power and recognition, but Jesus points to service and self-giving. He foretells his own path—suffering, rejection, and crucifixion—not as a tragedy, but as the model by which true leadership is measured: to lay down one’s life for others. The request of James and John and the reaction of the others reveal our own impulse to seek status. Yet Jesus invites us into a different economy—one where the greatest is the one who serves, as the Son of Man came to serve and to give his life for many.

Reflection Question

 In what area of my life do I find myself craving status or control, and how can I practice humble service instead today?

Prayer

Gracious Lord, you teach us that true greatness is expressed in service and self-giving. Help me to follow your example, choosing humility over pride, and generosity over the craving for recognition. May I, like you, lay down my life for others in small daily ways and trust that your love and justice prevail. Guard my heart from the desire to lord it over others, and empower me to be a faithful servant in your kingdom. Through Christ our Lord, Amen.


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