29th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, B

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SLOW LEARNERS… QUICK PATIENCE



I had a conversation with a professor in college. He just met one of his students for the final exams. When the student was explaining, the professor realized that what she was saying was all wrong. So the professor asked questions to clarify, and the more that the student got things all mixed up. He became angry and shouted at the student. Later he told me how painful it is to teach people who do not understand.

Was this not the same feeling Jesus had when he discovered his disciples were not learning what he was trying to teach them?  The brothers James and John came to him to secure a place of honor on his right and on his left, once Jesus would be enthroned in glory (Mk 10:35ff). Before this, Jesus was just teaching his disciples how he would be arrested, tortured and killed by his enemies in order to fulfill his mission for the world.

He was speaking about suffering, and his disciples were getting the message wrong!

The other ten apostles became angry at the brothers. Did they fortunately understand Jesus? Did they finally realized what great sacrifice they need to make in order to be partners with Jesus in his mission? But NO! The ten were angry because James and John were asking for the same thing they too wanted. They also wanted to sit at the right and at the left hand of God when Jesus’ glory is revealed!

Not two, but all the disciples had a wrong perception of the message of Jesus.

Maybe we are thinking: “What’s wrong with these people? Why can’t they get it? How slow they are to learn.” But isn’t it the same with us? Don’t we also fail to understand?

Many times we know what God wants of us, and yet we do exactly what we, not God, want. Many times we know where God wants us to go, and yet, we take the other direction.  Many times we kow how God wants us to act, and yet, we follow our way and not his.

If God were a professor, he would have already gotten mad, shouted at us and give us a failing mark. But Jesus did something very different. He patiently explained again his point: if you want to be great… if you want to be first… be the servant… be the slave.  He even offered to teach through his own example: the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve…

Lord, in times that we don’t get your message right, teach us again with patience, meekness and simplicity. Amen.


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