Sunday Reflection – October 17, 2021

 

Jesus predicts his death and resurrection

Mark 10 32 Jesus and his disciples were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, with Jesus in the lead. The disciples were amazed while the others following behind were afraid. Taking the Twelve aside again, he told them what was about to happen to him. 33 “Look!” he said. “We’re going up to Jerusalem. The Human One will be handed over to the chief priests and the legal experts. They will condemn him to death and hand him over to the Gentiles.34 They will ridicule him, spit on him, torture him, and kill him. After three days, he will rise up.”

A request from James and John

35 James and John, Zebedee’s sons, came to Jesus and said, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask.”

36 “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.

37 They said, “Allow one of us to sit on your right and the other on your left when you enter your glory.”

38 Jesus replied, “You don’t know what you’re asking! Can you drink the cup I drink or receive the baptism I receive?”

39 “We can,” they answered.

Jesus said, “You will drink the cup I drink and receive the baptism I receive,40 but to sit at my right or left hand isn’t mine to give. It belongs to those for whom it has been prepared.”

41 Now when the other ten disciples heard about this, they became angry with James and John. 42 Jesus called them over and said, “You know that the ones who are considered the rulers by the Gentiles show off their authority over them and their high-ranking officials order them around.43 But that’s not the way it will be with you. Whoever wants to be great among you will be your servant. 44 Whoever wants to be first among you will be the slave of all, 45 for the Human One didn’t come to be served but rather to serve and to give his life to liberate many people.”

Performed by Margaret Whisselle

Kids Korner: Jesus talks to his friends about being a ‘ransom’ (October 17th)

Read Mark 10:32-45 with your family. This is the third time Jesus tells his closest friends that he is going to die soon. And just like the last two times, the disciples don’t want to hear it and don’t understand what Jesus’ death means. In this story John and James go to Jesus privately and ask that they can sit on his left and right hands – the most important positions to a king or leader. They just don’t understand that Jesus is not going to be a king the way the world recognizes kings.

Again Jesus tries to explain to his friends what being a servant leader means, and he uses a new word to help them understand: Ransom. The way the Hebrew’s understood random with God is that God is making an exchange to get people free from the cultural ideas of power and greed, and bring them back into God’s world of equality. In that ransom exchange, people have to accept Jesus being offered as a replacement for their mistakes. If the people don’t accept it, the ransom doesn’t work.