Tuesday of the Seventh week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 342

They came to Capernaum and, once inside the house, he began to ask them, “What were you arguing about on the way?” But they remained silent for they had been discussing among themselves on the way who was the greatest.

Even before God speaks to us we have a sense of right and wrong. If we cannot exactly find the right way, we usually know when we’re wrong. The disciples in today’s gospel argue about which of them is the greatest, as if any of them can hold a candle to Jesus! When he asks them about their conversation they are ashamed and cannot answer.

At this stage of their training Jesus had already chosen twelve to be his apostles. He wants them to be “with him.” He led three of the twelve up the mountain to witness his transfiguration. Simon Peter, chosen by The Father, has stepped forward as spokesman for the group. Organization and rank is starting to appear among Jesus’ disciples, but it doesn’t come from their internal squabbling. 

Yet, there is tension among them. Perhaps some feel overlooked. Others feel more loyal to a rival of Simon Peter. In any case, by its restlessness, the group challenges Jesus’ authority to delegate. They have much to learn about the cost of discipleship. They do not realize that leadership is nothing but a cross.

To aspire to leadership in the Church is not sheer idiocy, but it requires a specific calling. One does not take this upon oneself out of ambition or avarice or the latent desire to prove one’s self-worth. Nor should one aspire to represent an ethnic group or oppressed minority. As compelling as those motives might be, they fly in the face of the Lord’s authority to choose whom he will.

In today’s gospel, in the privacy of “the house” Jesus quietly teaches his disciples about authority. The leader must be the “last of all and the servant of all.” One of my colleagues in the VA told me recently how the white Veteran had accepted the visit of an African-American female chaplain. When she presented herself, he did not dismiss her, nor did he welcome her. He seemed to want her attention but not right away. In the meantime, she could stand over there, reach for his jacket, and hand him various items, while he took care of some other business. Then, when he was ready, he permitted her to offer a prayer on his behalf, and leave.

She laughed about his rudeness. It’s the sort of thing people in the service industry have to get used to. My friend’s self-esteem is anchored in her confidence that the Lord has personally called her to this ministry, and she will have to abide rude people.

Secondly, in today’s gospel, Jesus shows how the leader must care for the least in the community; for instance, the child. On occasion the leader will ask the adults to step aside while he listens to the child’s whispered request. That might not seem terribly challenging to us; we make a cult of doting over our entitled children. But in occupied Palestine, when Jewish adults had to endure the contempt of Roman soldiers, deference to little children made no sense at all. It was not the road to success or power. 

The Lord gives a measure of authority to every Christian. It is an authority with roots in their temperaments and abilities. It may flourish as an ability to lead others, or to compose music, or to maintain buildings. Grace animates those gifts making them useful for the Church and for others. The chosen might enjoy that facility -- the ease with which their talents bear fruit for others -- but they are not to be used for personal advancement. 

In this Gospel story, Jesus' question exposes the scheming of his disciples; they retreat into shameful silence. The day will come when each will serve the Lord and the Church with extraordinary grace, but in the meanwhile they will learn humility.