HOW MUCH & HOW DEEP

Kimberly Hopwood

Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time

“Can you drink the cup that I drink or be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” (Mk. 10:42-45)

As a teacher of 11th-grade students, I know how important it is to put parameters on what I will answer and what I will deflect. James and John, the Sons of Thunder, make such a brazen demand of Jesus in this Gospel reading! No wonder the other close disciples were upset at their arrogant, audacious, presumptuous request to sit on Jesus’ left and right in glory. In my world, this would be termed “getting too big for your britches!” But there is a two-fold message in the reading: submit and serve.

While on the surface it seems like James and John may be stroking their egos but it was their ultimate commitment to “ride and die” with Jesus. They had been hearing about the suffering and eventual death that was to befall Jesus and decided to follow Jesus no matter what calamity may happen to them (James was the first apostle to be martyred by a sword and John would be the last to die after his time in exile on the island of Patmos). They could have been angry that they were chastised by Jesus (and the others) and even bailed when it got tough but instead, they humbly submitted themselves to the will of God.

I know that I have struggled when investing great amounts of time and energy in a particular ministry, and then all sorts of chaos break out in my life. I have said, “Lord, but I thought that because I was doing your will that you would help a sista out!” And when the instant relief does not come from heaven, bitterness or anger towards God can start to fester. But we all know that is not how the Christian life works.  As Christians, we are called to commit ourselves totally to the will of God- period. It is not about the reward that may or may not come in this life. In scripture, Jesus would give a call to act: “pick up your mat,” “pick up your cross,” “sell all you have and give to the poor,” etc.. It is up to us to commit and submit ourselves. This is when I have to turn to Mother Mary to help me humbly submit to the Father’s will without knowing the specifics, trusting in God’s perfect will like she did.

And, of course, we know that it does not end there. Our last step as Christians is to follow the example set forth by Jesus in his life and death. In the words of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., “Life’s most urgent question is this: ‘What are you doing for others?’” True leadership is not about wielding power over others, but rather it is about servant leadership. Who among us has not jockeyed for a better position at work, climbed the corporate ladder, or competed with friends on social media for the best vacation pictures and videos?

I know these seem minor in comparison to the request of James and John, but we, too,

need to be honest with ourselves—been there, done that. Jesus calls all Christians to turn their gaze to the service and needs of others (servant; self-giving). Jesus was radical and this did not mean to be nice and kind to others. Jesus is reminding us that greatness is marked by our willingness to be Christ for others, in other words, our ability to love. Love requires more than a smile or an act of kindness; it requires an investment in others. I praise God that through Mother Mary's intercession, I consistently have my vision redirected away from me and my selfish desires to Jesus, the embodiment of self-sacrifice and love.

We have the ability to submit to God’s will and love one another. But are you willing? What is the cup in your life right now? How much are you willing to drink? What is the baptism awaiting you today? How deep into those waters are you willing to dive? 

Author: Kimberly Hopwood, Junior Religion Teacher. Married 23 years with one daughter. Graduate of Aquinas Institute of Theology with Masters in Pastoral Studies. Attends St. Jude Catholic Church in Benton, LA. She works at Loyola College Preparatory in Shreveport, LA, where she serves as Head of the Religion Department and teaches Morality and Apologetics

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