Hi everyone, welcome back to the Daily gospel exegesis podcast. We're going to get straight into today's episode because we have a longer reading. So this is the reading you would here today at Mass Mark. Chapter 10 verses 35 to 45 James and John, the sons of Zebedee approach. Master. They said to him, we want you to do us a favor. He said to them, what is it? You want me to do for you? They said to him, allow us to sit one at your right hand and the other as your left in your
glory. You do not know what you are asking. Jesus said to them. Can you drink the cup that I must drink or be baptized with the baptism with, which I must be baptized? They replied, we can. Jesus said to them, the cup that I must drink. You shall drink and with the baptism with, which I must be baptized, you shall be baptized. But as for the seats at my right or my left hand, these are not mine to Grant. They belong to those to whom
they have been allotted. When the other 10 heard this, they began to feel indignant with James and John. So Jesus called to them called them to him and said to them, you know, that among the pagans their so-called rulers, Lord it over them and their great men, make their Authority, felt. This is not to happen among. You know, anyone who wants to become great among you must be your servant and anyone who wants to be first among you must be slave to all.
For the son of man, himself did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many. So let's start by thinking about the context. So Jesus is on the way to Jerusalem. He's getting towards the end of his life now and he's just taken the 12 Apostles of side and he's given them another prediction about his death. And he's been quite specific about how his death is going to come about.
Verse 35. Now the things change a little bit, James and John, the sons of Zebedee approached him. So these are the fisherman, James and John, and Matthews version clarifies. That actually what happens here is that their mother approaches Jesus to ask on their behalf, but Mark simplifies it here and says, it's James and John themself Master. They said to him we want you to do us a favor. Actually what it says. They're more literally is we want you to do for us, whatever
we ask of you. That's a pretty audacious thing for them to say to Jesus. So it looks like they want Jesus to agree to their request before they actually tell him what it is, which is pretty sneaky. Maybe James and John are relying on their status as some of the closest Apostles. And they just hoping that Jesus will grant their request. Verse 36. He said to them. What is it? You want me to do for you?
They said to him, allow us to sit one at your right hand and the other at your left in your glory. Now. It's likely that James and John are thinking that the kingdom will arrive very soon. When they reach Jerusalem. That was the Jewish view that as soon as the Messiah reaches Jerusalem publicly.
Then the kingdom will come. So maybe they're perceived, the kingdom is about to arrive, and that's why they've said, can we sit at your right hand and your left hand as you come in your glory because they think it's about to happen. So the phrase here, just sit at your right hand and your left hand. It sort of conjures up these images of a throne room sitting next to a monarch or a king was a tremendous privilege in the ancient near East.
So to sit at the right and the left hand of a king would be the two most important people in his kingdom. So they're asking Jesus. Can we be your right-hand, man? Can we be your most important people in your kingdom? Now apparently, if you think about it, Jesus has actually already assigned this role to Peter at least in a sense. But of course James and John don't really understand that verse 38. Jesus says, you do not know what
you are asking. So Jesus says, they don't understand what sitting at his right hand and left hand would actually entail. What does it mean to be greatest in the Kingdom? Well, Jesus is going to clarify. It means you're going to suffer. Jesus said to them. Can you drink the cup that I must drink? Now drinking a cup was a common Jewish metaphor for experiencing
suffering suffering. Particularly experiencing God's Wrath in particular that was considered to be drinking the cup of God's Wrath. So we see this in Psalm 75. It's in Isaiah 51. Jeremiah 25. Ezekiel 23 all through the Old Testament. There's this imagery of God's Wrath being like drinking a cup. So Jesus, he says that in order for someone to have a high position in the Kingdom. He must experience. Suffering, we need to keep this in mind. As 21st century, Christians to be great.
In the kingdom of God is not to know about Jesus, or to do lots of theology or something. It's to suffer for his sake. And then Jesus at the second phrase, a parallel phrase, or can you be baptized with the baptism with, which I must be baptized. So baptism was sort of a common Jewish way of describing immersion. So it didn't just refer to water immersion. It could refer to any emergency. Asian. And in this case, it's suffering.
Jesus here is basically saying can you be immersed in the suffering that I'll be immersed in verse 39. They replied, we can now in all likelihood James and John, of course, they don't fully understand what Jesus means, but it seems that they're willing to experience suffering for the kingdom. They're actually, they say here. We're willing to do that for you. Jesus. Of course, they don't understand the full extent that would be required. So Jesus says to them. Cup that I must drink.
You shall drink and the baptism with, which I must be baptized, you shall be baptized with. So, Jesus here confirms the James, and John will indeed experience suffering for the kingdom. And we know from history, that both James and John were persecuted, and it looks like both of them were martyred. Depending on. There's mixed Traditions there about John, but certainly James was martyred. In fact, James was the first Apostle to be martyred. It's in a d44 only about 10
years after. This that James has killed. And we see this in Acts chapter 12 verse 2. It actually talks about James being martyred. So in a sense here, you could say that a lesson we can learn from. This is be careful what you ask Jesus for, because he might give it to you.
So Jesus says that, but then he qualifies and in verse 40, but as for my seats, at my right hand or my left, these are not mine to Grant. Now, Matthews version adds hear a phrase that helps make it clearer in Matthews version. Jesus says these seats have been allotted by my father. So from this, we learned that rewards and positions in the kingdom of God will exist. There will be high positions in the Kingdom, but they're going to be allocated by the father.
So here we learn some You're seeing things about the Trinity, the Son, and the father have different roles in Salvation history. The one who's going to assign rewards and positions is apparently the Father, the Son is sent by the father to help bring the father's Kingdom to Earth. But once it's accomplished at the end of time in the final kingdom of God, when a finally comes in its fullness, Jesus turns all authority to the
father. So, in that final Kingdom rewards will be assigned by the father. They belong to those who have the to those to whom they have been allotted or more literally, for whom it has been prepared. So Jesus says, there will be people who have the highest positions in the Kingdom, but they've already been allotted to people, or they belong to those to whom the father will allot
them. Now, interestingly NT Wright, the famous New Testament scholar, has an interesting view about this verse, and he could be right. So he says, let's think carefully about what James and John asking for their asking to sit at his right and left hand. In when Jesus comes in his kingdom. Now, when does Jesus come in his kingdom? Well, arguably, that happens at different times, but certainly,
one of the key moments. And certainly, Jesus moment of being thrown meant is on the cross when he dies on the cross, that's in a sense when Jesus comes as king. So NT Wright says that the seats on his right, and his left have actually been allocated to the criminals on the right and left of Jesus. When he's on the cross, those who were crucified on either side of him, which kind of makes sense because This comes as King when he dies on the cross, certainly, he's presented as Kingman.
And there's people who are literally on his right and his left at that time. That's an intriguing possibility. Maybe Jesus here is thinking of the criminals who were going to be crucified on either side of him. It's an interesting view. It could be right. I'm not sure that it's the right view personally because at least one of the criminals who were crucified with Jesus, is apparently a destined for Eternal damnation because he insults Jesus on the cross.
And so it's still interesting to think about though, verse 41, when the other 10 heard this, they began to feel indignant with James and John. So the other Apostles get annoyed here at James and John either because they think James and John are being rude or because they themselves, want the positions of being at the right and left hand of Jesus verse 42. So Jesus called to him, to call
to them and said to them. So Jesus is going to call them again the 12 and he often does this He perceives that there's some sort of problem or misunderstanding among the apostles. So he's going to clarify something. He says to them, you know, that among the pagans the so-called rulers Lord it over them and their great men, make their Authority felt you can trains like this. The Great Men exercise authority over them. And basically, this is how the
Roman rulers worked. They were very authoritative. They were quite brutal. In fact, that's how most rulers in the ancient world worked. So Jesus says to them, you know, what the The most rulers are like, but then in verse 43, this is not to happen among you. So Jesus, here is using this as a teaching opportunity to describe what he wants leadership to look like in the kingdom of God. Basically, it's servant leadership, Jesus.
He says there's no place for self-promotion or rivalry among his Apostles, which is what they're currently doing. He says, if you're going to be the Future Leaders of my church, there's no place for this kind of attitude. You need to be servant. And then Jesus gets even stronger in verse 44. He says to them anyone who wants
to become great among you. So Jesus says anyone who wants to have a position of authority in the kingdom of God, must be your servant and anyone who wants to be first among you must be slave to all. So Jesus says, if you want to be great in the kingdom of God and indeed, there will be people who are great in the kingdom of God. You need to serve others selflessly, not Lord it over them. M. Now to be a slave to all that's
a pretty tall order. Jesus says, you have to be the servant of all men that would not be easy for them to swallow. But Jesus says that's how meerut before God is gained in the kingdom. And in fact, Paul himself in the later New Testament letters would describe his own Ministry
in similar terms. He describes himself as a slave to all he says that in 1 Corinthians 9 verse 19 in also, Second Corinthians 4, verse 5, So certainly, the early Christians did understand their Ministry to be kind of like a universal servanthood. And then, in verse 45, Jesus is going to explain why it's important that they're like servants. He says, for the son of man, himself did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.
So, let's pull apart this phrase. It's quite a famous One. So the first word here is for, so Jesus is going to explain that, what he's just said about, what the apostles need to be. Like he says the Apostle should act like this because the very King of the Kingdom himself acts like this. The son of man himself did not
come. So the son of man means the Messiah. Jesus here is going to say the Messiah came from God, but he did not come to be served like the Earthly rulers that they were familiar with. Rather. He came to serve. This is pretty profound. If you think about it, the Messiah came not to be served but to serve the common Jewish View at the time. Was that the Messiah would basically be kind of like an authoritative ruler. Jesus says, no, he's come to serve.
Jesus came to heal people and deliver them from bondage not to make people slaves. In fact, the word here for serve is dire Konya, which of course is where we get the word Deacon from Jesus himself is the first Deacon, which is interesting. And he says, even further, the son of man came to give his life, which of course, happens on the cross as a ransom for many. Ransom is an interesting term. It's a legal metaphor to pay a ransom in that culture.
Basically meant paying the captur a sum of money. In order to set the captives free. This has been interpreted different ways in terms of atonement for eulogy. Certainly, the starting point we need to think about is, how is this used in the Old Testament? Well, God himself says that he has ransomed his people in the Old Testament. He says his Ransom them from slavery in Egypt. That's in Deuteronomy chapter 7
and also, So, Isaiah 35:10. So God himself is the one who ransoms his people in the Old Testament. He's the one who gives of himself to redeem his people from their slavery. So there must be a similar thing going on here. Jesus himself is giving of himself in order to set his people free. So Jesus here is saying that by his death. He will set people free. So, the question there is, what
is he setting them free from? Because they're not really in Exile in A sense they are but that's not really the big issue. What he's doing is he's setting them free from their exile to sin his. The Israel that the Israelites the Jewish people were currently in bondage to sin and Jesus has come to set them free from that on the cross. Who is he paying the debt to? So, normally, with this idea of paying a ransom, you usually paying to a particular person.
So, you could interpret this to say that Jesus is paying a debt to God himself. God, the father. That's who Jesus pays the debt, to, on the cross, to set his people free. That's certainly possible. You can interpret that in, in a good way.
That's possible. But I think it's more likely that if Jesus is paying a debt to anyone on the cross, it is Needed to Satan in a sense by living a life and death of obedience Jesus. In a sense wins the right to redeem people from Satan and bring them into the kingdom of God. Now, even if we take that interpretation, that he's paying a debt to Satan.
It's not because Jesus owes anything to Satan because Jesus, of course, ranks, higher than Satan a far higher than Satan, but you could see it is his voluntarily laying down his life in order to take them out of the kingdom of Satan and the kingdom of sin. In into the kingdom of righteousness. That is certainly the New Testament view, of course, all of this would link to the image of the suffering servant in Isaiah 52 and 53. We're in that. In those chapters of Isaiah, the
servant. The Messiah is going to make many people righteous. It actually says there. He'll make many righteous and remit the sins of many by bearing their afflictions. Clearly. It has here, the Messiah in View, and we always need to keep in mind to you that Jesus on the cross. Is acting as a representative of Israel. Israel had become quite sinful and that's in a sense why they were in Exile under the Romans and Israel them self represented
the whole world. So when Jesus is said to die for the sins of the Whole World Hears, he can say that because he is Israel's representative. And by extension his the representative of all mankind. It's a really interesting theology here. I'd encourage you to check it out and I think the best book for this is NT Wright's book, The Day, The Revolution began it.
He unpacks this idea of Jesus, being the representative sacrifice on the cross and what that means in terms of Israel and the world and redeeming them from the slavery of sin. It's quite an interesting book. Notice here. Jesus says, he's come to be a ransom to give his life as a ransom for many. Now that's a Jewish way of saying lots of people. Now it probably does mean something like for the sins of the whole world has come to die
for the sins of the whole world. Of course, that doesn't mean that everyone is saved. Really interesting passage. We've looked at today. Let's now turn to the catechism paragraph, 536 is about Jesus, own baptism, and here, it's going to link to the suffering of Jesus death, which is in a sense, a baptism, according to Mark chapter 10, the baptism of Jesus is on his part, the acceptance and inauguration of his mission as God's suffering servant.
He allows himself to be numbered among Sinners. He is already the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world already. He is anticipating. Painting. The baptism of his bloody death already. He is coming to fulfill all righteousness. That is he is submitting himself. Entirely to his father's will out of love. He consents to this baptism of death for the remission of our sins. So that's quite a nice paragraph about how Jesus baptism is a
foreshadowing of his own death. Again on the same theme, paragraph 1 to 25 in his Passover Christ, open to all man, the Fountain of baptism. He had already spoken of his passion, which he was about to suffer in Jerusalem as a baptism with, which he had to be baptized the blood and water that flowed from the pierced side of the crucified Jesus a
types of baptism. And the Eucharist, the sacraments of new life from, then on it is possible to be born of water and the spirit in order to enter the kingdom of God. See where you are, baptized see where baptism comes from. If not from the Cross of Christ from his death. There is the whole mystery. He died for you in him. You are redeemed in him. You are saved. Paragraph 618 is about how we participate in Christ's sacrifice.
He calls his disciples to take up their cross and follow him for Christ. Suffered for us leaving us an example that we should follow in his steps. So that they're, of course, links to what Jesus says about. You need to suffer if you're going to be my disciple. Paragraph 1551. This is about the priesthood. The sacrament of the priesthood. The priesthood is ministerial that office which the Lord committed to the pastures of his people is in the strict sense of the term, a service.
It is entirely related to Christ and to men, it depends entirely on Christ and on his unique priesthood. It has been instituted for the good of man and the communion of the church. The sacrament of holy orders, communicates a sacred power, which is none. Other than that. Christ. The exercise of this Authority must therefore be measured against the model of Christ who by love made himself, the least
and the servant of all. So here, when Jesus says, you need to be the servant of all the Catholic Church teaches that, that's how priests should be in their role as priests. They are to serve all people just as Jesus did paragraph six or eight is about the lamb who takes away the sin of the world. And here, we're going to here mark.
Chapter 10 quoted after agreeing to baptize him along with Sinners John, the Baptist look to Jesus and pointed him out as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the World by doing.
So he reveals it. Jesus is at the same time, the suffering servant, who silently allows himself to be led to the slaughter and who Bears, the sin of the multitudes and also the Paschal Lamb, the symbol of Israel's Redemption at the first Passover, Christ's whole life expresses his mission to Serve and to give his life as a ransom for many. Last paragraph is a paragraph 1570. This is about the ordination of deacons deacons share in Christ's Mission and Grace in a special way.
The sacrament of holy orders, marks them with an imprint character, which cannot be removed and which configures them to Christ who made himself the Deacon or servant of all, so, remember here in the Greek, it literally says that Jesus has come to be the Deacon of all. So the deacons in the Catholic church are too. Oh, Jesus. So many interesting paragraphs that we've looked at today. I'll try to include all of these in the show notes, which you can
find in the episode description. If you've enjoyed today's episode, please share it around. Subscribe on iTunes and on YouTube as well. And please keep leaving positive reviews. It really does make a difference, will continue in Mark, chapter 10 in the coming days.