True Greatness: The Path of Humility and Service

Listening to the Spirit

Lord, thank you for the gift of Your Word so that all your people may know and love You more and understand You better.

As I go about my day may I not forget the scriptures you have opened up for me. Help me to recognize how You want for me to apply Your Word to my daily life.

Holy Spirit, guided by Your Word, may You enlighten my mind and enkindle in my heart a greater love for You and for others in my family and in the world.

Amen.

Listening to the Word

Mark 9:30-37

Jesus and his disciples left from there and began a journey through Galilee, but he did not wish anyone to know about it. He was teaching his disciples and telling them, “The Son of Man is to be handed over to men and they will kill him, and three days after his death the Son of Man will rise.” But they did not understand the saying, and they were afraid to question him. 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. They had been discussing among themselves on the way who was the greatest. Then he sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.” Taking a child, he placed it in the their midst, and putting his arms around it, he said to them, “Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but the One who sent me.”

Reflection

Who doesn’t want to be great? The desire for greatness is a powerful inner force that drives us to achieve our goals in life. Without this desire, we wouldn’t be able to succeed in a competitive world. It pushes us to strive for excellence and to make a difference in our lives and the lives of others.

In this Sunday’s Gospel passage from Mark 9:30-37, Jesus teaches His disciples about true greatness. Is Jesus against the human desire to become great? No, Not at all! The problem is not with greatness itself, but with how we understand it and the path we take to achieve it. Jesus teaches us that greatness is not about power or position, but about serving others.

Jesus defines greatness in a way that challenges our usual understanding: “If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.” This profound statement reveals that true greatness comes from humility and service. To be truly great, we must be willing to put others before ourselves and serve them with love and humility. This insight invites us to reflect on our own understanding of greatness and the role of humility in achieving it.

The letter of Saint James 3:16-4:3, this Sunday’s second reading, discusses the destructive nature of envy and jealousy. This is where we go wrong. Wanting to be great is not sinful, but the path we take can be. When our pursuit of greatness is driven by envy or jealousy, it becomes destructive. This warning from Saint James urges us to be cautious and mindful of our motivations as we strive for greatness.

Connecting the Gospel of Mark 9:30-37 to the letter of Saint James 3:16-4:3, we see that the Apostles’ desire for greatness was driven by jealousy and envy, not by humility. They argued about who among them was the greatest, missing the point that true greatness is found in serving others with a humble heart.

In conclusion, Jesus is our perfect example of true greatness. Even though He was the Son of God, He humbled Himself and gave His life for our salvation. By following His example, we can understand that true greatness is not about power but love, humility, and service to others.