Lord, Grant That.......

 We've all heard wise and perhaps even profound reflections on this weeks Gospel reading. Our Lord tells us clearly that the greatest among us is the one that is the servant of all. It's a very hard concept to practice though, isn't it? And certainly worthy of contemplation.

What strikes me in reflecting on this reading today though, is how James and John try to back Jesus into a corner with a "blank check" kind of promise. Think about that for a moment: How many people in your life could you approach and say "I want you to do whatever I ask of you, OK?" And actually expect that they might say "sure, what is it?" in response. A parent or sibling, perhaps? Maybe your spouse, or a good friend would take the risk and say "sure." Almost certainly a young child would; a son or daughter before the age of 5, might say "I promise" without knowing what the request is, right?  

OK. So Jesus is God, and Scripture tells us He knows everything from the start. So let's forget about the fact that you can't trick Jesus into doing something for you that He didn't already want to do for you. The fact that James and John were comfortable enough in their relationship with Jesus to make this request says something about the nature of their relationship with Him, doesn't it? (In Matthew, it's their mother that makes the request with them - but the point is the same, I think.) 

I think that asking someone to agree to do something for you without them knowing what it is, is probably either a childlike thing to do, or it is relying heavily on the nature of your relationship with that person. It's almost like saying "close your eyes and open your mouth!" It presumes a certain amount of trust. Perhaps this thought is worthy of dwelling on for a bit: 

Can you picture yourself asking Jesus to "Do whatever I ask you to do?" 

What is the nature of your personal relationship with Jesus?

Can you be childlike enough with your God to think you can trick him into doing something for you?

Does Jesus love you so much that He would want to do something for you? 

May reflecting on these questions draw you closer to Jesus....

                          + Theophilus