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A RANSOM FOR MANY—29TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (10/17/2021)
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Isaiah 53:10-11
Psalm 33
Hebrews 4:14-16
Mark 10:35-45
A RANSOM FOR MANY
"Jesus paid it all; all to him I owe. Sin had left a crimson stain; He washed it white as snow." (“Jesus Paid it All” written in 1865 by Elvina M. Hall.) I love these lines from an old hymn which state succinctly the basic gospel message. Today we hear about the Suffering Servant—one of us as well as God's own Son—who came to serve and give his life as a ransom for many.
ISAIAH
Today's reading is taken from the second part of Isaiah, written in the sixth century BC, which contains descriptions of the "Servant of the Lord" or Suffering Servant. It is a prophecy that God's Servant will be crushed in infirmity and give his life as an offering for sin, "and the will of the Lord shall be accomplished through him."
Isaiah prophesied that Jesus would justify many through his suffering and bear their guilt upon himself.
The Responsorial, Psalm 33, is a plea for the Lord's mercy as well as an expression of hope: "Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you."
GOSPEL
The Gospel gives us an unvarnished picture of the sons of Zebedee, James and John, (nicknamed "Sons of Thunder" by Jesus). In Mark's gospel they ask Jesus for places of honor, flanking him in his glory. (In Matthew's gospel, their mother does the asking!)
Jesus, in turn, asks if they can share his cup and baptism of suffering and then predicts that they shall indeed share that cup and baptism. But the place of honor is not his to give to them.
Needless to say, the other ten Apostles were "indignant." (I imagine that is putting it mildly!) Jesus uses the opportunity teach a lesson on how to exercise authority by serving the brethren. "For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many."
HEBREWS
The second reading from Hebrews 4 tells us that our high priest, Jesus, is able to "sympathize with our weaknesses," because he "has been similarly tested in every way, yet without sin."
Jesus knows our earthly frame, knows that we are but dust. Though he is true God, he is true man as well. The final words are a fitting exhortation: "So let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and find grace for timely help."
MERCY AND GRACE
No wonder the Exultet of the Easter Vigil proclaims: "O wonder of your humble care for us! O love, O charity beyond all telling, to ransom a slave you gave away your Son!"
And as St. Paul says in Romans 5:8: "God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us."
"Jesus paid it all; all to him I owe. Sin had left a crimson stain; He washed it white as snow."
