"WHAT WERE YOU ARGUING ABOUT ON THE WAY?”

"WHAT WERE YOU ARGUING ABOUT ON THE WAY?”

For the apostles, having the opportunity to be so close to the person of Jesus meant the possibility of knowing him, but it was also the time in which Jesus himself instructed them. The work of illuminating the lives of those men with divine knowledge was not an easy task, nor is it today. Stopping from thinking like men to thinking like God does (Mt 16: 23) is a process of transformation and requires time, requires openness, and requires patience.

On this occasion, the Gospel (Mk 9: 30-37) places Jesus and his disciples crossing Galilee until they reach Capernaum. During the journey Jesus explained to them once again about his passion, death and resurrection, without his disciples really understanding what he was talking about, but out of fear they did not ask for explanations. However, among them they were already distracted by other concerns. Theirs concerns remained very human, and quite selfish. Jesus himself asks the question at the end of that day's journey: “What were you arguing about on the way?” Without knowing how to respond, they remain silent. Jesus knows them quite well, and Jesus surely heard something about what worried them along the way. They continue to wonder who is the most important among them, considering as important the one who has the most prestige, therefore the most authority. Jesus warns them, as he does with us today, that the true greatness of the human being is in humility, in its smallness, in its simplicity.

To understand it even more, Jesus himself will express it this way: "If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all." This is precisely what Jesus himself has come to this world to do: “Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mt 20: 28)

Occupying the first positions does not seem to be the problem we face today. The problem is forgetting the exercise of humility wherever we are. It doesn't matter what position we have the important thing is to have the attitude of service for whoever needs us.

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Fr. Carlos Flores, OSA