Friday 25 July 2025 - Not to be served but to serve

Friday 25 July 2025

Today is Friday the 25th of July, in the 16th week of Ordinary Time. The Kyiv Chamber Choir sing In Thy Kingdom from One Thousand Years Of Ukrainian Sacred Music. (Lyrics currently unavailable) Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Matthew. Matthew 20:20-28 Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her sons, and kneeling before him, she asked a favour of him. And he said to her, ‘What do you want?’ She said to him, ‘Declare that these two sons of mine will sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.’ But Jesus answered, ‘You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?’ They said to him, ‘We are able.’ He said to them, ‘You will indeed drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left, this is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.’ When the ten heard it, they were angry with the two brothers. But Jesus called them to him and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. It will not be so among you; but whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be your slave; just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.’ If mothers could arrange the status of our place in heaven, they’d be even busier than they already are. Jesus lets this mum down gently and saves a lot of others some pointless agitating. Take a moment to notice how Jesus deals with this situation...does something inspire you, or intrigue you? A change of tone: could you imagine the mother of James and John recalling this request at the crucifixion? Her conviction that of course her sons could drink the same cup as Jesus? . . . There is an insight in this passage into the company Jesus kept. He wasn’t just surrounded by twelve apostles, but by a rich mix of family, friends, family of friends and friends of family. We might wonder what the merry band was like. Indeed, as you listen again, why not tag along, noticing how annoyed the other disciples get . . . Matthew 20:20-28 Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her sons, and kneeling before him, she asked a favour of him. And he said to her, ‘What do you want?’ She said to him, ‘Declare that these two sons of mine will sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.’ But Jesus answered, ‘You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?’ They said to him, ‘We are able.’ He said to them, ‘You will indeed drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left, this is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.’ When the ten heard it, they were angry with the two brothers. But Jesus called them to him and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. It will not be so among you; but whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be your slave; just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.’ Today is the feast day of St James... perhaps his mother would be pleased about this! Spend some time with Jesus now, praying with anything that has arisen for you during this prayer. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be World without end Amen