Message for Proper 24 – Sunday, October 20, 2024

Brothers & Sisters,

Today in our Gospel Reading, we are given glimpses of the redemptive suffering of Jesus that are intended to remove from us any desire that we may cherish to achieve greatness in the Kingdom of God without being prepared to walk the path of suffering.  We are presented with the story of James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who requested of Jesus that they be given places of honour by him when he enters his glory.  Jesus replied that he could not promise them honour; he could only promise them suffering.  Indeed they would drink of the cup that he would drink, and be baptized with the baptism that he would be baptized with, that is, they would suffer in his service, but granting places of honour was not his business.

Jesus then reminded them all that his mission was to serve others, and Mark expresses it beautifully in the well-known words, “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.”   It was more than serving others, it involved suffering for others.  He was giving away his life in exchange for many who were held hostage, so that they could be set free. This same thought of suffering for others was expressed in the Old Testament reading from Isaiah 53, “He was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed.”  Christians have always identified Jesus with the “Suffering Servant” of Isaiah, and have sung with great feeling, “Wounded for me, wounded for me; there on the Cross he was wounded for me.  Gone my transgressions and now I am free, all because Jesus was wounded for me.”

I am reminded here of some words written by Cleverley Ford, one of my former tutors in Church Army College, “If, as a servant of God you are undergoing great trials, do not for a moment harbour the thought that you are out of God’s favour.  Remember, there is no higher ministry to which a person can be called, than the ministry of suffering….suffering which is redemptive. Do not be broken by this that has come to you…lift up your heart.  Maybe God is calling you to help fill up in your flesh, that which is lacking the afflictions of Christ (See Colossians 1:24).   

Of course, we dare not compare our sufferings with the “vicarious suffering” of Christ. Our suffering cannot take away sin, because we are unworthy and therefore incapable of such a ministry.  But we know that Jesus suffered, bled and died and have experienced his atoning grace, so it has become our duty to “minister his suffering.”  That is exactly what we do, when Sunday by Sunday and sometimes on weekdays we say to those gathered for Eucharist: “The blood of our Lord Jesus Christ which was shed for you, preserve your body and soul unto everlasting life.”  Do you in those sacred moments experience in your life the healing power and the forgiveness of God?  Have you ever felt like shouting, “Alleluia?”

Contributed