Jeremiah 18:18-20 ;
Matthew 20:17-28
The prophet Jeremiah was not only a faithful and great
prophet of the Lord, but he was also a sensitive soul. He took to heart the
wicked machinations of his enemies conspiring to do away with him. The verses
today (Jer 18:18-20) contrast the words of the plotters (v18),
“Come let us make plots against Jeremiah…”
with the prayer of the prophet which expresses his anguish
knowing the plotters want to do away with him.
The Church Fathers saw in the scheming of these plotters a
type of the plotting and scheming that Jesus faced. Many of the Jewish
authorities wanted to do away with Jesus. They tried to trap Him in His own
words just as Jeremiah’s adversaries had done.
The Jewish leaders had forgotten what it meant to be a
leader of God’s people. It was not a ticket for personal advantage. Alas they seemed
to be more concerned with holding on to their power and status, especially in
the fragile situation of Roman occupation. They feared that it all could be
lost so did not hesitate to do away with this man from Nazareth who threatened
to destabilise everything.
Sadly, even today, there are those in the Church that fear
the loss of their status or power. And I have to hold my hands up and confess
that I also feared such a loss when I contemplated leaving my position in the
Church of England to become a Catholic. Status for religious leaders can become
far too important and can lead them to become corrupt and be tempted to do some
very evil things. So our Lord’s answer to the mother of James and John who asks
that her sons be given status in the Kingdom, is to be kept in mind by all who
are called to leadership especially in the Church, but also in the world. Jesus
said,
…whoever would be great among you must be your servant…even as the Son of man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.
Please pray for those called to Holy Orders in the Church. It
is so very easy to be trapped by our perception of our “status” as if it
belongs to us. Of course it doesn’t! For while the priest is to be respected
because he acts in persona Christi
capitas, the priest is ordained to be able to act in the person of Christ
the Head primarily for service to the people of God, and not for personal
kudos!
Remember too those who are called to lead in all walks of
life, that they too will see it as a service and not be concerned with their
status. And if you are called to lead always remember leadership is a service
for others and not a ticket for personal advantage.
Fr Ian
