A Jesuit and a Franciscan were lunching together one Friday. There were two pieces of fish on the dish, one large, the other very small. The Jesuit helped himself to the large piece and put the small one on the other’s plate. "Is that Jesuitry? " asked the Franciscan. "What do you mean? " replied the Jesuit. "Only this," declared the Franciscan. "I’ve been trained in Holy Poverty. Had I served the fish, I should have put the large piece on your plate, and the small piece on mine." "What are you complaining for?" said the Jesuit, "That’s exactly what you’ve got, isn’t it?" (Douglas Woodruff - Castle 1, p.25)''

Have you ever had children come up to you and say, "Will you promise to do something for me?" You know you are going to be asked for something outrageous, so, like Jesus in our gospel reading, you ask what it is you will be promising, don’t you? James & John asked Jesus for the privilege of being given the honour of the best seats beside him at the feast in heaven. That would mean they would be specially honoured in the sight of everyone. The other disciples get pretty upset about them having had the nerve to ask this and try to get one up on the rest of them. (I wonder if part of their anger wasn’t that they hadn’t thought to ask for something themselves first?) There’s something in many of us that wants to see us valued more than others - this is especially true for men, to whom relative status is usually very important; that’s part of how human male society works in most places. As Martin Luther King observed,
"We are prone to judge success by the index of our salaries or the size of our automobiles, rather than by the quality of our service and relationship to humanity."

Leonard Bernstein was one of America’s greatest conductors & composers, directing & conducting the New York Philharmonic Orchestra from 1958 to 1969. His musical West Side Story brought him wide acclaim. An admirer once asked Bernstein what was the hardest instrument to play. He replied without hesitation:
"Second fiddle. I can always get plenty of first violins, but to find one who plays second fiddle with as much enthusiasm, or second French horn, or second flute, now that’s a problem. And yet if no one plays second, we have no harmony."

In his reply, Jesus turned the spotlight away from gaining recognition and honour to commitment to God and to service of others, for these are the paths to true greatness. In the three verses which precede today’s reading Jesus had talked about his forthcoming suffering and death, which makes James’ & John’s request insensitive, even if it might be interpreted as an expression of faith that Jesus would come through those sufferings to glory. Their request, and the reaction of the other disciples, show that they had not understood what Jesus was teaching by word & example. He came to fulfil the vision of Isaiah, part of which we heard read today, that God’s messiah would come as a suffering servant. He also taught, as we heard today, that his followers will have to follow in his footsteps if they are to be true to him. Jesus was willing to serve God and us by taking our sufferings upon himself. Of course he did this in a unique way, as the perfect sacrifice for us all. But he invites us to become servants of God and one another, looking for ways to help others, rather than for our own good. He puts this in two ways.

1. He asks for commitment to God. First Jesus asks James & John if they think they can "drink the same cup and be baptised with the same baptism as himself". (v.38) The cup he will drink is that of suffering and death; his baptism will be one of enduring rejection, pain and death. He will undergo all this out of love for God and desire to accomplish God’s will. Before we can think about what rewards or honours we might receive, we need to put God first in our lives and be willing to do his will whatever the cost. We have all to begin by turning to God, through Jesus, by humbly accepting our need of his forgiveness and grace, and then to respond to that by repentance (turning away from wrong) and faith (trust in God). We must then, as part of our response of faith be willing to go anywhere and do anything God asks of us, whatever the cost. Though that is in fact the only route to true fulfilment in life. For many of us that’s not an easy step; it’s humbling. But it is necessary. By our own efforts we cannot get right with God or live aright as he wants us to.
   
   In 1847 Sir James Simpson was a doctor in Edinburgh when he discovered chloroform, one of the most significant discoveries in modern medicine. Some years later, after a lecture, a student asked him, "What do you consider to be the most valuable discovery of your lifetime?" He answered, "My most valuable discovery was when I discovered myself a sinner and that Jesus Christ was my Saviour."

2. He asks for commitment to others. Jesus then speaks to all of his disciples. He portrays the way the world sees things, where the powerful exercise authority in a way that dominates others and elevates themselves. With this he contrasts his own way of life, as one who came to serve everyone and give his life for them. That, he says, is the example his followers must emulate. We are all naturally selfish and tend to look out for our own interests first. Jesus calls us, with his help, to change our priorities and look out for others rather than for ourselves. Do we see ourselves as here to help and serve each other, rather than to have our own needs met? This is the Christian response out of gratitude to God for his love & grace.

How should we live together in order to experience life in all its fulness? Jesus answer is simple, yet profound. Respond to the love of God by accepting what he sends your way with joy (= drink the cup he offers), and look for ways of doing good to those whom God brings across your path (= be servant to others). The old acrostic is still right in its priorities and its outcome:
---> Jesus first
---> Others second
---> Yourself last