I Hope Jesus Is Part Of Your Future Plan!

Rev. Marcel Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Homily for the 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B

St. Mary of Assumption, Whittier, CA

Sunday, October 18, 2015

As we live our day-to-day life, we occasionally think about the future. Through the power of imagination, we can envisage and visualize what it may look like. Serious thought about the future oftentimes prompts many to start making plans for it. Even though we live in the now, in the present, we do so with the thought about the future. Planning for the future requires making some conscious decisions now, not later, about how we would like the future to look like. For instance, a young person can start making future plan about the city to live after graduation from college, job, marriage, renting or buying a house etc. Parents with kids can start saving money for their kids college; they can plan to buy a house (if they have not bought any) or buy a new car if the one being used at the moment is always developing faults. Parents whose kids have all left home to pursue their individual dreams may plan on going on a long vacation, (like cruise), retirement, and place of retirement etc. In my former parish in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, I have lots of elderly folks whose regular conversation was about the retirement home they would like to move in when they are no longer able to do things for themselves. Some of them have even planned for their funerals which includes the officiating priest, clothes that they would like to wear, the type of casket, the funeral home to handle their funeral and the cemetery they would like to be buried.

Today’s Gospel taken from Mark 10:35-45 is about two brothers, James and John, who after making their future plan, came to Jesus and presented the top priority in their plan. But before they did that, they sought assurance from Jesus that he would grant them whatever they asked for: “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” I believe they had other things on the list of their future plan, but top on the list was to sit on both sides of Jesus in his glory: “Grant that in your glory we may sit one at your right and the other at your left.” You know, some preachers have argued that James and John had ulterior motive, that they were too ambitious, that all they were looking for was honor and recognition. We may rightly argue that the two brothers may not have understood Jesus and what he was about. But the truth is that they wanted to be with him in his glory. What’s wrong with that?

But where did the two brothers get the idea of Jesus’ glory? Why did they ask, not just to be part of it, but to be the ones to sit on Jesus’ two sides? Remember the story of the Transfiguration! James and John were two of the three disciples that Jesus took to the mountaintop where he was transfigured, where two great figures of the Old Testament, Moses and Elijah appeared. The transfiguration experience was so glorious, so amazing, so majestic that Peter declared “Rabbi, it is good that we are here. If you don’t mind, permit me to make three tents—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah” (Mark 9:5). The place was so serene, so peaceful and so beautiful that Peter wanted to make it a home. He did not want to come down from the mountain. He wanted to stay there longer. James and John also witnessed the transfiguration of Jesus on a high mountain. They also experienced the magnificent and solemn event. They, like Peter also loved what they experienced. The mountaintop experience has given them a taste of the glory and a taste for the glory. Some people bash the two brothers’ future plan by arguing that they associated glory with authority. But let’s look at it this way. Let’s assume that this argument is true. It therefore means that what they sought for—authority, is the authority associated with Jesus. It means that James and John wanted the type of authority that can only be derived from and exercised from one’s association with Jesus. They didn’t go to the Scribes and the Pharisees for their authority and glory. They came to Jesus! The glimpse of glory they saw and experienced at the mountaintop was their future plan. Their future plan was not about retiring in a fancy and expensive house located in an expensive part of a town. Their future plan was not about globe-trotting; it was not about the kind of casket to be buried with or the cemetery to be buried in. It was simply to be on the both sides of their Master, whom they loved so much. They wanted to sit next to him when he comes into his glory. Sitting next to Jesus was at the top of their wish list. Their eyes were already fixed on the road to glory. They should be commended, not condemned!

Now, when the other ten disciples heard of this, they became furious, most likely because they thought that James and John had beaten and outsmarted them. They were concerned that these two brothers may have gotten an edge over them. But I refuse to justify their anger. Nothing stopped them from making their request as well. No one should begrudge me for asking the Lord to bless my ministry. No one should begrudge you for asking the Lord to prosper you. No one should be upset with us for desiring and praying to be part of the Great Banquet in heaven. There’s enough blessing to go round. As soon as the ten started fussing and complaining, Jesus used the occasion to teach them the real meaning of leadership, which consists not in lording it over others, rather in serving them: “You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them….but it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all.” He used the misunderstanding to remind them of the Gospel meaning of life. That life is not about lording it over others, dominating them, telling them what to do, bossing them around. God’s agenda is about serving the least, the vulnerable, and those at the margins of the society. The Gospel meaning of life is not about amassing power, authority, prestige and getting the high places of honor and privilege. If your agenda is any of that, just know it is not that of God. 

Beloved in Christ Jesus, have you made your future plan? What’s in it? What guided you in making it? What agenda tops your future plan? Is Jesus part of the plan? Where did you place God’s agenda in your life? Whatever plans we have made for the future, let’s pray for the grace to align them with God’s plan. When we do that, God will not only smile but will laugh in delight. I hope Jesus is part of your future plan. No, let me rephrase it, I hope Jesus is at the center of your future plan. I hope your future plan is Jesus. I hope you plan to retire with the Lord.