Fifth Sunday of the Great Fast: Our Venerable Mother, Mary of Egypt; The Holy Hieromartyr Basil, Presbyter of Ancyra.
Day 35 of the Great
Hebrews 9:11-14; Galatians 3:23-29; Mark 10:32-45; Luke 7:36-50.
Read Mark 10:32-45
If we knew then what we know now, would we have gotten involved in everything in our lives? Maybe we can change some things – careers, residence, friendships. Other things – marriage, children, faith – we know ahead of time that we want them to endure so we protect them, especially from ourselves, with vows and loyalties to something and someone higher than ourselves. We might know enough to embark on those commitments, but we cannot possibly know ahead of time all that we will need to follow through on them.
This is especially true of our faith. No matter how far down the road we get, life still raises questions for us. The apostles had enough questions answered to begin their journey with Jesus. Peter had already made his confession, “You are the Christ.” But, as they were going up to Jerusalem, those who followed behind them had the good sense to be afraid. Instead, the apostles were amazed, coveting his glory. They didn’t realize that there was any question of the kind of journey Jesus was on, and therefore where he was going to take them. Even when he spelled it out for them clearly, they resisted understanding it.
We all need some questions answered first before we can even wrap our heads around the answers to other questions. Jesus assured his apostles that he would bring them along with him, even before they grasped the implications. We have the same assurance when we too find it challenging to follow the Son of man, who came not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.