THE APOSTLES UNDERSTOOD SO WELL THAT THEY BEGAN TO DISCUSS WHO WAS THE GREATEST AMONG THEM

«And the Lord had mercy on this multitude... He took a little girl, Teresa, and placed her among the apostles; and this little girl revealed such simple truths to them, so attractive, that the doctors were forced to confess their ignorance, and they became disciples of the little girl to teach the people her doctrine".

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The Gospel of Mark reports three announcements of the passion (MC 8,31; 9,31; 10,33 e ssg.). What we read in the Gospel of the 25th Sunday of ordinary time is the second and all three constitute an editorial thread through which Mark wove the story that goes from Peter's confession to Jesus' entry into Jerusalem. Here is the evangelical passage.

"During that time, Jesus and his disciples went through Galilee, but he did not want anyone to know. In fact, he taught his disciples and told them: "The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men and they will kill him; ma, once killed, after three days it will rise again ". However, they did not understand these words and were afraid to question him. They came to Cafarnao. When he was in the house, he asked them: «What were you arguing about in the street?». And they were silent. On the street, in fact, they had argued among themselves who was the greatest. Sitting down, he called the Twelve and told them: «If one wants to be the first, be the last of all and the servant of all". E, got a baby, placed him in their midst and, hugging him, he told them: «Whoever welcomes even one of these children in my name, welcomes me; and who welcomes me, does not welcome me, but he who sent me" (MC 9,30-37).

Jesus, crossing his land of origin, to Galilee, this time he does not seek the support of the crowd, but requesting anonymity, he rather dedicated his teaching to the disciples who accompanied him most closely. He tries to explain to them what will happen to him. But every time Jesus talks about his own death, with a repeating pattern, the opposite reaction of the disciples occurs. First Peter (MC 8,32-33) and then all the others (MC 9,32) they reject or do not understand the Master's words. Immediately after the last two announcements the apostles even claim primacy and privileges for themselves (MC 9,33-37; 35-40). For this reason today's evangelical passage constitutes a small unit, formed by prophecy of Jesus about his destiny and then by misunderstanding of the disciples. The latter is expressed in our passage by Marco's comment: «But they did not understand» del v. 32; and is finally strengthened with the out of place words of the disciples themselves, reported by the evangelist: "In fact, along the way they had discussed among themselves who was the greatest", al v. 34.

Jesus to announce his passion defines himself as the "Son of man", an expression that occurs many times in the Gospels (ben 82, of which 14 in Mark) and is used by Jesus above all to describe himself as the protagonist or recipient of a humiliated and painful condition, which will be followed by his exaltation or resurrection. The disciples who on the one hand are concerned about this fate, on the other hand they evidently know this figure who was believed to exist in heaven like the angels and who was before the world, that is, it existed when there was only God (Book of Parables of Enoch). God grants his prerogatives and powers to the Son of man, so much so that it seems like a divine hypostasis. He's not an angel, does not follow orders, it has general tasks but no precise commands: his will seems to be the same as that of God and his tasks essentially concern justice and law (And 7, 13-14). Given this soteriological and messianic background, Jesus, Now, at least to the disciples, it can reveal itself for what it is. He can talk to them parresia and affirm that He is that Son of man, figure known to us from the book of Daniel and from the Old Testament apocrypha of The Book of Parables. It is the beginning of a new time in the mission of Jesus: «And it began to teach them that the Son of man had to suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, by the chief priests and scribes, get killed e, after three days, rise again" (cf.. MC 8, 31). But for the disciples it is a sort of cold shower, because Peter first and the disciples then know that the figure of the Son of man is powerful and glorious, It is therefore impossible for him to encounter misfortune, suffering, defeats. Peter rejects this presentation and Jesus brands him as Satan (MC 8,33), while the disciples talk about something else.

Most likely that's why Jesus, after a few days, he decides to take three of his disciples closest to him, Pietro, James and John and to take them with him to a high mountain where "he was transfigured before them" (MC 9, 2). There these disciples know that the Son of man, of which they had some knowledge, he is the Son of God: "This is my Son, the beloved: listen!» (MC 9, 7). Descending from Tabor, Jesus repeats the invitation to the disciples not to speak to anyone about the vision until after his death and resurrection. For readers of the Gospel of Mark it is increasingly clear that Jesus is the one "hidden" in the mystery of God, destined to reveal itself.

Announcing his passion Jesus says he will be delivered. The verb "deliver" (paradidoma) it is very important for the story of Jesus' last hours. He finds himself, in Mark, not only in the announcements of the passion and resurrection of Jesus, but sometimes it also has Judas as a subject (MC 3,19; 14,10-11) and it even refers to the fate of the disciples (MC 13,9.11.12). All this to underline that the destiny of those who follow Jesus is in solidarity with and similar to that of the Master.

But more above we mentioned the reaction of the disciples to Jesus' second announcement, to their not understanding (v. 32) and the speeches about the "greatest" (vv. 33-34). Even in this case, as it was for Pietro, Jesus must correct the disciples, answering them in two ways, with words and a symbolic gesture that have remained imperishable.

First of all we note that Jesus does not collect the disciples' phrasebook, he doesn't accept it. While they discuss "who was the greatest", Instead he speaks of first and last. What does this mean? That Jesus does not rule out the possibility of there being precedence in the community, that someone is the first and not simply the greatest. But he also says that he must be someone who puts himself at service unconditionally, is, that is, the deacon (deacons) of all other. Along the road that leads to Jerusalem, the search for power, of well-being and prestige of the disciples clashes with the logic of Jesus, according to which the Kingdom is service and in it the first is the one who serves. Jesus, and the farm, sits down, in the attitude of someone who is about to give an important instruction. The discussion will culminate later with this statement that summarizes everything, where Jesus again sets himself as an example: «The Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve and give one's life as a ransom for many" (MC 10,45).

Here then is the gesture of taking a child and embracing it reinforces the content of Jesus' statements. The Master wants to be welcomed not only because he is the "greatest", how it might appear in the eyes of the disciples. But the child (paidion) which has the dimensions of the last one, being the smallest, considered of no importance and subject without particular rights, in the eyes of Jesus he embodies the ideal measure of the Kingdom of God. This is compared to a modest-sized seed that also grows and becomes a tree. Likewise Jesus, like the seed, it will have to die to bear fruit (MC 4,8). For this reason, whoever welcomes the little child, not only does he welcome Jesus himself, but even the Father from whom everything originates and who sent Jesus.

Centuries later the Lord will inspire in the Church the sanctity of Teresa of the Child Jesus, in the Carmel of Lisieux. His spiritual journey, evangelical childhood, so it was described in 1913 by Joseph Lotte, a converted French man of letters, friend and confidante of Péguy:

«And the Lord had mercy on this multitude... He took a little girl, Teresa, and placed her among the apostles; and this little girl revealed such simple truths to them, so attractive, that the doctors were forced to confess their ignorance, and they became disciples of the little girl to teach the people her doctrine".

From the Hermitage, 21 September 2024

 

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