Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem, followed by the twelve. In the Lord’s mind, it’s crystal clear that the leaders who harassed him during his public Galilee ministry will now try to entrap him during his obligated pilgrimage for the feast of Passover.
The disciples, still like spiritual infants, have no idea; instead, they predict a wave of recognition in the city of David. Jesus might be cheered as they did for David in the Old Testament. Logically, he will need assistants to maneuver his fame.
James and John’s logic clashes when they demand the top positions, overshadowing everyone else. Their inflated egos drive their hearts and viciously protect themselves if needed.
Jesus offers a transformative correction: You stand beside people, not above them. Others oppress. Instead, you will lift people, lift them for another breath, another joy. Everyone’s heart history is not finalized by those who could dominate us but by those who had the art of loving us and revealing true life; I came to give my life as “ransom” for many.
Jesus redeems the human. He reshapes the icon of what a person is with life and God’s love within. He draws out a treasure of light and liberates humanity’s new face. He redeems the human from the claws of the inhuman; he redeems the human heart from the deadly power of indifference. Jesus is the healer of the world’s sin: the absence of love.
Lord, please create a new heart within me.