THE FOLLY OF SEEKING RECOGNITION


First Reading: Wis 2:12, 17-20
Second Reading: Jas 3:16-4:3
Gospel: Mk 9:30-37

The ambition to achieve one’s desire without considering its effect on the other and seeking recognition over the other are the cause of all disorder and vile practices, says St. James in the second reading of the day. On this twenty-fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time, our focus should be on our internal disposition toward power and honour. The root cause of all evil is one’s desire for pleasure, wealth, power and honour. To achieve these things, humans exercise all the possibilities that are at their disposal. Often the means used towards the achievement of these desires are not given much attention. When one is solely focused on achieving the desired end, the means that the person uses are given least importance. It is good to be focused on the goal. Focusing on the desired end will enable a person not to get distracted and discouraged on the way. Jesus too was focused on the salvation of humans and the fulfilling the will of the Father. However, He did not overlook the means He used to achieve that goal. Jesus had all the possibilities to save the humankind without undergoing the rejection and brutality from the ruthless and ambitious leaders of the religion and the empire. Yet, Jesus chose this miserable path to gain salvation for humankind. The rationale behind this conscious choice of Jesus was the commitment to utilize good means for the desired end. Jesus did not want to lose anyone – even His enemies – in the process of achieving the salvation for the humankind. If Jesus were to use violence or had executed some of His enemies, they might have ended up in hell as sinners without having recourse either to justice or to the mercy of God. Jesus desired the salvation of all which includes His opponents too. Thus, Jesus gave importance and undue attention to the means.

The lifestyle and the message of Jesus unsettled the authority of the leaders of the time. The first reading of the day tells that the existence and the convinced life of the righteous is perceived as threat by the wicked. The very existence of the righteous in their midst itself causes trouble and anxiety. There is no need for a virtuous person to point out the evil things of the wicked person. Because the very life and the persistent nature of the righteous in remaining faithful to the commandment of God and the goodness of the society amidst difficulties and struggles, showcases the dubious nature of the wicked, who claim that the survival consists in compromising the virtue. And so, they devise a plan to do away with the righteous. In doing so, their main aim is to show that, living a righteous life is a folly and does not serve any good. They seek to show that their ideology is better, good and wise. They seek to uphold their status and get recognition for their ideology as the best. This is jealousy.

Jealousy is nothing but a fear of losing what one possesses with right. It could be one’s spouse, children, family, wealth, property, honour, power and anything. The desire to keep something that belongs to one, or feeling unhappy or angry when something that belongs to one is threatened is jealousy. This desire or fear creates rupture within oneself and comes out of the person with wicked actions. People in power and leadership always fear that their dethronement will elicit in taking away all that they enjoy and consequently put their survival in a quandary. Thus, they try to withhold power by destabilising the reputation of the potential successors. This we see very much in political arena. Within the church it is seen as clericalism; keeping the power to one person or to a particular group. The apostles were not exempt from this mentality. They too were seeking recognition and authority by finding out who among them is the greatest (Mk 9:34). To all these people Jesus says that the true greatness consists in overcoming the fear of survival by becoming like a little child, who is not worried about the survival but contended with the present and happy to be dependent on other (parents) for his/her existence. In this way, we overcome the attitude of jealousy and selfish ambition. Seeking recognition and place of honour is nothing but denying one’s trust in the Lord. It only leads to the sin of jealousy and wickedness. What is our disposition towards power and honour we hold? Are we fearful that replacement to our position would put our survival into predicament? Fear of survival and losing of what one possesses may lead him/her to engage in wickedness. It is folly to seek recognition based on what one possesses; power and honour. We should not fear of losing our identity or recognition when our human powers and honours are ripped away from us. If we do so we are rejecting God's role in our life. On the contrary, the child like trust and dependency on God for existence will enable us to experience God’s grace, realize God’s will in our life and be free from worldly concerns. 

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