Weekly HOMILY for September 20, 2009: How can the first be last and the last first?

25th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Cycle B
Our Lady of Grace
September 20, 2009

How can the first be last and the last be first?
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato


Being Number 1

As we listen to today’s gospel, we can imagine what Jesus’ disciples must have been saying.

We can imagine Andrew telling his brother Peter: “I met him before you did.” And Peter retorts: “Yeah, but he gave me the keys to the kingdom.”

Then James chimes in: “Don’t forget: he took me up on that mountain to see Moses and Elijah.” And, of course, Judas brags: “Okay, but he put me in charge of the money.”

The gospel simply says: “They have been discussing among themselves who was the greatest.” In other words, each of them wants to be number one.

I think we can understand this. In our own way, don’t we sometimes do the same thing?

We want to be seen as specially favored by our boss or teacher, as having a better job or knowing more or making more money than the next guy? In our own way, we may also compete to be most important or number one.


The Issue: Self-Esteem

I believe that underneath this, there is the very real human issue of self-esteem.

All of us want to feel good about ourselves and we want to be perceived well by others. This is probably a universal need.

This need for self-esteem usually gets satisfied in a variety of ways. Feeling loved by our parents and accepted by our friends, doing well in school or in sports or and on our job – these are some of the ways that satisfy our human need for self-esteem.

But for various reasons, sometimes we don’t get fully settled in this and then we keep competing to be number one, to be important and above the next guy. This is what the disciples in today’s gospel are doing.


”The first…the last”

In response to this, Jesus says: “Those who want to rank first, must remain the last of all and the servant of all.”

And then, to illustrate his point, Jesus takes a child and says: “Whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me.” Now in Jesus’ day, children were much more vulnerable than they are today.

They were at the bottom of the social ladder. For example, if a family did not have enough food, the father ate first, then the mother, and only then would the children get whatever was left over.

That just sounds backwards to us. How many of you parents have held back on eating or on buying something so that your children could have enough?

But in the culture of Jesus’ day, it was the reverse. This is why he takes a child to make his point.

Jesus is calling us to care for those who are the last and the least. In doing this, we in effect make ourselves last – like the last one in the family to eat – and in that way, we are first in the eyes of God.

It is through this attitude and this way of treating one another that we really find a sense of self-esteem. This tending of others draws us out of ourselves and brings us an inner satisfaction and peace.

It brings us a refinement, a maturing, a fullness that we would not otherwise have. It will lead us to stop doing what the disciples are doing today – jockeying to be number one.


Conclusion

Usually, all of this happens in everyday, ordinary, real-life ways.

For example, parents being at their children’s soccer games. Parents sacrificing for their children’s education.

Husbands and wives really listening to one another and one another’s feelings. Adult children caring for their parents and grandparents when they are less able to do everything for themselves.

Men and women of this parish teaching religion in the religious education program or sharing their faith in the RCIA. Parishioners baking casseroles of food for the soup kitchen.

These are just some examples of the real-life ways of “being first by being the last of all and the servant of all.” These are the ways of really being number one.