26 May 2021
Wednesday of the Eighth Week of Ordinary Time
Today and tomorrow, Jesus asks the same question and gets different results. As Jesus travels to Jerusalem, he asks James and John “What do you wish me to do for you?” (Mk. 10:36) They ask for the honor of sitting at His right and left, and He denies them this request. Why does Jesus tell them no, when He tells so many others yes?
Consider what James and John were asking for. What does it do to sit at Jesus’ right and left? James and John are not able to glorify God any better, and it does nothing for their own salvation. The reality is that we do not always desire what is best for us—what leads to our flourishing and our salvation. And sometimes we petition God as we do because, like James and John, we desire bragging rights. In these moments, God’s “no” can be an opportunity for us to re-focus our desires so that we choose only what is for God’s glory and our salvation.