Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee approached Jesus with her sons and did him homage, wishing to ask him for something. He said to her, "What do you wish?" She answered him, "Command that these two sons of mine sit,one at your right and the other at your left, in your kingdom." Mt 20:17-28
The desire for power isn't new.
(Neither is relying on Mom to help you get what you want.)
Jesus' response is one we know by heart --"Whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave."
Perhaps there is a double meaning.
If our desire is power, then we do indeed become slaves to that desire and those who can grant it to us.
Witness the politician who started out with the desire to serve the common good only to become taken up with ambition.
Witness the priest who entered the seminary with service in mind, but gets distracted by the possibilities of position.
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Just as in the paradox of the cross, we are stronger when we show our gentle less strong side and let others feel good about themselves.
ReplyDeleteHmmmm, good topic. We have all seen the desire for power in all walks of life. In my line of work we call them "yes men". I find when someone has a strong desire for power for personal gain, they do, in a manner of speaking become slaves to those who can grant that desire. However, when their personal agendas come to light (and they always do) they end up trading respect, credibility and trust for the pursuit of their desire and that's a bad place to be, whether you're a butcher, a baker, a candlestick maker, a politician or a priest.
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