Lent Meditation Day 10
In the gospels of Matthew and Mark we have the story of James and John, the sons of Zebedee.
A Note from Ruth
These meditations are a reflection of my personal journey through Lent at a time when I was experiencing deep spiritual growth and learning what it means to grow in community as a student at the Academy for Formation and Mission. In part, I wrote them to process my own thoughts, but mainly to share those contemplations, because I felt they were meant to be experienced by others. My hope was to encourage others to go deep, to see God and Lent with a new perspective, and to self-reflect in a way that brings hope.
They approached Jesus one day and asked him if he would grant them a position on his left and his right sides during his rule as Messiah.
Our writer suggests that this question came from insecurity. This leads me to ask myself what I do when I am feeling insecure in a relationship. I think the tendency is to do one of two things: to pull away from the person, or to seek to be closer than usual. James and John did the latter.
Preachers often give James and John a hard time for their request because it is a bit selfish, but I wonder how we would see this story if we chose a different perspective. We know what they did not know, that there is room for everyone at God’s table, and that we don’t need to convince God to save a special place for us.
Jesus is full of compassion, and his love for us is based on the fact that he himself is love. We do not need to hide from God, and we do not need to push to get closer to God. We can be confident in God’s love.