Gospel reflections – 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time
19 September 2021
Mark 9: 30-37
“If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last and servant of all.”
RETARDED?
I remember this story from a very inspiring novel entitled “Tuesdays with Morrie” …
In 1979, at a Massachusetts gymnasium where there was this inter-university sports competition, while all teams were shouting cheers like “We are number one! We’re the best among the rest! We’re the one and only number one!”, one old sociology professor, Morrie Schwartz, yelled over the din saying, “What’s wrong with being number two?” Then there was silence… but only for a while.
Yes, only for a while…because it seems that everywhere, since time immemorial until kingdom come, people have kept on shouting and striving to be the greatest, competing with all the rest just to be the best, the most powerful, aiming no matter how just to be the number one. It’s like all of us humans have been built in that way. It’s like there is that law from inside us and that pressure from outside us that demand that we be better than all the rest. Otherwise, we would not be good enough. Do you feel this too, at times? Welcome to our highly competitive world.
I’ve heard of a local version of the same story…
There was an inter-state sports competition in Sarawak. One athlete from Miri shouted, “We are number one!” Someone from Sibu rebutted, “No way! We are number one.” All the other athletes pushed for the same title, “We are number one!”… until one athlete from Kuching yelled, “What’s wrong with ‘having’ number two?” Ooops… I think that sounded very off. Good thing the girlfriend of that Kuching athlete was not there then. Otherwise, he may win a sports medal but he will never win his girl for his wife.
Seriously… we realise that we do live in a world where the pressure to be better than others is very prevalent, both consciously and unconsciously. A lot may even consider this to be necessary, more than just important. And people get seriously stressed because of such.
“I must be better than my siblings so mommy will love me.”
“I must be better than my classmates so teacher will praise me.”
“I must be better than my teammates so that coach will let me play.”
“I must be better than my colleagues so that boss would promote me.”
“I must be better than my dad so that he would be proud of me… but what if he would hate me more for this instead? Oh no…”
“I must be the prettiest girl so that guys would like me.”
“I must be sexier than my husband’s secretary so he would not dump me.”
“I must earn more than my wife so she would not leave me.”
“I must be the best teacher so students would admire me.”
“I must be the smartest in class so that ivy league uni will admit me.”
“I must be the best performer so that Simon would press the golden buzzer for me.”
“I must be the holiest priest so that people would look up to me.”
This list could get endless….
And this list could be in our hearts and minds… and that will surely make our hearts and minds restless… pointlessly restless… leading to stress… and more and more stress…
Maybe that is why we feel so stressed… because we live our lives as if we are always in a competition, where there is only one trophy… and only the first and the best gets it.
IF WE LIVE TO COMPETE, chances are, WE WILL ALWAYS FEEL INCOMPLETE. So stressful!
God knows that… that’s why in today’s Gospel, he reminds us that the real way to be the first is not as the world demands. Rather, it is as how Jesus commands. “If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last and servant of all.”
And as he commanded us to do so, he himself first of all did so. All the four Gospels abound with testimonies of this – how Jesus came not to be the first in the eyes of the world, he was even despised by the world, but to be the suffering servant of all, if only to save the whole world.
Jesus has taught us that THE WAY TO BE NUMBER ONE IS TO SERVE EVERYONE. “Saya pertama kerana saya berkidhmat semua.”
When was the last time you felt stressed (menekankan)? Was it also when you were trying to be better than someone? You try and try and give your best… and yet you feel your best isn’t good enough. You compete and compete and you feel so incomplete…. You feel more stressed, right?
That’s why the Lord says, “Enough, please! Stress no more.”
When was the last time you felt relaxed (mengendurkan)? Was it also when you were trying to serve someone? You help one and be kind to another one and you help another and show kindness to another… and deep inside you feel happy and fulfilled…. You feel more relaxed, right?
That’s why the Lord says, “More, please! Serve even more.”
If your motto is “I must be better than others.”… that will lead you to negative vibes, more stress feeling!
But if your motto is “I will serve others so things will get better.”… that will lead you to more good vibes, more serene feeling!
May I conclude with this true story, one I’ve read years ago but still recall up to now as its inspiration still moves my heart deeply…
It happened in 1976 during the Special Olympics (one for differently abled athletes) in Spokane, Washington. In the track and field event, while all contestants were running, one of them stumbled and fell. Upon seeing this, one of the runners, one with a Down Syndrome, though she was running ahead, stopped and turned back to help the one who fell. She carried him up and together, with arms linked, they crossed the finish line. The crowd stood, applauding for some time, some with tears they could not contain. For helping someone in need, she did not win the race but she surely has won the hearts of all in that stadium… and mine as well… and hopefully yours too.
And we call such people ‘retarded’?
If so, how I wish people would call me ‘retarded’ too.
Fr Ramon Borja, SDB
Commission for Youth
