The shortened reading at daily mass today really lessens the degree of disappointment you feel in Momma Zebedee for asking for a prominent place in Jesus's kingdom for her sons.
The previous verses are Jesus explaining to the disciples how He will suffer and be sacrificed. And then you follow that up with a request for glory and power?
It feels like a teacher moment. The "How are they not getting this?" moment. Sometimes it's your fault -- you haven't been as clear as you think, you've taken some foundational knowledge they don't have for granted. And sometimes it's just the sheer frustration of not being able to take the leap of intuition for them.
That one happens a lot in theatre. I've come to the place where I've given them everything I can -- right about this time in a production, actually. I've given them blocking and character and now, well, they'll take the leap, they'll do the work...or they won't. And we'll have a mediocre show.
Jesus is doing everything He can to prepare His disciples not only for His own suffering but for their own. And they don't get it. Jesus is so patient. So patient His title of Teacher was well-chosen indeed. Because sometimes there are things they don't get until they happen.
It feels strange to be sympathizing with Jesus in this human, teachery way. But I suppose that was a large part of the point of Him coming down to join us.
Plus, to give the apostles credit, Jesus is completely breaking the code of not just the false messiahs running about the place at the time, but also of the true prophets throughout the Old Testament. He is trying to teach us that the world is different than we knew. The world is better than we knew, or at least God is. But even so it's a hard lesson. We've done a lot of work, literally since birth, to get a stable picture of the world in place.
Boy do we fight back when someone challenges it. Even for the better.
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