When I read this gospel, I found myself subconsciously judging James and John.  James and John want to sit on either side of Christ in heaven.  We know quite well that Christ will say, “The cup that I shall drink you shall drink and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you shall be baptized, but as for seats at my right hand or my left, these are not mine to grant; they belong to those to whom they have been allotted” (Mark 10:39-40).  Furthermore, Christ will go on to say, “No; anyone who wants to become great among you must be your servant, and anyone who wants to be first among you must be slave to all.  For the Son of man himself came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:42-45). 

When I read this the first time, I found myself thinking, “How stupid were you James and John…don’t you get it?  Christ is about humility.  You can’t ask for that kind of honor!”  Then, I reflected on the world they came from.  Every privilege in their society was allocated based on honor.  Huge respect stemmed from where they sat at the table. 
           
Then, I looked at my own life.  What does respect come from at Creighton University?  The first thing that comes to mind is grades.  We all think about them.  How high was that test score?  What grad school were you accepted into?  What is your future career going to hold?  Wait - are you getting your MD, MBA, or your Ph.D?  You’re getting your Mrs.?  Did you book St. John’s for the wedding?  You’re joining the Jesuits?  What?! 
           
The more I reflected, the more I realized that I am just as guilty as James and John in wanting a share of honor.  Yeah, maybe I know better than to ask Christ to sit at his right hand, but I keep asking Him for honors in my life.  I keep asking Him to help me do better in chemistry, not so much because I love it, but because I need it.  I need the honor to get me where?  Medical school.  I want this position.  I want to work in a lab.  I want to publish a prestigious paper.  I want a position in this club.  I want honor.  I keep asking God for earthly honors.  I am every bit as guilty as James and John of wanting honor and glory.  If you’re anything like me, perhaps you’re becoming aware of your own power trip as you read this.
           
So what now?  Christ’s gospel today is designed to bring us back to our senses.  Honor and power are certainly not intrinsically bad.  They are simply the natural consequences of passionate, humble love.  Well, what does this mean?  It means that if we live each day drinking Christ’s drink of love, passion, and humility Christ will take care of the rest.  The bottom line is that we aren’t all called to be CEOs.  We aren’t all called to be priests, and we aren’t all called to be rocket scientists.  Christ says, “The cup that I shall drink you shall drink, and with the baptism with which I shall be baptized you shall be baptized.”  However, no matter what title or role we are all called to play in this life, the result is the same.  If we live our lives with love and humility, Christ will take care of us; we will rise from the dead because we share in his baptism!  How cool is that?! 
           
He goes on to say, “but as for the seats at my right hand or my left, these are not mine to grant; they belong to those to whom they have been allotted.”  He’s almost saying, “Whoa!  James, John…chill out!  You’re going to heaven.  Who cares what honor you have?  You’re in heaven for crying out loud!” 
           
Our new Pope, Pope Francis is an excellent example to follow when we read this gospel.  Pope Francis was so humble that he rode the city bus to work.  As a Cardinal he lived in an apartment, and insisted upon cooking his own food.  He even lost the position of Pope to Cardinal Ratzinger during the last papal conclave.  Honor and power stem from Pope Francis’s humility.  He certainly did not grow up with the intention of becoming the Pope.  Likewise, we cannot live our lives for the sheer purpose of seeking power.  We have to live our lives as a gift of humility.  If power and honor follow our humility, great.  If not, God the father has a place at the heavenly banquet “allotted just for you,” and guess what?  It won’t matter what your title was or what honors you achieved.  The only thing that will matter is how deeply you humbled yourself loving those around you.