4.8.22 National Cathedral Morning Prayer

[Music] [Music] good morning i'm jan ko provost to the cathedral and it's my delight to welcome you to our service this morning on friday april the 8th let us pray lord god you've brought us in safety to this new day preserve us with your mighty power that we may not fall into sin nor be overcome by adversity and in all we do direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose through jesus christ our lord amen the scripture appointed for today is taken from the gospel of mark the 10th chapter beginning at the 32nd verse they were on the road going up to jerusalem and jesus was walking ahead of them they were amazed and those who followed were afraid he took the 12 aside again and began to tell them what was to happen to him saying see we are going up to jerusalem and the son of man will be headed over to the chief priests and the scribes and they will condemn him to death then they will hand him over to the gentiles they will mock him and spit upon him and flog him and kill him and after three days he will rise again james and john the sons of zebedee came forward to him and said to him teacher we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you and he asked he said to them what is it you want me to do for you and they said to him grant us to sit one at your right hand and one at your left in your glory but jesus said to them you do not know what you were asking are you able to drink the cup that i drink or be baptized with the baptism that i am baptized with they replied we are able then jesus said to them the cup that i drink you will drink and with the baptism with which i am baptized you will be baptized but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant but it is for those for whom it has been prepared when the ten heard this they began to be angry with james and john so jesus called them and said to them you know that among the gentiles those whom they recognize is their rulers lorded over them and their great ones are tyrants over them but it's not so among you but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all but the son of man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many what is it you want me to do for you jesus says james and john the sons of zebedee it's the very same question jesus will pose to blind bartimaeus if you keep reading in the gospel of mark suffice it to say that the answer supplied by those three men are pretty radically different james and john want to sit at jesus right and left hand wrangling for prime real estate when jesus comes into his glory blind bartimaeus asked that he might see again and scripture tells us that his sights restored and from that moment forward he follows jesus on the way in the attention of those two responses i invite you to consider how would you answer that question what do you want me to do for you the sons of zebedee remind me not only of washington d.c empower struggles and wrangling for who's up who's down who's the greatest but even more specifically from the days in which i served in the white house there are some things that are very public about the goings-on in the white house there are many things that are not and one that reminds me so much of the scripture is what happens after a president is elected and before the president is sworn in this is behind the scenes and quite high drama it is the wrangling that goes on for where one's office is going to be and suffice it to say there is no lack of palace intrigue when it comes to those who are wrangling and pushing and elbowing and persuading and cajoling and lining up all their supporters to get an office in the west wing the closer to the oval office the better it doesn't matter if it's the size of a closet proximity matters it's real estate agents love to say location location location and so when i think of james and john the sons of zebedee or as one commentary writer quips the sons of entitlement i always go back to that memory so before we get too sanctimonious about how we might answer that question i invite you to go a little more deeply and you might just see some of yourself in those disciples are we that different from james and john jesus took these occasions as a teachable moment and note that he didn't disparage them he tried to teach them and he said you're missing the point i have come and for those who follow me you are those to be served to serve others not to be ones who were served jesus stated it very directly that he came not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many this coming sunday is palm sunday when we see jesus make his humble journey into jerusalem knowing what was ahead of him that he would in fact offer up his life for you and for me and for all those who follow us a ransom for many we're in the closing days of lent i invite you once again to consider how would you answer jesus question what do you want me to do for you amen and now i invite you to join me in the prayer our savior christ taught us our father who art in heaven hallowed be thy name thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil for thine is the kingdom in the power and the glory forever and ever amen a prayer of self-dedication almighty and eternal god so draw our hearts to you so guide our minds so fill our imaginations so control our wills that we may be holy yours utterly dedicated to you and then use us we pray as you will and always to your glory in the welfare of your people through our lord and savior jesus christ amen the lord bless you and keep you the lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you the lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace this day and always in the name of the father and of the son and of the holy spirit amen [Music] [Music] you

Channel: Washington National Cathedral

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Length: 11min 47sec (707 seconds)

Published: Fri Apr 08 2022