St. Joseph of the Lakes

The mother of Zebedee’s children (James and John) came to Jesus with her sons. She got down on her knees before Jesus to ask something of Him.  He said to her, “What do you want?” She said, “Say that my two sons may sit, one at Your right side and one at Your left side, when You are King.” Jesus said to her, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to take the suffering that I am about to take? (*Are you able to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?)” They said, “Yes, we are able.”  He said to them, “You will suffer as I will suffer. But the places at My right side and at My left side are not Mine to give. Whoever My Father says will have those places.”  (Mt 20:20-23) 

Then two bandits were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left.  (Mt 27:38)

I have been blinded by my own unwillingness to enter fully into the Kingdom of God made present in Jesus’ crucifixion, to the remarkable fulfillment of Jesus’ prophesy to the mother of James and John. She is living where I want to live; in a world that puts Jesus as the One set aside to be ruler of Jerusalem and the world. She envisions a glorious moment where all will be bowing before Jesus and those he chooses to share His reign with. Jesus’ answer to her is clear and abrupt: “the places at my right side and left side are not mine to give. Whoever My Father says will have those places.”  I want to look past the “minor inconvenience” of His crucifixion to see what the mother of Zebedee’s sons saw; the glorious reign of God. 

Yet, on that day, Good Friday as we call it, Jesus came into his kingdom as he was lifted on the cross. Beside him were two no-account criminals. During their time hanging on their crosses one joined the crowd’s howling taunts telling Jesus to save himself and them as well. The other (whom we call the good thief) attempts to silence the first thief saying: “we are guilty, but this one is innocent.” He turns to Jesus and asks: “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” (Luke 23:39-43)

The Kingdom of God is inaugurated in the complete self-giving of Jesus, who let go of any and all control as he is crucified. The two criminals, who hang one on his right the other on his left, are hardly noted. As time goes by and the followers of Christ continue the work Jesus began with his death on the cross there is a name assigned to the “good thief”, we call him Dismas. Over the years the Church Fathers contemplating Dismas’ faith from the cross ask:  “What exhortation persuaded him to the faith? What teaching instilled it? What preacher kindled it? He had not seen the miracles performed previously; the healing of the sick had ceased; the giving of sight to the blind, the recalling of the dead to life, the things that were about to happen had not taken place yet, and he still confesses Christ to be the Lord, whom he saw to be a partaker of his own suffering. Hence came this gift, hence this faith received its answer.” (St. Leo Serm.ii de Pass)