DAILY HOMILIES #Sons of Zebedee

When James and John asked for these special seats, Jesus tried to discourage them by asking: “Are you able to drink the chalice that I drink, or to be baptised with the baptism with which I am baptised?” Without asking Him to explain the meaning of the chalice or the baptism, James and John said, “We are able.” As the saying goes, talk is cheap, but actions speak louder than words.

The Price of heaven is simple: Keep God’s commandments. This was Jesus’ instruction to the rich man Last Sunday. The second step is detachment. The entrance into heaven is like the “Eye of a Needle.” We cannot pass through this gate with our luggage. Today, Jesus mentions a third step – the sacrifice of one’s very life for the good of others. Jesus asked James and John, “Are you able to drink the cup that I drink or to be baptised with the baptism with which I am baptised?” (Mark 10:38).