Wednesday of the Second Week of Lent - March 7, 2012
Matthew 20:20 - 22
Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him.
“What is it you want?” he asked.
She said, “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.”
“You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said to them.
Very often, the beginning place of prayer is hearing Jesus ask, "What do you want?"
To that question we are invited to respond honestly, out of the way life really is for us -- as opposed to responding according to some religious script of what we think we should say or ask for.
Obviously, our honest response opens the door to some rather self-interested, even juvenile requests. But the honest, self-centered response is much to be preferred over the insincere, pious-sounding response. Jesus is more concerned with our honesty than with how pious our request sounds.
[This is the spirit of the psalms, which very often come across as self-referenced and partisan, but always honestly engage God with the real-life "what-life-looks-like-to-me".]
Notice also that our honest response to Jesus does not obligate him to grant our every wish -- as with the mother in this passage -- but it does begin the dialogue, and moves the relationship forward.
It's also important to note that this beginning place for prayer, "What do you want?", is not the ending place for prayer. It may get us going in conversation with God, but it also may eventually give way to other ways of being with God that are more about relationship and communion and less about request and fulfillment.
For today . . . in your prayer, hear Jesus ask, "What is it you want?" Then, tell God what you want. Tell God how it really is with you. Be honest. Don't filter your language or emotions. Just tell God how it feels to be you today. If that means asking for something, then ask. The main thing today is honesty with God.
Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him.
“What is it you want?” he asked.
She said, “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.”
“You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said to them.
Very often, the beginning place of prayer is hearing Jesus ask, "What do you want?"
To that question we are invited to respond honestly, out of the way life really is for us -- as opposed to responding according to some religious script of what we think we should say or ask for.
Obviously, our honest response opens the door to some rather self-interested, even juvenile requests. But the honest, self-centered response is much to be preferred over the insincere, pious-sounding response. Jesus is more concerned with our honesty than with how pious our request sounds.
[This is the spirit of the psalms, which very often come across as self-referenced and partisan, but always honestly engage God with the real-life "what-life-looks-like-to-me".]
Notice also that our honest response to Jesus does not obligate him to grant our every wish -- as with the mother in this passage -- but it does begin the dialogue, and moves the relationship forward.
It's also important to note that this beginning place for prayer, "What do you want?", is not the ending place for prayer. It may get us going in conversation with God, but it also may eventually give way to other ways of being with God that are more about relationship and communion and less about request and fulfillment.
For today . . . in your prayer, hear Jesus ask, "What is it you want?" Then, tell God what you want. Tell God how it really is with you. Be honest. Don't filter your language or emotions. Just tell God how it feels to be you today. If that means asking for something, then ask. The main thing today is honesty with God.
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