It’s Only Natural

My desire to be famous (i.e. influential, powerful, important) is not all that uncommon. In the first of the synoptic gospels to be written, Mark relates the story of the sons of Zebedee, James and John, coming to Jesus with the request to hold positions of honor when the Master comes into his glory (Mark 10:35-45). This personal quest can easily generalize into whole populations wanting to believe that they are the “chosen” or “favored” ones, a phenomenon which can be found in virtually every society, culture, and civilization since the dawn of humankind. Joseph Sizoo’s challenge: "Let it never be forgotten that glamour is not greatness; applause is not fame; prominence is not eminence. The man of the hour is not apt to be the man of the ages. A stone may sparkle, but that does not make it a diamond. A man may have money, but that does not make him a success;" is difficult to accept when for many of us the goal in life is to be Number One. Humility is apparently quite unnatural to the human scheme of things, and this may serve to initiate a discussion of why Jesus’ teachings border on the incomprehensible.