Is that really okay?

Jesus, help me think before I say, "That's okay!" Amen.

James and John told Jesus, "We want to sit next to you in heaven." Jesus said, "You'd have to suffer like me." "That's okay," they said. Jesus told them, "Well, you will suffer like me, but I can't give you the best seats in heaven. Only my Father can decide that. Besides, if you want to be the best, serve others like I do."

"If you don't go to bed now, you'll be exhausted tomorrow," your parents warn you. "That's okay," you say cheerfully. Who cares about tomorrow? You want to watch TV tonight!

"I have to study for that science test. Don't you?" a friend says. "That's okay," you shrug. "I'll study on the bus in the morning."

If those scenes sound familiar, you're not the first kid to say something's okay without really thinking about it. In this week's Gospel (Mark 10:35-45), the Apostles try that -- but Jesus doesn't let them get away with it!

The morning after you said it was okay not to sleep or study enough, you probably regretted it. When you said, "That's okay," you were only thinking about what you wanted at the moment, not what would happen tomorrow. Then, when you really were exhausted or unprepared for a test, you couldn't believe you made that choice!

James and John were like that: daydreaming about how great it would be to have the best places in heaven. When Jesus reminded them that they'd have to suffer to get there, they just said, "That's okay."

The two Apostles weren't thinking about suffering; they were too busy fantasizing! But Jesus reminded them that to get rewards, you have to do some hard work.

The same is true for kids. To have a good day tomorrow, you need to sleep tonight, even if you don't see everything on TV. To do well on a test, you have to study, even if it means less time with friends.

And if you're trying to make a decision like that, it helps to think of the last time you said, "That's okay," like James and John. Were you really okay with what you were "okaying"?