Work for a good seat

Jesus, teach me to help other people here if I want to "help myself" to heaven! 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."

Who are the most famous religious people in the world? Besides Jesus, the list would have to include Pope John Paul II and Mother Teresa. But what did they do to get so famous? The Pope didn't invent anything; Mother Teresa didn't sing a hit song or make the Guinness Book of World Records.

Jesus didn't do those things, either -- and in this week's Gospel (Mark 10:35-45), He tells the Apostles that real fame has more to do with hard work than acting all important.

The Pope is celebrating his 25th anniversary as pope this year. There's even a whole list in the middle of this issue of The Evangelist of all the places he's visited and things he's done. But the list is really about just meeting people and talking to them about God and how the Pope sees God working in the world.

That's what Jesus hoped James and John would see: that if they wanted to be famous and sit next to Him in heaven someday, they could start by doing what Jesus did. Jesus made Himself a servant. He didn't take over countries or make inventions; He went around talking to people about God and helping them get closer to Him.

The Pope and Mother Teresa are probably two of the most famous people in the world, but they got there by serving other people. They took Jesus' advice to James and John (and us): to get to heaven, start working hard on Earth!