Seeking to Understand Rather Than To Be Understood
- davidwperk
- Feb 14
- 6 min read
Daily Office Devotional, Friday, February 14, 2025
The week of the fifth Sunday after Epiphany
The Rev. David W. Perkins, Th.D.
Key phrases for reflection from today’s reading:
32 They were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them; they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them what was to happen to him, 33saying, ‘See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death; then they will hand him over to the Gentiles; 34they will mock him, and spit upon him, and flog him, and kill him; and after three days he will rise again.’
35 James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to him and said to him, ‘Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.’ 36And he said to them, ‘What is it you want me to do for you?’ 37And they said to him, ‘Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.’
(You will find the full text of today’s Gospel reading at the end of this reflection.)
Lectionary readings (BCP, 946)
AM Psalm 88; PM Psalm 91, 92
Isa. 61:1-9; 2 Tim. 3:1-17; Mark 10:32-45
Today we celebrate the Feast of Cyril and Methodius. (See below.)
David’s Reflections
The prayer attributed to St. Francis of Assisi includes the petition: “Grant that we may not so much seek to . . . be understood as to understand.” In today’s Gospel, James and John could well have benefited from that prayer and it’s underlying attitude with regard to Jesus. He had just verbalized for the third time in Mark’s sequencing of the narrative his impending rejection and death. (See Mark 8 and 9 for the first two.) On the heels of that repeated revelation, James and John asked to be his two top political subordinates in a newly independent Israel. They seem to be assuming he would lead them to freedom from the Roman yoke.
The depth of their misunderstanding gets plumbed in Jesus’ retort, which climaxes with the statement, “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.” The statements leading up to that final aphorism completely subvert the normal political practices of the day, the ranking and exercising of power common to monarchy and dictatorship. Kings and emperors exercise power by coercion and intimidation, but the messianic community would exercise power by serving. Monarchy values status and position, whereas the messianic community would eschew all such concerns in favor of serving the “little ones” hungry and thirsty for God.
We could let our digital ink flow today on that topic—seeking to create Christian community with no sense of rank or priority established by tenure of membership, intelligence, social status, possessions, giftedness, attractiveness, winsomeness of personality, or ordination status. But, let’s spend that digital ink rather on the topic of misunderstanding.
I’ve griped a lot over the years about the ways in which members in churches I’ve served have misunderstood me. And, my fellow clergy have nodded in agreement and shared their own wounds. Yet, none of my wounds can compare with those of Jesus, who ran into misunderstanding at every turn. Had I spent more time trying to understand those who were misunderstanding me, I would have been living more in harmony with the spirit of St. Francis and with the Spirit of Jesus, and I may have experienced deepened relationships with those persons.
What difference would it make in our daily walk if we made this a core value? “I will seek to understand more than to be understood?” Would we listen more and talk less? Would we see beneath the words and actions of others to the fears and anxieties and wounds that might be driving their behaviors? Would we be more accepting and caring? Would we be less self-referenced? Would life be less about us and more about others? Can we avoid an inappropriate level of attempted empathy that relieves others of responsibility for their actions while seeking to understand more completely and relate more appropriately? That understanding and relating may still include calling people to accountability as Jesus did in this text. Yet, we would be doing so out of a deeper understanding.
Such actions and responses would find us living into Jesus’ words, “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve.” Oh, yes . . . and such action capture the spirit of St. Francis. “Grant that we may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.” Amen. (BCP, 833).
Collect of the Day, Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany
Set us free, O God, from the bondage of our sins, and give us the liberty of that abundant life which you have made known to us in your Son our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (BCP, 216)
Today we celebrate the Feast of Cyril (died 14 Feb 869 CE) and Methodius (died 6 Apr 884 CE), missionaries to the Slavs.
Collect of the Feast of Cyril and Methodius
Almighty and everlasting God, who by the power of the Holy Spirit moved your servants Cyril and Methodius to bring the light of the Gospel to a hostile and divided people: Overcome all bitterness and strife among us by the love of Christ, and make us one united family under the banner of the Prince of Peace; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen
Of the Holy Cross, Especially suitable for Fridays
Almighty God, whose beloved Son willingly endured the agony and shame of the cross for our redemption: Give us courage to take up our cross and follow him; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (BCP, 253)
A Collect for the Presence of Christ
Lord Jesus, stay with us, for evening is at hand and the day is past; be our companion in the way, kindle our hearts, and awaken hope, that we may know you as you are revealed in Scripture and the breaking of bread. Grant this for the sake of your love. Amen. (BCP, 124)
A Collect for Mission
Everliving God, whose will it is that all should come to you through your Son Jesus Christ: Inspire our witness to him, that all may know the power of his forgiveness and the hope of his resurrection; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (BCP, 816-817)
Daily Office Gospel, Mark 10:32-45
32 They were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them; they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them what was to happen to him, 33saying, ‘See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death; then they will hand him over to the Gentiles; 34they will mock him, and spit upon him, and flog him, and kill him; and after three days he will rise again.’
35 James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to him and said to him, ‘Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.’ 36And he said to them, ‘What is it you want me to do for you?’ 37And they said to him, ‘Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.’ 38But Jesus said to them, ‘You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?’ 39They replied, ‘We are able.’ Then Jesus said to them, ‘The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; 40but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.’
41 When the ten heard this, they began to be angry with James and John. 42So Jesus called them and said to them, ‘You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. 43But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, 44and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. 45For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.’
Daily Prayer Offices in The Book of Common Prayer
Morning Prayer, Rite 2, page 75, Book of Common Prayer
Noonday Prayer, p. 103, Book of Common Prayer
Order of Worship for Evening (Vespers), p. 109, Book of Common Prayer
Evening Prayer, Rite 2, page 115, Book of Common Prayer
Compline (Night Prayer), Page 127, Book of Common Prayer
Daily Devotionals, page 136, Book of Common Prayer
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