29th Sunday of Ordinary Time [B]

 


29TH SUNDAY, ORDINARY TIME [B]


Upon hearing the name of “Rapunzel,” you will immediately begin thinking about the length of her hair. Next, you will think about the tower in which she resides. And finally, you will think about the prince who desires to marry her. You probably won’t give any thought to the subject of suffering. Nevertheless, suffering represents a critical aspect of the story. She resides in the tower…as a prisoner. She is being held captive by an evil witch. The evil witch appears more than once within the narrative, bringing hardship to both Rapunzel and also the prince. For his part, the prince finds himself being drawn to the tower by the sound of Rapunzel’s voice. She sings in order to pass the time. Unfortunately, the tower has no entrance. We know, however, that the prince will eventually gain entry by way of the window. Rapunzel voluntarily leans out of the window, allowing her train of hair to descend, reaching all the way to the ground. The prince promptly takes hold and begins climbing up. In this way, the inaccessible become accessible. 


Does this have any bearing on the plan of salvation? Consider how the plan opens: the Object of Our Desire being positioned well out of our reach. For all practical purposes, he might as well be lodged within a tower. It’s a seemingly inaccessible tower. Surprisingly, the Object of Our Desire will provide the means through which a satisfying encounter can take place. Effectively, the inaccessible will become accessible. It’s not his head of hair that is being lowered; rather, he lowers Himself. He lowers himself such that he can now be impacted by the experience of suffering. In other words, the plan of salvation actually calls for the Savior to take on the role of the suffering servant (see Isaiah 53:10-11). By doing so, he enters into a state of solidarity with the human race (see Heb. 4:14-16). We have a familiarity with the concept of suffering; now he becomes acquainted with the concept of suffering. 


As for this weekend’s Gospel selection, the spotlight will be shifting briefly to James and his brother John. Is Jesus the Object of their Desire? For the most part, yes. It can be said that they are pursuing a kind of communion with the person of Jesus. Regrettably, it’s a communion that will come at the expense of the remaining disciples (see Mk. 10:35-45). We have already noted the path that is being charted by Jesus. Meanwhile, James and John seem to be charting a very different path. They are sharing their plans for upward mobility with a Messiah who is very much in the process of lowering himself. It’s an incongruity that will be addressed and corrected by the time we reach the conclusion of this particular episode. 


Jesus makes it clear: You can’t be in communion with me unless you are likewise in communion with the path that I have adopted. It’s a path that includes the experience of humility and the experience of suffering. But it’s not limited to those realities. Like other paths, it’s going to lead you—somewhere. In truth, it leads you to where it is that you need to be. Rapunzel and the prince end up in each other’s arms. Where do we end up? According to Hebrews four, we will end up standing before the throne of grace (4:16). What does that mean for us? It means, quite simply, the happiest of all happy endings. 

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