This Sunday’s readings give a threefold view of Jesus and his teachings. The letter to the Hebrews, written about AD 63, was originally attributed to St Paul, but it is generally agreed now that this is not the case; the author was possibly a follower of his. His Greek is one of the best in the New Testament. The epistle is aimed at a Jewish Christian audience which has perhaps lost its original fervour. The main themes are Christ as High Priest, his humanity and his sacrifice for the forgiveness of sin.
In the gospel, James and John are imitating the behaviour of those who wished to rise in that society. They probably had witnessed many examples of social climbing. In a court, proximity to the monarch was essential to those with ambition. Jesus taught them that, in his court, service to others is what counts. Isaiah had already depicted the suffering servant. We do not know whether this figure represented the nation of Israel or just one individual. However, the picture drawn by Isaiah became a reality in Jesus, who gave the perfect example of service. “Being found in human form, Jesus humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death - even death on a cross.” (Phil. 2:8-11)