Please read the passage before the homily.
You know that the Gentiles lord it over people. Gentiles here is a code word. It means the Romans.
The Romans were the conquering people, the people who colonized the Jewish people, taxing them and taking their liberties away from them, crucifying their men, abusing their children, lording it over them and making their authority felt. The Gentile Romans were not so nice people.
What was Christ’s way? He submitted to the overlording Romans, became obedient to death, even death on a cross. By his submission he undid the power of the Gentiles.
Gentiles is a code word in our time. It stands for all those who abuse their power over others. Gentiles are politicians who walk over others to get elected, engage in insider trading, and pass laws favoring their own party. They want to build super-majorities for themselves in their legislatures to overcome vetoes. They bring in money from other jurisdictions to win elections.
Gentiles is a code word for us, when we guard our treasures from other people, when we refuse to give alms, when we hoard our time and lives from those who need or demand our presence. It is we who are Gentiles when we refuse the baptism or cup of submission to the good of others and refuse the call to assist others. It is we who are Gentiles when we give others as a ransom for us. It is we who are Gentiles when we want to be great over others or want others to serve us.
Jesus warned James and John as well as the rest of the disciples not to be like the Gentiles, but to be like him himself, giving us self for the ransom of others.