For the Fifth Sunday in Lent, both the second reading from Hebrews 5:1-10 and the Gospel from Mark 10:(32-34) 35-45 refer to the sufferings of Christ. They foreshadow the upcoming readings for Palm Sunday and Holy Week. Hebrews 5 speaks of Christ as both high priest and divine Son. Despite His divine majesty, Jesus humbly obeyed and suffered. In this way, He acted as the eternal high priest who is the source of salvation.
In Mark 10: 32-34, Jesus makes a third prediction to the disciples about His suffering, death, and resurrection at Jerusalem. Of course, as on many occasions in the Gospels, the disciples do not really understand or accept Jesus' teachings. Their misunderstanding is illustrated in a stark way in Mark 10: 35-45. The brothers James and John want Jesus to grant them special places of honor and power in His kingdom. Even at this late stage of Christ's ministry, they ignore the predictions of the cross and look for worldly success. The other disciples are no better. They resent James and John for trying to get a better situation, but they do not really get the point about Jesus or the implications of following Him. So our Lord emphasizes the nature of His leadership. He has come to serve and to suffer and die for human sin. Those who wish to follow Him must also be ready to serve and to suffer for the Gospel.
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