Being The Greatest

Being The Greatest

The Life – part 11

The Practice Of Servanthood

Read Mark 9:30-35

PICTURE – the scene… Jesus has just told the disciples about what was going to happen to Him in Jerusalem. HOW - he was going to be betrayed in to the hands of men, HOW - they would kill Him and how after 3 days he would rise from the dead (it is only the second time that he shared these things with them)…. NOW – the text tells us that the 12 didn’t get it, they didn’t understand what Jesus said, YOU SEE - it didn’t make sense to them, it didn’t fit with their view of the kingdom. BUT, they didn’t ask for any clarification, I think, for fear that it would be given AND that then things would make sense.

AFTER – telling them after his betrayal and death, they head off to Capernaum… Jesus is walking up in front of them. AND – the 12 begin to argue with each other. INTERESTINGLY – they are not fighting over who it is that will betray Jesus BUT rather they are fighting about who among them would be the greatest.

Jesus walks ahead of them in silence… He is on his way to his sacrificial and cruel death on the cross – while his straggling disciples push and shove, trying to establish the order of the processional behind them… “I’m the greatest, no I am, no get out of the way it’s me…”

YOU SEE – at this point in their walk with Christ – the disciples still have visions of grandeur and they therefore do not fantasize about becoming servants, who are at everyone’s beck and call. NO – are still too puffed-up with selfish ambition to even think about taking up a cross and following a suffering servant Messiah…

QUESTION – have you ever wondered what the conversation was like as they all jockeyed for position?

As always Peter was the first to speak up… “Come on guys you all know that I should be the greatest; I was one of the first to follow Jesus, I am the one who got out of the boat and walked on water; and when Jesus wanted to know who we thought he was – it was me again giving the right answer, “you are the Christ the son of the living God..”

Then Andrew spoke up; “now Pete you must have forgotten about that ‘Get behind satan comment…’ Besides bro. If you my memory serves me, it was I who came to get you to follow Jesus, And when Jesus feed the 5,000 I was the one who brought to him the boys lunch…while the rest of you stood around with your mouths hanging open…”

“Hey guys” Matthew said, “that all sounds good, but I think you are forgetting something here - It is obvious that when Jesus establishes the kingdom he’ll need someone with great organizational skills – remember I was a tax collector… I have the skills to get this kingdom rolling.. There can be no doubt that this is way Jesus called me.”

Then James & John who always stuck together spoke up – “listen fellows it’s so obvious that my brother and I are to be the greatest… We were some of the first disciples and we were the only 2 brothers taking up to mount where the Lord’s glory was transfigured right before our eyes…And besides that my brother is obviously Jesus closest friend, the kind of friend you’d have look after your own mother..”

Another voice spoke up it was Judas… “Hey we all know how important money is in this world – can’t get anything done without it… AND listen - if Jesus has given me the job to handle our finances surely this means I am the greatest…”

AND – on & on it went…

WELL – whatever reason they gave – they all were arguing, they all wanted to be first… AND Jesus heard every word of it…

ONCE - they had finally settled down in the house. AS SOON AS - Jesus was close enough to look each of them in the eye… He asked them a question; “SO – what were you guys fighting about earlier today as we were walking along the road…” BUSTED…..

AND – those who earlier were so quick to spout off every reason in the world why they were the greatest – didn’t say a single word….their heads were lowered… they tried not too at Jesus.

“I am so glad that you all want so badly to have first place… (code A – on being the greatest) – because that means that you so desperately want to be a servant of all…”

TODAY – we are going to talk about the discipline of servanthood… AND – to be honest the message that I am about to share with you is not the message – I had thought I would be sharing when I first planned my messages for this series called, The Life…