“Who’s Number One?”
Mark 9:33-37
I love that the writers of the Gospels included this story.
It teaches us so much, and it also holds a mirror up to me—perhaps to all of us as human beings.
There is no place for judgment here, for who of us hasn’t found ourselves vying for the best places, the highest places, the places of most recognition and honor in the Kingdom of God?
Ambition is a very good thing as long as it is not twisted up with pride, ego and the myriad of other things that ruin us and get us in all kinds of trouble.
Yes, ambition well placed is good…like just about everything else.
Misplaced, it can be ruinous, evil.
So, in our Gospel Lesson Jesus starts by asking the disciples: “What were you arguing about on the road?”
Now, we might want to know, “on the road to where?”
Well, on the surface, their argument took place on the way through Galilee to a house in Capernaum.
But, in the larger context of things, their argument took place on the way to Jerusalem and the Cross.
Jesus had just finished telling them, for the second time, that He will be betrayed and killed and after three days He will rise.
But when they hit the road they start arguing about who is the greatest.
Perhaps, they were boasting about which of them had spent the most time with Jesus, or maybe which one had seen the greatest miracle.
Maybe they were arguing about which one of them had done the most work, who was Jesus’ favorite, who deserved the most appreciation and the greatest reward.
In any event, what Jesus has been teaching them…
…what Jesus has been talking about appears to have had little influence on them in this regard.
Have you ever felt like that in your own life?
Have you ever found yourself arguing about human, worldly greatness when you have been taught otherwise, know otherwise…
…but still desire that kind of greatness non-the-less?
Do you ever find yourself comparing yourself to others…
…trying to out-do others in unhealthy ways?
Do you ever try and “up” your self-esteem by buying a car to impress others, a house, expensive clothing or trying to compete for greatness in other ways?
I think we all do this sometimes.
And if we are trying to follow Christ…
…if we know better…
…it really isn’t a fun place to be.
Notice that when Jesus asks the disciples what they were arguing about on the road we are told: “They kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest.”
So, they knew better, didn’t they?
And Jesus isn’t hard on them.
He doesn’t yell and scream.
He doesn’t condemn them or tell them that they are bad, bad, bad.
Instead, Jesus uses this as a teaching moment.
“Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, ‘If anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.’”
Now, this is something most of us don’t hear every day.
And, I think we can picture the disciples’ blank faces when Jesus says this radical, other-worldly thing.
So, to make His point Jesus picks out a little child, probably one of the children of His hosts, takes that child in His arms and plops him or her down right in the middle of their discussion.
Then He said to them: “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.”
And I think Jesus is using this child as a “for instance.”
Do you know what I mean?
It could have been anyone who is dependent on the care of others, anyone on the margins, anyone who is vulnerable, anyone who can’t pay us back for what we do.
Remember what Jesus said the marks of true discipleship are in Matthew Chapter 25:31-46?
“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat…thirsty and you gave me something to drink…a stranger and you invited me in.
I needed clothes and you clothed me.
I was sick and you looked after me.
I was in prison and you visited me.”
Doing things for people who can’t pay us back, will not be able to give us worldly success or fortune…
…but just doing them for the sake of Christ, in the name of Christ…
…in the name of love…
…for the sake of love…
…without expecting a reward…
…that is a mark of true greatness.
At the first Church where I was a Pastor I went to visit some first-time guests.
And as they were letting me in, they told me how welcome they had been made to feel and how impressed they were that members of the church had sent them letters welcoming them and thanking them for worshiping with us.
Surprised, since we didn’t have some official group who had been asked to do this or had been tasked with doing this, I asked if I could see the letters and who sent them.
And sure enough, there were several cards and notes from members of the church who had taken the initiative, had taken it upon themselves—not looking for recognition or reward—to encourage and offer hospitality to people seeking a relationship with the church, and perhaps with Jesus Christ Himself.
They weren’t going to get any human accolades from doing this.
If I hadn’t been told about it from some people who had received them, I’d have never know.
It was between them and God.
They were welcoming the stranger.
They were fulfilling the Scriptures.
They were welcoming Jesus to their church.
How sad and yet how human it is when we—disciples of Jesus Christ argue over who is greatest.
It’s sad but not really surprising.
Power and rank are important parts of our lives.
They are instilled very early on.
But, thank the good Lord: the standards of the Kingdom of God are not the standards of the world.
Whereas the world follows a pyramid structure that gets more narrow at the top, Jesus turns the whole thing upside down by saying that the greatest will be the least…
…because greatness is found in those who can forget about themselves and reach out in service to others for the sake of Christ and Christ alone.
It makes no sense at all by worldly standards and values, but it is the Truth.
The way of the world is the Lie.
And so, Jesus’ lesson here in Mark Chapter 9 is about humility.
And when it comes down to it, humility is one of the most important qualities for a follower of Christ to have.
Actually, it could be argued that without humility how can we be truly following Jesus Christ at all?
Sadly, pride is our natural inclination.
And it originates from our twisted sinful nature.
It is a weapon of the devil.
Pride starts wars.
Pride excludes others.
Pride shows nothing but contempt for others.
Pride is completely focused on self and therefore, cannot be focused on God and neighbor.
Think about it, our world is obsessed with status, and this causes incalculable hurt.
In our world, people are measured by ridiculous things such as the color of our skin, the way we dress, how much money we have, whether we are good looking or not—you name it.
And folks pick who they will sit with at the lunch table or the church supper table based on these things as well.
Because, after-all, we are judged by who we are associated with, or so we often think.
How sad.
Do you know who Jesus associated with when He was on this earth?
The sinners, the outcastes, the marginalized, prostitutes, lepers, the unclean.
And when He took up His—literal-Cross He was associating Himself with the worst of criminals—those put to death by the state for their crimes.
And while on the Cross, He was flanked on either side by two criminals, one mocking Him, the other begging for His mercy.
And you know Who Jesus was representing on that Cross?
Jesus was representing you and me and all the other people since time began.
All the sinners, which is every single one of us.
All the outcastes, all the criminals, the Law-Breakers, the vulnerable, those unable to save themselves—those deserving of death.
That’s you and me.
Jesus, the only One Who never sinned, the only Innocent Person to ever live—humbled Himself more than anyone at anytime and in any place ever has and ever can and ever will.
He did this because He loves us.
He died the death we deserve—the death of a Law-breaker in order to break the bonds of sin and death.
He bled for you and for me.
He took the beatings for you and for me.
When they whipped Him and spat on Him and called Him all kinds of names, He didn’t retaliate—He didn’t demand His rights.
But He humbled Himself to death, even death on a Cross and showed Himself to be the ULTIMATE SERVANT—the Servant of you and even me.
We, therefore have absolutely nothing to boast about, except for boasting in the Lord.
Boasting in His mercy, boasting in His love, His grace, His forgiveness…
…boasting in His greatness, for He is the first because He is the very last, and the Servant of all!!!
Jesus’ call to discipleship is a call to a life of radical humility and service; it follows the pattern of Jesus’ own life.
And there is nothing more beautiful.
In order to more fully follow Jesus, we must intentionally get out of the way—and allow Jesus to be first.
We must become less; He must become more.
And this is not easy.
Perhaps it is the hardest thing we will ever do.
To humble ourselves does not come naturally.
All of Jesus’ teachings are challenging to us:
“Love your enemies.
Do good to those who persecute you.
Forgive one another.”
They are all challenging and they all require humility to be carried out.
To accept Jesus as Savior and Lord, we are saying to ourselves and to the world that we are no longer defined by Satan’s list of rules for successful living.
In Jesus, we are part of a new social order centered around Jesus.
We are like that child, embraced by Christ.
And Jesus’ embrace frees us to love and serve all people, no matter who they are or what they look like.
Jesus embrace frees us to serve all people with no eye on any worldly reward.
As Jesus Christ’s Church, let’s ask ourselves this morning:
How are we doing with measuring our success, our greatness, not by what we take in but by what we give away?
Not by the influence we have but by the service we offer?
Not by accumulating more but by sharing what we have?
Not by tooting our own horn, but by pointing others to a saving relationship with Jesus Christ?
Not by trying to make our church the biggest and wealthiest in town, but by seeking to serve in humility in love and truth, and thus lifting up all churches, all ministries and first and foremost—Jesus Christ our Lord, Who is the FIRST, the GREATEST, the VERY LAST, the ULTIMATE SERVANT of ALL.
Praise God.
Amen.
