HUMILITY, THE SIGN OF A TRUE DISCIPLE
MARK 9:30-37
--by R. David Reynolds
“Cathy Rigby was the hope of the United States Gymnastics Team at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, Germany. She had one goal in mind—excellence! Before the games began, she prayed for strength to move her through the routine without making a mistake.
“She performed well, but she did not win. Emotionally, she was crushed. She joined her parents in the stands, ready for a good cry. ‘I’m sorry,’ she said, ‘I did my best.’
“Today Cathy recalls ten words from her Mother that she will never forget. “Doing, your best is more important than being the best.’” [--H. B. London Jr. and Stan Toler, The Minister’s Little Devotional Book (Tulsa: Honor Books, 1997), 167].
That is the Gospel Truth, but it was a lesson the Disciples were slow to learn. It seems they always wanted to be the best, to outdo each other. In Matthew Chapter 20 we remember that Jesus’ Aunt, the Mother of His disciples James and John, came to Him with a request, “Command that in Your kingdom these two sons of mine may sit one on Your right and one on Your left” [--Matthew 20:21b]. Learning this, the other ten disciples were angry, for Matthew observes, “And hearing this, the ten became indignant with the two brothers. [--Matthew 20:24]. Even at the Last Supper envy and rivalry still stirred in their hearts according to Luke 22:24, “And there arose also a dispute among them as to which one of them was regarded to be greatest.” So here in our text this morning, the same sin causes tension in the Body of Christ, “But they kept silent, for on the way they had discussed with one another which of them was the greatest.”
[--Mark 9:34]. On more than one occasion the Twelve desired only to be the best, the top dog, number one in their Lord’s eyes and Kingdom.
How true that is of would be disciples and even entire Churches in 2003. We are programmed to be winners. I recently saw a neat documentary on the rigorous training one must overcome in order become a Navy Seal. There were four teams of trainees that were to navigate their inflatable raft over treacherous, high seas in a race to the beach. The team that came in first was congratulated by their training officer. The number two team was simply asked, “What does that make you?” Their captain responded, “First Looser, Sir.” How often do people remember the names of the silver or bronze medallists?
But Jesus declares such are not the motives of a true disciple. Greatness in the Kingdom of God is seen in humility, not in being number one. Humility is the sign of a true disciple, and those individuals and Churches who want to travel the Pathway of Discipleship walk in the spirit of servant hood and childlikeness with their Lord.
“Sitting down, He called the twelve and said to them, ‘If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all’” [--Mark 9:35].
There are two primary words in the New Testament that are translated into English as “servant.” The word “servant” in our text also means “a minister,” a “deacon,” and a “waiter at a meal.” It applies to all ministries of service to others. A true disciple, indeed a Church of disciples, by the power of the Holy Spirit becomes a servant to all God’s people. That disciple or that Church will fully exercise the spiritual gifts and talents God has given them for the good of their brothers and sisters in Christ. All services are rendered in the selfless spirit of Jesus who is the prime example of servant hood. A portrait of true servant hood is painted for us by Peter in I Peter 4:10-11, “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, He should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.” The ministry of discipleship is all in the hands of Jesus, not our own, and it can only be accomplished “in the strength God provides.” All the glory, honor, and praise belong and go to Jesus, not to us.
Once again Oswald Chamber’s devotional yesterday spoke to my heart in this very area: “Being a disciple means deliberately identifying yourself with God’s interests in other people. Jesus says, ‘A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples if you have love for one another”
[John 13:34-35]. . . .The true expression of Christian character is not in good-doing, but in God-likeness. . . . God’s life in us expresses itself as God’s life, not as human life trying to be godly” [--James Reimann, ed., My Utmost for His Highest: An Updated Edition in Today’s Language (Grand Rapids: Discovery House Publishers, 1992), September 20th].
I remember when I first went to Marissa. The neighboring pastor, his family, and I were going together to the District Picnic and talking about his Church. He was concerned that a couple of teenagers had wanted to sing Frank Sinatra and Elvis’ hit “I Did It My Way.” Both of us had problems with that, for that is not the spirit of a Disciple of Jesus Christ. The Disciple never says, “I did it my way”; it must always be “I did it God’s Way” and to Him alone goes all the glory, honor, and praise.
The same is equally true for the Disciple Making Church. It can never be said, “We did it our way.” “For many years, Deborah Smith Douglas has attended midweek Eucharists at St. Bede’s Episcopal Church in Santa Fe, New Mexico. One thing she loves is the hand-lettered sign that hangs over the only door into the sanctuary: “SERVANT’S ENTRACE.” There isn’t any way in or out of that church except through the service door” [--Deborah Smith Douglas in The Other Side (May-June 1991). Christianity Today, Vol. 35, no. 10].
“One day Steven Cole was jogging in the forest near his house when a question popped into his mind: What about John Spurgeon?
“Not many people are losing sleep over that question, but Steven had been reading the autobiography of the famous British preacher Charles Haddon Spurgeon. He was asking the Lord to bless his ministry as He had Spurgeon’s. And then that question hit him, and he began to thinking about John Spurgeon.
“Until his recent reading, Steven had never heard of him. He was the father of Charles and was himself a pastor and the son of a pastor. Yet if his son had not achieved such fame as a preacher, John Spurgeon would have served the Lord faithfully, gone to his grave, and we would never have heard of him.
“Hundreds of pastors like him have walked with God, shepherded their flock for a lifetime, and gone to their reward without any notice in the sight of the world. As Steven jogged, he thought, ‘Would I be willing to serve God faithfully and raise up my children to serve Him, even if I never achieved any recognition? Even if no one but my own small congregation knew my name?’
“The more he thought about it, the more he realized, ‘Yes! That’s really what I want: to be faithful to the Lord in my personal walk, in my family, and in my shepherding of God’s flock.
“The Lord never says, ‘Well done, good and famous servant,’ but he does say, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant.’
Steven Cole concluded, as I do, “If God makes me as famous as Charles Spurgeon, that’s His business. My business is to be as faithful as John Spurgeon.” That is true of every real disciple and every effective Disciple Making Church. “If God makes our congregation large again, that’s His business; our only business is to be ‘faithful to Him.’”
The true disciple of Jesus is childlike in his walk and witness. Jesus concluded, “Whoever receives one child like this in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me does not receive Me, but Him who sent me.”
[--Mark 9:37]. Jesus is always elevating the place of children in His Kingdom: “But Jesus said, ‘Let the children alone, and do not hinder them from coming to Me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these”
[--Matthew 19:14]. “and whoever in the name of a disciple gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water to drink, truly I say to you, he shall not lose his reward” [--Matthew 10:42]. “And He called a child to Himself and set him before them, and said, ‘Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven” [--Matthew 18:2-3]. “To receive” means “to welcome kindly as welcoming a guest into your house with hospitality.” In offering kind hospitality to a child in the name of Jesus, we are actually receiving Jesus Himself. Whatever we do for the child, we do for Him. Not only does Jesus refer to little boys and girls as children, He also applied the name to His disciples earlier in Mark 9:24, “The Disciples were amazed at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, ‘Children, how hard it is to enter the Kingdom of God.’” Whenever we offer kindness, concern, and attention to any of God’s children no matter how old they happen to be, we are being His disciples and ministering to Jesus Himself.
Disciples not only reach out to children, they are childlike in their faith and relationship to Jesus as well. Colleen Townsend Evans reminds us, “Faith is an area where growing up means we must become more like a child” [--Colleen Townsend Evans, “Heart to Heart,” Today’s Christian Woman]. Or, as A. W. Tozer puts it, “Now, as always, God [discloses] Himself to “babes” and hides Himself in thick darkness from the wise and prudent. We must simplify our approach to Him. We must strip down to essentials (and they will be found to be blessedly few). We must put away all effort to impress, and come with the guileless candor of childhood. If We do this, without doubt God will quickly respond” [--A. W. Tozer in The Pursuit of God. Christianity Today, Vol. 38, n. 5].
“Robert Fulghum wrote in the Kansas City Times, “Most of what I really need to know about how to live, and what to do, and how to be, I learned in kindergarten. Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate school mountain, but there in the sandbox at nursery school.
“’These are the things I learned: Share everything. Play fair. Don’t hit people. Put things back where you found them. Clean up your own mess. Don’t take things that aren’t yours. Say you’re sorry when you hurt somebody. . . . When you go out into the world watch for traffic, hold hands, and stick together.’” [--Hugh Duncan, Moses Lake, Washington. Leadership, Vol. 9, no. 2)].
Fulghum is not that far off base from the teaching of Jesus when He said, ‘Unless you become like little children you won’t enter the kingdom of heaven.’”
The true disciple of Jesus and His Disciple Making Church are humble, childlike, servants. May this always be the pathway we follow, and may He always find us faithful in our servant hood.
