Text: Mark 10:35-45
Prayer:
O Gracious God, take my lips and speak through them, take our minds and think through them, yet take our hearts and set them on for, for your Kingdom’s sake. Amen.
One theologian writes, “God did not save us to be a sensation. God saved us to be servants.”
Today’s gospel reading provides a remarkable contrast between sensation and servant. In this reading we hear the story of two of Jesus’ disciples, James and John, who make the request to Jesus to receive a position of prominence in the Kingdom: “Let one of us sit at your right, and one at your left in Glory” they ask of Jesus. The disciples’ impudence and lack of understanding is beyond belief. How could two people who are so close to Jesus miss the boat so completely? Did they forget the encounter with the rich man that occurred just before their request? Or the encounter with the little children? And have they not heard Jesus’ own prediction of what was soon to happen to him? In light of all of this, their request is truly astounding.
And it angers their fellow disciples. But what seems to anger the other disciples is not so much that James and John have misunderstood Jesus’ teachings – which could perhaps be justified – but that James and John went to Jesus requesting a place of power ahead of the rest of them. The other disciples do not seem to be acting out of righteous indignation; rather, it appears that they are jealous. And Jesus’ loving response to them all is to take the opportunity to contrast earthly greatness with divine greatness. Earthly greatness is defined as having power over, whereas divine greatness is defined as being servant to.
Today, there are examples all around us of the secular quest for greatness and its often accompanying spectacular fall. There are examples of individuals, but our country’s growing credit-card debt hints at how widespread the problem is, and how far we go to seek to impress the ‘Jones.’
In contrast to worldly greatness, to be great in God’s eyes is to be a servant modeled after Jesus’ own life of service. For many listeners, the story of James and John is disconcerting because if James and John, who knew Jesus personally, couldn’t incorporate his teachings into their lives, how on earth are we to do so?
These stories are a reminder for many of us that, try as we might, all too often our actions are more reflective of motivations of the secular world than the divine.
So how do we become better servants?
One way is by making sure that the motivation for our service is love. Eighteenth-century Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Secker said, “God has three sorts of servants in the world: some are slaves, and serve God from fear; others are hirelings, and serve for wages; and the last are sons [and daughters], who serve because they love.” In the week ahead, as we seek to serve God, let us check our motivation. Divine servant hood is always motivated by love.
Another way to become better servants is by being truly mindful of who it is that calls us to serve. We should remember that in all things we serve God and God alone. I am forever aware of the Scriptural imperative – Seek first the Kingdom of God and everything else will fall into place. By becoming more aware of God’s presence in everyday life, we can strive to understand that all we do is somehow of God. With my current cancer diagnosis, I have been deeply reflecting upon what is important and what is just superficial. I recalled one of my favourite if haunting quotes from the church fathers: St. John Chrysostom wrote, “If you knew how quickly people would forget you after your death, you would not seek in your life to please anyone but God.”
Keeping God in our minds as often as we can, even the most mundane tasks that might not usually be associated with our spiritual lives can be viewed as service.
A third way to become better servants is by ensuring that our church is a “servant church.” Theologian Karl Barth discusses such churches in his book Dogmatics in Outline. Barth describes the living church as one that:
“Proclaims the Gospel to every creature. The Church runs like a herald to deliver the message. It is not a snail that carries its little house on its back and is so well off in it that only now and then it sticks out its feelers and then thinks that the claim of publicity has been satisfied. No, the Church lives by its commission as herald. Where the Church is living, it must ask itself whether it is serving this commission or whether it is a purpose in itself.”
So, it begs the question of us this morning, Is our congregation a living servant church? Do we have a clear understanding that we exist in service to Jesus? Do all our actions stem from Jesus’ commission to proclaim the gospel? Do our worship services, community outreach, and activities all have the possibility to transform those they touch? If not, then perhaps it might be time for us to begin a conversation about refocusing on Christ’s divine purpose for our congregation, because, after all, the mission of the church is the mission of Jesus Christ.
The story of James and John is disconcerting because even the most pious listeners can see a bit of themselves in the story. How many of us are able to truly base our lives and actions on the divine definition of greatness – servant hood?
Fortunately, this story closes with a message of hope. Jesus proclaims that the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. Jesus promises us that although we will all fall short, through his death we are redeemed. How we understand the atonement is the stuff of other sermons but for now, let us realise that this is truly the Good News. The Lord be with you