Sermon: Looking for power in all in the wrong places (Oct. 18, 2015)

Pentecost 21B

October 18, 2015

Mark 10:35-45

            I don’t normally follow politics very closely, but like many Americans, I suddenly become very interested when we are nearing a presidential election. In these years, I soak it up: I read about candidates’ policies, I listen with interest as Michael tells me what the latest polls are saying (he’s sort of an election nerd), I watch debates and read the commentaries afterward. All this is very interesting… but one thing I really hate about election season is how the candidates’ hunger for power turns into mudslinging, lies, speaking poorly about everyone else and generally doing whatever it takes to get ahead. There are some candidates in particular this season who seem only to dwell on how great, powerful, and successful they are and how terrible everyone else is, often making low blows to people’s character and even their appearance in the process. Maybe this tactic works for

2016 Presidential candidates

some voters, but I find for me, it leaves a really bad taste in my mouth.

            Politics is often like this, though, isn’t it? And especially for a presidential election, the stakes are so high because so much power is involved, and the result is even more power-mongering behavior than usual. And with media – both traditional media and social media – we are even more aware of this behavior. But the truth is that even outside of high stakes politics, we see this sort of thing all the time. People crave power and prestige. We may not crave power over such a large jurisdiction as the President of the United States has, but we certainly crave and seek it in our own realms. We seek power over our own lives and what direction they will go; we seek it over the lives of our friends and families (I have learned this in a new way as I try to have some control over how my daughter will be raised and influenced!); and we seek it over our surroundings.

            And there are lots of tactics we may take to find that power and prestige. We might do it like some presidential candidates, by speaking poorly about others so that we look better, blowing out someone else’s proverbial candle in hopes of making our own shine more brightly. We might do it by making lots of money, looking for the highest paying job, or spending extra hours at the one we have, so that we will have more, more, more. Then with that money, we can also buy tokens that put our power and success on display – a nice car, designer clothes, a cool phone, a big house – so that others will see that we are successful, and so we are powerful. We might do it through our kids, urging them toward certain activities and doing well at them so that it reflects well back on us. We might do it by

surrounding ourselves with people who we know rely on us for advice and sage council, because feeling wise makes us feel powerful. There are so many ways we seek power and prestige, and often they are disguised as something noble (like wanting your kid to do well, or living in a comfortable home), but really, when we dig down deep, we find that we want to look good, and have status among those in our circles. After all, who wants to be at the bottom of the heap?

            That’s what happened to James and John in our Gospel lesson today. Maybe the reason they asked Jesus to appoint them places of honor at his right hand and his left seemed to them on the surface to be noble. Maybe they told themselves that from these powerful positions, they would be able to help others the way Jesus was always doing. But I have a hunch that really, they just wanted that sense of power. They knew Jesus was special, and wanted to ensure that when he truly came into power, they would be right there with him, having secured their spots early on. And who among us wouldn’t want the same?

            Of course, James and John have their tactic all wrong. They should know better – they have been following Jesus for a while now, and have heard him say that the way to greatness is not through political gain or positions of power. They have watched him heal and teach and serve and hang out with the lowliest in society. Just before this, Jesus told them – two different times – to enter the kingdom of God like a little child, like the weakest, most vulnerable members of society. But

since they still don’t seem to get it, he tells them here again, in no uncertain terms: the way toward greatness is not through power-seeking in the traditional sense, but rather, through service. He says, “whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave to all.”

The language is clear; but the meaning is difficult. It goes so much against the grain, against what our culture around us urges us to do. Be great by being weak? What if one of our presidential candidates stood up at a debate and said in his opening statement, “Listen guys, I don’t have a lot of influence. I’m not that powerful, nor do I aspire to be. I don’t have a lot of money. But I can offer you this: my dedication to serving you, listening to you and especially to those who are most in need in this country, and to do everything I can to treat you with respect and to show you what love looks like.” I would love to vote for that candidate, but if we’re being honest, such a candidate would be eaten alive! Everyone would doubt that this person actually has the gumption to get the job done. We are accustomed to looking up to people who can assert their power, not admit weakness!

And yet, as Jesus goes on to say, being great by being a weak is exactly the sort of power that Jesus demonstrates when he “gives his life as a ransom for many.” There is nothing strong or powerful about a man hanging on a cross. Yet it is by these means that Christ conquered death and offered to us eternal life. There is nothing outwardly strong or powerful about a baby at a font, or a humble meal of bread and wine, but these are the means by which Christ brings us into this eternal life, this body of Christ. Being a follower of Christ does indeed mean giving up the illusion of power.

This is why I find tithing to be such a powerful practice. Now, I by no means give enough to relinquish all power (we are still able to live quite comfortably and put money in savings and retirement). But tithing each month serves as a regular reminder that my power does not come from my money.

This is also why I appreciate pledge cards. I think pledge cards are somewhat misunderstood. It’s true that they serve a practical purpose – they help our council have a sense of what will be coming in during the year so that we can make a balanced budget. But for me, their purpose is more spiritual. You see, money and faith are intimately connected; there is a reason Jesus talks in the Bible

more about wealth than anything else other than the kingdom of God. And so filling out this card each year is my chance to take that faith/money connection seriously, to consider my finances and make a goal – just like I might make a goal to pray more intentionally, or read the Bible more – a goal that will bring me closer to Christ and help me remember that my power does not come from what’s in my bank account. By writing it down, I am making myself accountable to that goal. If I happen to fall short, it’s okay – the church isn’t going to hunt me down looking for that money – but having made the goal, I can get myself back on track.

Sometimes, I admit, I don’t want to meet my pledge. I don’t want to relinquish that power. There have been a couple months when we had big expenses, and I thought, “You know, the church wouldn’t really miss it if I just knocked $100 off my tithe this month, but it would sure help us…” but then I remember that my giving is not so much about what the church needs as it is about my own spiritual growth, about being willing to give up some of the perceived power that I find in having money and learning instead to trust God. In some small way, it helps me to understand what it means to be a humble servant who strives toward self-sacrificial giving, just like Jesus did for me.

This is the season when we think about what we will give in the coming year. I pray that as you consider this, you will not think about it in terms of what the church needs in order to function, but rather about how your gift can help you to grow in faith and in trust. May we all seek the power that comes not from wealth and prestige, but from humble servant-hood and from the one who gave his whole life for our sake.

Let us pray… Lord of all, we often strive to feel powerful in ways that only offer us a false sense of security. Give us faith to seek the power that comes from you, and give us strength to use that power to serve one another in humility. In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.