Pentecost 22B
October 21, 2018
Mark 10:35-45
INTRODUCTION
For the past
few weeks, we have been following Jesus on his journey to Jerusalem – a journey
which he knows, and we know, will culminate with suffering and death on the
cross. All along this journey, Jesus has been offering some very difficult
teachings, to which we have been privy over the past month or so of Sundays. Teachings
like, sell everything you own and give it to the poor, and cut off your limbs
if they cause you to stumble, and be prepared to leave everything, even your
families, and some tough teachings on divorce. Week after week, we’ve been
squirming in our seats! Week after week we have been confronted with how
difficult it is to be a disciple of Christ!
This week is
no exception. Jesus predicts his suffering and death on the cross for a third
time, and then James and John respond by completely missing the point, and
asking Jesus if they can sit by his side in his glory. Little do they know what
they are asking! And so Jesus will put them in their place, telling them that
his glory looks a lot less like the power they crave, and a lot more like
serving others.
Our first
two readings will set this up for us, giving us a glimpse of what it means for
Jesus to be an obedient servant of God. All of these readings compel us to ask ourselves,
as hopeful disciples: what might be required of us to be disciples of Christ?
Let’s listen to the Word as we grapple with this question.
[READ]
Grace to you and peace from God our
Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Yesterday I had the wonderful opportunity to meet many of you at
the meet and greet – thank you for that! If you were there toward the end of
the event, you also had a chance to meet my little family: my husband, Michael,
my 3-year-old daughter Grace, and my almost 2-year-old son, Isaac. Several
people commented, “Wow, that’s a handful!” Yes, it is! When Michael and I had
our two kids 15 months apart, I admit I really dreaded getting to the point
where we would have a “terrible 2” and a “three-nager” at the same time. These
two notoriously difficult ages in one house seemed like a lot! I can honestly
say, now that we are almost at that point, I’m actually thoroughly enjoying it,
partly because my kids are totally awesome (no bias, of course!). But also
because every day my dear toddlers teach me about human nature, and they teach
me to be more gracious with that condition we all share.
One lesson they have made sure to teach us is about the very
human desire to be in control of the situation. Whether it’s choosing an
outfit, or putting our own toothpaste on the toothbrush, or making important
life decisions, humans want to have autonomy. We want to have power over our
lives. We want to be in control.
With that in mind, it is no surprise,
really, that James and John make this bold request of Jesus: to grant them
seats at his right hand and his and left in his glory. I used to read this text
and think, “Ah, the audacity! The gall! Who would make such a presumptuous
request as to be granted prized seats next to Jesus in his glory?” But then I
looked at the broader context. You see, James and John and the others have just
heard several teachings in a row about how difficult, even impossible it is to
be a disciple of Jesus. I imagine they are feeling a bit insecure by this point
– I know I would be! And then for a cherry on top, Jesus has predicted his own
suffering and death for the third time. That’s not easy stuff to digest! They
might not understand exactly what that means (they don’t have the benefit we
have, of knowing the end of the story, plus 2000 years of conversation since
then), but by now they must be starting to understand that something big is
about to happen, and that it ain’t gonna be pretty. If I were they, I would be
feeling… fearful, insecure, uncertain about my choices and about the future,
and maybe a bit like I was losing my grip on my life. In short, I might be
feeling like I did not have the control and power over my life that I so much appreciate
having.
I still think their request was
pretty audacious, and not in a good way. I would never do that, I think. I mean
sure I’d be feeling all those things, but I’d deal with it differently. I’m not
so hungry for power as all that! And maybe I’m not. But I can see several other
ways that I, and perhaps you, try to hold onto power and control in our lives.
A big way we do this that I see often
is holding onto grudges. Getting hurt by someone, and not being willing to
forgive them. Not even wanting to forgive them, because as long as you hold
that over them, you have the upper hand, and the upper hand feels like power. I
know I have done this, and I hear this story a lot from others, whether we are
willing to admit it or not. Even though we know, intellectually, that holding
onto a grudge doesn’t do us a bit of good, not for ourselves nor for the health
of our relationships with others, it can still be hard for the heart to let go,
because letting go can feel like letting go of having some power in the
relationship.
Another example I have seen lately,
especially in our divisive cultural climate, is an unwillingness to listen,
really listen, to other points of view. We all have dearly held positions on
various issues, and to really listen and try to understand another point of
view runs the risk of us realizing we might have been wrong about something.
And that can feel very scary and vulnerable. And although I think vulnerability
can be incredibly powerful, it doesn’t always feel very powerful at first. So
we tend to avoid it.
A third example of how we try to seek
and hold onto power in our lives is how we handle our money. We work hard, we
are good people, we want to provide for our families and enjoy life, we want to
put money in retirement and college funds. All very healthy financial practices…
that allow us to feel like we have a measure of control over our lives, now and
in the future. And having that control and security feels pretty good.
Yeesh… these are all things I do or have
done. And even though I don’t know you very well yet, my guess is you’ve had
some experience with some of those things, too. Turns out, we are hungry for
power, hungry for control, hungry for security! Maybe we shouldn’t be so quick
to criticize James’ and John’s behavior – we too go to sometimes great lengths
to maintain control and power in our lives, from toddlers and right on up!
That’s not an inherently bad thing. It’s just a human thing.
Jesus’ response to James and John’s
request is first a bit amusing, and then convicting. At first, it reminds me of
when my toddler doesn’t want to wear a jacket on a cold day, so I say, “Sure,
that’s fine,” and we walk outside and immediately I hear, “I’m cold.” Natural
consequences, kid! Let’s go get that jacket! Jesus, too, says, “You don’t know
what you’re asking. You want those things? Fine. You’ll see soon enough what
they entail.”
But then, in true Jesus form, he goes
on to flip everything they thought they knew right on its head. “You say you
want to be in a powerful position,” he says. “What you’re envisioning as power
is how the Gentiles see power – and we see how well that’s working out for
them! Those who you see as ‘great’ are tyrants! They’re trampling the poor and
weak! That’s not what we’re trying to do here. In my kingdom, this is not how
it works. In my kingdom, those who are great are the ones who serve. Those who
are last are first. Those who you’d think would be first, are really last.”
Hmm… suddenly having control over my life and being in a powerful position isn’t
sounding quite so appealing as it did a moment ago!
On the other hand… Jesus doesn’t say
power is bad. He’s not telling us to be doormats, or not to contribute to
society, or not to strive for great things. He just says that power looks different from what the world
would have us believe.
The world would have us believe that
power and glory is being in a higher position than others, having higher status
and more prestige… but Jesus’ power and glory is in being low, in humility, in
service, in self-giving.
The world would have us believe that
power and glory are in wealth and riches… but Jesus’ power is in generosity, in
ridding ourselves of the shackles of wealth that promise us what we desire but
do not deliver. Jesus’ power is in resisting the temptation to put our trust in
money, rather than in Christ.
The world would have us believe that
power and glory are in being right, in having the upper hand, in having a
bulletproof argument… but Jesus’ power and glory are in compassion for the
other, listening to those on the margins of society, and sincerely trying to
understand another’s pain. Jesus’ power is in seeking and offering forgiveness.
Jesus’ power and glory aren’t flashy
and impressive in the way the world tells us they should be. The world says we
emanate our own light, our own power. But followers of Christ know that this is
not the case. Our work is not in shining our own light and bringing our own
power into the world, but rather, in bringing Christ’s light and power into the
world, into the places most in need of that power, that joy, that abundance,
that life.
In last week’s Gospel reading, Jesus
told his disciples, “For mortals, this is impossible, but not for God. For God,
all things are possible.” And oh man, there is grace in that! Because this is
hard. This is a difficult teaching. Sometimes I feel like I’m really getting
it, really in a groove, but in just a second things can change and I fall once
again into the trap of seeking what the world tells me is power and glory. It
is impossible for us. But it is not impossible for Jesus, who, right after this
exchange, enters Jerusalem to jubilant shouts of “Hosanna!” only to be
crucified days later. He shows us the cost of discipleship. He shows us how
difficult these teachings can be to live out.
But then, he also shows us what new
life looks like. He shows us that these deaths and failures we experience don’t
get the final word: with Jesus, life always wins. Life always follows death. He
shows us that where we fall short, he doesn’t. Where we struggle, he leads the
way. Where we might fall into doubt or despair, he gives us hope. “For the Son
of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as ransom for
many.”
For many. For you. And for me. For
all of us who suffer from the pitfalls of the human condition. For all of us
who are lured by the flashy promises of the world. For all of us who dearly
want to find abundant life, but sometimes look in the wrong places. He came to
serve us, and to win us back from all that would try to keep us from that
abundant life. He came, and loved, and served, and died, and rose again, for
us.
Let us pray… Servant
God, when we are lured by the false promises of the world, bring us back into
your fold. Set our gaze upon those in need, so that we would work for the power
and glory that comes from faithfully serving one another. In the name of the
Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
loved it :)
ReplyDeleteAndrew