Who Is the Most Important?
Text: Mark 10:35-45
So, who is the most important? Who do we find ourselves listening to? When I was asked about preaching this Lent, and I saw that this passage was one being offered, I jumped at the chance. Well, figuratively not literally. Mark 10:45 is one of my favorite verses: “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (NIV).
What does this mean? And, what’s with James and John? I almost feel like I’m back in elementary school, and the teacher is asking for a volunteer. You had those certain students who always had their arms up in the air before anyone else, saying, “Teacher! Pick ME!” Typically, they do it for the prestige…To get in good graces with the teacher…Some do it out of the goodness of their heart, but for many it is kind of a show, to look good. Actually, you still find people like that in junior high…High school…College…Well, even in the “real world.”
What are we supposed to take away from this Gospel reading? The concept to think about tonight is that we need to listen to what Jesus is saying instead of listening to ourselves.
First, a little background to this passage in Mark’s Gospel…Prior to this passage, in 10:17-31, Jesus encounters the rich young ruler who asks how he can inherit eternal life. Jesus shatters his mindset by telling him, in essence, that it can’t be attained by acts of righteousness but it’s a gift to be received. We can’t take pride in what we sacrifice for following Christ. Jesus says in verse 31, “But many who are first will be last, and the last first” (NIV). That’s one of my mom’s favorite verses. Our sacrifices don’t put us in a higher spot of achievement. So, a question to ask ourselves is, “Why am I truly doing what I am doing? Is it for myself? For Christ?”
In verses 32-34, as Jesus and the disciples are making their way to Jerusalem, the final journey, he tells them what’s going to happen to him. He is going to be betrayed, condemned to death, and killed. But he will rise in three days. It appears that as Jesus draws near to his ordeal, the disciples are nowhere near to understanding. Are they really listening to Jesus? Jesus is talking about suffering and death, then immediately after this, James and John come up to him with a request. In 9:34, the disciples had been arguing about who was the greatest. Jesus said in 9:35, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all” (NIV). Hmmm…I don’t know about you, but I’m seeing a pattern develop here.
James and John act like fortune hunters, wanting the best seats in the house, co-thrones with Jesus. Sitting to the right and the left are positions of power and prestige. After all, they were among the first disciples called, so they want to be the first in glory. Makes sense, right? “C’mon, Jesus! For being among the first, we’re due that.” Wrong.
Jesus even tells them in verse 38, “You don’t know what you’re asking” (NIV). In verse 40, he tells them that he’s not even the one in charge of the seating arrangements.
James and John didn’t realize that first Jesus’ tribulation had to come before the glory. How many people are willing to suffer? In society, we want everything NOW. We don’t want to wait. “Take a pill and lose 35 pounds overnight!” Um, no…It takes discipline. Diet. Exercise. Keeping track of what you eat. It takes a lot of work to lose weight.
James and John didn’t want to be crucified with Jesus. They wanted the power and prestige. Did they truly understand Jesus when he asked if they could drink the cup he drinks or be baptized with the baptism he’s baptized with? They say they can, maybe thinking the cup is one of victory. But, the cup is more like a metaphor for suffering, as is baptism, being plunged into calamity, submerged in suffering and death. Okay, who wants to sign up for that? Obedience is learned through suffering, and even Jesus was not exempt from that.
Then, in verse 41, the other disciples become livid at James and John, not because of their insensitivity of making such a request after Jesus bares his heart about what is to come, but because James and John beat them to the punch in making this request! Jealousy brings turmoil among people, so we need to be careful and make sure that we are not jealous of one another.
Jesus gathers them around and explains what it truly means to be “the greatest.” Be great servants of others. It is better to give than to receive. Self-giving service. Jesus needed to be their model and not the rulers of the day. The life of discipleship is loving and humble service.
This concept of ransom explains why Jesus had to die, and it’s the only passage in Mark that gives us the Why? It’s connected to the idea of cost, as we see Isaiah 53:10-12 give the backdrop for this. Verse 12 says, “For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors” (NIV). We can’t pay the ransom ourselves. Jesus paid the price that we can’t pay.
Being ransomed by Christ means that we belong entirely to him…Not partly but entirely. There is no “halfway” in this instance. Your whole life belongs to him. Living compartmentalized lives doesn’t work.
So, simply put, we need to listen to what Jesus is saying instead of listening to ourselves, like James and John were doing. How? Reading the Word. Praying. Taking that quiet time, journeying with him. Laying our own selfish ambitions at the foot of the cross. Discerning if this is my want or is this Christ’s will for me? We can hear Christ in the voice of the other, as the Holy Spirit speaks through people. Have you ever had someone tell you something you needed to hear at just the right time? That’s a God thing.
Well, why do we need to listen to Jesus? Because he loves us…He died for us…”Giving his life as a ransom for many”…As an extension of our faith in him, we need to follow him, do what he instructs, therefore becoming more like him. Good works are fruit of our faith, done on behalf of others, our neighbors. If we say that we are Christians or Christ followers, we need to act like it. If we don’t, our neighbors in the world won’t want to know Christ. We hinder his witness.
We also need to ask ourselves, “If we’re so busy trying to get ourselves into higher positions, who are we pushing out to get there?” Christ is inclusive, dying for the sins of ALL, not wanting anyone left out or pushed out. We need to be aware of when we do this. Everyone matters. Everyone’s gifts count. None of us is greater than the other.
We are the body of Christ. We are a team, if you will. There’s no “I” in “team.” Although my niece told me many years ago, “Yeah, but there’s a ‘me.’” True…But, there’s also a “mate,” which, if we were in Australia, means “buddy” or “friend.” Of course, we’re more than a team, more than friends or buddies…We are a family.
Are we listening to one another? If not, we need to be. Truly listening. How many of you have had people say that they’re listening, but you can tell that they’re not? What are some of the signs? No eye contact…Looking around and not at you…Saying, “Mmm hmm”…No response at all. When this happens to me, it’s frustrating. Here I am, sharing my soul, and it looks like you would much rather be doing something else.
But, I’ve been on the other side, too, and guilty of the not listening. Are we good listeners all the time? It takes work to listen, doesn’t it? But it’s something that we need to make an effort at doing. We need to remember what it feels like when we’re not being listened to.
As Pastor John mentioned, I assisted with my Uncle Jim’s, Jim Renken’s, funeral today. We have had him on the list of prayers for a couple of years. He passed away Saturday night after his four-year fight with an aggressive form of cancer. When he was diagnosed, he was only given six months. As I was preparing his eulogy, I remembered how good of a listener he was. His presence, listening without judgment. He was always there for my mom when she needed him. He always took care of those he kept near and dear to his heart. And my mom is a wonderful listener, too. Listening is truly a gift for some, but it’s something we can all improve at.
At the end of February I participated in a half marathon at Walt Disney World. A dear friend of mine ran the race with me. We were in it together. Once you started, there was no turning back. Katy and I didn’t go all the way from Minnesota to Florida to not finish this 13.1-mile race. During the race, we listened to our bodies, walked when we needed to walk. We listened to each other, checking in, to see if one of us needed to slow down or walk. That’s what we need to do: We need to check in with each other. If we don’t, people may feel ignored or lost in the shuffle.
We need to make sure that our motives align with Christ’s. Our selfish ambitions, having the biggest this or sacrificing the most that, look absurd when placed alongside this passage. We see Jesus telling the disciples about all that he is about to give, his life, and then we see the disciples come with a shopping list of all that they want. How often do we do that? Instead of always telling him what we want, we need to listen to him. It takes time to listen, and discipline, being intentional in listening, but it’s something that we can’t afford to lose. We need to ask ourselves, “Who am I putting first?” Is it God? Others? Myself? May we put Christ first, listening to him instead of ourselves, following him, becoming more like him, laying aside ways to make us look better, being present for our neighbors. Let us pray: Almighty and eternal God, so draw our hearts to you, so guide our minds, so fill our imaginations, so control our wills, that we may be wholly yours, utterly dedicated to you; and then use us, we pray, as you will, but always to your glory and the welfare of your people, through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen (“Commitment” Prayer on page 86 in ELW).
Caroline Harthun
Holy Cross Lutheran Church - Oakdale, MN
7pm Lenten Service
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
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