Sermon Text: Mark 9:30–37
Date: September 22, 2024
Event: Proper 20, Year B
Mark 9:30–37 (EHV)
They went on from there and passed through Galilee. He did not want anyone to know this, 31because he was teaching his disciples. He told them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill him. But three days after he is killed, he will rise.”
32But they did not understand the statement and were afraid to ask him about it.
33They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the way?” 34But they remained silent, because on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. 35Jesus sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them, “If anyone wants to be first, he will be the last of all and the servant of all.” 36Then he took a little child and placed him in their midst. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, 37“Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me. And whoever welcomes me, welcomes not just me but also him who sent me.”
Be Great; Serve All
We don’t live in a society that values service much. Sure, there was that window of time early in the pandemic where, as a society, we tried to be grateful for the people who served us, whether they were the first responders and medical professionals, folks making pizza and hamburgers, or those delivering orders from stores when we weren’t allowed to go in person. But it seems as if that has largely gone away in society, so we seem to be back to this unspoken (or spoken right out loud) hierarchy between those serving and those being served. There can be the impression that the person staying at the hotel outranks the one working the front desk or the one ordering the food is of greater importance than the one bringing it to the table.
Of course, that’s not what everyone thinks, and I hope that you’re not among the people who look down on those serving you. Yet, it wouldn’t surprise me. We all have a sinful nature that latches on to every opportunity to exalt self over everyone else. So, it would make sense if, at times, you might see yourself as “outranking” your fellow people. I know that line of thinking hides in me and can appear even if I hate it; maybe it’s familiar to you, too. As we saw in our Gospel this morning, it was occasionally present in the twelve disciples.
The theme of our worship this morning centers around this idea of service and its relationship to stature and importance, or even simply the view of self. If you serve should you consider yourself lowly? If you are served, should you consider yourself lofty? How should we view ourselves and our relationship to other people? What does it mean to be great? What does it mean to serve?
In our Gospel, we’re quickly approaching the end of Jesus’ earthly ministry; he’s making haste toward the cross. We’re only a chapter and a half away from Palm Sunday in Mark’s breezy narrative account. Jesus is clear and direct about what is coming, especially as his end draws ever closer: The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill him. But three days after he is killed, he will rise. Despite being very upfront, this statement communicated ideas that the disciples didn’t understand and perhaps didn’t want to think about. Fear led them to keep silent rather than to ask for more clarification or detail. Perhaps no one wanted to admit out loud that they didn’t “get it,” so no one got it.
You might imagine the awkward silence around Jesus’ words as the group made their way through the region of Galilee to the town of Capernaum. But eventually, the uncomfortable silence is broken by some quiet squabbling. Jesus knew full well what was going on, but he wanted to create an environment to make this a teaching moment, so once they arrived at their destination, he asked them: “What were you arguing about on the way?” But they remained silent, because on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. They knew that their argument had not been the most pious and sanctified topic of discussion—in fact, just about as far from it as you can get!—so, in shame and guilt, they were quiet.
Jesus takes the lead, “If anyone wants to be first, he will be the last of all and the servant of all.” The one striving for the head spot, the most significant place, the most recognition, will find himself with none of it. If a person’s goal is to be “someone” in society, to be respected or adored, that will probably backfire tremendously. Consider a modern-day example—how many people long to be movie stars or famous singers and performers. And yet, how often don’t you hear of people who have had their lives ruined by that type of fame, that they despise it and hate it, that it might even lead to physical or mental illness, or even worse? If you have a moment this week, I recommend reading through the brief book of Esther in the Old Testament. The antagonist in that account, Haman, embodies Jesus’ warnings clearly; it is the downfall of someone who would stop at nothing to get recognition from others.
Now, if the president of the United States or the governor of California wanted to have dinner with you, you’d probably do some things to prepare. You’ll be hosting someone very important! Whether you agree with their political ideas or not, you will have an opportunity to have direct contact with them. Perhaps your ideas would stick in their mind! Maybe you could reinforce their resolve on some issue where you agreed, or get them to see your thought process in places where you don’t agree and enact some meaningful change!
But notice that hypothetical serving is at least a little bit self-serving. You’re serving, hoping to influence the political realm or at least to have a story to share with others. You’re serving, but you can get something out of it. But, Jesus says, that’s not service. What about serving someone who can’t pay you back, who offers little tangible things in return? Then he took a little child and placed him in their midst. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me. And whoever welcomes me, welcomes not just me but also him who sent me.”
Perhaps a parent taking care of a child now will mean the child can take care of the parent later, but what parent thinks that way? What parent would see their child’s needs and address them only because they hope to get something in return? Instead, the parent provides for the child because the parent loves the child. Does the parent “outrank” the child in the family? Sure. But even to think along those lines, the greater serves the lesser. And to welcome and serve the little child is as if we are welcoming and serving God himself.
Biblically speaking, “service” does not mean a lower status or position; “helper” does not signify someone lower than someone else. It’s not about position; it’s about attitude. How do I view others? How do I view myself? When God created our first parents, Adam and Eve, God described Eve as a “helper who is a suitable partner” (Genesis 2:18). But again, this helper and partner status is not about rank or importance. In fact, the Hebrew word God uses to describe Eve in Genesis, eyzer, is most often used in the Bible to describe God himself and his work for us; God is our helper.
Jesus’ sacrifice demonstrated this point perfectly. Jesus was the only one to have a claim of superiority. After all, he is God and man, perfect, without sin. Yet what does he do? He doesn’t go to a castle and have worldly and heavenly pomp bestowed on him. No, he goes to the cross to suffer the eternal punishment of hell because otherwise, you and I would have faced that for our sins.
Elsewhere, Jesus spells out this relationship between his people serving others and his serving the world, “You know that the rulers of the nations lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It will not be that way among you. Instead whoever wants to become great among you will be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you will be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:25–28). His love for you prioritizes you even above his own life so that God himself bleeds and dies, not because he was powerless to stop it but because he wanted to do it because he wanted to save you and me.
Jesus served me. Do I outrank Jesus? Hardly! He is my Creator and Redeemer! He is my God! But his work is not linked to his status, his work is linked to his attitude to you and me, and that attitude is one driven by unilateral and selfless love for us.
So, that should be our approach to other people. We should seek out service rather than being served; we should reflect Jesus’ attitude in our lives, not the attitude of our selfish, sinful nature. But humility in our lives cannot and should not lead to self-loathing and self-hatred. To respect this direction from God, to not worry about myself as being the greatest, doesn’t mean that I have to think of myself as scum. God loves you and me and values you and me above everything that he created. Should we, in a misguided sense of humility, tell God that he is wrong for loving us or caring about us or even dying for us? May that never be!
Instead, let us seek the attitude that the apostle Paul spoke of, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty conceit, but in humility consider one another better than yourselves. Let each of you look carefully not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:3-4). In our Second Reading, James urged us to be driven by heavenly wisdom—knowing that our sins are forgiven by a God who loves us—so that we can see selfish ambition as being what it really is: worldly, unspiritual, and demonic (James 3:15).
You, my brothers and sisters, are those who have been rescued by the selfless sacrifice of your Savior. You have forgiveness for every sin—even those sins of pride and selfish ambition—because Jesus lived perfectly for you and suffered hell in your place. You are free from the punishment of sin because Jesus took it on himself. You will be with him forever in heaven!
How can you reflect the love of God in how you love others? How can you find peace and satisfaction even if the world may not view you as the “most important” person in the room? How can you love yourself and others as the blood-bought souls that you are? Where has this been difficult for you? Where, my God’s grace, have you excelled in this?
These are all very personal, self-reflective questions. I cannot stand here and make a blanket proclamation to you all because we are all in different circumstances, positions, and situations. But you, this week, can take Jesus’ words and ponder them in your heart. You can look for ways to love and serve those around you in thanksgiving for the love and service God has given you. You can identify those haughty places of your heart that hate serving, bring them back to Jesus’ cross, and let him deal with them.
In Jesus’ death and resurrection, you see your actual status: you were worth the suffering and death of Jesus, the very blood of the Son of God. Take that status and let it empower and influence your decisions, attitudes, and actions this week until our Lord calls us home. Thanks be to God! Amen.
