Mark 10: 35-45
Six years ago, this weekend I had my Call Sunday here at St. Matthew and I preached on this text. As my sermon opener I shared the story of the real Prince John from the Robin Hood legend. He was an arrogant leader who mocked those who served him. One story says that his father, the king of England, King Henry the Second, sent him to newly conquered territory in Ireland. Irish kings came and knelt before him to pay respect. John thought it would be funny to pull them around by their beards and mock them. His condescending attitude and cruel behavior led him to lose the respect of many. His arrogance and foolish leadership were a liability to the English crown, and he ended up losing control to an English noble who actually respected and understood the Irish people. And now infamous in the Robin Hood story, Prince John goes down in history as a prime example of how not to be a leader.
The Gospel reading we just heard was about what it means to be great and what it means to be a leader. Jesus is asked by the brothers James and John that they might sit at his left hand and at his right hand when he comes into his glory. They’re thinking he’s going to rule as king and they wanna be his top men. Jesus asks them if they’re willing to go through what he’s going to go through. Oblivious to what that means, they say yes of course we are.
Maybe they were thinking of a tough battle or some kind of heroic feat—a great test of courage to prove their worth. Whatever it is, they promise they’ll be successful in accomplishing whatever this cup to drink is. Whoever they must fight, whatever mountain they must climb, whatever legendary feat they must accomplish, Jesus can count on them! But while the disciples were thinking of some grand adventure, Jesus was thinking of surrendering his life and dying on the cross. The disciples were thinking of what it takes to climb to the top, Jesus was thinking of his call to the bottom.
Jesus knows he’s going to die on the cross and we know that that’s actually what it means to drink the same cup and to be baptized with the baptism he will undergo. And Jesus while will take up his cross with someone on his right and someone on his left- two criminals crucified on either side of him- that’s not the kind of thing James and John were thinking.
Jesus knows James and John don’t understand what they’re asking for. I imagine at this point Jesus might’ve closed his eyes and recognized that yes his disciples would indeed eventually die a martyr’s death, even though they currently have no idea that’s what they’re asking for. Right now they want glory, fame, and power. Eventually, Jesus knows they’ll mature beyond that and face oppression and even martyrdom. But for now he simply tells them yes they will drink that same cup, but to sit on his left or his right is not his to grant.
The other disciples were mad about this conversation. They did not understand either. Maybe they also were following Jesus in hopes of personal gain. But Jesus tells them all that true greatness is service and self-sacrifice. Not seeking your own power and prestige, not being better than others. But rather, working to lift others up, working to be servant of all. When a person looks at leadership as a way to enrich themselves, those they lead will suffer. But a true Servant Leader, one like Jesus, is willing to suffer for those under their care.
Jesus’ words to his disciples then are the same to us now. While worldly leaders lord it over those they rule, it shall not be so with we who follow Jesus. Whoever wishes to be great must become servant of all. We follow our teacher who came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life away.
Too often in our modern world, we have the same misunderstanding James and John had. We admire greatness, whether it’s the fame and success of athletes and celebrities. The popularity and wealth of singers and movie stars. The power and influence of politicians and billionaires. Our society still seems to have the wrong impression of what true greatness means. And, even though we know what Jesus taught, I imagine most of us fall for the world’s idea of greatness from time to time. And align more with the world’s understanding of greatness more than we associate the word with the path of Jesus.
But even when we misunderstand Jesus’ meaning of greatness. Even when his disciples then and now admire the rich and powerful more than those who practice humility and service. Even when we don’t get it like James and John. Even then, Jesus Christ died for us. He died for those who don’t get it. He died for those impressed by the world’s idea of greatness. He died for those who admire wealth and power and victory. He died for those who misunderstand life. He died for those who rejected him. And because Jesus Christ died for those who are far from perfect, he redeemed the world.
And Jesus, our Servant Leader, continues to transform our idea of greatness and transform all those who follow him. Just like his death and resurrection transformed James and John and led all those disciples to understand the real meaning of greatness. So too Jesus transforms us into disciples who admire servant leadership and put it into practice. Not because we have to in order to earn God’s favor or forgiveness, but because we have been touched by God’s grace and love which transforms us. Transforms us, the Body of Christ, to become servant leaders too.
Today we highlight St. Matthew’s ministry of evangelism and technology. That may seem like an odd pairing. But really our technology is a tool of how we share the good news in today’s world. Of course, sharing with a person you’re close to about why Jesus and the church are important to you, will always be the foundation of evangelism. But the way we engage with the surrounding community matters. Our church website, livestream, social media, marketing & communications, all these forms of technology serve our evangelism and provide us more opportunities to share the good news of Jesus. To share the story of our Servant Leader, the one who died on the cross to redeem the world. The one who loves us, who transforms us, who makes us whole.
This is the good news we are called to share with the world. This is the story we are so blessed to carry to others. The story of God Incarnate loving us, serving us, dying to redeem us, and sanctifying us so that we become servant leaders too. And so let us join our voices together and sing “I Love to the Tell the Story” as we commit ourselves to telling the story of Jesus Christ, our Servant Leader.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Pastor Brian | 22nd Sunday after Pentecost | October 20, 2024
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