Whoever Would Be Great – August 28, 2022 – Eddington Presbyterian Church

Psalm 111, Mark 10:32-45
August 28, 2022

This passage from Mark is almost word for word with Matthew Chapter 20. And because they are so similar, scholars believe that Matthew and Mark knew each other, and shared their texts with one another. Or at the least, Matthew had Mark’s Gospel at his disposal when he went to write his own.

How the Bible came to be written has always been fascinating to me. But I won’t go into it any further this morning. But as I thought about these two almost identical passages for today, I thought I would read from Mark, since we met him last week in our scripture from Acts. Do you remember? The believers were gathered in the home of Mary, mother of John, whose other name was Mark. That’s who many believe wrote this Gospel.

I also thought about starting the reading at verse 35 where James and John come to Jesus to ask him for these prominent positions in his kingdom. They ask to sit at his right and left hand! But the more I thought about it, the more I saw a real contrast between that part of the story, and the part that comes just before it. Both Mark and Matthew place those two stories right after each other. And I believe that was intentional. I believe they wanted to show how audacious and how out of place this request was. And I believe they wanted to tell us something important about God’s kingdom!

In verse 32, Jesus and his followers are on the way to Jerusalem. And we’re told that many of them were afraid! Remember that, at a certain point, Jesus “set his face to go to Jerusalem.” And his disciples all thought that was a really bad idea. They warned him about it! “That’s dangerous, Jesus!” “People there were seeking to kill you!” And in John’s Gospel, Peter even says, “Let us go, too, that we may die with him!”

So here, Jesus takes the 12 – the disciples – aside. And he tells them what was going to happen to him in Jerusalem – in great detail! And notice, this time they don’t react, like they have before. Because this wasn’t the first time he told them these things! On one of the other occasions when he told of his death, Peter (of course!) said, “Lord, these things will never happen to you!” That’s when Jesus said, “Get thee behind me, Satan!” Do you remember that?

And by the way, I don’t believe Jesus was calling Peter “Satan.” Some people interpret those words that way. I believe that means that he was commanding Satan to get behind him so that he would be between Satan and Peter. He was protecting Peter from Satan in that way! That’s the way I’ve always viewed that passage.

Well, that part sets up this stark contrast which begins in verse 35. Here, just after Jesus has been speaking of his death, we have these two brothers asking for positions of power and greatness in his kingdom. And in Matthew’s Gospel, it was their mother who asked for that on their behalf. And who can refuse a Jewish mother, right? That’s the only difference in the two accounts. Otherwise, they are nearly word for word.

And as I read this, I have to wonder, what did these guys really think was going to happen in Jerusalem? Did they still think Jesus would become the Messiah they all wanted him to be? Did they still think he was going to become king? Or would this at least be the start of the revolution? Or did they really believe he would die, and then rise, and then become king? I’m not sure what they were thinking. But the request they made does seem so out of place here, doesn’t it? It’s almost incongruous with what Jesus has been saying.

So, there are two things Jesus said at that point – or he should have said. The first thing, which he didn’t say, is, “Haven’t you been listening to me?” “I’m talking here about my suffering and death!” “Are you going to share in that, too?” And they said, “Yes.” Which is even more bizarre to me considering what they were asking of him!

The second thing Jesus said is this. And this is revolutionary! This had to hve rocked their world! And I believe it rocks our world, too. He said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles ‘lord it over them.’ But it shall not be so among you.” “You’re asking for the wrong thing, boys!” Because here’s the deal! “Whoever would be great among you, must be your servant!”

That was an idea that was completely foreign to them in their world. And it is to us in our world, too! He is saying that his kingdom was all about “Servant Leadership.” They were to be people who follow the “Suffering Servant Messiah.” That’s one of the descriptions of the Messiah in the Old Testament. And that’s what would happen in Jerusalem. Jesus was to become “The Suffering Servant.” He was not going there to become “The Conquering King.” That’s the other description of the Messiah in the Old Testament. And that’s the one that the people wanted! But it was the Suffering Servant that they got. And if you think about it, that was the more powerful image of the two!

Jesus was the “Suffering Servant.” And that’s the example he gives here as he completes this description of leadership and power in his kingdom. “And whoever would be first among you, must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as ransom for all!”

That’s the picture of his kingdom Jesus was giving that day. And I wonder if they got it. And I wonder if we get it, too. And I wonder if we sometimes get so influenced by our world’s understanding of power and leadership that we forget Jesus’ words. “Whoever would be great among you must be your servant.”

I suppose the irony is that we have made those disciples of Jesus the great historical figures they’re seen as today. We, Jesus’ followers, have literally put them on pedestals. We’ve made many statues of them! But they were the servant leaders that Jesus called them to be. And I think they all would have resisted us making statues to honor them.

Because I think they all got it – eventually! From what we know of their stories, they followed Jesus’ example of servant leadership, even the suffering servant leadership he demonstrated. Most of the 12 were martyred for their faith. And they continued his ministry of service that has been brought down through the years – to us.

Oh, sometimes God’s people have forgotten that. Sometimes we forget. Our world and its examples of people “lording it over one another” are all around us. In all of that, we need to remember, that we know a better way. We know the way our Lord Jesus taught us, and the way he lived himself.

“Whoever would be great among you must be your servant. And whoever would be first among you, must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as ransom for all!”

Prayer

Eternal God, help us to look to the example Jesus gave us. Help us to be people who follow him in humble service of others. Help us to look to the kingdom into which he has called us. And help us to serve joyfully as his people. For we pray in his name, Amen.