Mark 10:35-45                   Greatness????                                                                  18/10/15

(35)  Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. "Teacher," they said, "we want you to do for us whatever we ask." {36} "What do you want me to do for you?" he asked. {37} They replied, "Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory." {38} "You don't know what you are asking," Jesus said. "Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?" {39} "We can," they answered. Jesus said to them, "You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, {40} but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared." {41} When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. {42} Jesus called them together and said, "You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. {43} Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, {44} and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. {45} 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."

Today’s reading deals with the issue of greatness and in particular what it is that constitutes this greatness. Here immediately we see that Jesus’ concept of what it is that makes for greatness is radically different from how the world views it. That being the case we need to look closely at what Jesus has to say here, so that we individually, and as a whole, can be a part of this greatness that God himself has in mind, and which in turn may be for the good of our society as well. Although we need to recognise that this view of greatness will put us at odds with the world around us.

After all, what is it that our world around us deems as what makes for greatness? You have to be the best in the business. You must be able to lord it over others. To have authority and power over others; and be able to use it. The individuals control that they have over others is what is seen as important. That is what is looked up to and regarded as being all important. That is what we see as being that which will enable us to be truly happy and fulfilled.

When it comes to nations, we look to America as the great nation of the world, because of its military might, and control over the monetary system of the world. They flaunt their wealth and their might with arrogance and bravado. And most would say here we have a great nation.

When it comes to churches the same principle applies today. It is the big numbers and the great speakers and media evangelist that are held up as being the great ones. It is those who can hold a crowd and demand attention and a following that are deemed great. It is those who can give the people what their itching ears want hear, not what they need to hear.

The same applies to individuals. It is those with great wealth and influence: the good-looking, wealthy and charismatic figures, that walk all over others and use them to their own advantage to rise to the top; and who are held up as great. Again to have control of one’s own life and others is what is seen as great.

Now I could go into greater length on all of this but you can see what it is that constitutes greatness for the world around about us. The push from the devil, the world and our sinful self, is to seek and strive after this way of thinking, wherever possible. At the base of it all is; that we can have authority over and lord it over others, as much as we possibly can, even if it is in our own small sphere of influence. The individual and the focus on themselves and what they do is important. We all in some way want to be great through these means..

So whether it be in our own private lives, our business or public life, and in our church, we seek after that which in some way will make us great. We like James and John want positions of honour and that which will help us to be great in some way. So we too ask Jesus, to do for us whatever we ask. We ask God to give us what we want and what we think it is that will help us in this regard. We ask God to give us what the world tells us is important.

So we ask God for health, wealth and happiness. We look for that which we think will lift us up and give us that edge over and above others. We seek and even demand that God give us these things. Even though we do not really understand what we are asking for. Think about it.

James and John want to be at Jesus’ right and left when he comes in glory. They are thinking in terms of Jesus ruling on a great throne over the kingdom of the whole world. They are thinking in their terms of what constitutes power and glory. They are thinking in terms of miracles and other earthly greatness.

Yet Jesus reminds them and us that if we want to have a leading part in his greatness and glory, then we need to look to Golgatha. "Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?" Can you hang there with the criminals on either side of me: dying as rejects? Can we understand that it is only through his dying on the cross that there is or can be any truly great and glorious kingdom? Can we accept and be a part of a King whose throne is the cross? That is what God’s kingdom is all about!

But! But! But! The so called ‘christian’ churches ring out with a different understanding of Jesus’ greatness and what his kingdom is all about. They too think in terms of our worldly concept of greatness. To which Jesus responds: "You don't know what you are asking.” Or thinking.

Life with God and in his kingdom has nothing to do with authority and power. It has to do with giving and serving. It has to do with dying to self and its selfish desires and serving and being a slave to others.

There is or would be no kingdom or glory were it not for Jesus and his death on the cross. God knows that our running around in our pretensions of greatness and self glory, is death. It is the saddest and most dismal of existence, for underneath all the bravado, arrogance and pretension, is a miserable, lonely, deathly existence. It is but a few short years of striving for the unattainable, only to be left with an eternity of misery and dying. Our selfishness and sin means that the lie that we keep selling ourselves will continually let us down.

Jesus himself, however, gives the only hope of true glory and unity. He comes and he goes to the cross so that he can serve us by drawing us into unity with himself and with one another. There on the cross he gathers all the pretensions, lies, failings and death to himself. There he allows the Almighty to lay all the punishment for this on himself.

But it is there also at the cross that he draws you and me to himself. Through his service to us; through his giving his life as a ransom for many, we are now drawn to true life and salvation. As we gather at the cross: as we are served by him, we suddenly find a whole new life and existence. It is there and there alone that we find what it is to be a part of that which is truly glorious: glorious in a completely different way from which our world sees it or understands it.

For it is there at the cross that we know that we are loved and forgiven despite ourselves. No matter who we are or what we have done, we are there brought to full unity with God and one another. There in seeming misery and death we find life and a joy and peace which is beyond understanding. There we are a part of God’s kingdom in which everyone is important and great. There we become part of greatness which is evidenced by a continual serving of one another: Christ servings and giving himself for us and we for one another. There, the other and their needs are all important, not our own. There we are bound together to Christ and each other.

There at the cross it is that we begin to understand that whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. 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."

So week by week as we gather at the foot of the cross, here in this building, our Lord himself again serves us, so that we in turn can go from here and serve one another. Here through Word and Sacrament our Lord gives us what we need in order to know that we are forgiven and receive what is necessary in order to be sustained so that we can be slaves to one another. Here he gives us his very body and blood, so that we can be assured again and again that we have and are a part of that which is truly great. Now we know again that nothing in all creation can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. Now then we can give of ourselves for one another.

Then like James and John we will go on and join with our Lord Jesus and drink the cup that he drank or be baptized with the baptism that he was baptized with. James was martyred early on and John was persecuted all the way into old age. We too will experience rejection from not only the world around but also from within as we follow Christ and hold to his Way. But together we our Lord we will know what it is to be truly great.

Yes, there at the cross we see true greatness; and there we also find that greatness extended to you and me and the people out there in the community. Poor and miserable though we are, there we are accepted as truly great. Now we too can serve one another as we humbly and reverently give glory to our great Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. For to him alone belongs all glory and honour, now and always. AMEN.

Pastor Roger Atze

Glandore/Underdale Lutheran Parish