In this Wednesday’s Gospel lesson (Mark 10:35-45), James and John, the sons of Zebedee, come to Jesus and ask: “When you sit on your glorious throne, we want to sit in places of honor next to you, one on your right and the other on your left.” Jesus ends up having a pretty intense conversation with these brothers and then gathers all of his disciples together so he can lay out his agenda for the kingdom of God:
“You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
In one fell swoop Jesus takes the world’s way of looking at honor and turns it upside down. No longer is true greatness defined by our ability to exercise power and control over other people, rather it is defined by Jesus Christ himself, who lived as the perfect servant by taking on our sins at the Cross. Jesus puts our welfare and needs ahead of his own and shows us what real greatness, leadership, power, authority are all about. And because Jesus was the perfectly humble servant, we are are lifted up from the quagmire of sin and death, and we are freed up to live lives that are focused on honoring, serving, and blessing others.
Reflections:
In Romans 15:5-7 the apostle Paul challenges members of the congregation in Rome to “Accept (welcome, appreciate, include) one another as Christ accepted you.” In what ways has Jesus Christ accepted you? What particular burdens has Christ carried for you? As you look around the church, at work, and in your neighborhood, who are the people that seem most burdened to you? Who are the “outsiders” and the “losers”? How can you reach out to them and include them in your life? How can we reach out to them and include them in the life of our congregation? What are some of the ways we can do this so that Christ gets the attention and glory rather then us?
In 1 Corinthians 12:20-26 Apostle Paul is honest in reminding us that many people have gifts (e.g. speaking ability, intelligence, leadership ) that tend to attract greater honor in the world. What are some of the gifts and abilities that you value most? In what ways does your way of valuing people’s gifts reflect the priorities of the world? In what ways does your way of valuing people’s gifts reflect the priorities of Jesus Christ ? The apostle Paul also challenges the members of the congregation in Corinth to “have the same care for one another”. In what ways can you show equal regard for people, regardless of the gifts they bring to the congregation and the larger community?
In James 2:1-7, James the apostle, and brother of Jesus, forbids showing favoritism to the rich over the poor. To what extent are you tempted to seek out relationships with people who have more money and power than yourself? What cliques exist in your workplace, larger community, and our congregation? Who are the insiders? Who are the Queen Bees and the Wannabes? Who are the Queen Bee Moms and the King Pin Dads? Do you understand how rich you are? Do you understand how powerful you are? Really, if you are reading this note on the internet and living in the Burlington/Waterford area then you are rich! What are some of the ways that you as an individual, and we as a congregation, can reach out and make our homes, and our congregation, places that are welcoming to people no matter how much money they make?
An Observation:
It’s kind of refreshing to see James and John be so upfront about their desire for honor and power. Let’s be honest, we live in a world that values high-minded rhetoric, and people who are honest about their selfish desires are uniformly condemned. It’s quite easy for us to question the motives of others, and as a whole, we humans are quite fond of doing so. However, when it comes to looking into our own hearts and examining the extent to which we are cloaking our self-interest behind words that are beautiful, noble, and lofty, we are sadly lacking. In the end I think it’s fair to say that all of our actions are made up of a mixture of good and bad motives, and the pretense of complete purity rarely glorifies God or serves the common good. It takes a strong faith in the authority of God’s word and the mercy of Christ to look at ourselves honestly. It’s a struggle to be honest about the self-righteousness that hides out in the shadows and deep recesses of our sinful selves. However, God’s word is clear in telling us that when we struggle against sin, and struggle for holiness, it is a sign that the Holy Spirit is at work in us, drawing us closer to Jesus Christ (Romans 8:1-39). And let me assure you that any struggle that brings us closer to Jesus Christ is worth it- Blessed are all who take refuge in him (Psalm 2:12).
I pray that God would be gracious enough to us to open our eyes to the complexity of our motives, and to fill us with the kind of Christ centered gratitude and humility that truly honors God and brings blessing to others.
weather isn’t looking that great, but we have to give it a try. The lift is free and available. I didn’t think it would be fair for the lift company to hold out this free use until spring. I think if we don’t use it soon that our chances of getting it done this year are not real good. I appreciate all of you helping out. The lift is being delivered Friday and we will try and take advantage of this as well. I have off from work and intend on getting as much of a head start as possible for Saturday.
