Sunday September 20, 2009 Mark 9:30-37

Welcome, I guess I was wrong last week and summer is continuing with its warm weather. I can think of a few times in July and August when I could have used this warmth. We continue our journey in the gospel of Mark. When I say we continue our journey I really mean it as Jesus starts on a journey south that will end up in Jerusalem. Last week was the first passion prediction that he made.

V30 They have left Caesarea Philippi and started to travel south. This route brings them through the Galilee region. He wants to be alone with his disciples to teach them what kind of Messiah he is. He has told them once already what will happen but they are still confused.

V31 Jesus predicts his coming passion (death) for the second time. Again he is explaining to them that he will be killed by humans but after three days he will rise again.

V32 Once again the disciples don’t understand what he is saying. They still have the former understanding of Messiah in their minds and that Messiah will not be killed but will kill in the name of God to rule the people. There will be a holy war with Jesus at the front. They are too afraid to ask him to explain again so they keep quiet.

V33 The group arrives at Capernaum, north of the Sea of Galilee, and enters a house. After entering Jesus questions them about their conversation on the way there. Some or all of the disciples must have hung back or been ahead of Jesus discussing something and he knows what it was about. However he confronts them and questions them even though he knows.

V34 They are silent. They have been caught discussing who is the greatest among themselves. They seem to know enough about what Jesus is trying to teach them that they feel shame when questioned which is evidenced by their silence but none the less have continued on with their old way of the understanding of a Messiah. If Jesus is the Messiah, who will be his right hand man? What positions will they hold in his “administration”? They know Jesus has been indicating things are different this time but they don’t want to hear it. We are just as guilty as they. We only hear the portions of the Christian message that we want to and that suits our needs while ignoring the rest. How many people pick out a few verses of the Bible to “prove” their point and ignore the rest of the message? We see it all the time and are probably even guilty of it ourselves.

V35 Jesus sat down. When a rabbi taught his disciples he always sat. He called the twelve over and again instructs them that whoever wants to be first in his “administration” must be a servant of all. Nobody wants to hear this. We want power and prestige we don’t want to do the dirty work of society. These guys wanted to rule the Jewish people with Jesus. They had in mind the courts of the great kings like David and Solomon. Those court officials didn’t serve the poor of their society. But Jesus is turning everything upside down for them. For Jesus, the only way they will be great is to serve the lowest class of society.

V36-37 To illustrate his point Jesus puts a little child among the group, holds it in his arms and says whoever welcomes a child welcomes me and whoever welcomes me welcomes God. In that society families loved their children but children had no status or prestige. In our society it’s all about the kids. We live for our kids but in that culture kids were way in the background. Jesus is teaching them that to be in a position of honor in his “administration” they will have to serve people who have no power, no influence and no wealth. These are the people that need things done for them. By doing and caring for others, without regards for self, they and us will be welcoming God.

This is a complete reversal of our society today. We are taught to look out for number one – get it while you can – what’s in it for me – if it feels good do it. According to the advertisements we are surrounded with we will have prestige if we drive the “right” (expensive) car, live in the “right” (expensive) house, neighborhood, attend the “right” functions and surround ourselves with the “right” people – people who can open doors for us and increase our status in society. What would happen if we lived as Jesus taught? Would we just be coming out of the greatest recession since the great depression if people lived for what they could do for others and not what they could earn for themselves? What if the people elected to political office lived to serve the people who elected them rather than some trying to obtain all they could for themselves? What if there was great competition for the lowest job in the church? What if we had to turn people away because there was just too much competition for the janitorial job? We need to turn our thinking around just as the disciples had to change theirs. We need to care for each other and not stuff. We need to help others succeed in their lives. The way to this success is service. We are called to be servants just as the man whom we follow served others.