The First and the Last

A Church article with View Comments posted 20 September 2009.
Tags: arguing, pentecost 16, sermon, service, year b

Occasion: Pentecost 16, Year B
Text: Mark 9:30-37, James 3:13-4:3, 7-8a

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This sermon was prepared for services at St. John’s Lutheran Church, Sterling, IL on September 16 and 20.

“What were you arguing about on the way?”

It’s a funny story this week, or at least tragically funny. The disciples are trailing behind Jesus. Jesus is talking – teaching about the kingdom of God and what it means to be a servant of everyone and why that’s so crucial to God’s kingdom. The disciples, trailing behind, aren’t paying attention. In fact, while Jesus is preaching about servanthood, they’re arguing about who’s the greatest. If it wasn’t so sad, it’d be hilarious.

This is like following behind Donald Trump, and while he’s doling out the secret to being a millionaire, we’re busy complaining about how poor we are. It’s like being invited to Rachel Ray’s kitchen, but instead of paying rapt attention to how all the tasty food gets prepared, we’re standing in the corner moaning about how hungry we are.

Actually, it’s worse. Jesus is telling them how he is going to go to Jerusalem, be betrayed, be killed, and be raised on the third day. And rather than realizing that this is the pinnacle of human service, the epitome of self-giving love, the disciples basically spit on it. They care more about who is in charge next. It’s like the kids have gathered at the bedside of a dying parent, and they’re arguing about the inheritance while he’s still alive.

“What were you arguing about on the way? But they were silent…”

Jesus’ words to us today represent a radical challenge to American society. In Sterling, IL, like everywhere else in the world, we are encouraged to be first and best. You have finally “made it” when you have your own house, your own car, the big screen TV, the investment portfolio – the works. In other words, you’ve “made it” when you’re wealthy. This is not the kingdom of God.

We are told to be served, not to serve. For proof of this, you need look no farther than advertising on TV, radio, the newspaper, or the Internet. Before you can be sold a product, you have to want it – and one of the easiest ways to make you want something is to tell you that it will make you better than someone else. This is not the kingdom of God.

Be strong, healthy, and self-sufficient, they tell us. Be the best. Achieve. Be All You Can Be. Sound familiar? American society is constantly telling us to be the best, at the exclusion of others, for our own sake and forget the rest. Maybe it’s your investment portfolio, your club membership, a big expensive car, or how careful you are with the environment. It affects all of us. This is not the kingdom of God.

This craving to be first, best, powerful, self-sufficient, and living life on our own terms threatens our relationship with God. As our reading from James says today, envy and selfishness put ourselves ahead of others – and while this is the wisdom of the world, it is not of God. We get caught up in the rat race, don’t we? But the trouble with the rat race is, even if you win, you’re still a rat.

The men and women closest to Jesus had the same kind of struggles and temptations that we do. It’s easy to put them up on a pedestal, but they were rats just like us. They, like us, were caught up in being great, achieving, and being considered better than those around us. They, like us, had a hard time seeing anything but the wisdom of the world. They, like us, were so captured by sin that though they were made for something far greater, and they were personally chosen by Jesus Christ for a great mission for the sake of the Gospel, they became entangled in quarrels and fights.

While they were fighting with each other, dead in their sin, Jesus was talking about the death of sin itself. While they were bound in chains of selfishness, Jesus was telling them about the most selfless act of sacrifice in human history.

Wouldn’t it be nice if St. John’s was the kind of place where people were arguing about who got to run things? Then we’d have a place to start from, at least. Let’s face it – we don’t have people clamoring to teach Sunday School. We need some people to do this or that, and the response is “I can’t be there that night, I have a TV show.” or “I’d be there, but I’ve got a sports practice that’s more important.” or “Well, I might help if I have a little time, but I don’t want to be in charge.” It’s a question of misplaced priorities, for most of us. At least if people were arguing about who got to run things, there would be people around to run things.

So the message of Jesus today is this: if you want to be first, be last. Last to stand up for yourself. Last to stand up for your rights, or what you deserve, or what you think you deserve. Last in your list of priorities for your time, your ability, and your money. Do the things that need to be done for the sake of the Gospel in this place, right now, even if we wouldn’t put them first if we had our way. This is not the way of glory. You don’t win awards with this kind of lastness. This kind of lastness is the way of the cross. Jesus talks about servanthood through the cross – not the cross as an abstract symbol, but the two wooden beams that his ankles and wrists were going to be nailed to. If we would follow Jesus, we would make ourselves last. Until we do, we are last in the kingdom of God.

Yet even though we are dead in our sins and unable to save ourselves, Jesus Christ tells us in this very passage that he goes to the cross. He is betrayed, killed, and on the third day he rises again. Why does this happen? For the forgiveness of our sins. We who are last in the kingdom of God are served by Jesus, the suffering servant. Not only do we have Jesus for an example today as one who serves by putting himself last, but in putting himself last Jesus served all of us by making atonement for our sins and showing us God’s suffering love. Thus we can declare boldly “Yes, I am a sinner! Yet I am fiercely loved by God in Jesus Christ.” We cling to the foot of the cross by our faith, and there we find forgiveness, healing, and mercy.

This forgiveness transforms our lives. If nothing changed in our outward actions, who would know that something is different about us? When we are saved by Jesus, we are given new life – and new life means new behavior. We have God’s law as a guide to show us how to respond to His gift of new life. We are called out of old patterns of behavior. We constantly are renewed and turned to new service in God’s kingdom. Our priorities get straightened out – the church, the Body of Christ become our families’ first priorities. We don’t do this because we are trying to earn salvation, but as a gracious response to the Gospel – thankful that God has saved us in Jesus Christ.

When we live this way, confident in God’s forgiveness and thankful for His mercy, we naturally live lives that respond to the Good News by serving others – at home, at work, and especially through the church. You have been forgiven! Now come with us and find a place to serve for the sake of the Gospel in this community.