Whoever Would Be Great

 

Jesu Juva

St. Mark 10:35-45                                                               

Lent 5B

March 21, 2021                                                             

 Dear saints of our Savior,

          You’ve got to give James and John credit—at least for their boldness.  Perhaps they were listening closely when Jesus preached that sermon about “ask and you shall receive.”  Because these two brothers were asking and expecting to receive in a big way.  “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.”  No hem-hawing around.  Not a touch of humility or even a “thy will be done” thrown in to sound pious and religious.  No, they got right to the point:  “Grant us to sit, one at your right and the other at your left in your glory.”

          It’s easy for us to wag our fingers at these two brothers and their display of naked ambition.  A power play like that usually goes on behind closed doors, but these two sounded bold and brazen, proud and puffed up.  But notice whose fingers are wagging in this story.  Notice who gets angry and indignant.  It’s not Jesus.  He has some important words of correction to say, all right; but the only angry, wagging fingers are those of the other ten disciples.  They’re the ones who feel ambushed, who probably coveted the top spots for themselves, but didn’t have the moxie to actually request what they too were dreaming of.

          James and John were among those who were first called by our Lord.  Along with Peter, James and John comprised the inner circle—the elite corps of disciples.  They were there on the mountain of Transfiguration.  They were there when Jesus prayed in Gethsemane.  These brothers had a nickname; they were called “sons of thunder.”  They once suggested that Jesus should rain down fire and brimstone on some Samaritans who turned a cold shoulder to Jesus.  Impetuous, bold, rough around the edges, politically incorrect—no seminary would have ever accepted these two.  But Jesus called them and used them to build His church.

          The prize that James and John were shooting for came at a high price.  Jesus told them they didn’t know what they were asking for:  Are you able to drink the cup that I drink?  We know the cup He was talking about.  It’s the same cup Jesus would mention again on the night when He was betrayed, as He prayed in the garden:  Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me.  Yet, not as I will, but as you will (Matt. 26:39).  Jesus was talking about His death, of course.  But the cup Jesus would drink on Good Friday also contained wrath—the wrath of God the Father against the sins of all humanity.  And Jesus would drink it to the dregs.

          James and John were aiming for greatness in the kingdom of God.  But they didn’t know what they were asking.  They didn’t know what they were saying when they proclaimed that they too could drink the cup that Jesus would drink.  Nor did they realize that in the end—in a most unexpected way—they would drink of that cup.  For both of these brothers would one day be given the cup of martyrdom to drink.  They would follow Jesus in the way of death.  And James was actually the first of the Twelve to give up His life as a witness to Him who gave His life as a ransom for many.  James was the first to go (Acts 12:2).  He was number one—the first of the Twelve to die a martyr’s death and receive the crown of eternal life.  Just goes to show, be careful what you ask for.

          Jesus teaches us today that greatness in the kingdom of God is not a bad thing, but a good thing.  Greatness is good!  But it’s a very different kind of greatness from what we see in the world around us.  In the kingdom of Jesus, you will never be great because you’re a master of the power play.  You will never achieve greatness based upon how many people you can push around and step on.  You will never achieve greatness based upon how many people you can make bend over in obedience as you claw your way to the top of the pile.  The top of the pile is not where Jesus does His thing.  You’ll always find Jesus at the bottom of the pile, together with all the stepped-on sinners.

          In fact, remember how James and John wanted to be next to Jesus in His glory—on His right and on His left?  Well, when was Jesus in His glory?  When was He most glorious?  And just who was on His right and on His left at that

moment?  Jesus Himself described His most glorious moment as His death by crucifixion.  On His right and on His left were two robbers.  “He was numbered with the transgressors.”  That hill called Calvary was His throne room.  His crown was of thorns, and His throne was a cross.  His greatest triumph was in His death.

          The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.  That’s the way of greatness for us.  The way of greatness is to be served by Jesus—for His bloody death to count as the payment for your sins.  The way of greatness is to receive the gifts that Jesus serves up right here in the Divine Service every Lord’s Day.  Your God doesn’t help those who help themselves.  He doesn’t reward naked ambition and power plays.  He helps those who cannot help themselves—poor, miserable sinners who daily sin much and surely deserve nothing but punishment.

          Those who have been served by Jesus—those who have been forgiven and fed by the Lord of life—they are equipped to achieve greatness with Jesus.  Whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all.  What does that mean?  It means that the path to greatness is the path of service.  It’s not about other people serving you; it’s about you serving others.  And in serving others, you are ultimately, really serving Jesus Himself.

          If you want to achieve greatness in the kingdom of Jesus, then do the work of your vocations.  Whatever it is that God has called you to do—whatever roles He has placed upon you—be it parent, spouse, citizen, neighbor, friend, student, employee—do it to the best of your ability for the sake of Him who died and rose again.  Whatever you do in faith, according to your vocation, is a good work—a grand and glorious work—in the eyes of God.  At home this means doing laundry, washing dishes, washing windows, cooking supper.  In the family it means loving and sacrificing for your spouse, honoring your parents, raising children in the Word of God.  In the neighborhood it means paying your taxes, voting, and helping others in need.  When you do this—when you have been served by Jesus to serve others in Jesus’ name—then you are achieving greatness Jesus-style.

          Jesus Christ comes here today to serve you.  He gives you a baptism with which to be baptized, and in that baptism He works forgiveness of sins, rescues from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation.  He places a cup to your lips and invites you to drink of the blood given and shed for you—the sweet wine of His forgiveness—the cup of blessing which we bless.  He has given His life as a ransom for you, so that you are now His own.  Whether you are bold and impetuous like James and John, or meek and bashful—it doesn’t matter who you are, but whose you are.  And you are His beloved child.  You are served and you are loved by Jesus the Christ. 

          In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.