Reading for Proper
24B
Mark 10:35-45
October 19, 2003
The Rev. Karen Siegfriedt
St. Jude the Apostle Episcopal Church, Cupertino,
CA
Jesus said to his disciples: "Whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve." [Mk. 10]
In the meditation booklet, Forward Day by Day, today's reading tells of a traveling drama group that came to Selma, Alabama to put on a presentation of the Passion of Christ. From the very beginning, there were many difficulties in executing the play. When the time came for the crucifixion scene, the actor (playing Jesus) refused to get on the cross. He said it wasn't safe and left the stage wearing only a loincloth.
This story sheds a lot of insight on Christian discipleship. The truth is, it is not safe to follow Jesus, at least not in physical or conventional terms. The Christian path is not about safety; it is about transformation. Transformed lives can transform the world. When there is a critical mass of transformed people actively participating in society, then the general climate becomes one of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control. Transformation is what gives us hope, not comfort or safety. And the way transformation happens is by being committed to a life of sacrificial love, known as agape. Love God and love your neighbor. Everything else is commentary.
At this point in the sermon, you might be thinking to yourself, "This is a very hard path to follow and I am not sure I want to commit myself to a sacrificial lifestyle." If you find yourself having these doubts, you are not alone. Today's gospel portrays Jesus' closest disciples as struggling with the same doubts. Let's take a closer look.
At this point in Mark's gospel, Jesus is on a journey from Galilee (which is in the north), to Jerusalem (which is in the center of what we now call Israel). Throughout the journey, Jesus teaches both the disciples and the crowds about what it means to be committed to this path of sacrificial love. Over the past several weeks, we have heard many of these difficult teachings. For instance:
- "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow me." [Mark 8:34]
- "Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all." [Mark 9:35]
- "The Son of Man is to be betrayed into human hands and they will kill him." [Mark 9:31]
- "If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. If your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out. It is better to enter the Kingdom of God with one eye, than to be thrown into the burning garbage pit of death."[Mark 9:47]
- "Go sell what you own, give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come follow me." [Mark 10:21]
- "Whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all." [Mark 8-10]
It seems as if Jesus is becoming repetitive in his teachings about servanthood and sacrifice. Perhaps this is because they are difficult topics that are counter-intuitive and counter-cultural and thus need repeating. In 1st century Palestine, greatness was equated with wealth and power. Those who were "well off" were viewed as having special favor from God. A rigid hierarchy undergirded the society. The Roman Emperor was at the top of the pyramid followed by his family and his most trusted advisors. Next, came the King of Israel, who had limited power but power nevertheless. The well-to-do class (whose wealth came from inheritance and from taking advantage of the poor) was next on the totem pole. Those who owned land were valued more than those who did not. The patriarch, who was the head of the household, laid down the law for his wife, children, and servants.
For the most part, servants and slaves were on the bottom of the pyramid, having little resources or freedom to make their own decisions. Most people spent an enormous amount of time and energy, trying to climb the ladder in order to gain wealth, prestige, and power. It is into this social context that James and John (two of Jesus' closest disciples) asked to be promoted to a position of great honor.
Jesus tells them that true greatness does not come from wielding power over others. True greatness does not come from position or wealth. True greatness is not about education, rank, land ownership, or talent. In God's eyes, true greatness is measured by service to others. This teaching is quite different from what most of us have been taught. No wonder we resist it. If true greatness is measured by service to others, this should have a profound effect on how we educate our children, how they spend their time, how we set our priorities, how we make choices, and how we determine our economic and political policies. Most economic problems could be solved if people lived for what they could do for others rather than for what they could get for themselves. Most political problems could be solved if the ambition of politicians was only to serve society and not to enhance their own prestige. The divisions and disputes which pit nation against nation, would (for the most part) never occur if the only desire of its citizens were to serve others in justice and in peace rather than striving for power and privilege. The tensions within the Episcopal Church could be resolved if we were committed to service rather than theological correctness. When Jesus equated true greatness with servanthood, he laid down one of the most profound truths that can lead to transformation of this world.
Having said all this, I do realize that there are many challenges in trying to incorporate Jesus' teachings into our daily lives. These challenges are many and include physical, cultural, psychological, and spiritual stumbling blocks. Let me rehearse these challenges:
- First of all, there is the physical challenge. We are hard-wired to respond to danger by fleeing or fighting. Self-preservation seems to be embedded in our genes along with our bodily desires for comfort. So it is hard to stick out one's neck.
- Next, there are the cultural expectations, passed on by the media and from one generation to the next. Our culture believes that true greatness is measured by talent, intelligence, wealth, looks, position, and power. Most of us have bought into this myth. It takes a lot of honest examination to move beyond this cultural wisdom.
- The next stumbling block is a spiritual one. Many people have placed their narcissistic self at the center of the universe instead of Christ. Narcissism and agape are on the opposite ends of the spectrum. You can't serve narcissism and agape. It takes a certain level of consciousness to move along the spectrum where love is the operating principle.
- Finally, there are psychological blocks which keep us from choosing a position of servanthood. No one wants to be an unwilling scapegoat or a doormat. Forcing someone to be an unwilling scapegoat or doormat in not what love is all about. These are the pathological dimensions of sacrifice that are often forced onto those with little power.
However, there does come a time in one's genuine spiritual journey, when the light turns on and the heart is filled with compassion for others. At this point, a person committed to the path of love, may freely and willingly sacrifice his or her own personal needs and desires. This expresses itself by reaching out to others with a healing embrace and becoming a transformative presence in the world. It is this posture of sacrificial love that Jesus invites us to embrace in today's gospel.
| Updated 10/20/03 |
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