October 28th:
What I Want Call: Job 42: 1-6 Text: Mark 10: 35-45 Read: W&S 77 What I Want A Clarkson math major could not possibly calculate the number of times That I have reread a familiar scripture And discovered that there was something in it That "wasn't there the last time I read it." This week, it happened again. [read Mark 10: 35-45] For years I have had such a reaction to parts of this scripture That my entire focus has been on them And I have never even noticed a section in the middle That not only makes the parts I focused on more powerful But also is a valuable lesson in and of itself. In my defense, I think that my failure is understandable. For in the first part of the text We encounter James and John going to Jesus to make a demand "We want you to do for us whatever we ask of you." Can you imagine going to Jesus and saying, "Do for me what ever it is that I want!" And while you and I do ask Jesus for favors all the time We would never dream of asking Him what they did. For what James and John asked was outrageous They demanded to sit on His right and on His left In his kingdom. Giving us a remarkably arrogant demonstration of their sense of self importance. These two brothers wanted to sit in the two places of honor Placing them above Peter and Andrew Above Thomas and Bartholomew And above the other six of the special twelve. It would have been bad enough if naïve strangers had asked him for those positions of honor Perhaps offering to make a large donation. At least then our outrage could be tempered by the recognition that the stranger simply did not understand what Jesus had been teaching by his words and his example. But James and John they should have known! They been with him since they pulled their nets out of the Sea of Galilee and followed him They were part of Jesus' twelve key disciples In fact, they were part of Jesus' three closest associates "Peter, James, and John?" If anybody should have grasped what Jesus was all about It was those three. But in this part of the scripture we find that 2/3 of them didn't. In the past when I have reflected on this scripture I have had two powerful reactions, First, I got ticked off at James and John Second. I was awed and impressed that Jesus handled them so much better than I would have. I wanted to tell them off Or at least tell them to get out of my sight until they had had time to reflect on what a ridiculous request they had made to reflect on what kind of trouble their request (even though not granted) Could cause among the rest of the disciples And therefore, how damaging it would be to Christ's ministry. But instead of getting ticked off (or at least instead of responding in a way that would let them know he was ticked off) Jesus simply took this as a teaching opportunity, telling them "The leaders over the gentiles lord it over them Their great ones are tyrants But that is not how we do things. In our community of believers For in our community Whoever wants to become great must be a servant Whoever wants to be first among you must be slave of all" "Jimmy and Johnny," I hear him saying "you are my followers And I came not to be served but to serve And to give my life as a ransom for many." "Therefore The greatest of my followers will be servants to the others Not persons seeking honors and glory." As I read His words, I can hear the patience and heartfelt desire to teach them: He handled his self important disciples calmly and without losing his temper. Jesus gave a far, far, far better response than I would have To the demands J&J made on Him Because He lovingly instructed them rather than harshly scolding them His answer and His example continue to ring loud and true To us sitting in the pews and standing in the pulpit You know, the ones often saying "Jesus, this is what I want." My frustration with the two miscreants And my awe at Jesus' calm response Were so powerful and moving That they obscured another message in that response. For before asking them what they wanted Jesus, told them that they knew not what they were asking And He asked them, "Are you able to drink the cup that I drink?" "Are you able to be baptized by the baptism I am baptized with?" And these two seemingly self centered disciples responded, "We are able." In other words, Jesus asked the two brothers whether they would be willing to suffer what he was to suffer And both James and John said that they would Jesus believed them and He said, "The cup that I will drink, you will drink." "With the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized." And James and John did not withdraw their answer even when Jesus said to them, That those promises would not earn them the right and left hand seats. Those seats were for whomever God chose. Being his followers would earn them Not glorious positions of honor But the cup and baptism of death" Even knowing that, James and John continued to follow him And while we don't know what happened to John. Acts 12:2 tells us that James was martyred in Jerusalem Put to death by Herod Agrippa. These two brothers were sincere followers But like their successors in today's church They got sidetracked by human desires And needed Christ to bring them back to the message. And thus Christ, in speaking to James and John, Was speaking to you and me. For even today, if we really want to be his followers we had better be servants to each other - and to all; we cannot allow ourselves to be motivated or inspired by human desires for positions of honor, glory, and fame; and we have to be prepared to suffer and sacrifice along the way. Instead of focusing on chastising James and John for their demand You and I had are better off hearing and obeying That lesson of suffering and sacrifice so we can truly be followers of - not demanders of - Jesus the Christ Our attitude must be one of What we can do for Him and each other rather than an attitude of "What I want."