Muhammad Ali famously claimed he was the greatest. He said, “It’s hard to be humble when you’re as great as I am.” Now, Ali was a showman and that was part of his act. Politicians have been known to say something similar. You might hear them claim that only they can fix what’s wrong with our society. If you vote for someone else, the world might come to an end. Apparently, this messaging works because politicians keep making the claims, and people keep voting for them.
While people keep claiming greatness, I’m not sure God is impressed with these claims. Consider for a moment this word from the Wisdom of Solomon: “For the Lord of all will not stand in awe of anyone or show deference to greatness, because he himself made both small and great, and he takes thought for all alike.” (Wisdom of Solomon 6:7).
This morning we once again hear Jesus define his messianic calling in terms of his suffering and death, followed by his resurrection. His disciples still didn’t understand what he was saying. That’s because it still didn’t fit with their expectations. They still imagined Jesus leading a revolution. Once Jesus achieved his victory over the Romans, they expected him to set them up in positions of power. So instead of picking up their crosses, they jockeyed for power in Jesus’ administration.
When we last caught up with Jesus and his disciples, they were hanging out in Caesarea Philippi. This morning we catch up with the group as they head back to Capernaum. Along the way home, they stopped for a few events, like the Transfiguration, but we’re skipping over them so we continue the story that started in Caesarea Philippi. So as Jesus and his band of disciples made their way to Capernaum, Jesus reminded his disciples what lay ahead of him, but they didn’t understand. They also didn’t ask him to explain, once again, what he meant by this talk of suffering and death. Instead, they argued among themselves about who was the greatest in their group.
It’s possible that they couldn’t understand Jesus’ message because they still envisioned sharing in his glory when he came into his kingdom. Suffering and death didn’t fit with their vision of the future, so they ignored Jesus and argued among themselves as they jockeyed for position in Jesus’ future kingdom.
History is filled with stories like this. During the time of the Roman Empire, the children and relatives of the emperors, along with the generals were always seeking to get in line so that when the emperor died, whether by natural causes or assassination, they could grab the reins of power. Emperors were known to have their rivals killed, even if they happened to be their children or their siblings. Politicians in the United States might not embrace the assassination of their rivals, but as a Presidential election takes place, especially if a President wins a second term, people start jockeying among themselves, hoping to get the upper hand when the next cycle comes around. It doesn’t take long after an election before politicians start making their pilgrimages to Iowa and New Hampshire hoping to get a head start on their rivals. That’s the way things work in the United States, but, is that the way it works in the kingdom of God?
So, when they arrived in Capernaum, Jesus asked his disciples what they were arguing about. Once again they kept silent because they were a bit embarrassed about what they were arguing about. Even though they didn’t say anything, Jesus knew what they were arguing about. They couldn’t fool him.
While jockeying for power is a normal part of the political process, it might surprise you to learn that similar debates and arguments happen all the time in churches. For some reason, many church people like to fight for control of their congregations and even denominations. They might not declare themselves to be the greatest of all, but they still fight for power and prestige. Maybe it’s a position of leadership in the church that catches their attention. Or maybe they believe they’re the most spiritual members of the church and they expect everyone to listen to their words of wisdom, which is something Paul dealt with in Corinth. Then there are the people who like to show off their bible knowledge, including their ability to memorize great swathes of Scripture.
We might be impressed by these claimants to greatness, but Jesus isn’t impressed. After all, Jesus tends to turn things upside down. He took a very different view of greatness than most humans. That’s why Jesus told his disciples that the path to greatness goes through the cross. Just so they understood what he meant by this, he told them that “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.”
We read something similar in the Letter of James:
My dear brothers and sisters, listen! Hasn’t God chosen those who are poor by worldly standards to be rich in terms of faith? Hasn’t God chosen the poor as heirs of the kingdom he has promised to those who love him? (James 2:5 CEB).
When it comes to the conflicts that arise in the community, James wrote: Do they not come from your cravings that are at war within you? You want something and do not have it, so you commit murder. And you covet something and cannot obtain it, so you engage in disputes and conflicts. (James 4:1-2). So what is the answer to this problem? James answers: “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you” (Jms 4:10). In other words, the first will become last, and the last will become first.
Jesus illustrated this upside-down vision of power by taking into his arms one of the children running around in the house. He told his disciples: “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.” So what should we make of Jesus’ message here? What does the path to greatness look like if it involves welcoming a child in the name of Jesus?
If we’re going to understand Jesus’ message, we need to first understand what it meant to be a child in the first century. Although there are children in the United States who are neglected and abused, as a general rule we hold children in much higher regard than they did in the first century. That is especially true of girls. In the first century, children were a blessing only if they could contribute to the family income. Since child mortality was incredibly high, families were reticent to get too attached to their children. Sons were valued more than daughters because they had greater economic potential. So when Jesus brought this child into the circle, he told his audience that if they welcomed this child he held in his arms in his name, they welcomed him, and the one who sent him, who is God the Father. In this true greatness would be revealed. When we hear this in context, what Jesus is telling his disciples who jockeyed for power is that true greatness is revealed in the way we treat the most vulnerable and marginalized people in our society.
As we ponder the meaning of Jesus’ message here, we might want to remember what Jesus said about the day of judgment in Matthew 25. In that passage, Jesus invites us to envision the day of judgment when the king will separate the sheep from the goats based on how they treated the least of his children. In Matthew 25, Jesus spoke of feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, providing water to the thirsty, caring for the sick, welcoming the stranger, and visiting those who were in prison. When he spoke here in Mark 9 about welcoming the children, he envisioned welcoming people who the world deemed to be unworthy and unproductive. As we think about what Jesus is saying here in Mark 9 and in Matthew 25, it is clear that our response to those in need will have political implications.
So, we should keep Jesus’ message in mind when we think about the way we support our education systems, provide health care to people, address the needs of immigrant families, and more. We need to ask ourselves whether Jesus would approve, for example, of us attacking Haitian immigrants living in Springfield, Ohio, people who have been targeted with slander and violence simply to score political points.
Christian ethicist David Gushee makes this comment about how Jesus viewed people.
He treated all human beings as persons of sacred worth. He sought to meet them at the point of their need and to act to advance their flourishing in whatever dimension was most needed. And he taught those who would be his followers to be “neighbors” to each and every person. [The Sacredness of Human Life, p. 92].
So, who is our neighbor? As we answer this question we will know what true greatness involves.
I will close with the refrain to Brian Wren’s Advent hymn “When God is a Child,” which I believe sums up nicely what Jesus is trying to say to his disciples:
When God is a Child
there’s joy in our song.
The last shall be first
and the weak shall be strong,
And none shall be afraid. [Chalice Hymnal, 132]
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