Tawa Baptist

Blind Ambition

Scripture: Mark 10:35-45

Video Link: https://youtu.be/zEJ2DkZTFQQ

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Jesus’ humility (v. the disciples’ ambition)
  • Jesus’ vision (v. the disciples’ blindness)
  • Jesus’ redemption (v. the disciples’ anger)
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

It’s October, which means some students will be sitting exams soon.

One method for exam revision is the 1-2-3-7 technique. That is, after your first read through, revise what you want to remember the very next day and then the day after that and then again on the seventh day.

Some people say you should re-read again 21 days after the first read, but if you are sitting exams two weeks from now you, you won’t have time. The point is you cannot expect to remember something you’ve only read once. Repetition is key to learning.    

Today we continue our series in the gospel of Mark based on the lectionary readings. This Sunday’s Scripture is Mark chapter 10, verses 35-45. If you have been following this series, then some of what you are about to hear will sound familiar. This is because it’s the third time that Jesus has said it.

Jesus’ disciples didn’t understand what he was saying the first time, so he kept repeating himself. But, with each repetition, Jesus adds a little more information and so this sermon is not a repeat. From Mark 10, verse 35, we read…

35 Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.” 36 “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked. 37 They replied, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.” 38 “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said. “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?” 39 “We can,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, 40 but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.” 41 When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. 42 Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 43 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.  45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.

In this passage we see the contrast between Jesus and his disciples.

Jesus’ humility stands apart from the disciples’ ambition.

Jesus’ vision sees beyond the disciples’ blindness.

And Jesus’ redemption shines like a star against the darkness of the disciples’ anger. First, let’s consider the contrast between Jesus’ humility and the disciples’ ambition.

Jesus’ humility (v. the disciples’ ambition)

Thomas Merton, the 20th Century Trappist monk, once wrote…

When ambition ends, happiness begins.

Merton is saying that when we let go of our relentless drive for success and achievement, we can find true contentment and fulfilment.

Ambition is the desire and determination to achieve something. Wanting to achieve something is not necessarily bad in itself, unless it comes at the expense of our well-being and relationships. If ambition is left unchecked, it tends to lead to things like envy and arrogance, anger and greed. Ambition is a hunger that is never satisfied.    

The brothers James and John had ambitions. James and John were the sons of Zebedee, a local fisherman. From what we can piece together it appears James and John came from a moderately wealthy family who were well-connected.

Their father Zebedee owned several fishing boats and employed servants.

Also, James and John may have had a family connection with the household of the high priest.

For James and John to walk away from a successful family business to follow a travelling rabbi, who often criticized the religious establishment, was no small thing. James and John had given up a lot to become disciples of Jesus.

Maybe this was in the back of their mind when they said to Jesus, ‘we want you to do for us whatever we ask’.

This request is the opposite of winsome. This request is a bit insensitive in fact, given how it follows hard on the heels of Jesus’ third passion prediction. Jesus had just been telling his disciples (in verses 32-34) how he will be mocked, spat on, flogged and killed before rising three days later.

Somehow this doesn’t register with James and John. Jesus is their teacher.

He is their boss, and he is soon to suffer terribly, yet they want to tell Jesus what to do. That is ambition speaking. 

But listen to the way Jesus handles their request. There is a grace and humility in Jesus’ response that is truly beautiful. Jesus does not get angry with James and John. He doesn’t yell at them or cast them into outer darkness. Jesus takes the posture of a servant. He listens.

‘What do you want me to do for you’, Jesus asks. That’s a listening question. That’s something a servant says. 

And James and John reply…

“Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.”

There it is. Naked ambition. James and John know that Jesus is a king. To sit at the right and left of a king is to occupy positions of power and prestige. It’s like saying, we want to be second and third in charge of your kingdom.

Although James and John’s ambition (to be in charge) looks quite ugly in many respects, we should not judge them too harshly. Each of us has a bit of James and John in us. None of us are immune from selfish ambition.

Looking at James and John in a more positive light, we note the strength of their faith and hope in Jesus. As I said before, James and John gave up a lot to follow Jesus. Their ambition may have been misguided but they have a confidence in Jesus which is quite inspiring.  

Jesus had just been describing how he would be rejected, mocked and killed. To the disciples this might have sounded like Jesus was a bit discouraged or plagued with self-doubt. Perhaps James and John’s request was their way of saying to Jesus, ‘we believe in you, even if you don’t quite believe in yourself’.  

But Jesus is not plagued with self-doubt. Jesus sees what the disciples can’t see. Jesus sees the cross before him.

Jesus came as a humble servant, but he is primarily a servant of the living God, the Lord Almighty, God of heaven and earth. Jesus does not take his orders from James and John or any other human being. Jesus takes his orders from God the Father. Jesus’ sole ambition is to love and obey God.

Humility does not mean saying ‘yes’ to every request. Humility is about having your feet on the ground. To be humble is to maintain an accurate estimation of yourself, remembering who you are and who you serve. Not being carried away by ambition but holding on to yourself. 

Jesus’ vision (vs. the disciples’ blindness)

Jesus has the humility to know that it’s not his call who gets to sit on his left or right, much less James and John’s call. Jesus will not usurp God’s authority. And so, Jesus declines their request saying…

38 “You don’t know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?”

James and John answer with confidence saying, “We can”.

Their ambition has blinded them. Jesus has just said, “You don’t know what you are asking…”, but James and John are not listening, they act as if they know better than Jesus.

You have probably seen the drawing of the old woman which, depending on how you look at it, is also a drawing of a young woman. Some people can only see the old woman and some can only see the young woman. Then there are those who can see both.

When Jesus asks James and John if they can drink the cup he is about to drink and be baptized with the baptism he is about to be baptized with, James and John misunderstand Jesus’ meaning. They can only see the young woman.

In the Old Testament, the cup had two meanings. Sometimes the cup referred to joy and abundance of good things, like in the 23rd Psalm where we read…

You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life…

Other times though, the cup is a symbol of God’s judgement and wrath, like in the book of Jeremiah where the Lord says…

Take from my hand this cup filled with the wine of wrath and make all the nations to whom I send you drink…

When James and John hear Jesus talking about drinking from his cup, they probably think Psalm 23, joy and abundance, dining at the king’s table.

But this is not what Jesus has in mind. Jesus is thinking about the cup of God’s wrath that he will drink in going to the cross.

Likewise, the image of baptism had two meanings in the first century.

When Jesus talks about baptism in Mark 10, he is not referring to the ritual of baptism that we are familiar with.

Baptism in this context is a metaphor for being overwhelmed or submerged under water, like with Noah’s flood or when the Egyptian army were drowned in the Red Sea or when the Psalmist in distress says, Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me…

For first century Jews though, baptism was also an image of cleansing and renewal. So, when James and John hear Jesus talking about his baptism, they probably think Jesus is referring to God’s destruction of their enemies and the renewal of Israel. They want some of that.

But Jesus has a different understanding of baptism in mind here. Jesus is contemplating the overwhelming suffering he will soon experience in going to the cross.     

Jesus can see the blindness of James and John, but he doesn’t humiliate them. Jesus’ vision sees beyond the disciples’ blindness. The Lord goes on to tell James and John…   

“You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with…”

In fact, James and John were witnesses to Jesus’ suffering, death and resurrection. More than that, James was among the first of the apostles to be killed for his testimony about Jesus. In Acts 12, we read how Herod had James put to death by the sword.

John was not murdered, as far as we know, but he did suffer in his witness for Jesus. John survived a series of state-sponsored persecutions of the early church and was eventually sent into exile on the island of Patmos.

The disciples’ experience speaks to our experience. When we first become believers, we don’t know what lies ahead for us in our journey of faith. We are blind, feeling our way like newborn puppies.

There is often an initial joy when we first accept Jesus. But there are also times of desolation along the way, when we feel alone and abandoned by God.

To follow Jesus is to drink from his cup and share in his baptism.

Sometimes, like the first disciples, we will get it wrong. We will misunderstand, we will fail and wonder how we might move forward. But Jesus understands. Jesus forgives and Jesus provides a way for us. Despite the disciples’ misplaced ambition and initial blindness, Jesus was still able to use them, and he is still able to use us.

Although James and John did indeed share in Christ’s sufferings, that did not automatically entitle them to call dibs on the best seats in God’s kingdom.

As Jesus said: ‘To sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.’  

If Jesus had in mind the cross, then the ‘places’ in view here were allotted to two criminals. One was crucified on Jesus’ left and the other on his right. Ambition had blinded James and John, so they did not know what they were asking.

We have heard about Jesus’ humility in contrast to the disciples’ ambition.

And we’ve heard how Jesus’ vision sees beyond the disciples’ blindness.

Now let’s consider Jesus’ redemption in the face of the disciples’ anger.  

Jesus’ redemption (v. the disciples’ anger)

There are basically two main ways to define greatness. Top down or bottom up. The top-down definition of greatness asks, how many people can I get to serve me? While the bottom-up definition asks, how many people can I serve?

William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army, once said, “The greatness of a man’s power is the measure of his surrender”.

I believe it is true for women as well. Perhaps what Booth meant here was the more a person surrenders their life to God’s purpose, the more people they will help. William Booth thought of greatness in terms of obedience to God and service to others.

James and John’s ambition, their drive for success and achievement, threatened their relationships with the other disciples. In verse 41, we read how the 10 became indignant with James and John.

The word indignant means angry, but it’s a particular kind of angry. The other 10 disciples were angry with James and John because they felt James and John had behaved in a way that was unworthy or unfair.

By asking for top positions in Jesus’ administration, James and John were implicitly saying to the other 10 disciples, ‘we are better than you’. The other 10 disciples didn’t share James and John’s opinion. The other disciples’ indignation reveals they thought James and John were not worthy of sitting at Jesus’ left and right.

No one, it seems, was too bothered about how Jesus might be feeling, even though Jesus had just described in detail how he was going to suffer.       

Jesus is not indignant. Jesus does not take umbrage. Jesus sees a teachable moment, an opportunity for redeeming the disciples’ relationships. Jesus sets the disciples’ free from their ambition and their anger, saying…

“You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.  43 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.

This is the part that sounds familiar. Most people in the first century defined greatness in terms of how many people I can get to serve me. Jesus flips this on its head. Jesus redefines greatness as how many people I can serve.

Jesus goes on to use himself as an example saying, in verse 45…

45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.

In the Jewish imagination, the Son of Man was a great figure, one of the greatest. But the thing that makes the Son of Man great is his service to others.

Jesus is the Son of Man. Jesus is trying to tell his disciples that he came to die in order that others might live. That is one of the main ways Jesus continues to serve humanity.

Much ink has been spilt over what Jesus meant by giving his life as a ransom.

In the first century, if you wanted to set someone free from slavery or prison, you did so by paying a large amount of money. The ransom payment redeemed the person’s life, allowing them to go free and start afresh.

Some people over the centuries have asked the question, “If Jesus’ life was the cost of the ransom, then who was paid?” Well, that sort of question misses the point. No one was paid. Jesus is speaking metaphorically here.

Like when someone says, ‘grief is the price we pay for love’. No one receives a payment. Grief isn’t like money. The expression simply means, love costs you. Our redemption cost Jesus his life. Our freedom cost God his Son.

Conclusion:

Let me finish with a story. This is a true story. On Sunday, 16 August 1987, Northwest Airlines flight 225 crashed shortly after taking off from Detroit Airport, killing 154 people on board and two people on the ground. Only one passenger survived, a four-year old girl named Cecelia.

Cecelia survived because, as the plane was falling, Cecelia’s mother, Paula, unbuckled her own seatbelt, got down on her knees in front of her daughter and shielded Cecelia with her body. Paula gave her life as a ransom for her daughter. She saved Cecelia.

Nothing could separate Cecelia from her mother’s love – not tragedy or disaster, not the fall or the flames, not height nor depth, nor life nor death. Such is Jesus’ love for us. He left heaven, became a servant for us and covered us with the sacrifice of his own body that we might live. [1]

Jesus’ sacrifice calls for a response from us. What will you do with the freedom Jesus bought you?

Let us pray…

Loving God, we thank you for Jesus who redeems our life and shows us the way. Set us free from misplaced ambition, blindness and anger. Help us to walk humbly with you. Through Jesus we pray. Amen.

Questions for discussion or reflection:

  1. What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?
  2. Why does Jesus keep repeating the same message to his disciples? (That is, about his suffering, death and resurrection and about service.) What faith lessons keep being repeated in your life?
  3. Discuss / reflect on Thomas Merton’s words, “When ambition ends, happiness begins”. What does Merton mean by this? Do you agree? When is ambition good? When does ambition become harmful? What was Jesus’ ambition? What is your ambition?
  4. What did Jesus mean when he talked about the cup and baptism, in verse 38? How did James and John (mis)understand Jesus’ words? What realities has God opened your eyes to, since becoming a Christian?   
  5. How does Jesus define greatness? How do you define greatness? Who serves you? Who do you serve? 
  6. Why did the other 10 disciples become indignant (angry) with James and John? What does their anger reveal about them? What makes you feel indignant?
  7. What did Jesus mean when he said, the Son of Man came to give his life as a ransom for many? What freedoms do you enjoy because of Jesus? What will you do with the freedom Jesus bought you?

[1] Refer J. John and Mark Stibbe’s book, ‘A Box of Delights’, page 173.

Tawa Baptist

The Way Up Is Down

Scripture: Mark 9:30-37

Video Link: https://youtu.be/nnSSPJcgP10

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • The way up is down
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

If you watch Country Calendar then you will know how important soil is for farming. Soil filters the water we drink, it grows the food we eat and it captures carbon dioxide which would otherwise impact climate change.

We might not think dirt is worth much but taking care of the soil under our feet is an essential part of taking care of ourselves and the environment. When it comes to growing great crops, the way up is down, down in the dirt.

Today we continue our series in the gospel of Mark, based on the lectionary readings. Last week, in Mark 8, we heard how Jesus predicted his death and resurrection.

This week, we skip forward to the end of chapter 9, where Jesus talks about greatness. When it comes to greatness, the way up is down. From Mark chapter 9, verse 30, we read…   

30 They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were, 31 because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise.”  32 But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it. 33 They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” 34 But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest. 35 Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.” 36 He took a little child whom he placed among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, 37 “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.”

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.

The way up is down:

Tomato plants grow a lot of branches and leaves. At least once a week you need to go through your tomato plants and break off all the laterals. This thins the foliage out, so more energy goes into producing the fruit. If you let the tomato plant grow wild, without pruning, you’ll get smaller fruit.

When it comes to growing tomatoes, the way up is down. You get bigger fruit and more of it, when you thin the foliage.

In verse 30, we read how Jesus didn’t want anyone to know he was passing through Galilee because he was teaching his disciples. Jesus was popular with the crowds, but that popularity was like excess lateral growth. It took away from the fruit.

When it comes to growing the kingdom of God, the way up is down. To grow a kingdom that would last, Jesus needed to bypass the crowds and give priority to teaching his disciples. He needed to go deep with a few committed souls.

R.A. Cole observes that Jesus had a ‘quiet purposeful selectiveness’ in the way he went about his work.[1] Jesus didn’t try to do everything. Jesus embraced the limitations of his humanity, carefully focusing on what God would have him do.

Sometimes our lives are characterized by a fevered rush to pack as much as possible into the day. While a certain amount of busy-ness and stress is unavoidable, we need to ask ourselves, what are God’s priorities for my time and energy? As Jesus said to Martha, ‘you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed’.

Verse 31 tells us Jesus wanted to talk with his disciples about his betrayal, death and resurrection. This is the second or third time Jesus has mentioned his passion. The way up is down. For Jesus, the way to resurrection and eternal life is by being betrayed and crucified.

Jesus refers to himself as the Son of Man. Jesus is probably drawing a connection with the Son of Man figure in Daniel 7 who endures great trial and suffering, but who emerges victorious in the end. This concept of suffering first, then glory later, is the picture Jesus wants his disciples to see.

But the disciples did not understand what Jesus meant and were afraid to ask him about it. The disciples are in denial; too afraid to face the truth.

They have hopes and plans for Jesus and for themselves too. They imagine Jesus to be a warrior king like David. The thought of Jesus being killed makes no sense to the disciples. How can you win by losing? How can you save us from our enemies and give us a place of power and prestige if you are dead?

And what’s this about Jesus being betrayed? If the disciples had found the courage to think it through, they would have realised Jesus was talking about them being disloyal to him. No one wants to believe they are capable of betrayal, even though we all are.

If you cut your hand while working in the garden or on a building site, you don’t just carry on as if nothing happened. You seek medical attention. You find someone who knows what they are doing to clean the wound, stitch it up and dress it so the cut doesn’t become infected.

It’s similar with our relationships. If you have a bad argument with someone and end up saying things that cut each other, then you need to clean and dress the wound, so your relationship doesn’t turn septic.

When they reach Capernaum and are in the house, away from the public, Jesus asks the disciples what they were arguing about on the road.

We see the grace and wisdom of Jesus here. It’s not that Jesus doesn’t know what they were arguing about. He knows alright. Jesus is asking because he wants to bring healing and reconciliation. If Jesus doesn’t clean and dress the wound properly, the argument will turn their relationships septic.

Notice the way Jesus does not confront the disciples while they are on the road having the argument. The way up is down. If you want to raise understanding in a relationship, then best to wait until tempers go down. Jesus waits until the heat has gone out of the argument and the disciples are calmer.

There is wisdom and grace too in the setting Jesus chooses for this restorative process. Jesus has the conversation in private, away from the crowds. Jesus only includes those who were involved in the argument. He doesn’t complain about the disciples’ behaviour to some third party.

Only after the disciples have calmed down and are all together in a relatively private setting, does Jesus seek to cleanse and dress the wound. Jesus does this by giving the disciples an opportunity to talk about what was troubling them.

But the disciples are silent, too embarrassed to admit they were arguing about who was the greatest. The disciples think the way up is up. They don’t yet understand the way up is down. In order to improve the quality of their relationships they need to humble themselves and confess the truth.

We shouldn’t look down on the disciples here. Better for us to stand alongside them, in solidarity.

At the beginning of Mark chapter 9, Jesus took three disciples up a mountain with him, where he was transfigured. Peter, James and John saw Jesus in his glory, talking with Moses and Elijah and they heard a voice from heaven saying of Jesus, ‘This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him’.

The other nine missed out on this experience. Given how insecure and self-centred we human beings are, this was bound to make the disciples wonder what the pecking order was.

Probably also the disciples were thinking about how Jesus could benefit them. They believed Jesus was a great king and as king he might want them in his cabinet. The disciples’ argument probably came about from their illusions of grandeur.

They were right about Jesus being a great king. They just didn’t understand the path to greatness went through the valley of humble service. The way up is down.     

In verse 35 we read that Jesus sat down. In our culture, teachers normally stand up the front when they are teaching. But in first century Palestine, Rabbis sat down when they had something important to say. 

It soon becomes apparent that Jesus knew all along what the disciples had been arguing about. No one had the courage or humility to admit it, so Jesus shines his light on the situation saying: ‘Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.’ The way up is down.

The society in which Jesus’ disciples lived was an honour shame culture.

There was an honour ladder and most people tried their best to climb it.

The disciples wanted to climb the ladder. They wanted to piggy-back off Jesus’ power to gain prestige for themselves.

Jesus knew this and sought to correct their thinking. Greatness is not found by climbing the honour ladder or the social ladder or the career ladder or any other ladder. The path to greatness is humble service. The one who holds the ladder for others is greater than the one who climbs the ladder.

New Zealand society (generally speaking) is not an honour shame culture. We suffer from tall poppy syndrome. If someone rises above the rest or does well, we don’t normally honour them, at least not for long. More often, they become a target for criticism and getting mowed down.

Tall poppy syndrome is not a good thing. It comes from a spirit of insecurity and individualism. Tall poppy syndrome is the product of a false humility.

True greatness does not tear others down. A great person is not threatened by someone else’s success. A great person is a secure person. Great people are happy when others do well. True greatness lifts others up. And to lift others up you must have your feet on the ground, you must be humble.

By the same token, true greatness does not mean putting yourself down.

When we say the way up is down, we are not talking about being falsely self-deprecating or hiding your light under a bushel.

Do you remember the fable of the hare and the tortoise? The tortoise knew she wasn’t as fast as the hare, but she also knew she had stamina to go the distance. The tortoise did not diminish her own strengths. The tortoise was honest with herself in relation to others.

True greatness means being honest with yourself. Not entertaining illusions of grandeur. Not thinking it’s all about me or that it all depends on me. At the same time, a great person does not deny their strengths. Truly great people believe God, in his grace, has given them something to offer.

True greatness asks, how can I best serve this person? Not how can I use this person to advance myself?

For example, when your spouse or flatmate gets home after a long hard day, you think about what they need? Maybe a listening ear. Maybe for you to cook the dinner while they have a hot bath.  

Or when someone criticises you or your faith, you think about how best to embody the grace and truth of Jesus for them. That usually involves seeking to understand where they are coming from, without letting go of what you believe. It’s not easy.       

In the sermon on the mount, Jesus teaches us to do our good deeds on the quiet and not for show. That’s my paraphrase. If you help someone to make yourself look good, then you will probably end up humiliating them. That’s ugly in the sight of God.

Our church offering system is confidential. I don’t know what people give.

I don’t know who is generous and who is stingy. And I don’t want to know.

A confidential offering system sets us free from honour and shame. It allows us to worship God with a pure heart.

Now, in talking about motive, we need to acknowledge that sometimes serving others makes us feel good and sometimes it doesn’t. On those occasions when serving others does fill you with a warm glow, that’s okay, so long as you don’t make feeling good your primary reason for serving people. Our service needs to be motivated by what is best for the other person’s wellbeing.

Jesus aligns greatness with humility and unselfish service to others.

A few words of common sense here. Before you rush in to serve, stop and listen. Listen to what the Spirit might be saying in this situation. Listen to what the other person needs. And listen to what your own body and soul are telling you. Greatness does not mean making yourself a doormat for others. It is okay to say ‘no’ sometimes.

It’s okay to say ‘no’ if you are being asked to do something that you sense God does not want you to do. As I mentioned earlier, there were times in Jesus’ ministry when he intentionally avoided the crowds in order to spend time teaching his disciples or to be alone with God in prayer.

It’s okay to say ‘no’ if the person doesn’t really need your help. If someone is able to do something for themselves, let them. Allowing someone to discover they can do this or that for themselves might be the greatest service you can offer. A wise person empowers others.   

It’s also okay to say ‘no’ if it is not in our power to help someone in need.

I’m not a doctor so I can’t offer medical advice. It’s not in my power to do that. If someone looks like they need a doctor urgently, then I call an ambulance.

In a similar vein, it’s okay to say ‘no’ if saying ‘yes’ would put yourself or others in harm’s way. For example, if you are not a strong swimmer, then it’s not in your power to dive into the ocean to save someone who is drowning.

If you are not the right person to help, then try to find the right person.

We should remember too that not everyone wants our help. We need to listen to what the other person is telling us and not just assume. If someone refuses our service, then we need to respect that. Much of Jesus’ service was rejected. Offering yourself is a vulnerable thing to do.

To make his point about service and greatness Jesus took a little child in his arms, and said to the disciples, 37 “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me…”

In the culture of first century Palestine, children were somewhere near the bottom of the social ladder. It is significant then that Jesus stands in solidarity with those at the bottom. The way up is down. But there’s more going on here.

There are several places in the gospel where Jesus uses children to illustrate his point. Sometimes Jesus says, you need to be like little children. But this is not one of those times. Jesus is not saying here that children are great. Rather, those who serve people unselfishly are great.  

You see, a child cannot do much to help you to get ahead in this life.

If anything, it’s the other way around. Children need our help.

Children are a labour of love. Children cost money, they rob you of sleep, they cause you worry, they need to be clothed and washed and fed and transported everywhere. Taking care of children is hard work, physically and emotionally.

Sometimes children make you feel good about yourself, but they can also make you feel stink. Children have a way of showing you your character flaws.

Kids are like sandpaper to your vanity.

Small children are, for the most part, ego centric. They think the world revolves around them. If they don’t get what they want, there’s a good chance they will throw a tantrum. That doesn’t make you a bad parent. They are simply being a child. They can’t help it. It’s hard wired into them. Hopefully, by God’s grace and your example, they will grow out of it one day, but it takes time.

If you become a parent, you are committed to a lifetime of humble service.

If you become a parent, you will often have to put what you want on hold, while you support your children in what they need. They will come first, and you will go last. On the bright side, you will grow closer to Christ. 

Jesus is saying, when you welcome people who (like little children) cannot do anything to advance you in this life, you are welcoming me.

When you serve people who (like little children) cannot repay you, you are serving me.

When you love people who (like little children) do not always make you feel good about yourself, you are loving me.

As Jesus says elsewhere in the gospels …whatever you do for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you do for me.’

And whatever you do for me, you do for the one who sent me, that is God the Father.

Conclusion:

The way up is down. The path to greatness is humble service.     

In some ways I’m preaching to the choir. I believe many of you are living a life of humble service. May you feel affirmed and encouraged to continue serving till that day when you hear the words, well done good and faithful servant.   

But perhaps there are some here who feel guilty. Deep down you know your attitude has been wrong. Perhaps you are mainly interested in how others can serve your interests. Is the sting in your conscience a prompt to be less self-serving and more outward looking, more thoughtful of others?

Whatever you are feeling, remember this. It is only by God’s grace that we can serve. Grace must come first. Humble service is the product of grace.

Before we can give to others, we must receive from God. The way up is down.

May God bless you with a deeper awareness of his love. Amen. 

Questions for discussion or reflection:

  1. What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?
  2. Why did Jesus not want anyone to know he was passing through Galilee? How busy and stressed are you? Is your life over full? What are God’s priorities for you at this time?
  3. Why do the disciples avoid Jesus’ comments about his betrayal, death and resurrection? What parts of the gospel message do you tend to avoid and why?
  4. How does Jesus handle the disciples’ argument about who was the greatest? What can we learn from Jesus’ restorative approach?
  5. Discuss / reflect on what makes a person truly great.
  6. Why is it important to stop and listen before rushing in to serve? When is it okay to say ‘no’? When is it right to say ‘yes’?
  7. What does Jesus mean when he takes a little child in his arms and says, “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me…”?  How does this make you feel?      

[1] R.A. Cole, Tyndale Commentary on Mark, page 149.

Tawa Baptist

The Servant Song

Scriptures: Matthew 6:1-4, Mark 15:40-41, John 13:1-17, Matthew 5:41,

Ruth 1:16-17, Romans 12:15, Acts 2:41-46, 1 Peter 4:12-13, Hebrews 10:32-33.

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Service
  • Journey
  • Communion
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

On the 25th January 1992 R and I were married in Hamilton South Baptist Church. It was a sweltering day and humidity was high. It was also a very happy day. By the end of it I had a sore face from smiling so much.

Although the service was the better part of an hour long it seemed to be over in a flash. Nevertheless, I remember many of the details.

I remember the way R looked.

I remember the pastor’s sermon and jokes.

I remember my fingers swelling up with the heat so it was hard to slip the ring on my finger.

I remember the faces of the guests in the congregation.

I remember at least one of the songs we sang.    

And I remember walking out of the sanctuary with the lapel mic still on.

Fortunately, our MC had the presence of mind to make a dash to the sound desk and turn the volume down before I said anything too personal to R after the service had finished.

Today we continue our ‘Anthems’ series. In this series we are looking at the lyrics of one hymn or Christian worship song each week to see how that song informs our thinking about God and how it connects with Scripture and the heritage of our faith.

The song we are looking at this morning is called The Servant Song. And, you guessed it, this was the song we sang on our wedding day. I don’t remember if we chose this song or if it was chosen for us by our pastor. Either way it was a good choice. The words of The Servant Song have held a great deal of meaning for R and I through our married life.

In researching the origins of The Servant Song I was surprised to learn that it was written by a New Zealander, Richard Gillard.

Richard was born in 1953 in England (the eldest of 6 children) and brought to NZ at the age of 3 where he has lived ever since.

Richard’s mother came from an Anglican background and his dad’s side of the family were Pentecostal.  

Richard Gillard started his working life as a Primary School teacher but has held other jobs as well.

He doesn’t have any formal training in music. He is self-taught.

The composition of The Servant Song began in 1977 when Richard was around 24 years’ old. After returning from his OE in Israel and Europe, Richard found the jottings of verse 3 in his guitar case. He then completed the song and it was published in 1978. Written in a folk style, which was popular in the 1970’s, it has become a church classic.

Broadly speaking I see three key themes in the lyrics: service, journey and communion. First let’s consider the theme of service.

Service:

The song starts and finishes with the words…

Brother, sister let me serve you. Let me be as Christ to you.
Pray that I might have the grace to let you be my servant, too.

The main idea to hold on to here is that, the way of Christ is the way of a servant. Jesus did not come to be served, but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many. As the followers of Jesus we are to have the attitude of Christ and serve others too.

The idea of serving others sounds romantic and even heroic, especially when we sing it to the lovely tune that Richard Gillard wrote. But, as many of you know, the reality of true service is often more difficult and frustrating and humiliating.

Serving others isn’t just about doing things for other people, like doing the dishes or mowing the lawns or cleaning hair out of the shower drain. It does include those things but true service runs deeper than that. It’s about the attitude or motivation we have in doing things for others. What I mean is, true service doesn’t come with strings attached. It has no agenda except that of seeking the wellbeing of others.

If someone washes your car with the expectation that you will now be in their debt and owe them a favour, then that’s not really true service.  

Or, if someone showers you with compliments so that you will be more inclined to give them what they want, then that’s not service either, that’s manipulation.

Or, if someone helps you out financially and then goes and tells everyone about how they’ve given you money, then they are not really serving you; they are serving their own ego. Jesus preached about this in Matthew 6:1-4 when he said

“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honoured by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Jesus is saying a number of things in this passage. One of the things he’s saying is, ‘make sure your service to others is about them and not about you.’

Because if it’s about you, people are going to get hurt. When we make a big deal about helping others we make the people we are supposed to be helping feel small. But when we do our acts of kindness discretely we make the people we are helping feel good and we set them free from any obligation they may feel to us.

God loves a pure heart – so it might seem strange or contradictory that Jesus says God will reward us for the good we do in secret. Well, once again, it is a question of motivation. We don’t do our good deeds in secret so that God will reward us. Doing good is its own reward – there is joy in it. What we find, when we do good in secret, is that it becomes something sacred between God and us. Something pure, something intimate, something valuable, something no one else can touch. And that is the real reward.

Many of the people (perhaps most) who served Jesus in practical ways, without being noticed, were women. In Mark 15 we read about Jesus’ crucifixion and death. Verses 40-41 of Mark 15 tell us how Some women were watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joseph,and Salome. 41 In Galilee these women had followed Jesus and cared for his needs.

These women, who served Jesus during his earthly ministry, also served Jesus in his death. On the first Easter Sunday they went to Jesus’ tomb to anoint his body with spices but the tomb was empty. Their reward was being the first to see the risen Lord Jesus.

Brother, sister let me serve you. Let me be as Christ to you.
Pray that I might have the grace to let you be my servant, too.

This verse of the song often reminds me of John 13, where Jesus washes his disciples’ feet. It was the night before Jesus’ crucifixion. As the last supper was being served Jesus got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, put a towel around his waist, poured water into a bowl and started washing his disciples’ feet.

In ancient middle eastern culture washing feet was a job for the lowest servant. There was no glory in it. Washing feet was dirty, humiliating work.

It’s difficult to say what the equivalent would be in our society today. Whatever job no one else wants to do I guess. Like when the school care taker gets the saw dust out to clean up someone’s vomit – that’s like washing people’s feet. But it’s not just janitorial staff who wash people’s feet (metaphorically speaking). Sometimes the boss has to do the unpleasant things that no one else wants to do. Leadership can be lonely, especially when you have to make an unpopular decision, which most people don’t understand but which is actually for the greater good.

Jesus is both our janitor and our leader. He cleans up our messes and he makes the hard and lonely calls of leadership. Going to the cross to die for the sins of world was the most famous way in which Jesus washed our feet. His sacrifice was unpopular and misunderstood but it was also for the greater good. Jesus’ blood cleanses us from our sin. By literally washing his disciples’ feet Jesus acted out a parable of what he was about to do on the cross and he gave his disciples an example to follow.

Now, in many ways, I’m preaching to the choir. Generally speaking, people at Tawa Baptist are ready and willing to serve others. Practical acts of service are one of our church values. It’s woven into the fabric of who we are. Perhaps where we aren’t so strong is having the grace to let others serve us.  

Verse 6 of John 13 tells us that when Jesus came to wash Peter’s feet, Peter refused. He thought this was beneath Jesus. Interestingly, Jesus did not wash Peter’s feet by force. Rather he gave Peter an informed choice saying, Unless I wash you, you have no part in me. Only then did Peter accept.   

Richard Gillard’s song says, …let me serve you, let me be as Christ to you…

Service cannot be forced on people. We can only serve others if they allow it. We kiwis (New Zealanders) are fiercely independent. We’ve had to be. Our ancestors came here from thousands of miles away without support and had to do things for themselves. And it has become part of our ethos too. We feel uncomfortable being served. It’s not the kiwi way. But it is the Jesus way.

…pray that I am may have the grace to let you be my servant too. It takes a special kind of grace to accept what other people offer. We see this grace in the way Jesus accepted the woman who washed his feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. By accepting her act of love and devotion Jesus was essentially accepting her. To reject her service would be to reject her.

Journey:

The next verse of Richard Gillard’s song reads…                

We are pilgrims on a journey. We are brothers on the road.
We are here to help each other, walk the mile and bear the load.

This verse picks up one of the central threads of the Biblical story – that of journey. Abraham was not settled in one place. He was a pilgrim (a sojourner) following God in faith.

The people of Israel made a number of great journeys. They left slavery in Egypt and journeyed in the wilderness for 40 years before entering the Promised Land. Then, some centuries later, they were taken into exile in Babylon before making the journey back to Judah.

Jesus was often on the road during his public ministry. Never staying in one town for long. Always on the move toward Jerusalem.

Likewise, the apostles travelled far and wide spreading the good news about Jesus outward from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth. 

We too are on a journey of faith through this life but we don’t walk alone. We walk beside each other, supporting one another.

…walk the mile and bear the load is probably a reference to Matthew 5:41 where Jesus is talking about not resisting an evil person and loving your enemies. Jesus says, If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. It is from this verse that we get the expression, ‘going the extra mile.’

You see, 2000 years ago the land of Israel was occupied by the Romans. A Roman soldier had the legal right to make a Jew carry their pack for one mile. Jesus was saying, if a soldier stops you and forces you to carry his pack, surprise him by carrying it an extra mile. That is an incredibly unpopular (foot washing type) thing for Jesus to say to an oppressed people. No one wanted to carry the Romans’ baggage.

We don’t have soldiers or police forcing us to carry their loads these days but we are sometimes forced to carry things we don’t want to.

Maybe we are carrying a load of grief from the death of a loved one.

Or maybe we are carrying a load of sickness or a load of prejudice.

Maybe we are carrying a load of guilt from something we did in the past or, even worse, a load of false guilt from something we only imagined we did.

Maybe we are carrying the baggage of an abusive childhood or a childhood raised in poverty.

Or maybe we are carrying a load of depression and anxiety.

We might pray for release from the tyranny of these heavy loads and sometimes we get a miracle, sometimes God sets us free.

Other times though it seems God is slow to answer. Some bullets we just can’t dodge. There are no short cuts with grief, for example.

What does Jesus have to say about these unwanted loads? Jesus says, share them with each other. Don’t carry them on your own.

We share the load in a whole variety of ways. Verses 3 and 4 of the song describe some of those ways. Verse 3 reads…

I will hold the Christ-light for you in the night time of your fear.
I will hold my hand out to you; speak the peace you long to hear.

Jesus is the light of world. Among other things, light is a metaphor for truth.

When we are in the dark we can’t see the truth – we lack the knowledge we need and that makes us feel afraid. To hold the Christ-light is to speak the truth (or impart the knowledge) someone needs so they are not afraid anymore.

This doesn’t mean having all the answers. It may be as simple as saying, ‘You are not alone. I am here with you. We’ll get through this together’.

I will hold my hand out to you; this line indicates an invitation. Once again, we offer, we don’t force.

As I reflect on this verse of the song I am reminded of the movie Good Will Hunting, starring Matt Damon and Robin Williams. Matt Damon plays the part of a young man (Will Hunting) who works as a janitor cleaning up other people’s messes. Will, who has had a troubled childhood, ends up in court and is required by the judge to get counselling. At first he treats the people who are trying to help him with contempt. But eventually he is able to respect one man, Dr Sean Maguire, a trained therapist and Vietnam vet.

Sean helps Will to face the night time of his past. In one of their counselling sessions Sean holds his hand out and speaks the peace Will longs to hear saying, “It’s not your fault’. Sean has to keep saying this several times before Will accepts it. In the end the light of truth finds its way through Will’s defenses and the message hits home.

What we notice about this story is that Sean Maguire had to walk with Will Hunting for quite a long time – he had to go the extra mile with him, sharing the load – in order to earn Will’s trust. If Sean had tried to tell Will it wasn’t his fault at the beginning, without doing the hard yards first, then Will would never have believed him. 

Who are you walking with? Who is your Will Hunting? Who is your Sean Maguire? What is the peace you long to hear?  

Verse 4 of Richard Gillard’s song continues the theme of journey – going the extra mile with people and carrying each other’s loads.


I will weep when you are weeping. When you laugh, I’ll laugh with you.
I will share your joy and sorrow till we’ve seen this journey through.

This verse of the song puts me in touch with two passages of Scripture. The first is from Romans chapter 12, verse 15, where Paul is describing what it means to offer ourselves as living sacrifices. Paul says, ‘Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.’  In other words, I will weep when you are weeping. When you laugh, I’ll laugh with you.

The other passage of Scripture that comes to mind is from the story of Ruth. Naomi has lost her husband and her two sons. She has no grandchildren and it seems nothing to live for. Naomi is living abroad, in the land of Moab, and decides to return home to Bethlehem, in Judah. As she says good-bye, one of her daughters-in-law (Ruth) says to her…

“Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. 17 Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried…   

In other words, I will share your joy and sorrow till we’ve seen this journey through. Ruth, the Moabite, the one no one expected, did the unexpected and committed herself to Naomi in an act of loyal love.

Mother Teresa is quoted as saying, “The most terrible poverty is loneliness and the feeling of being unloved.” I think Ruth understood that. Ruth served Naomi with a pure heart and God rewarded her. Ruth became the ancestor of king David.

Communion:

The first and last verse of the song are about service. The middle verses are about journey and the fifth verse is about communion…

When we sing to God in heaven, we shall find such harmony.
Born of all we’ve known together of Christ’s love and agony.

I find it hard to sing this verse without choking up. In my view it is the most powerful verse of The Servant Song. These words are talking about the communion of Christ’s followers.  

‘Communion’ is a word which means sharing or exchanging intimate thoughts and feelings, especially on a mental or spiritual level.

‘Communion’ comes from a Latin word. The Greek equivalent, used in the New Testament, is koinonia.

Koinonia describes a certain quality of fellowship and unity within the church. And by fellowship we don’t just mean making small talk over a cup of tea or coffee. The fellowship or communion of koinonia is more profound than that.

For example, in Acts 2 when the Holy Spirit is given at Pentecost, we read, Those who accepted Peter’s message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. 42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship [that is, koinonia], to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

Acts 2, goes on to describe the quality of communion or fellowship enjoyed by the early church in Jerusalem: 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts.

What we notice in Acts 2 is that koinonia (or fellowship) was created by a shared belief in Jesus and the gift of the Holy Spirit. Their koinonia was characterised by harmony.

Verse 5 of the song starts by looking forward to heaven: When we sing to God in heaven, we shall find such harmony.

Notice it says, ‘When we sing to God in heaven’. It’s going to happen. Our hope is secure. 

‘Harmony’ is not when everyone sings the same note. Harmony is when people make a beautiful sound singing different notes at the same time. Harmony indicates agreement, accord and peace as different parts work together.

If the first half of verse 5 of the song looks forward to heaven, the second half acknowledges the reality Christian believers experience in this life: Born of all we’ve known together of Christ’s love and agony.

Agony speaks of pain – intense pain, horrible pain. It reminds us of the cross. Love and agony go together. Jesus suffered a great deal because of his love for God and humanity. As followers of Christ we too share in Christ’s sufferings.

In 1st Peter 4:12-13 we read: Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that is taking place among you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice insofar as you are sharing Christ’s sufferings, so that you may also be glad and shout for joy when his glory is revealed.

The word translated there as ‘sharing’ comes from the Greek word koinonia. The idea is that if we share in Christ’s sufferings we will share in his glory too. 

We also read about the communion (or koinonia) of suffering in the book of Hebrews chapter 10: 32 But recall those earlier days when, after you had been enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, 33 sometimes being publicly exposed to abuse and persecution, and sometimes being partners with those so treated.

Again, the word translated as ‘partners’ is derived from koinonia.

What we notice, in the New Testament, is that there is a certain kind of communion in suffering together.   

Soldiers who have been through battle together share the common bond of koinonia. Theirs is a communion forged by fire.

Likewise, survivors of an earthquake or a plane crash or a pandemic or some other catastrophe, share koinonia through that experience.

The disciples of Jesus were all quite different from each other. Each one sounded a different note. But at the same time they shared one thing in common – Jesus. They were all witnesses to the ministry, the suffering, the death and resurrection of Jesus. They saw Jesus’ love and agony first hand. They smelled his sweat. They felt his passion. They walked the mile with him.    

You know suffering is never pleasant at the time. When we are going through it we just want it to be over. But sometimes God is doing his best work, in our relationships, while we are suffering. Suffering can be a gift – it is the gift of intimacy (or closeness) with Jesus and communion with one another.

It is no accident that The Servant Song was first published on an album by Scripture in Song called “Father Make Us One”.  

Conclusion:

In a few moments we will have the opportunity to share the ritual of communion at home in our bubbles. Normally we would do this together as a gathered community, but that’s not possible while we are in lockdown. Even though we are physically separated from each other, we are not spiritually separated. We are connected with each other by the Spirit of Jesus. God is making us one as we share in Christ’s love and agony for the world.

Let’s sing The Servant Song now as we prepare to receive communion…

The Servant Song

Brother, sister let me serve you.
Let me be as Christ to you.
Pray that I might have the grace
To let you be my servant, too.

We are pilgrims on a journey.
We are brothers on the road.
We are here to help each other
Walk the mile and bear the load.

I will hold the Christ-light for you
In the night time of your fear.
I will hold my hand out to you;
Speak the peace you long to hear.

I will weep when you are weeping.
When you laugh, I’ll laugh with you.
I will share your joy and sorrow
Till we’ve seen this journey through.

When we sing to God in heaven,
We shall find such harmony
Born of all we’ve known together
Of Christ’s love and agony.

Brother, sister let me serve you.
Let me be as Christ to you.
Pray that I might have the grace
To let you be my servant, too.

Questions for discussion or reflection:

Listen to ‘The Servant Song’.  What are you in touch with as you listen to this song? (What connections, memories or feelings does the song evoke for you?) 

How would you describe true service?

Why did Jesus caution us to keep our good deeds a secret? What do you think Jesus meant when he talked about God rewarding us for the good we do in secret?

Why did Jesus wash his disciples’ feet? What would be some modern day equivalents of washing someone’s feet?

Are you carrying an unwanted load at the moment? What is it? Is there someone sharing the load with you? If not, who might you ask to help you? What is the peace you long to hear?

What is the meaning of communion (or koinonia)? How is koinonia created?

How might suffering bring us closer to Jesus and closer to each other?