Mark 9:33-37: How to Be Great

INTRODUCTON

A man was receiving an honorary degree at some great university. In introducing him, the president said, “The man we are honoring today is a great man. You might say he’s a very great man. I would even say he is a very, very great man.”

Driving home after the ceremony, the man turned to his wife and said, “Dear, how many very, very great men do you think there are in the world?”

Her reply: “One less than you think, dear.”

Wives are good at giving us perspective for our lives.

We may think that greatness is beyond the reach of us, for we have led quiet lives, out of sight of the public square.

When I was young I used to read Time Magazine every week. Each week the magazine displayed a picture of a prominent newsworthy figure—a man or woman who was by the world’s standards “great.”

These were “great” people—politicians, authors, scientists, scholars. Their accomplishments affected the lives of many.

I used to think it would be really cool to have my picture on the cover of Time Magazine. But it never happened.

But the longer I live the less desire I have to be important in that way. As we approach this election season we are treated to the images and words of something like 25 men and women who are going around the country extolling their virtues and wisdom and fitness to become our next president. And most of them are making fools of themselves.

God must be either laughing or crying—because—even though almost all of them are claiming to be devout Christian believers—they have missed the point as far as God has concerned.

Jesus said several things about how to be great. And what Jesus said about being great is within the reach of every one of us.

Here is something Jesus said about greatness in Mark 9:33-37:

And they came to Capernaum; and when Jesus was in the house he asked his disciples, “What were you discussing on the way?”

But they were silent; for on the way they had discussed with one another who was the greatest. And he sat down and called the twelve; and he said to them, “If any one would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.”

And he took a child and put him in the midst of them; and taking him in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me; and whoever receives me, receives no me but him who sent me.”

I. Let’s take ourselves in our imagination to that scene.

A. The disciples were on the road. In those days people walked wherever they went.

We never read that Jesus rode in a carriage, or on a horse, and only once on a donkey. Jesus and his band of disciples walked from place to place. As was the custom of the time Jesus—as the teacher—walked ahead and the disciples followed behind.

I should think that generally Jesus conversed with one or another of his friends as they journeyed from place to place, and this was one way that he could instruct his followers, one or two at a time.

But on this day Jesus seems to have been walking alone, while the disciples followed at a little distance.

I do some of my best thinking and praying while I am taking a walk, and I suspect that the same was true of Jesus.

B. When the little group arrived at their destination and went into the house, Jesus suddenly asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?”

And they were silent. They were embarrassed—because they had discussed which one was the greatest.

Now I have always wondered just what form this discussion took. I can hardly imagine it went like this:

One says, “I’m greater than you are.”

Another pipes up, “No, I’m greater than you are!”

And a third one says, “Well, I’m greater than any of you!”

What I think was happening was that they were boasting of their accomplishments.

Maybe one talked about what he had given up to follow Jesus.

Another talked about the grand things he intended to do for God.

Maybe they compared their successes in bringing others to Jesus.

Maybe they compared their deep insights into scripture truth.

Whatever it was, Jesus saw them comparing themselves with each other—each trying to make himself look good.

And isn’t it common for us—I include myself—to talk about ourselves in ways that make us look good?

We want to make sure that others think well of us, so we show them our best side. Maybe we tell them of our accomplishments. Maybe we tell them about our children’s accomplishments. Maybe we tell them about our grandchildren’s accomplishments. Some of this is fine, but sometimes our motive could be to make ourselves look good.

I have a friend whose husband was a superintendent of schools. She and her husband used to take vacations with a group of friends who were as successful as they were. Some may have been bankers; others, businessmen, others college professors. My friend’s husband was a superintendent of schools.

They camped together and had a good time, sharing experiences. But my friend said that they made it a rule never to talk about their careers. The adopted this rule to keep down the bragging. People who are successful—as these people were—are tempted to let other people know. But these friends realized the danger and avoided it by refusing to talk about their careers.

II. Jesus has a different idea about greatness than what the world counts as greatness.

A. Jesus said, “If any one would be first, he must be last of all, and servant of all.”

Being last of all and servant of all is not a recipe for getting yourself on the cover of Time Magazine.

The one who thinks of himself as last of all and servant of all is unlikely to become president of the United States.

Later in the Book of Mark, Jesus brought this theme up again. He said, “You know that those who are supposed to rule over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you; but whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of Man also came, not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:42b-45).

B. Jesus used himself as an example.

Jesus said, “The Son of Man came, not to be served, but to serve…”

Jesus’s came to be the Servant of God and Servant of men and women. He took servanthood so far that he gave his life for all humankind.

Do you remember the story about how Jesus washed his disciples’ feet? It was the evening of the Last Supper.

Everyone’s feet were dusty and dirty. But no one thought of doing the lowly task of washing feet. That was a slave’s job, and there were no slaves at the last supper. So Jesus, seeing this as a teachable moment, took a basin of water and girded himself with a towel and went from one to another and washed their feet.

I can imagine there were some red faces, but they learned their lesson. They remembered the incident, and included it in the Gospel of John—so that we would never forget that the greatest in the kingdom is the servant of all.

C. This idea that the greatest among us are the servants of all, turns the world’s values upside down.

Those who are greatest in God’s eyes may be nursing assistants at Village Ridge or at nursing homes. They may be housekeepers or dining room servers—people who don’t get paid much for their work—people who are not high achievers, according to the world’s standards.

They may be daycare workers, trash collectors, checkout clerks, construction workers, school teachers, nurses, farm hands.

When we get to heaven we are going to have big surprises.

In that day, Jesus tells us, we will see who is really great. They will be sitting in the most honored places, right next to Jesus.

III. Now I’d like to talk about the last part of the story: “And Jesus took a child, and put him in the midst of them; and taking him in his arms, he said to them, ‘Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.’”

Now this may seem to us an odd way to illustrate the idea of servanthood because we think children are pretty special. We get sentimental about children. We don’t think of serving children as demeaning. But this wasn’t the attitude of the people of Jesus’s time.

In those days children were among the least important people in society.

I recently read an article in The Week magazine entitled, “How Christianity Invented Children” (Pascal-Emmanuel Gorby, April 23, 2015).

The article says that today we simply take it for granted that the innocence and vulnerability of children makes them beings of particular value, and entitled to particular care. We romanticize children—their beauty, their joy, their liveliness. Our culture encourages us to let ourselves fall prey to our gooey feelings whenever we look at baby pictures. What could be more natural?

But, according to the article, in ancient Greece and Rome, children were considered nonpersons.

Ancient society was organized in concentric circles, with the circle at the center containing the highest value people and the people on the outside circle having little value.

At the center was the freeborn, adult male. Other persons were valued according to how similar they were to the freeborn adult males. The people on the outside of the circle were the foreigners, slaves, women…and children.

Children could be thrown away if they were not wanted.

In wealthy families, children were raised by slaves.

The usual method of discipline was to beat them.

Many children were used as sexual playthings.

Jewish families had a higher regard for children than did their pagan neighbors, but it was Christ who taught the world that children were people of infinite worth.

That is why the author of the article I read entitled his article, “How Christianity Invented Children.”

What Jesus was doing when he took a child into his arms, was to make the point that to serve those whom society least esteemed was to serve the Father in heaven.

In other words, the road to greatness was to serve those the world counts as least.

Jesus took that child into his arms because that child was handy. He could have made the same point with a poor beggar, a prostitute, or a special-needs adult, a Samaritan, an immigrant, or anyone else who was thought to be of no-account.

So who would that be for us? We don’t have any fallen women, or immigrants, or beggars at Village Place, but we do have lonely people, people who can’t cope very well, people who are left out. And to serve them is what we are here for.

Some of us may have opportunity to serve people at a distance.

One of the causes Charlotte and I support is a mission to the Untouchables in India. These are people who have been oppressed for thousands of years. Their lives are cursed by their social class that excludes them from any but the most disgusting ways of earning a living. Most of them do not get an education. They are not allowed to enter the Hindu Temples. They cannot drink from the same wells as higher caste people can. They are often assaulted and abused. They are called Dalits.

Every day the news media in India reports atrocities against the Dalits—rapes and murders and mutilations. They are the poorest of the poor—some of the most oppressed people in the world.

We are able to pay for the education of several of these children—give them an opportunity to become teachers, nurses, pastors, useful workers, good parents, and faithful Christians. We have adopted several.

CONCLUSION

Some of you can look back over your lives and remember times when you have extended Christ’s love to his “little ones”—the friendless, the disadvantaged, the poor. Jesus remembers them too, and someday he will say to you, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”

The church you have been a part of was involved in such ministries. And you supported them by your offerings. Maybe you still do.

This is one reason it is so important to belong to a church.

The way to be great in God’s kingdom is to be a servant.

I have often suggested ways we can serve our neighbors.

You serve when you encourage someone.

You can serve when you give sincere compliments, when you tell another person what you see that is praiseworthy in her life.

You can serve one another when you express gratitude for favors and comment on work well done.

You serve by your generous gifts.

You serve one another when you pray. No one else knows who you pray for—but you know, and God knows. And good comes into other lives when we pray earnestly and with faith.

This is so. I believe it. Prayer is one of the best ministries for old people like us. And we can pray as long as we live.

One Sunday our pastor mentioned a high school girl who prays each day, “Lord, I would appreciate it if you would send me today someone I can serve.”

First, give yourself to God, and then give yourself to the work God gives you to do.

“We can do no great things for God, but we can do little things with great love” (Mother Teresa).

A STORY

Long ago in the early days of our faith, not long after the time of the terrible persecutions of Christian believers, holy men in the east used go up and live on the top of pillars—to pray and lament their sins and the sins of the world.

One of these pillar saints was St. Basil.

St. Basil lived day and night on top of a pillar 40 feet high. He stood there day and night for a sign and a warning to all people that our earthly life is short and that the gladness and splendor of the world are fleeting.

It was a wonderful sight to see this man living day and night on a pillar so narrow that he had not enough space to lie down to sleep—in the wind and rain and frost, with only a coat of sheepskin.

About his neck was a chain of iron, signifying that he was the Lord’s bondservant. On his head he wore a crown of thorns, in memory of Christ’s suffering for his sins. Once a day he ate a bite of rye bread and drank a little water.

One morning, an hour before dawn, as he was praying, an angel came to him and gave Basil his hand and drew Basil from the pillar and placed him on the ground and said, “Follow this road until you reach the third milestone, and there in the early light, you will meet him who can instruct you. For a sign, you will know the man by the little maid, seven years old, who is helping drive some geese. This man may teach you, for he is one who is greatly pleasing in God’s eyes.”

When Basil reached the third milestone he saw that the road in front of him was crowded for near a quarter of a mile with a great gathering of geese, feeding in the grass, honking, and waddling toward the city.

Among the geese walked a little maiden of seven, clad in a green woolen tunic, with bright flaxen hair and innocent blue eyes. In her hand she carried a wand of hazel with which she guided the geese.

The little girl looked up at the holy man with awe and fear, for she had never seen a face so gaunt and disfigured as this. But he smiled at her and blessed her and the child ceased to fear.

In the rear of the great multitude of geese came a peasant, tall and young, with unkempt hair and poor clothes. He was using his staff to keep his geese on the move.

When they drew nigh to each other, Basil bowed low to the Goose-herd and said to him, “Give me leave to speak a little with you, good brother; for an Angel of heaven has told me of you, and I would converse with you. Twenty-three years I have served the King of Glory in supplication, with fasting and tribulation of spirit, and yet I lack that which you can teach me. Now tell me, what has made you so acceptable to God.”

The goose-herd was taken back by these words and didn’t know what to make of them. He thought the holy man was mocking him.

But Basil said, “In truth, I was told of you by an Angel in the night just now gone to question you and learn from you.

The poor goose-herd shook his head. “All my work has been tending and rearing of geese and driving them to market. And all my prayer has been that I might get them safe to market without losing any.”

“And who is the little maiden I met just now?” asked the saint. “Is she your sister…your daughter?”

“Neither sister or daughter,” said the goose-herd. Her family lived in a little house by the roadside. Robbers came and slew her mother and father but they did not find the tiny baby. I found her crying and forlorn. Since she had no mother or father or kin, I took her with me and have cared for her and taught her what I know, and she has been with me ever since.

As the goose-herd spoke, the tears rose in Basil’s eyes and he said, “Now I know why you are pleasing in God’s eyes. Early you have learned the love that gives all and asks nothing, which suffers long and is kind—and this I have not learned. May God be tender and kind to me as you have been to a little child.”

That is all the story. And that was the man from whom the holy St. Basil learned the secret of pleasing God.