What in the world does it mean to be great?
That is a pretty important question because it verbalizes an intrinsic quality or motive inherent in our humanity, that inside we all want to be great at what we do, and in who we are.
I think we all have a drive to do or to be above normal or average; we all seek significance in some way.
It is true that we can find mediocrity in all categories of life, but it’s normally not something one aims at.
But who or what determines the difference between greatness and mediocrity?
Two drinking buddies come together outside their drinking establishment. One says to the other: Hey I’m not drinking anymore and I started going to Alcoholics Anonymous. His buddy scowls back at him accusingly and says: You quitter!
Greatness, like beauty, can be in the eye of the beholder. It all depends on the criterion that we use to define greatness.
A business’ claim to greatness might be defined differently by whom you asked: Management, customers, workers, share-holders.
Likewise, discovering what it means to be a great disciple of Jesus Christ depends on who you ask.
That seems to be the predicament of the disciples in today’s reading.
Now remember the context. Jesus has been revealing to them that he was going to Jerusalem to suffer and die, and then rise. This is not the Messiah they expected. To say this undermined their understanding of who Jesus was is an understatement!
Peter got blasted by Jesus when he tried to challenge Jesus – we heard that last week.
So it appears they are a bit gun-shy of Jesus and were afraid to ask him anything at this point.
So, on the road they begin arguing among themselves as to who was the greatest. i would imagine that Peter was maintaining a pretty low profile seeing that Jesus had referred to him either as Satan or an agent of Satan in their last encounter.
But how might the conversations go? one defending his ability to preach about Jesus, one boasting about how many people he brought to see Jesus, another how much money he raised for the ministry, another how well versed he was in the scriptures, another about well he prayed, another how people were healed by his prayers, another how well he took care of Jesus’ needs.
Kind of sounds like the church, doesn’t it? Maybe not here—but lesser entities—and that’s why James was saying the things we heard in the epistle lesson—but that is another sermon.
And when Jesus calls them on what they had been talking about, they clammed up, like kids caught with their hands in the cookie jar! Hey what are you doing? ! Nothing!
Jesus then shows them his criterion for assessing greatness in his kingdom. He takes a child in his arms –one not considered great at all–children in their culture had no status, power or claim to anything, and who by nature are fairly self- centered –
I was sitting together with my 3 ½ year old grand- niece Lily, sharing some of those little turkey snack sausages with her. We both had a couple and then she says, I think we ought to save the rest and she took the package and tried to seal it and put it aside.
I was rather impressed with her. Ok, I said, we can save them, but what are we saving them for? And she blurted out with joy and excitement: me! I don’t think we necessarily grow out of that attitude.
And yet we love our kids for exactly what they are, in all their self-centeredness, in their stubbornness.
Jesus said when you accept these little ones—powerless ones, ones who can’t give you any gain in society, power, notoriety, finances, ones who you love just for, or in spite of who they are, you receive me. And if you receive me you receive him who sent me.
Jesus turns the concept of greatness on its head. Greatness in the kingdom is not about us, but the other—loving your neighbor as yourself—
–to see greatness not in yourself but in another –raising up another higher than yourself—treating one who is not great as if they are.
Jesus says in another place: ….whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the son of man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. (Mt 20.26-28)
To be great is to be great as Jesus was great– to serve and give our life to the lord for others.—to pick up our cross and follow him.
that is the key to understanding Jesus—and understanding discipleship–he laid down his greatness to come among us and to die for us, the righteous comes to the unrighteous, and give his life for us, the sinless for the sinner, that we might be made righteous, made new.
He gave himself up for us, and for us to be great- is to give ourselves to Jesus for others.
The disciples have yet to put that together, but we on this side of Jesus’ death and resurrection have this witness and evidence before us.
To be great in the kingdom is to shift the center of gravity from self to Jesus. To seek greatness for him, not for us, by obedience to him and his will in our lives.
We should desire to be a great boss not so we get the credit, but that Jesus gets the credit; we seek to be a great employee, not for our own benefit but to advance the name of Jesus in the eyes of others.
We seek to be great doctors, great teachers, great husbands and wives, great businessmen and great workers, not to advance ourselves in the eyes of the world, but to glorify Jesus in who we are, and what we do.
Charles Colson once wrote: Humility is the working posture and fundamental demeanor of those who are seeking the kingdom of God in order to be great in it.
Whatever stands in the way of our becoming more humble, our pride, our craving for attention, our insecurities and fears, our desire for things more than for the will of God, everything that keeps us from becoming more humble in mind, heart, and life will prevent us from advancing along the path of kingdom greatness. The sooner we divest ourselves of all these hindrances, the more rapid will be our progress toward that objective.
Ultimately it matters not whether the world ever recognizes greatness because its categories are mostly jilted and wrong, but as Christians I think we should hope to hear that acclamation applied to us only once from someone who really matters, when, at the end of our race in this world, we see him face to face, and hear Him say to us: Well done good and faithful servant.
Sermon preached by the Rev. Richard C. Marsden
The Church of the Redeemer
Sarasota Florida
17th Sunday after Pentecost
20 September 2015