Greatness: A Different View

October 18, 2009;  Mark 10: 35-45

We live in a society with an exaggerated focus on being great. Some people believe that having lots of money makes them great. But it’s not the money we have, but what we do with it that is what people remember. Bill Gates became one of the richest people in the world because he helped bring computing into our every day lives. And the profits of Microsoft continue to roll. But, in my opinion, being one of the five richest in the world will not be Bill Gates’ legacy. More likely it will be what the Gates’ Foundation is doing to eliminate ordinary, curable diseases in children in Africa.

Sometimes, movie actors and actresses think that because they can play a role and be seen around the world that makes them great. The movie industry displays their idea of “greatness” with all their awards shows like the Academy Awards where the industry pats themselves on their own backs for how good they are.

At a dinner party in Hollywood, a famous actor was monopolizing the conversation with his dinner companions telling them all about the roles he played, the awards he had won, and the money he had made. After an hour he stopped, nd un a flash of modesty he said, “Oh, but I’ve been talking too much about me.  Now, let’s talk about you. How did you like my last picture?”

Sometimes our badly understood sense of greatness takes us into bragging about our lives.  A Manitoban died and went to heaven. St. Peter was directing newcomers and told them, “Each Friday, we have get-together for all the new members here in heaven. To break the ice, every person is invited to make a speech about any subject they choose.”

The Manitoban  said to St. Peter, “I’m going to talk about the huge flood of the Red River in 1997. That was some flood. What do you think of the subject?”

St. Peter replied, “Well, that’s good, but I’d better warn you, Noah will be in the audience.”

Greatness comes our world in many forms:  athletic triumphs, gold, silver and bronze. Stanley Cups, Grey Cups, MVP awards and outlandish salaries.

Making the Top Ten lists in fields of achievement. Greatness is viewed in terms of defeating others to win a competition.

Often greatness is viewed in the world as who has the most power. Power being the ability to get things done and done in that person’s way. The greatness of power is often seen as power to control the outcome of events

Greatness in its proper perspective is healthy. To be successful as people we need self-confidence and healthy self-esteem or all our good ideas will simply remain good ideas and never become reality.

Jesus, our spiritual role-model gave a different twist to the idea of greatness.  Two of his inner circle of disciples, James and John come up to Jesus and ask if they can each have a seat of honor when the kingdom Jesus is talking about becomes reality. “Can we sit on your left and right sides?” 

This was a shocking request of Jesus’ leadership. The gospel of Matthew has this same story, but in Matthew it is the mother of James and John, Salome who makes the request that her sons be in the places of honor. She was a good Jewish mother looking after her boys.  Scholars think that Matthew may have inserted Salome’ name because this kind of request would appear to be unworthy of any of Jesus’ disciples. Mark is much more open and transparent about who says what and lets the words fall where they may.

This is a shocking request because of where it comes in the chronology of Jesus’ story. The end of his ministry is near and Jesus has told the disciples what will happen when he goes to the Capital City, Jerusalem. He will suffer and die. And he adds, and if any one wants to be part of the new heaven, the reign of God, they will face the same things he will face.

But, if you get confused and discouraged in your spiritual growth and understanding, take comfort in James and John and their politically incorrect request. They totally don’t get what Jesus is talking about. Why would they ask, what now seems like such an outrageous request?

1. They were ambitious. Part of Jesus’ inner circle of 3 or 4, they might have felt some social superiority within the circle of 12, 30 or 72. Scholars think James and John might have been a little better off financially than others. Why?  Because it is mentioned that their father was wealthy enough to have servants.  And in those days, having servants was a sign of greatness.

2. No matter what their motivation was their brazen question shows that they still believed in Jesus’ power to make his promises come true. They never doubted the ultimate triumph, and want to be with a winner. But, the story has a different ending. The two who have the places of honor on Jesus’ right and left side, are two criminals who also die on their own crosses.

This story, Jesus’ reply to their request turns the idea of greatness upside down.  The one who will greatest will be the servant of all the rest of you. And the one with the power will be a slave.  Huh? That’s greatness? It is in the realm of God, according to Jesus, revealed by what he said and how he lived.

Jesus uses two Jewish symbols as metaphors for the new standard of greatness. He asks, “Are you able to drink from the same cup I drink from?” And, “Are you baptized with what I am baptized?”

It was royal custom in those “good old days”  for the King to take his royal cup and pass it to his guests at dinner. Jesus use of the cup, becomes a metaphor for the life and experience of God that is given to people. Drinking from the cup and experience of life is never easy and is not simply a dining bit of etiquette or honor for guests.

Sharing in the same kind of baptism also has Biblical roots. In the 23^rd Psalm, the writer states, “My cup overflows, surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.”  It’s stating my experience is one of happiness, joy and goodness. But the prophet Isaiah in thinking about all the disasters the Jewish people have experienced, describes it as drinking from the cup of hurt, defeat, and despair.

Talking about baptism scholars do not believe it’s a literal statement but rather means “Are you willing to be submerged by life as I am?”  We know what this means:  A spendthrift is submerged by debt. An addict is submerged by the control of their addiction. A grief-stricken person is submerged by sorrow.  Psalm 42 has the writer describing being submerged as the waters of life wash over him. 

Jesus asks them and us, are you able to go through the troubles of life he has to go through and still be loving and compassionate in your responses, and be faithful to where the Spirit of God leads you?  Jesus follows God’s compass for his life and gets down on his knees and acts as a servant washing his disciples’ feet, much to their embarrassment.

Jesus’ sign of greatness is the cross, a symbol of life being torn apart. He died a horrible death, but he never lost his greatness of caring about those dying with him and forgiving the ones putting him to death.

The reaction to James and John’s request by the others is quite predictable, jealousy.  “Who do you think you are trying to get an inside advantage?  Isn’t this a natural human response?  It goes to part of the basic human condition:  PEOPLE WANT TO DO AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE TO GAIN AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.

In Jesus’ idea of greatness, it is NOT how many people serve us, but how many people are being served by us. How many people are being served by your “Jesus’ greatness, by the things you do, the things you say, by the money you give, by the actions you take?”

I think that many of us have this fantasy in our heads, maybe someday, there will be a big call for me to say “yes!” to God or Jesus’ call. I would be willing to lay down my life for…..Or, we think, “If only I win the lottery, then I will give all of it, or 80%, or 50% or 10% to some big, significant cause and then people will be aware of my greatness.”

But for most of us God’s call for our greatness does not come in a one-event, center-stage, public commitment. The response to drink from the same cup as Jesus, and to be submerged in the waters of life, come in smaller, more consistent challenges. 

Parental love and response may come in helping a child with their homework week after week. It may be cooking healthy meals for family and friends. It may be getting up 3 or 4 times a night, no matter how tired you are. For a teacher or professor, it may entail grading paper after paper after paper.  It may be faithfully listening to the woes of a family member and loving them so they can make their own best decision.

For people with the gift of music it may mean coming to practice regularly and faithfully. For those in the workplace, or at school, it may be constantly being a source of blessing and encouragement to those needing it.  For those caught up in the self-centered dramas of their own life-story it may mean really listening and caring about the other person, not just yourself.

Most of us will never be able to make million-dollar, or multi-million dollar responses to challenges, instead we will give our $5, $10, $25’s on a regular basis.  In the realm of God, the one who serves the meal and washes the dishes is greater than the ones who go through the line first and take the seats where they can be seen best.

We are invited and called to greatness by Jesus the Christ. It is the Christ spirit in us that awakened and aware of the spiritual values of a life of service to others that will experience both the “pain and joy of living” and will have the satisfaction of hearing “Well done, good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your master.”

Amen! So be it…

Rev. John Henry Weinlick