LENT 5, B – March 29, 2009

SCRIPTURES - Jeremiah 31:31-34; Hebrews 5:1-10; Mark 10:35-45 

I’m confused today. Jesus Himself confuses me. James and John, two of His closest disciples, come to Him with the request to seat them at His right hand and left hand, the positions of the highest honor, in His kingdom. Now, this is not confusing. I understand this request.

q   It’s not necessarily motivated by simple arrogance, lust for power, or selfishness, by the way. After all, James and John were two of Jesus’ earliest followers. They had been with Him through thick and thin. They had willingly worked hard and suffered much with Jesus. They were perhaps simply being honest, then, and were not boasting, when they told Him that they could drink the cup He would drink and be baptized with His baptism. They had already proven themselves! And, Jesus had also honored them at times above the others. For instance, He took them and Peter, and not the others, with Him into a house where a young girl lay dead. They saw Him raise her up to life again. What a great miracle they, and not the other disciples, witnessed! Jesus also took Peter, James and John with Him up a mountain where He was transfigured before them and began shining like the sun. They got a glimpse of heaven, as they saw with Jesus its inhabitants Moses and Elijah and heard the voice of God the Father. What an incredible experience!

I understand their request to sit at Jesus’ right and left in His kingdom. They wanted to have to the fullest the joy and wonder they had already, but far too briefly, experienced with Him. You can understand this, can’t you? Oh, to be done with the hardships of this life: sickness; needy people; pain and sorrow; the opposition of those who don’t like what you’re doing; the drudgery and grind of daily life. Oh, to be with Jesus in His kingdom! I understand James’ and John’s request to sit at Jesus’ right and left in His kingdom. There could be nothing better. 

I also understand the other disciples becoming angry with them and arguing with them. They were undoubtedly following the first thoughts that popped into their heads:

“Who do they think they are? We’ve been with Jesus a long time, also! We’ve worked just as hard as they have! So they got a couple of special perks that we didn’t get. That doesn’t mean they deserve more than us!”

Giving in to such thoughts, instead of thinking more positively about and putting the best construction on what was said; confronting with accusations instead of questions; ― I understand this, for these are the things we do. If you don’t watch out for yourself and take care of yourself, then who’s going to do so? We all understand such thinking, don’t we? So often, it’s our thinking, the thinking that leads to anger and arguing and division.

 

Now, what I don’t understand is how Jesus deals with this. Oh, I understand the first part of what He says: “Whoever would be great among you must be your servant.” That makes sense. Remind us that we are here to serve one another. This focus will put down selfishness and the lust for power. But, this isn’t all Jesus says. “and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all,” He goes on. As His followers, we are to be slaves, and slaves of everyone! Slaves have no status, no rank, no privileges. They are lower than everyone. They do not serve for pay, but serve simply because this is what is expected of them and what they must do. “If you are My followers, then you are slaves,” Jesus says. But, how will we get anywhere – how will we get anywhere as a congregation? How will you get anywhere in your life? – if we are slaves? This is what we wonder. It doesn’t make any sense!

 

Ah, but slaves do have something, don’t they? They have a master! If you are slaves with Christ, then God is your master. If you’re a slave in His kingdom, then, and only then, are you truly free. “For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” You know what a ransom is. If a person is kidnapped, the ransom is the money that is paid to gain that person’s freedom. Jesus is our ransom. He exchanged Himself for us. Here we were, in bondage to our sins and threatened with death and hell because of them. How can we free ourselves, when we see how easily things like sinful thoughts spring into our minds, pour forth from our mouths, and cause angry arguments and divisions even with our brothers and sisters in Christ? What happened among the disciples because of James’ and John’s request happens among us, also. Oh, how sin afflicts us! Sin is an evil foe that has tied us up and then said to God, “Pay up or he dies!” But, Jesus is our ransom. He exchanged Himself for us and made Himself a slave, taking upon Himself the chains and threats of our sin. He pushed us out the door, setting us free from sin’s captivity and threats. In Christ we are forgiven! We are free! To now live in Christ, being a slave as He was a slave for us, is to live in God’s kingdom. It is to know and have forever the freedom of His love, His care, and His presence.

 

It sounds contradictory, and it doesn’t make sense in our world, that true freedom is found only when you are God’s slaves! But, if you are in Christ, you are no longer of this world or of its sin. You are of heaven; you are of eternity; you are of holiness; you are of God. That’s the point. As long as you are holding onto yourself, seeking for yourself, worrying about yourself, wanting for yourself, then you are not living in Christ. Don’t let your sinful thoughts and selfish desires do this to you and turn you away from Him! Live in Christ, the Son of Man who came “not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom” for you. He’s the best Master in the world!