"Descending Into Greatness" - Mark 9:30 - 37
A Sermon by Alex W. Evans, Pastor
Second Presbyterian Church, Richmond, VA
Sunday, September 19, 2021
Text: Mark 9:30-37
“Descending Into Greatness”
Who is Jesus? And what does Jesus really mean for our lives?
That seems like a crazy question to begin a sermon. We all know enough about Jesus - or remain curious about Jesus - to get ourselves dressed so we can gather in our sacred sanctuary in downtown Richmond. Or, we maintain enough interest in Jesus to orient our day in such a way that we tune into the streaming video of worship today.
Jesus is an amazing person, a great teacher. Jesus is God in the flesh. Jesus is the Savior of the world. Jesus is the way we seek to live life - by following Jesus - the way and the truth - as the gospel of John puts it. Jesus is the best example and spirit-person that the world has ever known. Jesus is the one who knows us, understands our troubles, meets us on the dusty roads of life. Jesus is the One who loves us, cries with us, helps us get through every challenge, and promises that nothing can separate us from God. This is something of what we affirm.
But who is Jesus, really? And what does Jesus mean for our lives, especially when we feel like life can be so overwhelming. We got big challenges facing us -
- COVID-19 will not go away - it’s so frustrating and exhausting;
- racism and all its complexities present great challenges for our day - still! And racism keeps haunting our common life;
- climate change and environmental issues seem so daunting;
- we have culture wars, aggressive protests, polarization perplexing us;
- and then, . . .we all have real heartaches and fears, uncertainties and losses that hold center-stage in our daily lives.
Who is Jesus? And what does Jesus really mean for our lives?
We have today a short passage from the gospel of Mark. Listen:
30They went on from there and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know it; 31for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill him, and three days after being killed, he will rise again.” 32But they did not understand what he was saying and were afraid to ask him.
33Then they came to Capernaum; and when he was in the house Jesus asked them, “What were you arguing about on the way?” 34But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another who was the greatest. 35He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.” 36Then he took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them, 37“Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.”
This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
This whole passage is all about “who is Jesus?” and “what does Jesus mean for our lives?”
I received a picture this week from one of you - a picture of Jesus! The picture had Jesus sitting by a big tree, holding a child, surrounded by lots of people - different looking people of various colors and costumes. And there was this caption: “So there I was - the only white guy in Jerusalem.”
Obviously that cartoon is building on the increasing conversations about who is Jesus? He has too often been depicted as a white guy, with flowing blond or brown hair, blue eyes, and other European features, when we all know that Jesus did not look like many of us. He likely had much darker skin and more characteristic of his native Palestinian land and culture.
Who is Jesus? And what does Jesus really mean for us?
By the time we get to this story in Mark 9, the disciples of Jesus had been learning so much about who he was and what he meant for their lives. Jesus came on the scene and announced - in his teachings and life - the Kingdom of God was at hand. He was baptized by John in the Jordan River. He called disciples. Jesus healed a man with an unclean spirit, helped a paralyzed man walk. He took on religious authorities. He shared many parables. He fed 5000 people with a few loaves and fishes. He walked on water, gave sight to the blind. He even went up to the mountain and they had this mystical, transfiguration moment. Then, in this passage, and for the second time, Jesus tells his disciples that he must suffer at the hands of others, die a cruel death, and then be raised from the dead.
So often in Mark, Jesus speaks to the fears of people. We all have fears - fears about ourselves, fears about our loved ones, fears about problems getting so big that we become paralyzed and perplexed. And, over and over, Jesus seeks to speak to the fear, urging faith and fortitude, courage and commitments. Life is full of challenges and uncertainty, but God is always present and certain.
In today’s passage, that fear emerges again: “the Son of Man is to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill him, and three days after being killed, he will rise again.” And the next verse says, “But they did not understand what he was saying and were . . . AFRAID . . . to ask him.”
They did not understand what Jesus was saying, and were afraid, because their strong ideas about a Messiah had to do with conquering and prevailing with power. A Messiah for Peter and his pals was someone who delivered the long-suffering people of God with a commanding victory, vanquishing all the enemies and coming out on top.
But that is not what they heard from Jesus - he was talking about suffering and dying, a new way God was choosing to redeem the world. Jesus points to a descending way of greatness - not conquering and prevailing with power - but changing the world through sacrifice and service.
Then he came to Capernaum. Capernaum is in the region of Galilee. Jesus spent lots of time here. They all go into a house and Jesus brings up again this question of “greatness.” He knows the disciples. He knows us. He knows what we too often worry about and think about. How do we become great? How do we create more influence? How do we make sure we are liked, have more people paying attention to us, have a richer and more meaningful sense of self?
So, Jesus asks, “What were you arguing about on the way? But they were silent, for on the way they had argued about who was the greatest.”
Remember the initial questions - who is Jesus? And what does Jesus mean for our lives? This is at the heart of what is always going on.
Imagine that Jesus listens to all our conversations. Imagine that Jesus knows the real hopes and longings of our hearts. I take great comfort in knowing that Jesus knows me, knows my heart, knows us, knows what we are worried about and working on.
Then it says, Jesus sat down, called the disciples together, and said, “whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.”
Descending into greatness. Greatness - for Jesus - and for us - is never about power and prevailing, never about dominating and doting over another, never about asserting ourselves or our way. Greatness is about serving, sacrificing, caring, and sharing. He took a child and said, “whoever welcomes one such child in my name, welcomes me, . . . and also the One who sent me.”
Let’s be clear - the child in this little story - is not to show how Jesus loved little children, though he did. It is not a message about glorifying children. It is absolutely a message about sacrificing and serving, caring and sharing. It is an illustration of his previous point - whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.
We all assume greatness is something we ascend to. Greatness is something we achieve by climbing, proving, winning, gaining. Jesus shows another way - in his very life and in his teaching.
The descending way brings real greatness - sacrificing, serving, giving, sharing, losing life to find it.
Two little insights reiterate this point about descending greatness:
First, children in Jesus’ culture were among the lowest. Children were regarded in that day as non-persons, possessions of the father of the household, not yet full persons. They were not meant to be seen or heard. So, it is counter-cultural; Jesus brings a child into the center space for his teaching to make a point. The greatest are not those with power and prestige but those who serve others, welcome children, tend to the needy, the destitute, the forgotten. The greatest are not those in places of privilege but those who see and love those who are on the margins, left out, oppressed, and abused.
Second, the word that Jesus used - the Greek word - in this passage for servant is diakonos. This is where we get the word “deacon,” those who are called to serve. But in Mark’s day, in Jesus’ time, “diakonos”was reserved for the lowest rank of servants - those who served meals, those who did the messiest jobs, those who would never be thought of as people to emulate. Jesus shows this is who he is. Jesus says this is what we are all called to be about as his disciples - serving, sacrificing, doing more for others than ourselves. And, the Greek word for “child” is “paidion,” which is also often another word for “servant.” Servant - “daikon” and the word of child - “paidion” often mean the same thing: Be the lowly and welcome the lowly and you welcome me - and the One who sent me. That is Jesus well-illustrated point in this little passage.
So, we are great, not when we have power and influence, but when we descend toward loving service. We are great, not when we have money, degrees, status, or professional success, but when we sacrifice and support the promised reign of Jesus with justice and joy. We are a great church, not because we have lots of members or strong finances, or a beautiful building, but because all of our energy is directed toward the spread of God’s love and hope in the city and world.
So, this little passage is all about “Who is Jesus?” and “what does Jesus mean for our lives?”
It’s as if Jesus says: You have heard it said, “Conquer and be great!” — but I say to you, God will redeem the whole world not with a mighty army but through a suffering servant. You have heard it said, “Be dominant, and get what’s yours!” — but I say to you, live your life in gentleness and love, not as a master but as a “servant of all” (Mark 9:35). You have heard it said, “Consort with the powerful, and gain power!” — but I say to you, welcome the powerless, the outsider, the ones whose supposedly low status offers you no promise of conventional gain in return. Take this child, (a symbol of the lowly) . . . “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and . . . . welcomes . . . the one who sent me” (Mark 9:37). (seewww.saltproject.org - September 15, 2021)
We are often taught that life is about ascending a ladder toward worldly success. Jesus counters that - life is about a graceful descent filled with compassion toward the outcast, the forgotten. That is the way to greatness.
If you are looking for some more inspiration and enrichment in this message, I urge you to tune into the new series on Apple TV, entitled “Ted Lasso.” This is a story about an American football coach, Ted Lasso, a common guy from the Midwest, who was hired in a crazy move by a London Premier Soccer team, to coach soccer. Lasso’s way to coach soccer, in the Premier League, which he knows very little about, is all about “descending into greatness.” Rarely do we see gospel values dominating a TV series. You will find it in “Ted Lasso.” Life and greatness are not about power, but personal care and connections. Life is often not mostly about prowess, but understanding people. The way to greatness is always through confession, compassion, and character, instead of arrogance, aggression, and greed. These themes are so present in this show - “Ted Lasso” - which is full of seriousness and humor, complex characters, and . . . descending into greatness.
That is what made Jesus so great - the greatest person ever. That is our way toward greatness - loving and serving with commitment and care.
I love the way the wonderful theologian and spiritual writer Howard Thurman put it: Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive. (HOWARD THURMAN)
From my experience, the people who are most alive are those who have figured out that life is not about getting but about giving, not about hoarding but about helping others, not about self but service. Those are the folks - alive because they have learned about - not ascending to greatness - but descending to greatness. This is who Jesus is. This is what Jesus is about. And this is what our lives are to be about following Jesus. Descending into greatness. AMEN
Prayer of Commitment: We believe, Lord; help our unbelief. By your Spirit, deepen our faith and increase our love. We seek to follow Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
Alex Evans, Pastor, Second Presbyterian Church, Richmond, VA preached this sermon during Sunday morning worship on September 19, 2021. This is a rough manuscript.