REMEMBERING HOW TO SERVE
Mark 9: 30-35
NCJ College of Bishops
September 17, 2009
“They have forgotten how to serve.” Female tennis pros have heard that a lot lately. Critics have pointed out the serving woes of pros like Number 1 ranked Dinara Safina and former US Open champ Maria Sharapova. Safina and Sharapova lost at the 2009 US Open due to an avalanche of unforced errors and double faults. To remedy this dilemma, tennis pundits urged them to practice serving so they would remember how to serve.” Like our tennis colleagues, we forget how to serve sometimes. Unforced errors and double faults creep into our ministries. So, a gentle reminder is necessary. “Remember how to serve.”
Following the Transfiguration, a teaching moment on Elijah and the rebuke of an unclean spirit in a little boy, Jesus addresses this memory problem in Mark 9: 30-35. Jesus tells his disciples what will happen to him. In Jerusalem, he will experience betrayal, crucifixion, death and resurrection. His servant action will transform the world. It is the second time he has said as much. But his words are ignored. A passionate discussion about “who is the greatest” interests them. Friends, Jesus has problems. His Cabinet does not understand him. Worse yet, they are not listening. How does a great work for God find its authenticity in the minds of Jesus’ disciples when an ignominious death and a glorious resurrection are its center? Inquiring minds did not want to know.
At bottom, they wanted to know who was the greatest among them. What had each done to be selected as a disciple of Jesus Christ? Or, whose achievements warranted consideration as a leader among leaders? Although scripture does not unpack the scene, I’d say two Hail Mary’s and Our Father’s to know how the sons of Boanerges and Zebedee fared? What did Thomas, Peter, Andrew, Judas and John put down as the great things they had done?
We have talked like that. During my first Quadrennium as a bishop, the resume of the North Central Jurisdiction College of Bishops was presented to me informally. It went something like this. Whose Jurisdictional College of Bishops is the greatest? Don’t we provide the best leadership for the whole church? Look at our resumes historically. Presidents of the Council of Bishops, General Boards, Commissions and Special Initiatives, have we. Gifted leaders of Annual Conferences, preachers and presenters at General Conference, have we. Writers of books, articles and papers, social activists, theologians, have we. Advocates for peace and justice, the worldwide mission of the church and Africa University, have we. Not only that; we’ve had and have a Job in Nashville, pumping out food for the soul across the church and beyond. Honestly, we’ve had the same discussion as the disciples, i.e., “Who is the greatest Jurisdictional College of Bishops?” Plus, we’ve answered the question with great clarity. But I won’t say how.
Given the fact that his disciples engaged in a trivial pursuit, our Lord could have had a fit at their disinterest. Going forward, nothing was more important to him or God than the suffering servant role he would play for the good of the world. How should he react? Hear the good news. Jesus does not lambast, castigate, publicly embarrass or shoot nasty looks at his disciples for not keeping the main thing the main thing. Instead, Christ builds on the discussion driving the Twelve.
Listen to the Word. “Then they came to Capernaum; and when he was in the house he asked them. “What were you arguing about on the way? But they were silent, for on the way they argued with one another about who was the greatest. He sat down, called the twelve and said to them; whoever wants to be first must be last and servant of all.” Nobody said a word. But his message struck home. Christ wanted his disciples to remember how to serve. Why, because entitlements and visions of human greatness distract us from kingdom work.
In their silence, Jesus’ disciples wrestle with his impossible request. Process some of the implications in your thinking. Instead of being first or near the front of the line, they’d be last, by choice. Instead of avoiding conversations with women in public, they’d have to talk and be respectful. Instead of avoiding folk in street and Samaritans on the way, they’d have to relate to them in positive ways. Instead loving their friends, they’d have to love their enemies. Christ requires that his disciples serve the folk he serves: rich and poor, young and old, Jew and Gentile, slave or free, believer and non-believer alike.
More importantly, they must embrace his cross not avoid it. As Christ recruits, trains and serves disciples who will deny, doubt, betray and desert him; so must they with similar results. As Christ literally and figuratively puts his life on the line, so must they. Christ embraces those who hate him and demand his very life. So must they. As John McEnroe once said in a fit of anger of the tennis court, “You cannot be serious.” But Lord was serious about the servanthood required to transform this world. Bottom line, greatness is inextricably linked to sevanthood.
Like the disciples, we pose similar questions in silence. Not enough days, hours or Episcopal wisdom exist to do our work. Impregnable walls of enmity, division, stewardship and evangelism do not make it easy to serve all God’s children. With so many competing claims and challenges, is it realistic or proper to set our aim on being a servant of all? Or, would it be better to forget or water down the kind of servanthood fettered with so many crosses and too few crowns? Beware. If we travel down that path, we’d forget how to serve. If that is not the case, we might cross the line and become self-serving.
I found myself mulling over a letter to the Michigan Christian Advocate. It seemed to communicate the same message. A Methodist layman complimented the Council of Bishops for rolling back their pay to the 2008 levels. Active bishops gave up a shade over $4500.00 bucks-from $125,658 to $120, 942. But when we called it a “sacrifice,” it left Henry Passenger confused. Henry retired after 40 years as a copy editor for several Michigan newspapers. Since then, Passenger and his wife have lived on $18,000.00 yearly. Through his wife’s part-time pastorate, they obtained health insurance. Fortunately, the mortgage on their home is paid. Passenger ended his introspective analysis with these telling words. “It was a good move; it showed solidarity; it showed good spirit; it showed concern for the economy; it was symbolic; it was a marvelous gesture” he said. But “sacrifice!!” he exclaimed. Passenger accepted our gift but rejected our rationale. By implication, he thought our use of the word “sacrifice” was “self-serving.” Who knows?
I do know this. The Twelve get the message. What we know of their future ministry beyond that day is confirmation. In sum, Jesus expects the disciples to lead his movement. Sacrifice will be the standard, nothing more, nothing less. Jesus declares that his ministry is not about entitlements or human standards of greatness. “Have done with lesser things,” Christ admonishes. Finally, Jesus re-iterates that greatness is inextricably linked to servanthood. Reacting to the mother of the sons of Zebedee- a mother who desperately wanted to see James and John seated in places of honor with our Lord in his kingdom-Jesus offers this classic response. “…the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mt. 20:28) And so must we, in this age and in the age to come. Amen.
By: Bishop Jonathan D. Keaton On 9/17/2009
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