“What makes us Great?” Colchester Federated Church, October 20, 2024, Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost (Mark 10:35-45)

Jesus and his disciples are on the road again, going up to Jerusalem.  Along the way, he’s teaching his followers that he will die at the hands of those in power and in three days will rise again.  As he’s sharing the events that are to come (for the third time in Mark’s Gospel actually), James and John come forward and say that they want Jesus to do for them whatever they ask.  Jesus responds, “What do you want me to do for you?”  Then their request follows, “Allow one of us to sit on your right and the other on your left when you enter your glory.”[1]  The brothers are in the inner circle of Jesus’ disciples and assume that they will join Jesus in the heavenly throne room once the Kingdom of God arrives.  More than this, the brothers want to occupy places of honor right there beside Jesus.

Now this request is all the more crass because Jesus had just predicted his own death and resurrection for the third time.  James and John are more focused on their position in Jesus’ inner circle than on the difficult fate that awaited their friend.  Though Jesus patiently explains that the brothers don’t know what they’re asking, challenging them as to whether or not they can drink the cup he drinks or receive the baptism he receives.  Jesus is asking if they are truly willing to go as far as he will go for the sake of God’s Kingdom. 

The other disciples overhear this conversation and become angry.  It’s understandable.  Jesus calls a team meeting and explains, “You know that the ones who are considered the rulers by the Gentiles show off their authority over them and their high-ranking officials order them around.  But that’s not the way it will be with you.  Whoever wants to be great among you will be your servant.  Whoever wants to be first among you will be the slave of all, for the Human One didn’t come to be served but rather to serve and to give his life to liberate many people.”[2]  The expectations of the disciples once again are challenged by Jesus.  Jesus is explaining that the point of following him is serving one another.  Leadership isn’t about showing off and ordering people around.  The true leader, the exemplary follower of Jesus Christ is the servant of all.  The one who doesn’t come to be served, but to serve others.

Now in the Church, we could say that this leadership style is exactly what Jesus is teaching his disciples in our Gospel story.  Though this style is not found in the church world alone.  A servant leader is driven by their own deeply-held beliefs and values.  The point of leadership is supporting those they are leading.  It’s not about accomplishments and accolades.  Servant leadership is about leading with humility.  The servant leader can focus on unlocking the potential and creativity of those with whom they work, knowing that if people work with a sense of purpose and feel empowered, it helps create something beautiful for the whole team, organization, or institution. 

Some Gentile leaders in Jesus’ day showed off their authority and ordered others around to do their bidding.  Jesus observes that behavior and says that this is not how it should be in his community that he is co-creating with his disciples.  Instead, Jesus instructs, “Whoever wants to be great among you will be your servant.”[3]

Thinking about this passage reminded me of what happened to a pastor named Russell Moore, the editor of Christianity Today.  Moore was once one of the top officials in the Southern Baptist Convention.  But then he found himself in contention with some of the leaders of his denomination about various issues, specifically he was troubled by political endorsements, the response to sexual abuse within the Southern Baptist denomination, and the rise of Christian Nationalism.  Suddenly Moore found himself on the outside looking in.  In an interview with NPR last year on All Things Considered, Moore was asked why he thinks Christianity is in a crisis today.  He responded, “Well, it was the result of having multiple pastors tell me essentially the same story about quoting the Sermon on the Mount parenthetically in their preaching – turn the other cheek – to have someone come up after and to say, where did you get those liberal talking points?  And what was alarming to me is that in most of these scenarios, when the pastor would say, I’m literally quoting Jesus Christ, the response would not be, I apologize.  The response would be, yes, but that doesn’t work anymore.  That’s weak.  And when we get to the point where the teachings of Jesus himself are seen as subversive to us, then we’re in a crisis.”[4]

Now Russell Moore is not someone I look to for guidance to be perfectly honest.  We do not agree about a great many things, including (ironically) the ordination of women.  Though when I heard about what he did in speaking truth to power within his denomination and the consequences of doing so, that struck me as quite courageous.  It’s disturbing to know that there are pastors quoting Jesus from the Sermon on the Mount (arguably his most important teachings) and being told that Jesus’ words are “liberal talking points” and “weak.” 

As a reminder, Jesus taught us in that famous Sermon of his:

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.  Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. 
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.[5] 

Today we hear some more of those “weak” words of Jesus when he told James and John, “Whoever wants to be great among you will be your servant.  Whoever wants to be first among you will be the slave of all, for the Human One didn’t come to be served but rather to serve and to give his life to liberate many people.”[6]  This teaching is clearly in alignment with the Sermon on the Mount—about God’s upside-down Kingdom where the first will be last and the last will be first.  These are the words of Jesus, and following his teachings by putting them into action is what being a Christian is about.  Because as we heard all during September in James’ Letter, “Faith is dead when it doesn’t result in faithful activity.”[7]

In the end, what makes somebody great anyway?  It’s a word that we often hear used.  If we get to the dictionary definition of great (from the Merriam-Webster Dictionary for instance), great can be an adjective, adverb, or noun.  Let’s go with using great as an adjective as this is the most common usage of the word.  There are 11 ways to use great as an adjective![8]  I will not list them all (you’re welcome), but great can mean large in size or measure.  Great can mean eminent or distinguished.  Great can mean that someone is distinguished in their character or quality.  Great can be used to speak about a specific skill.  Or to signify a more remote familial relationship by a single generation than a specific relative—my great-grandfather or your great-grandmother.  Great can even be used to speak about being full of emotion—Jessica was great with anger.  The point being great is a word that we hear a great deal.  It can be used in different ways and there are varied meanings of the word.

Jesus says that what makes someone great is being of service to another.  When Jesus’ beloved followers James and John got all high and mighty and wanted to be seated in power beside Jesus in God’s Kingdom, Jesus told them that they do not know what they are asking.  Do you want to act like rulers and show off your authority and order people around?  That’s not how it’s supposed to go.  That’s now the way it will be with you.  Because, “Whoever wants to be great among you will be your servant.”[9]  Thanks be to God.  Amen.

[1] Mark 10:37, CEB.
[2] Mark 10:42-45, CEB.
[3] Mark 10:43, CEB.
[4] “Russell Moore on ‘an altar call’ for Evangelical America,” NPR, August 5, 2023, https://www.npr.org/2023/08/05/1192374014/russell-moore-on-altar-call-for-evangelical-america
[5] Matthew 5:3-9, NRSVUE.
[6] Mark 10:43-45, CEB.
[7] James 2:17, CEB.
[8] “Great” in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/great[9] Mark 10:43, CEB.

Photo by Rev. Lauren Ostrout.