Created for Service—Isaiah 53: 4-6; Mark 10: 35-45
I saw a funny cartoon the other day that said, “Cooking together is NOT romantic, now GET OUT of my kitchen.” It remined me of the sight to behold that was Sunday dinner at my Granny’s house growing up. There would be anywhere from 10-12 people all crammed into my grandparents’ small kitchen and dining room. Granny did the cooking, and you had better stay out of her way. As soon as we got home from church, the food was ready to come out onto the table. I never knew how she managed such. But the duties were always shared—my aunts would help do the dishes and clean up. The men would go out and check the garden or wash the cars in the family, whatever needed done at the time. The work, the living, and the tasks at hand were shared. Everyone had a role to do.
In our Gospel for today, James and John come to Jesus asking for a favor. They have, thankfully, accepted the idea of who Jesus is and believe in his holiness. But now that they understand, they want to sit in a place of glory next to him. But Jesus tells them that to have a place of glory and honor, they must first endure suffering and struggle. Jesus hints at the suffering he must soon endure calling it a “bitter cup” and a “baptism of suffering.”
The Isaiah lesson hints at what this baptism of suffering and bitterness would be. Jesus carried our own struggles on his shoulders. Jesus endured physical suffering at the hands the religious authorities. The story of Jesus is a story of someone who came to serve—and that service was willingly enduring suffering and pain on our behalf, so we wouldn’t have to eternally pay for what we had done wrong in this life.
So, when the two disciples ask to share in Jesus’ honor and glory, he tells them they must also share in the suffering. And they did. James was martyred, and John was tortured and exiled. But the bigger problem is the bickering that their request created amongst the disciples. They become indignant that James and John should ask such a privilege. Jesus teaches them an important lesson about power and service.
Ancient empires and powers used to make a big exhibition of their power and authority. It was common to have the Romans parade through the streets. It was a display of power and oppression to the conquered Jewish people. But even within the halls of the Temple, they found themselves experiencing power and authority being lorded over them. The religious leaders were often just as oppressive as the Roman conquerors.
But Jesus offered a different way—that last shall be first and the first shall be last. The greatest in the Kingdom of God is the one who is a servant. Jesus came for service and sacrifice. Jesus didn’t come to get rich, to gain silver and gold, to create a vast army and kingdom. No, Jesus didn’t come for any of that. He came to love, to heal, and to serve in suffering for humankind. His literal words are this: “Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the servant of everyone else. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
In God’s kingdom, everyone has a role to do. If Jesus himself is not exempt from service, neither are we. As pastor of this church, it’s my role to look after you, be a spiritual presence, and teacher for you to the best of my abilities. As elders, some of you all are tasked with guiding the faith and life of the church and members. As deacons some of you are called to serve in administration, keeping up with the day to day needs of the church. And in a small church, that’s about half the folks. But those who haven’t yet been called to an office, your church needs you to give, love, visit, share. Faith is miraculous in that we all come and play a role in this sometimes messy, but always beautiful gathering of God’s people.
I think many of our leaders today could learn a lot about what it means to be a servant. It is a rather cynical picture. The social leaders have morphed from Hollywood to a bunch of wild Instagram and TikTok influencers. Our politicians should wear advertisements, so we know who has bought and paid for them. It seems like everyone who seeks a leadership position craves the power and authority and perks instead of the call to service.
As much as I’d like to stand and complain about politics from the pulpit, I have to confess the same struggles have infiltrated our churches. Taylor Swift donated $5 million to the hurricane relief efforts following the damage of Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Dolly Parton has donated $2 million and helped raise a total of $9 million to help those victims of the hurricanes. Now, how much did Rev. Joel Osteen, who allegedly makes more than $50 million per year, How much did Rev. Kenneth Copeland donate? How much did Rev. Jesse Duplantis, who asked for donations of $50 million for a private jet, donate? How much did any of these alleged faith leaders making millions upon millions of dollars give? I researched for almost an hour and could find nothing. Once in 2021, one of their ministries gave $100,000 to buy generators for Hurricane Ida victims.
Faith does not work unless each one of us is willing to participate. Faith leaders cannot follow a Christ who went willingly to a cross to suffer and die and sacrifice while hoarding millions of dollars. Each one of us has a role to play, a calling from God within the church and within our communities. Sometimes Jesus taught in synagogues. But most of the time, Jesus taught in the streets, the hills, and even in the midst of the sea. He healed wherever he went. He served far beyond the bounds of the place of worship. He brought faith to the people where they were and as they needed from him. And he did not oppress people like Rome and the religious leaders of his day. As the Rev. Benjamin Cremer says, “Beware of any Christian movement that acts as though the world is full of enemies to be destroyed rather than full of neighbors to be loved.”
As Jesus said in this Gospel, “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and give his life [for the many]. And Jesus did not shy away from or ignore the reality of suffering. He was honest about his suffering. He was honest with James and John that life in this world would not be easy whether or not you follow Jesus. Instead, he turned their attention towards the knowledge that we are saved from suffering and pain having the last word in life.
In an election cycle, you may hear a lot of promises about policies and politicians saving us from trouble. Make no mistake, you’re choosing a human leader. The only one who truly and completely saves us in this life and beyond is Jesus. And in his kingdom, we all have a role to do. On Sundays my family would gather for dinner after church. One cooked, some set the table, others did the dishes, others tended the garden and other chores later on. In the family of God, we all have an important role to play.
So may we celebrate the good work we can do. In a community and society that needs to see and experience the grace and love of Christ, may we be enthusiastic about the role we have been called to do. For when we work in service to those who need us, we are living exactly like Jesus, who sacrificed and served for every single one of us.
Worship Video https://www.facebook.com/fccmacon/videos/1903993886792394/