St. Mark 9:30-37
Dearly beloved,
We have the same problem the disciples had. Everyone is his
or her own leader. If we look at our culture today, we see certain
fundamental traits as strengths, while we view others as weakness. For
example, a business manager today looking to hire someone would look for
certain things. The business manager would probably look for an outgoing,
strong type A person; task oriented; people oriented; result driven. We
like leaders. We need leaders. The problem that always comes up in a
crowd, though, is who gets to lead.
Add sin to this, and our modern mindset where each person
views him or herself as an autonomous whole, and you have a potential
problem. Until the issue is resolved, the group waits in dangerous space. No
clear cut leader means disaster for the group. Then add the dynamic of the
church to the context, where the members are really yoked together as a
whole, but also work individually for the good of the whole body. The
problem is facilitated in the gospel by something that Jesus says.
Jesus had just healed a boy of an evil spirit and He
proceeded to teach only the disciples that the “Son of man was to be
delivered into the hands of men, and be killed and after three days rise
from the dead.” As Jesus was teaching the disciples this very important
doctrine they were confused. They did not understand it. But they were
also embarrassed, so they didn’t ask Jesus about it.
This facilitated a problem. The twelve disciples had been
discussing something on the way as they walked. Jesus asked them what they
were discussing. They were afraid to answer. It is interesting how the
mind works, because while the twelve disciples did not understand what Jesus
was talking about when He said that He must be arrested, die, and rise from
the dead, they processed enough of what Jesus said to begin talking about
who should take over leadership.
They had been talking about who was the greatest. This
wasn’t a schoolyard, boyhood discussion over who was the strongest and the
best. This had everything to do with leadership. The Twelve disciples were
always understood as a single unit. They are singled out from other
disciples throughout the gospels. They became the first apostles and are
very visible throughout the gospels and in subsequent leadership in the
early church. They were doing what we tend to do. Who should lead? Who
will we let lead? The world has its own problems in this regard.
But it is what Jesus says that is the most striking. Jesus
is always the teacher when we find Him in the gospels. Not only does He
forgive sin, His chief work, but He is always instructing us into all
righteousness. When Jesus is told that the disciples were arguing over who
is the greatest, St. Mark tells us that Jesus sat down. This is the
teaching posture for a Jewish Rabbi, so we should pay attention to what He
says. Then Jesus tells the Twelve: “If any one would be first, he must be
last of all and servant of all.”
This is a topic that is taken up extensively in the Book of
Proverbs. Proverbs 8:5 echoes this: “O simple ones, learn prudence; O
foolish men, pay attention.” In fact, James 3 and 4 picks up on this, by
even quoting Proverbs 3:34, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the
humble.” Running through the Proverbs is this continual reference to
meekness and instruction. Proverbs 4:5ff, “Get wisdom; get insight. Do not
forsake her, and she will keep you; love her and she will guard you.”
What this is highlighting is the Christian way of
service. Today
we like to compartmentalize Christian service as something we “do.” To say
that we are engaged in Christian service is more than serving on a
committee. Christian service is a condition of the heart and James gives us
insight into this. In talking about godly wisdom, James starts off today’s
epistle, “Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good life let him
show his works in the meekness of wisdom.”
The meekness of wisdom is just the opposite of what the
disciples were doing when they were arguing about who is the greatest. The
meekness of wisdom is being wise enough in the Lord’s teaching to realize
that we still have much to learn. It consists of a humble, prayerful
posture, a repentant attitude, a loving spirit. James contrasts this with
the opposite statement: “But if you have bitter zeal and selfish ambition in
your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth.” The Greek for
“selfish ambition” means to seek followers for the introduction of rivalry,
for the pursuance of your cause. At the root of this is pride, the opposite
of the meekness of wisdom.
The church is usually at its best or strongest when the
Christians in the church are prayerful and quiet, serving in this capacity.
It is when they are willing to be further instructed into righteousness that
the church is a pleasant pasture in which to dwell. A lot of it depends on
motives and the condition of the heart. The meekness of wisdom is just
being thankful to be kneeling at Christ’s altar seeking the Lord’s Supper. The
meekness of wisdom is looking forward to listening to the words and acts of
Christ in order to be enlightened by the Divine radiance of Jesus.
This is why Jesus contrasts the disciples’ silly argument to
that of a child. A child with faith listens and learns. He doesn’t seek to
lead. He doesn’t presume to have all the answers. On the contrary, he asks
questions about Jesus and watches to see how to pray and live. The meekness
of wisdom that is the character and scent of the church is humility and
contentment.
And we see in the disciples and in ourselves just how much
we need to hear Jesus say that “the Son of man will be delivered into the
hands of wicked men, and they will kill Him; and when He is killed, after
three days He will rise.” In Christ’s death and resurrection reside your
sins of pride and arrogance. In the wounds of Jesus lies the arrogance of
the disciples along with their failure to understand what He was saying. You
have been brought into a new way that is paved with the mercy and love of
Christ.
You have been delivered from all of your sins, and you are
placed into the church, the body of Christ, where you are given His holy
word to hear and ponder and grow in wisdom. You are offered Christ’s body
and blood on the altar to strengthen you in this Christian faith for the
forgiveness of sins, and you thereby rest in the arms of Jesus. At the
altar and in the Divine Service are the gifts that bring forth the meekness
of wisdom, along with the joys of salvation. Amen.
--
Rev. Chad Kendall
www.frchadius.blogspot.com
Trinity Lutheran Church
Lowell, Indiana
www.trinitylowell.org
