THE REQUEST

Mark 10: 35-45

There are times when a teacher can tell when those in her class are not paying attention; times when a director can tell that members of his choir are not paying attention; and times when a preacher can tell when some of his congregation is not paying attention.  Oh don’t look so guilty; it’s not now! It happens a few minutes into a sermon when some begin to drift. A teacher might turn to a student and ask him or her what she just said. “Busted!” A choir director might turn to the daydreamer’s neighbor and say: “Show Joe where we are!” Preachers don’t do that much. There have been a couple of times when I have preached solely from my wireless mic so that when I came down from the pulpit, the daydreaming or sleeping parishioner was unaware that was right next to him. The story is told of the Catholic priest who was known for putting his flock to sleep, but, being Catholic, they all knew the different parts of the liturgy by heart, like: “The Lord be with you,” “and also with you” is the reply. “Lift up your hearts,” are the leader’s words; and the response is “We lift them up to the Lord.” One day when his congregation got exceptionally sleepy, the priest’s mic failed to work properly. Finally the sound came on as his voice carried out to his people:

“There’s something wrong with this microphone.” Dutifully, his distracted and sleepy congregation answered him: “And also with you!”

Today I wonder how many of us are really listening in church when they hear what happens to disciple of Jesus. For example, Paul was a disciple and he was imprisoned. Who wants to be put in prison?  Peter was a disciple of Jesus and according to Eusebius the early church historian, Peter was crucified until death, nailed to a cross like Jesus, except, since he felt unworthy to be crucified in the manner of his Lord, Peter asked to be crucified u-p-s-i-d-e—d-o-w-n!  That’s right. Do you still want to be a disciple?  And James, the son of Zebedee, one of the two talking in today’s passage, was beheaded according to Acts chapter 12.  Do you still … well, you know the question. Why would a preacher want to talk followers and potential followers of Jesus out of discipleship? Today’s lesson has the answer.

Today’s lesson in Mark was later retold in Matthew; Matthew seems to be so embarrassed that biological brothers, grown disciples, could ask Jesus such a thing about being first. Matthew says their mother made this request on their behalf. Really? Is it more embarrassing to have to grown disciples of Jesus making requests of rank to Jesus, or is it more embarrassing to have the mother of the grown men asking for them???!!  Remember what Jesus had just said, during the time when they must have been daydreaming? In verse 31 Jesus said, “The last shall be first, and the first shall be last.” Then he took them aside and said that the Son of Man would be condemned to death, not by Romans, but by Jewish priests! They would hand him over to the Gentiles they will mock, spit on him flog him, and kill him.” Immediately after that, the two self-absorbed daydreamers say these astounding words to Jesus: “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” “What an audacious question,” may be your first thought. But then you want to give these men the benefit of the doubt. After all they are disciples, two of the Twelve! But then you read on and find out their request: “Pick us to be the two closest to you, one on your left and one on your right.”  About this request, noted New Testament scholar William Barclay wrote: “They had completely failed to understand Jesus. The amazing thing is not the fact that this incident happened, but the time at which it happened. It is the juxtaposition of Jesus most definite and detailed forecast of his death and this request that is so staggering. It shows, as nothing else could, how little they understood what Jesus was saying to them. Words were powerless to rid them of the idea of a Messiah of earthly power and glory. Only the Cross could do that.” [THE GOSPEL OF MARK, Westminster Press, 1975, p. 254.]  The men who Jesus was training would soon have the responsibility of spreading the subversive kingdom news to a world that liked prestige and power; it still does. Their news was not the kind that the world usually calls “good.” Only when they finally proclaimed Jesus’ true message did worldly leaders decide they had to be stopped. Even today, accommodating people are really no threat to the world’s leaders. Accommodating people blend in and are rarely threatened. But disciples are supposed to shake up their world. Only when these disciples did Jesus’ true work did their lives end. Remember that I told you that James’s lost his life?  The naïve or distracted man who made the request of Jesus “Can you pick me to be at your side” was finally at Jesus’ side, not by request, but by service. James would finally grow up, and put aside his childish ways, and become a real disciple.  

Today the words of Jesus are these, words that sound counter-cultural; words you heard in the anthem today: “Whoever will be great among you, must become servants, and whoever would be first among you, must be the slave of all.” Being first out of ego is the problem Jesus addresses; being first in the kingdom gets named because of service. I know my father was in demand at in his company far past the normal retirement age in part because of the service he gave. Businesses do not get ahead by meeting expectations, but by exceeding them. A restaurant I love is among my favorites because of service. This week it was Marianne Sabatka who, in the midst of her husband’s stroke and ultimate death, had service on her mind. She called Halifax Urban Ministry with her regrets that she could not come and serve food that day. Every other week she is serving bags of food to hungry people. When I was about to go for Chris’ wedding in Pennsylvania I broke a tooth. My dentist, by himself, came to his office on a Sunday for me and fixed my tooth so I could leave of Monday. The man from whom I buy and have my cars repaired gives free loaner cars while the work is being done. Service, the action word for the noun servant, matters. The word that sounds derogatory to our ears is slave. There are those who say going the extra mile is something they are unwilling to do. But at our elder retreat last Saturday, one of our elders spoke up and, without being prompted, told fellow elders our job was to do what ever was needed for Jesus: to welcome and care for others, to build up and maintain Gods’ house and to take the mission to the world. Amen! Sometimes we fall short, and that I regret. But we know from James’ and John’s request what a reaction Jesus had. “You don’t know what you’re asking.” Their attitude would put them squarely in the back of the line in the next life. But, in this life, if we don’t work to be first, but instead put others first with hospitality, help, and kindness; then Jesus will be holding a spot in line for us on earth, at the very back, where he also is standing! Where will we be in heaven? I know there are people in churches whose brains go numb and whose souls grow cold with distractions so they miss Jesus’ lesson. Don’t miss this one!  Today I am asking (choir) you, (nave) and you, (new section) and you (balcony), if you think Jesus considers you to be his disciple? How will you know? Look for him to hand you an apron, a bag of food, a broom, a paintbrush, or a wrench.

Jeffrey A. Sumner                                                October 18, 2009