Sermon 9/19/2021
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Sermon Proper 20B 2021
James 3:13 - 4:3, 7-8a
Mark 9:30-37
Theme: True Wisdom
Leonard Bernstein the world renowned American conductor and composer was asked once – “What is the most difficult instrument?” His answer:
“2nd fiddle. Plenty of people want to play 1st violin but to get someone to play second violin or second flute, etc...that's a problem. Yet, without them there is no harmony.”
Problem he saw in his orchestras is a universal problem.
There exists in our world a basic conflict between the human ambition for greatness and acclaim and what makes for collective harmony and peace.
We see this conflict at play throughout history, including in Jesus’ own day and among his best students and followers in today’s passage from Mark 9:30-37.
The disciples of Jesus have gotten into an argument about which one of them is the greatest.
Let’s try to imagine for a moment what it would have been like for those early followers of Jesus. They were surely amazed by the miraculous feats performed by Jesus – healing of the sick, multiplying the loaves and fishes, controlling even the waves and wind. Not only that but Jesus was an authoritative speaker and teacher. Drawing crowds by the thousands. Challenging the most knowledgeable and respected teachers and leaders in the synagogue. There must have been no small amount of excitement about being associated with such an impressive and important figure. Perhaps they thought they had hitched their lives to a star and would soon be able to perform their own great deeds of power.
Somewhere along the way perhaps visions of personal grandeur began to worm their way into their thoughts. Over time their enthusiasm for participating in the work of God with Jesus became less about others and more about them. Until one day they begin talking amongst themselves and what should have been a conversation about working together to accomplish God’s purposes shifted to an argument about which of them would be most worthy of the title “greatest”.
Their conversation along the road reveals how this desire for personal acclaim can lead to disharmony.
Elsewhere in the scriptures we hear similar cautions.
James 3:13 - 4:3, 7-8a
Who is wise and understanding among you? Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not be boastful and false to the truth. Such wisdom does not come down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, devilish. For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will also be disorder and wickedness of every kind.
Clearly this was a case of disorder among the disciples caused by selfish ambitions.
Discussing who is the greatest? There is no way that conversation ends in anything other than an argument.
It’s like those conversations we have in our own lives that we know from the outset are not going to end well.
Such as:
Who do you think mom and dad love best?
Who does the most work around the house?
There is no way to have those conversations without getting into a fight because no matter how we answer the question, somebody loses and somebody wins. Someone walks away feeling superior and justified while the other person walks away feeling indignant, rejected or envious.
How does Jesus respond to this argument among his followers? First thing Jesus does is simply call it to their attention and bring the issue out into the light.
He does this by asking a simple but pointed question - “What were you arguing about on the way?” As soon as Jesus entered the conversation the argument stopped. But why? Is it because they were ashamed of fighting? Probably. But I think there was a deeper reason as well. I think that question about who is the greatest became well frankly absurd in the presence of the greatest teacher they had ever known. It would be like a group of Microsoft employees sitting around with a group of coworkers arguing about who is the best computer programmer and Bill Gates walks in and asks, “Hey what are you debating?”
But Jesus, the best of teachers, did not leave it there, he took their question seriously.
Ok, if your desire is for greatness, let me teach you about how God measures greatness.
Then he took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them, "Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me. – Mark 9:36-37
In the time of Jesus, society viewed children as having an insignificant role and of fairly low status. So when Jesus encourages his followers to show hospitality to a child he is teaching them that what God values is very different than what the world or culture values. What God thinks is important is paying attention to, loving, the humble, the overlooked, the vulnerable people in our midst.
Let’s take this further·
Let’s examine how one can be successful at welcoming a child. Making them feel safe and loved requires some key skills. Outlined in the letter of James.
But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy. – James 3:17
If you aren’t sure about the absolute virtues of patience and gentleness as they relate to children I encourage you to talk with Kate Gray or Mary Rocha or any of our wonderful pre-school teachers who have spent the last two weeks watching little children cry and struggle after being dropped off by their parents for the first time and adapting to a group setting of sharing and following rules. The only way to help a child in that situation is to show them the utmost patience and gentleness.
The other fascinating thing about using this example of children is that children don’t care what you look like, what clothes you wear, what kind of car you drive, how much money you make, how many important friends you have. Children only care that you listen to them and love them, that you are warm and inviting. In this way children teach us what is of true value and even more so, they help foster in us the qualities that make for greatness.
As I reflect on the many people I have met over the years as a pastor, I find my mind returning to certain individuals over and over again. People that have taught me about greatness and about wisdom.
One person I remember with fondness is a woman named Vera Sebek. Vera was a remarkable person in many ways. She lived to be 104 years old and was 60 years my senior. When I first met Vera she was living in the memory care unit of a nursing facility. She was 95 years old at the time and had been suffering the effects of Alzheimers for a few years already. What I learned about her, I learned not from her own account but from that of her friends and neighbors.
They told me lots of stories of her kindness and hospitality towards all of them. She would invite her neighbors over on a regular basis for a meal or a tea party. She would never sit for the meal, the entire time she would prepare and serve drinks and food to her guests. “Vera taught us as neighbors what it was to be a neighborhood. Taught us about community.”
I caught glimpses of this myself when we all gathered once a year at the nursing home to celebrate her birthday. She always wanted to be sure everyone was served and got some cake.
I wondered at how she brought out the best in all of us. It was not deference for her age or pity for her condition, but it was because of her gentle, loving and generous spirit that the rest of us were inspired to respond likewise.
She taught me a lot about wisdom, true wisdom, Godly wisdom, yes her mind did not always remember or comprehend what is happening around her, she never could recall that her husband was dead and gone, she often repeated the same question 3 or 4 times in the course of a conversation, but her life bore the fruit of wisdom and greatness.
Who are the people in your life that exemplify true wisdom? Who live their lives with generosity, gentleness, humility?
The next time we find ourselves in a situation where we are meeting new people: work event, social event, church event it would be a fun exercise to look around the room and ask ourselves which person here has the most to teach me? The most wisdom to share with me that I need to learn? Challenge yourself to look beyond those who appear the most confident, funny, good looking, charming, remembering the qualities that make for godly wisdom. Remember Jesus taking a little child in his arms. Remember Vera. It might be someone half your age, or it might be someone twice your age.