Sermon for September 22, 2024 - The Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost

At first glance our gospel story this morning may sound a little familiar. There seems to be quite a few similarities between the gospel from last week and today’s gospel story. In both stories Jesus foretells his suffering and death. In both stories the disciples do not understand Jesus and resist the message. And in both stories Jesus uses different illustrations of what it will take to follow the way of God. I can’t help but wonder then, why the disciples didn’t get it? Why were they so resistant to Jesus’ message? Why did Jesus have to repeat himself to get through to the disciples?

What we can see from these two stories, and indeed the stories that we will encounter in the weeks to come, is that we are in the midst of a section of the Gospel of Mark that is chiefly concerned with following the way of Jesus. These stories address questions about Jesus’ identity as the Messiah and how the Kingdom of God will be antithetical to the world they were experiencing under the yoke of Rome. Taken as a whole, this section of stories gives us a roadmap for discipleship, how we should follow the way, that when taken together with other aspects of faith can transform our lives and indeed the world.

As Jesus makes his way around Galilee it is clear he is preparing the disciples for what they will experience in Jerusalem. He is preparing them for life after his death and resurrection, and thereby fulfilling the redemptive and salvific role as the Messiah. He is giving the disciples signposts of how to continue the mission of God. Yet, just like last week the disciples again resist Jesus’ narrative.

Before we beat up the disciples for not getting it right again, let’s take a step back. We can see in their actions, their questions, their fears and doubts, basic aspects of human nature that we can relate to; even 2000+ years later. And if we are willing to be honest, I am sure many of us can see ourselves in the disciples as they discuss greatness, just as we can see ourselves in the disciples when they deny Jesus’ mission.

For the disciples, their resistance is primarily rooted in that Jesus was beginning to not look like the Messiah they expected. They believed that the Messiah would come in the likeness of King David to smite the enemies of Israel, to bring justice to the land, and install a political/religious kingdom that mirrored the will of God. But twice now Jesus has said that he must suffer and die at the hands of the cruelest part of our human nature in order to expose the fullness of the corrupted soul, so that through his resurrection and triumph over death God provides redemption for all.

This understanding of the Messiah flew in the face of everything the disciples believed. They had no other choice but to believe and trust that God was doing something new, something unprecedented in the history of Creation, through his self-revelation in Jesus. Given the disruptive nature of this radical claim, I think we can begin to understand why the disciples get it wrong so many times, are resistant, even fearful. 

Then, as if asking the disciples to let go of everything they once knew to embrace a new view of the world wasn’t enough, Jesus adds another Jenga piece on the teetering tower as they are given yet another lesson in discipleship. Last week they were told to deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow him. Today, in response to their discussion on greatness, the disciples are told that in the Kingdom of God the first will be last and the last will be first. Jesus is continuing to disrupt their understanding of power and authority, wealth and poverty, strength and weakness, so that they might see that God’s economy is radically different than anything they, or we, could understand.

Jesus’ description of discipleship, of being in community, of following his way ran counter to every cultural custom and norm of their time, thereby forever setting them against the ebbs and flows of the dominant culture throughout history. Jesus is saying that anyone who wants to be his follower must undergo a significant shift in their thinking and acting in the world. A fundamental paradigm shift in which they see the world through God’s eyes and not through the lens of our humanity.

We see in these stories that the Kingdom of God assesses and assigns value differently than the human realm. Though we may be separated by two thousand years, we face the same distractions from following the way. We are tempted in many ways to step off the path.

“Who is the greatest?” is a question that will never get old, never run its course, never be immaterial. Why? Because the measure of greatness always seems up for grabs. Because the gauge of greatness is as contextual, as subjective, as most anything in life. Our capacity to assess greatness with any kind of consistency, any kind of reliable or uniform characteristics, has not manifested a very good track record. And we, whether that be us as individuals who profess to be Christian, or churches, or institutions of the church, certainly have not been dependable in our ability to determine greatness with Jesus’ qualifications in mind. Instead, we regularly capitulate to the world’s standards of greatness, which are usually yoked with power over wealth, control, status, influence.

The good news is that Mark is pointing to something important, something essential, about believing in Jesus. God becoming human, the incarnation, upended every assumption of greatness that the world deemed as definitive. God becoming human decided that greatness is not about separation but solidarity, not about better than but in relationship with. And it is most certainly not about self-adulation, but empowerment and encouragement of the other.

Greatness is determined by weakness and vulnerability. By service and sacrifice. By humility and honour. By truthfulness and faithfulness. What might that look like for you and your walk with God? How do you reflect the light and love of God out there? During this stewardship season, each of us can reflect upon our spiritual journeys and discern how God is speaking to you in the depths of your heart and soul. We are called to embody this kind of greatness, so that the world can witness the true meaning of greatness born out of love and mercy. May it be so. Amen.