Introduction

This is the sermon I preached at Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Beatrice, Neb., on Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009, the Saturday of the Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost.

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Readings

Isaiah 53:4-12
Psalm 91:9-16
Hebrews 5:1-10
Mark 10:35-45

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Prayer

Long ago, O God, you spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets. Now in these last days, make us listen as you speak to us by your Son. Amen. (based on Hebrews 1:1-2, NRSV)

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Message

Sometimes we can be a little jealous–
or at least wistful–
when we hear stories about Jesus’ disciples.

Can you imagine what it must have been like
to actually spend time walking and talking with Jesus,
to hear him preach and teach,
to watch him heal people and perform miracles?

It must have been dazzling and maybe a little bewildering.
And so, it comes as no surprise to us
that James and John–
the two sons of Zebedee with the nicknames, “Sons of Thunder”–
could have found themselves swept up
in the marvels of Jesus’ ministry.

That helps us to understand
how they could come to the point of saying to Jesus,

“Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” (Mark 10:35b, NRSV)

Jesus wonders what they have in mind.
And they tell him they want seats of honor
on his right and left hands
when he takes the throne as the king of Israel.

You and I might not think to ask Jesus
for junior thrones in a Middle Eastern royal court,
but if we look at ourselves with honest eyes,
we probably have some other requests
we’d like to make of him, given the chance.

Jesus, help bring other people around
to seeing things my way
on the great debates we face.
Some of us believe we know the best path
to dealing with health care and insurance reform.
Others among us are pretty sure
we have the financial markets and debt figured out.
Still others have a good plan
for keeping secure borders
and alleviating the problems raised by illegal aliens.

Or maybe we don’t need
to go through such a drawn-out process
to search for a new pastor;
we have a good idea about
what we ought to do.
I have a plan for increasing membership,
raising more donations, and bolstering worship attendance.
All I need is for people to cooperate.

And in our personal lives,
our plans abound as well.
Here’s a list of minor flaws in my spouse;
if he or she would just take care of these,
our marriage would be much happier.
If children would be more obedient–
the way we were when I was young–
then many of our social ills would go away.
And for that matter,
let me run the newspapers and TV networks
for a few months.
I’d get better stories,
provide more entertaining programs,
and promote more wholesome values.

We can each make our own lists
of ways that we’d like Jesus
to tip the balances,
bend the course of events,
and generally just make life a little bit better.

In this, we are all sisters and brothers
of the Sons of Zebedee.
Just as they had it right
that staying close to Jesus was good,
we have it right
that there’s no part of life
beyond his care.

But where we go awry
is, again, the same place
that James and John went wrong.

Jesus ends up telling them
that his power is not at all
what they think it is:

“…whoever wishes to become great among you
must be your servant, and whoever wishes
to be first among you must be slave of all.
For the Son of Man came not to be served
but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:43b-45, NRSV)

Jesus’ power is not about thrones and ruling over others.
It’s about submitting to God and becoming a slave, a servant.
That’s why Paul’s great hymn in Philippians says,

“Christ Jesus, who though we was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
as something to be exploited,
but emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
being born in human likeness.
And being found in human form,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to the point of death–
even death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:5b-8, NRSV)

This truth also lies behind the saying of Christ
that Paul passes on to us in 2 Corinthians:

“My grace is sufficient for you,
for power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9, NRSV)

This is a hard truth for us to hear,
because we naturally, humanly, sinfully
want to cling to power that is strong.
We want to hold onto servanthood that leads to advancement,
not to our deaths in imitation of Christ’s death on the cross.

There’s no quick and happy ending
to James’ and John’s story in today’s Gospel.
They’d misunderstood Jesus and his ministry
at the roots, at its most basic,
and they angered their companions
with their request for power.

But after Jesus himself followed the path
of serving and suffering and dying the worst imaginable death,
the Spirit of the Father who raised him from death
also came and rested upon the disciples.

They became tireless, compassionate, and articulate witnesses
to the Good News about Jesus Christ.
And we’re here today
only because the Sons of Thunder
and their companions
told others about Jesus.

This is our heritage, our inheritance.
We have received the message from others.
And then, in turn, we have the chance
to pass it on to our children,
to the children around us,
to our relatives and to the people
we meet in our daily lives.

Sometimes the most compelling witness
we can give is to live in ways
that embody our obedience to God,
that show others how we are servants of the Lord
who gladly become slaves of all for Jesus’ sake.

And then other times,
we may face the moments
when we know we are called to say,

“I am a servant of Jesus Christ.
Let me tell you how he has changed my life.
Once I wanted to arrange things
so that my plans and ideas
would control others.
But then God reminded me
that I am his servant.
And all I am called to do
is to follow Jesus Christ.
He is the Son of Man,
who came not be served but to serve,
and to give his life a ransom for many.” Amen.