Do you want to be great? (PM Lesson Outline)
GIST: Listen to Jesus and emulate Him.
SCRIPTURE: Mark 9:30-37
30 They went on from there and passed through Galilee. And he did not want anyone to know, 31 for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise.” 32 But they did not understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him.
33 And they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” 34 But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. 35 And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” 36 And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, 37 “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.”
I. LISTEN TO JESUS
Why did this happen?
I think we can note two causes which likely led to this little conversation about greatness. One is circumstantial, the other symptomatic. Circumstantially, this conversation might have been started because three of the disciples had just been taken up on the mountain with Jesus while the remaining nine found themselves in the chaotic situation we discussed this morning. Symptomatically, we see even in this passage that they were missing out on the truth. Look at verse 32 again: 32 But they did not understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him. And they didn’t ask Him...instead they start arguing about who is greatest amongst them.
Many of the materials I studied this week pointed to the fact that much of this society was rank-driven, so that could have been why they were expecting to be ranked themselves. Sure. That’s possible. However, I think it’s easy to hear comments like this and think: “Yes, they were of a different time, so they struggled with things like that, but we’re different. No one in this church would want to “out-rank” anyone else.” But...it’s just not true. We might not say it out-loud, but it’s there, right.? No one would want to admit to thinking they’re better, or worse, than anybody else. Yet, it’s a reality. There are probably people you consider below you spiritually. We often rank ministries in the church, too. The “super spiritual” people do these things. The “slightly less spiritual” do these. The “basically-still-pagans”...if they do anything...they’ll do these jobs.
Why do we have these attitudes? Same reason. We forget the truth about who we all are in Christ. Yes, people have different gifts, but we are all wretched sinners marvelously loved and saved by amazing Grace! We need to remember this. Listen to His Word. Seek His face. When we don’t, like the disciples, we default back to our natural sinful inclinations.
II. EMULATE JESUS
Jesus knows they’ve been having this conversation on the way. Not only does He know their hearts, but He probably also heard them talking. So they get to “the house” in Capernaum, which is probably Peter’s house, and He sits down to teach them. This was the normal position for teachers at this time, so they knew a lesson was coming.
What does it mean to be a servant of all? The lesson that follows is one we’ve heard all our lives, but what exactly does it mean to be a servant of all? I just want to make a few observations here, but really want to talk with you guys about it (if you’re coming to this through the digital world, please feel free to engage with us in an “interwebs” conversation!)
1. Greatness is Expected
I know my gut reaction to my title question, “Do you want to be great?”, is to respond with a resounding, “No!”. If I say “yes”, I sound arrogant. To avoid this, I put on false humility and just claim not to want it. That’s me, at least. Hopefully, you’re better. The root of this is still sin. We’re not to desire our own praise or glory. Nonetheless, as Christians, it’s not acceptable to just say, “Ok, I don’t want to be great.” We should all desire to be as much like Christ as possible. That’s the point. Jesus isn’t telling them not to desire greatness, but rather to redefine it. He’s not interested in half-hearted followers.
2. Greatness Is Measured By True Humility/Christ-likeness
He tells us the greatest must be last and servant of all. Fun fact, the word “servant” is the word “deacon”☺. Which all the deacons here tonight can probably tell you means “a servant”. The actual definition “properly means 'to kick up dust,' as one running an errand (Biblehub)." These were lowly servants. Some of the texts I read said they were on level with foot washers--those who performed the most menial of tasks. Now, this is about a heart change, not any particular action. Like Christ, we are to have hearts of humility and service--regardless of what that might end of looking like from a practical standpoint.
3. Examples Are Helpful
I think examples of this are helpful, so did Jesus. I want to look real quickly at two examples He provides for this. One is from within this passage. The other is from John’s Gospel.
1- Serving Children.
36 And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, 37 “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.”-Mark 9:36-37
This example really isn’t about kids. Yes, Jesus did love children, and we’ll see that when we get to chapter 10. This child, likely Peter’s son, was a visual aid for these disciples. In this society, children were not regarded as important. Until they could work, they really were not valued at all. So, we have to take our Western view of kids out of this for a second. So, grabbing this child and saying, “serve these”, He was telling the to serve those who offered nothing in return.
There’s really very little difference today. If you’ve ever worked with kids before, is it easy? Do they thank you for the time and money you spend on them? Do you advance in society because of what you do for them? No. Yet, Jesus says, you want to be great, serve these in My name. You receive the “lowest of the low” in My name, you receive Me--which means you receive God.
This might be a tangent, but this is something we really need to remember. You guys know I have a heart for kids. As a teacher and youth pastor and coach of various teams my son is on now… I’m around them all the time. And even when God blesses us with a new youth pastor, I will never stop working with our kiddos. I can’t. Before I became the pastor here, though, I was approached frequently by well-meaning men who asked me if I ever planned on becoming, and I quote, “a real pastor”. You can ask Melissa, this question really got me going, not because it hurt my pride, but because it reflects that attitude we were addressing earlier--that assumption that ministering to adults is of more spiritual value than ministering to kids. It simply is not true. If there is a ministry that you consider too low for you to go, you’ve missed the point. Cleaning the toilets for Jesus is just as important as singing the special or preaching the sermon. Reaching out to community members who are stuck in poverty and drug abuse, who have absolutely nothing material to offer, is just as important as witnessing to the President of the United States.
2-Jesus Washing Feet
John 13:1-17 1 Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2 During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him, 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, 4 rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. 5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. 6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” 7 Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” 8 Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” 9 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” 10 Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet,[a] but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.” 11 For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “Not all of you are clean.” 12 When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? 13 You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. 16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.
I want to make a few quick observations, then we’ll close. This is very near the time of His death. Jesus was completely aware that He was God. He also knew what He was about to do--die for the sin of the world--and why. Likewise, He knew Judas was about to betray Him. In the face of what He does next, especially, all of this is remarkable.
For the primary explanation of what was going on here, we need look no further than what Jesus Himself said. Washing of feet was a normal activity in this area. Sandals + walking + lots of dust/sand = a number of foot related maladies. To avoid this, it was important to keep your feet clean. Typically, there would be a servant responsible for performing this duty in each house. It was considered the lowest of tasks. In fact, in Jewish communities, Jewish servants weren't even asked to do it; it was reserved for Gentile servants. In the above context, there appears not to have been a servant present to perform the task. One of the disciples could have stepped up to do it, but they didn't. Rather than taking on the degrading task, the customary practice had simply been neglected (for some time, too, because they were at least into the meal)...until Jesus does it.
He is by far the most important person in this room, but He serves them. They didn’t deserve this, and in a very short time one of them is going to turn Him over to be crucified and the rest are going to abandon Him. You could definitely say He didn’t benefit from these actions, but He served. And this is an example for us!
TAKEAWAYS
1. Listen to His Word. I know I mention this a lot. In fact, if you searched through all the sermons I’ve preached even just in the last few months, it’s probably been expressed in a takeaway in some way or another a multitude of times. This, of course, makes me hesitate to “reuse it”. Yet, I do, because Jesus keeps bring it up! ☺ Our house is not atypical. We have three kids. Just like when my parents had three kids at their house, one of the words repeated most often is: listen. Oh, how much pain would be avoided if they just would, right? We never grow out of that. Think of how much of the hurt in this world would be avoided if we just listened to Him.
2. Be great...like Jesus. Serve. Even the least of these.
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