AtomMark 10:34-45: “The Greatest are the Servants”
Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he 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. Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:5-11
Well, here they come again…those disciples who just don’t get it. “Jesus,” James and John, taking Jesus aside, “Jesus, when you come into your kingdom – when you finally take what we know is rightfully yours – the rule of this world – can we be your right and left-hand men. Can we be your chief deputies?”
Again, I can imagine Jesus shaking his head at this lack of understanding about who he is and what God is about in this world. “Look,” he says, patiently as he can, “You don’t really know what you are asking…can you drink the cup I am about to drink or be baptized with the baptism with which I am about to be baptized?” Those of us listening in today understand that Jesus was talking about. Even though the disciples appear not to be listening, or perhaps not wanting to really hear what he is saying, we know. He is talking about Jerusalem and the cross. He is talking about his death. He has in fact been talking about it for two chapters now. “Do you know,” he says, eyes soft but intent on theirs, “do you know what you are asking?” Without a moment’s hesitation, they answer, “You bet! We know. We are able.” Brave words…brave like Peter, who not many days later will say, “Even if all the rest leave you, I never will!” Brave words, but in the moment of Jesus’ arrest by the authorities, Peter and James and John flee like all the rest.
Peter didn’t understand…James didn’t understand…John didn’t understand…and neither did the others. Notice again that the other ten disciples were plenty put out with James and John about this – but only because they didn’t think of it first. They just didn’t understand what God’s Son was about in coming to this earth. And because they didn’t understand Jesus, they didn’t understand what it meant to be his followers – his reps. I wonder if we do yet.
Some years ago, Lowell Allman, then editor for the Lutheran magazine, wrote a brief editorial asking the question, “Do we remember this story when we bring our children for baptism?” Do we recognize what it is saying about sharing the baptism of Jesus? Allman affirmed that we all want the promises of forgiveness and life and the power of the Holy Spirit for our children…but do we want the rest of the promise? Do we want, “You will be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized and you will drink from the cup…?” Baptism brings the joy of God’s promise and presence, but also a call to sacrificial living.
When Holly and I were in seminary, someone invited us to their home one day to discuss a “Christian business opportunity.” “We believe that God wants to bless his people,” they said. “We believe that God is the God of abundance and that God wants us to have all things. God wants us to have wealth. We are, after all, children of the Creator of the universe.”
It is true. And as a child of Almighty God, I would like to sit in the best seat and have the nicest house. But Jesus never promises that Christians will be known by their wealth. Jesus never says that Christians will be known as the ones who never get sick. Jesus never says that Christians will be known as the ones in the nicest houses or as those having most influence over the governor. We may indeed be healthy, wealthy, and wise…but “we will be recognizable as his followers” says Jesus, “because we use what we have to serve others’ needs. We will be “great,” because our lives look like his: “the Son of Man who came not to be served, but to serve.”
“Out there,” says Jesus, (among those not following me), “It is quite true that the ‘great one’ is the one who speaks and everyone jumps; “out there” is the Roman governor with his servants and the Eastern king with his slaves. They command and people move. And the world calls them great. But, “in here,” among my followers – those who represent me – “service,” and not “command” will be the mark of greatness.”
When we were talking our way through these few verses in our Wednesday morning Bible Study at the Holiday Inn, one of the guys said, “After working on the front lines of my work for years and years, I was promoted and given a position of leadership. But what I have discovered is that my job is not to have those other guys out there doing what I used to do make me look good. My job is to do whatever I can to make them look good and to be able to better do their jobs.”
The strange thing about Jesus’ reversal of values here is that we instinctively know that what he says is true. We know that the person who has made the most lasting impact on us has been the one who has given the most of themselves. The world will respect and admire and sometimes fear the powerful person. But it will only love the one who gives love. The great doctor isn’t the one with the nicest house, but the one who takes the time to tend to their patients. The great employer isn’t the one with the most employees, but the one who takes active interest in the lives of their employees and strives to make life in the workplace better. The great teacher isn’t the one who accumulates the most degrees, but he one who is able to help others learn and grow. These are the ones who best imitate and present Jesus to us. As Christians we will be recognizable when we live in the pattern of Jesus, the one who “came not to be served, but to serve”…and who has indeed first served us.
If I am reading the lesson rightly this morning, I believe Jesus is saying the world needs to see more of this kind of “greatness” – not people who order others around and gather recognition to themselves, but who live their lives in such a way that others will be able to live more fully. The world still needs some Mother Theresas and some Martin Luther King Jrs. and some Myrtle Howells.
“Myrtle Howell?” you say. Perhaps you don’t know Myrtle Howell. Chuck Colson of Prison Fellowship tells of an encounter he had with this remarkable person. While visiting in her home town of Columbus, GA., Colson decided to look her up as he had heard so much about her ministry to persons in prison. Her address led him to a sooty old apartment building that had been converted into a nursing home. As he entered the lobby, he found himself in room full of elderly persons mostly slouched down in their chairs and disengaged from any other activity in the room. Their eyes seemed distant and detached from the present. But when he entered Myrtle’s room, he found himself captivated by her. Her hair was fleecy white and her bright blue eyes sparkled behind thick glasses. Her cheeks were rosy and glowing with life. Colson says, “She looked almost regal, her hands folded in her lap and her shoulders proud and straight beneath her shawl.” She presented such contrast from those he had seen in the entry.
Myrtle told him about her life. Her husband had died long before and Myrtle had had to work very hard to make ends meet. Her youngest child had died and then, with her advancing age, her health began to fail, and she was forced into this “old peoples’” home, as she referred to it. This caused a severe depression. She begged the Lord to take her life; life no longer held any joy.
“I was dying,” she explained, “When the Lord spoke to me as clear as can be: ‘Write to prisoners.’ Three words: ‘write to prisoners,’ imagine that! I wanted to die, figure I’m about to, and the Lord says, “Okay now Myrtle, you go back and write to prisoners.” Myrtle obeyed this voice from God and began an extensive correspondence with prisoners in a local facility. Her story seems all the more miraculous in that she had never before even entertained the thought of writing letters to prisoners.
“Bless you, Myrtle,” said Colson, as he returned a large stack of letters from prisoners to her desk. “Oh, the Lord has just blessed me so wonderful, Mr. Colson. I’ve had the greatest time of my life since I’ve been writing to prisoners.”
As Colson left the nursing home that day, he couldn’t help but look back. “All at once,” he says, “I was overwhelmed by difference in the scene before me – the depression, despair, and emptiness reflected in so many faces. There was no joy in any of their expressions…but upstairs was Myrtle.”
Upstairs sat Myrtle Howell, 91 years of age, smiling to her herself in deep contentment. 91 years old and still ready to live. By now she was probably back at her writing desk sharing hope with another prisoner. She personally had known the hell this world can dish out and she was sharing a bit of heaven with others who needed to know there was more.
The difference for Myrtle was that she had heard the call of Jesus to a life of purpose. She had cried out to God to lead her out of her hell and he had…not to a place apart, a seat of honor, but to service…and blessing had followed.
It’s a strange call, this call of Jesus, to gain life by losing it, to find greatness by serving…but it is the way of and those who follow him:
‘You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. But it is not so among you; but 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.’
Jesus gave his life for us. We know that. Jesus also gave us life so that we might give our own away. Let it be so. Amen.
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