Painful Pride

Matters of rank and recognition were important to the Jews of Jesus’ day. Look at the Pharisees - to them, the thing they feared the most was being removed from the place of power and status they had as leaders of the Temple. Even the Disciples struggled with who was on top of the pyramid.

And, when it comes down to it, the nature of humanity has not changed all that much. Pride and the cult of sameness continues to arise even among the people who follow after the humble Jesus.

Daniel Akin, in his book, Exalting Jesus in Mark, offered us what he calls a “painful pride” test. You don’t have to answer outloud - actually, I would prefer if you don’t. But take a moment and consider these questions:

1. Do I get I upset if I am not praised for my work?

2. Do I like and even long to sit at the head table in the seat of honor?

3. Do I seek credit for what others have done?

4. Do honorary titles pump me up?

5. Is popularity crucial to my sense of self-worth?

6. Am I a name dropper of those I know (or pretend to know?!)

7. Do I think I have something valuable to say about almost everything? 1.

Not easy questions, are they? Hold onto your thoughts. We will get back to it. But first, let’s look at what we heard today in our Gospel. You see, we have only moved a few verses ahead - from last weeks message on Mark 8:27-38 to this week where we take up again at Mark 9:30-37. Not even a whole chapter. but we missed a lot of content. So let me catch you up. If you remember, last week, Jesus asked “Who do people say that I am?” and we explored who we understand Jesus to be. Of course, Jesus and Peter had a couple skirmishes to get there - but we did finally get to where we could contemplate “Who Jesus is to us.” Since then, the Disciples and Jesus have gone to the mountain top where Jesus was Transfigured right before the eyes of Peter, James and John. Then, as they descended the mountain, Jesus taught them about the coming of Elijah, and he healed a boy with a Spirit. Not that much, right? Just some everyday miracles to this ragtag bunch.

Today, Jesus and his 12 are again, traveling. This time bypassing Galilee and going on to Capernaum again. It is here, during this journey, that Jesus shares the 2nd prediction of his death. This time, rather than trying to stop Jesus from talking or planning how to keep him safe, we are told “They did not understand what he was saying, and they were afraid to ask him.” I guess that makes sense after seeing Jesus call Peter Satan!

But the direction their conversation went is still baffling. I mean, I have seen this kind of behavior in kids - but these are grown men. Yet, when they were faced with a topic they did not understand and were afraid to ask about, they avoided the topic all together. Suddenly, we are told that as they walked, the disciples were arguing with each other. Not about where to stop for the night. Not about if they should have fish or goat for dinner. But they were arguing about who was the greatest among them.

After three years - and all they had seen and experienced, they still didn’t get it. And worse, they were afraid to ask! So they jumped to - who is greater. I can only imagine it sounded something like this:

“Hey - who do you guys think is greater -Peter or John?”

“well, Peter is bigger”

“Ya, but sometimes he’s so dense.”

“But John - he tends to get all up in his head.”

“Ya, but Jesus really loves John.”

“Jesus really loves all of us, you dummy!”

“Ya, but he really loves John for some reason.”

And so they continued as they walked along.

What I really wonder - is if this was one of those times where, because they didn’t understand, and were afraid to ask, they were avoiding the bigger questions they should have been asking. Questions like:

“What does Jesus mean when he says he will be betrayed into human hands?

Didn’t we just witness him healing all sorts of sick people? Like REALLY sick people?

And didn’t Peter, James and John say that when they were up on that mountain - Jesus actually changed. I’m not sure what that means - but it sounds really strange!

And this is the second time he has talked to us about going to Jerusalem and dying this horrible death!

What does that mean? He is our leader. If he dies - what, do I just go back to fishing? That seems weird!”

And maybe the biggest question of all - “What are all these changes going to require of me?”

Maybe we aren’t all that far removed from the Disciples. You see, where this story actually takes the Disciples - and us today - is not all that unfamiliar, is it.

Our churches are facing change. Not little change, like should we buy Folgers or Maxwell House coffee - but Great Big - transfiguration on the mountain kind of change! Like - How long can we continue if we do nothing but what we are doing right now?”

What mountain is it that we are standing on? The mountains of history and pride. The mountain of “this is how we have always done church, and we don’t want anyone to tell us we have to do it differently.

The problem is, the world has been telling us that we don’t have a choice - for many years. Think about it. I have seen pictures and read reports from when this congregation was at its peak and truly thriving. But look around today. Go ahead - look around. We have far more empty seats than filled seats. It didn’t happen all at once, it has been gradual. Change like this - slow gradual erosion- is harder to accept - because we have simply adjusted with it. But we have come to a pinnacle - a mountain top moment. We are at a time when we either need to say, “Ok. We may not know the questions that need to be asked - but its time to stop looking for a scapegoat and admit that we are at a critical place. We can no longer simply say “I don’t want to talk about this - and I am afraid to talk about this - so I will just get behind something that society can understand.” For the Disciples, the question became “who’s the greatest. For us, well it seems the question has become, “How do we stop people from talking about change so we can continue to ignore truth?” It’s still just a power struggle isn’t it.

In truth, we have come to that place where, hidden within all the bravado and conflict is this: “I don't want to ask the question that needs to be asked - because I really don’t want to know the answer. It would require me to change. And, well, I don’t want to.”

It’s human nature. I get it. It was the same for the Disciples. They didn’t want to know the truth. They didn’t want to know that by following Jesus, they would eventually face the same kind of torture and death Jesus did. They didn’t want to know that Jesus would leave them - and then they would have to rely on another source - the Holy Spirit - one they did not yet know - to guide them forward. They didn’t want to know that life would never be the same again.

But, do you know what? It was their calling to know these things. And they would learn them. Not always the easy way. And it is our calling today, as well.

You see, this story isn’t just about the 12 men back in the day - but it is about the Church today that still doesn’t understand the calling of the cross. The Disciples - although they walked with and learned from Jesus every day - they were still on the periphery of the church we know and are part of today.

But us? Well we are on the inside - we have history - God’s word - to point us to truths they could only wonder at - and yet - like them, we continue to talk about being right and great while people all around us are being kept out of the Kingdom because of our actions and words.

Let that sink in a minute.

Anytime we think about what is comfortable, what is known, what is “ours” within the church - we are saying - those outside need to either be like us or move on. Those outside need to recognize that we were once powerful - and not challenge that. Those outside need to just stay outside.

The problem is, they will. until there is no one left inside because we will have all died off or moved off to find a church that wants to be the true church. And this is all happening here, in the church of all places. The safest place on earth to go and ask questions if you don’t understand. To attend a meeting that teaches about the Social Statements of the Church - and why our denomination believes what they believe - and why. You can put down the sticks and stones that get thrown about in Farmer’s Union as the guys swig coffee - or at the cafe as the women share lunch - or at coffee hour right there in the church as soon as the preacher is out of sight. Look again at the reading from James for today.

The New Revised Standard Version Two Kinds of Wisdom

13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not be boastful and false to the truth. 15 Such wisdom does not come down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, devilish. 16 For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will also be disorder and wickedness of every kind. 17 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. 18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace.

The New Revised Standard Version Friendship with the World

Those conflicts and disputes among you, where do they come from? Do they not come from your cravings that are at war within you? 2 You want something and do not have it; so you commit murder. And you covet something and cannot obtain it; so you engage in disputes and conflicts. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, in order to spend what you get on your pleasures.

The New Revised Standard Version Friendship with the World

7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.

1. Daniel L. Akin, Exalting Jesus in Mark, ed. Daniel L. Akin, David Platt, and Tony Merida, Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2014), 193–194.