Proper 20B (Pentecost 18 2024)

Text: Mark 9:33–35 “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.””

What were they thinking?

Arguably, this is one of the most embarrassing moments for the apostles that is recorded for us in the four Gospels. They do a lot of stupid stuff but, often, it’s because they have been put on the spot or tested in some way. In those instances they just get things wrong. It happens. They are learning. But what is there excuse here? They kept silent for good reason, didn’t they? They could not even begin to defend themselves to Jesus— the fact that they had been arguing about which of them was the greatest.

It’s really rather embarrassing, isn’t it? In Ephesians 2, the Church is described as being “20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone…” (Ephesians 2:20). But, here, they are caught in a moment of stupidity.

Who were they trying to impress? Were they worried about which of them was the greatest in the eyes of other people? Shame on them. Just wow.

Were they worried about which of them was the greatest in God’s eyes? That’s not much better, is it? After all, is God going to be impressed because you’ve done a lot of stuff in order to try to impress Him? No. That’s not what God is looking for. As they say, “That’s not how this works. That’s not how any of this works.”

It is tempting to say that the apostles were acting like children but, then, Jesus took a child, put the child in the middle of them, and said, “No, you need to become like this child.”

It’s an embarrassing moment, but it gets worse. It becomes truly shameful when you keep it in context. This argument over which of them was the greatest came immediately after Jesus got done teaching them about everything that He was going to suffer. And notice that it was not simply a single, offhand comment. “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’” (Mark 9:31). To say that “they did not understand the saying” (Mark 9:32) seems like a bit of an understatement. But the fact that they went from hearing Jesus teach about everything that He was going to suffer, then turned around and argued about which of them was the greatest, that really takes this from ‘embarrassing’ to ‘shameful’, doesn’t it?

In fact, let’s back up a step. If they were arguing about who was greatest in the eyes of other people, then shame on them. But if they were worried about which of them was the greatest in God’s eyes? That makes it 1000 times worse! The best way of summing up how offensive this is would be to turn to the word of Martin Luther, who asked, “What is it about your own miserable works and doings that you think you could please God more than the sacrifice of His own Son?” In other words, Jesus has just taught you about all that He was about to suffer, all that He was about to endure. What do you possibly think that you could do in order to compare with that? What do you possibly think that you could do even to add the tiniest little bit to that?

That context takes it from ‘embarrassing’ to ‘shameful’, doesn’t it?

It’s just unthinkable. Or it should be.

So why do you do it?

No, I realize that you’re not nearly as explicit about it. You don’t literally go around arguing about which of you is the greatest. But you can’t help judging who the ‘least’ is. A few weeks ago, you were warned about the sin of partiality. You heard the words of James 2: “2 For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, 3 and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” 4 have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?” (James 2:2–4). Again, you’re not quite that blatant about it. You do not judge based simply on ‘rich’ and ‘poor’. But there are people who really just should not be here, right? You see how they dress; you see how they act. They can not even find the right Psalm in the hymnal without help. They hardly know how to use a hymnal. They’re not even from here. Why would they even want to be part of your church?

Is that not a slightly different form of the same thing that the apostles were arguing about? It is embarrassing to actually say it out loud. But when you say it here, in the very place where the suffering and the death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ are proclaimed day after day, it becomes shameful, doesn’t it? “What is it about your own miserable works and doings that you think you could please God more than the sacrifice of His own Son?” What is it about you that makes you ‘worthy’ of God’s grace, but not them. What is it that says you ‘deserve’ a place here but they do not?

“Have you not, then, made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?” (James 2:4). It really is shameful.

At best, you are like those servants in the parable who were hired at the at the 6th hour, or the 9th hour, or the 11th hour. Jesus has been working since before the dawn of the day. Before God said, “Let there be light,” Jesus was ready with this plan to be delivered into the hands of the men and to suffer and die. Ever since, through the millennia, He has been diligently laboring to make sure that His plan came to fruition. And now, at the end of the day, do you really want to compare your work to His?

You come, asking God for your ‘wages’— to give you what you have ‘deserved’— but have you forgotten what you truly deserve? Even your best efforts are corrupted by those evil thoughts. Do you really want God to give you what is ‘fair’?

It is not just ‘embarrassing’, it is ‘shameful’.

So, yes, remain silent for a moment longer and listen to what Jesus would teach you.

Jesus is “15 …the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:15–17). He is the first; and He made Himself last of all and servant of all.

How did He earn the name that is above every name? Why did God exalt Him and bestow on Him the name that is above every name (Philippians 2:9)? It is because, even though He was in the form of God, He did not could equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men, He became obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2:6-9). He, the first, made Himself last of all and servant of all.

“3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high…” (Hebrews 1:3).

Best of all, He did it for you. He chose all it— not for His own glory, but for yours. “19 Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. 20 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. 21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith” (Romans 3:19–25).

In other words, do not worry about which of you is the greatest. Do not worry about who ‘deserves’ a place here and who does not. Come and enjoy the riches of your Master’s goodness. Your Master would absolutely entice you to come to Him on account of His generosity, alone. That generosity, for example, will not allow Him to reward those who come at the 6th hour, or the 9th hour, or the 11th hour, any less richly than He rewards those who have labored since the beginning of the day.

He does not care a bit for what is ‘fair’. “All that I have is yours,” your Father says to you (Luke 15:31). You would be more than satisfied with the wages of a servant in His household, but He insists on bestowing on you the inheritance of a Son. He does not want to give you what is ‘fair’. He wants to give you everything.

Do not be bashful about coming because there is nothing bashful about His giving. What master in the history of “master-ing” has ever said to his servant, “You’ve been working in the field, come and relax while I prepare dinner and serve you”? Your master does (Luke 17:7-8). Your Master leads you to green pastures— places of peace and rest. He prepares a table before you right here, in the presence of your enemies, anointing your head with oil, and filling your cup until it overflows (Psalm 23). The feast that He has laid for you on that table is not “servant’s food.” It is a feast of rich food, full of marrow, of aged wine, well refined (Isaiah 25:6-7).

Do not be bashful, but trust the generosity of the Giver.

Do not be anxious over what kind of reward you may have earned. Death is no longer the proper wages of your life. He has buried you with Him into death and raised you, with Him, from the tomb. Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, the Son of Man was lifted up that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life (John 3:14-15). That feast of the finest food and well-aged wine that He has prepared for you— it was only possible because He has swallowed up death forever (Isaiah 25:7).

Do not be anxious about coming as a beggar. Your King made Himself a beggar in order to earn for you a crown in His Kingdom. He, the faithful Son, has bestowed on you an inheritance in His Kingdom. He is the One who has labored faithfully from the beginning of the day. And He does not begrudge you even the smallest bit of a full day’s wages. In fact, He has earned for you His full reward with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death.

Do not be anxious that you have fallen, again and again and again. His grace is always greater than your sin. His justice and His mercy have both been satisfied on the cross of Jesus Christ. Forgiveness has risen from His grave.

What could possibly please God more than the sacrifice of His beloved Son? That question takes on new meaning when that perfect sacrifice— that perfect righteousness— is credited to you by faith. You have been clothed in Christ— in the perfect robe of His righteousness. When the Father looks at you, that is now who He sees: His beloved child in whom He is well pleased.

What could possibly please God more than the sacrifice of His beloved Son? Everything that you do for others. The love and compassion and sacrifice you show for others on account of your faith. The Beloved Son, who has been raised to the right hand of the Father, above everyone and everything else in all of creation, promises that, as often as you make yourself the servant of others in love and thanksgiving for God’s gift to you in Jesus Christ, whatever you do for them, you do for Him.

In fact, on the Last Day, by His grace, your sins will be erased— He has paid for them, in full, after all— and, when the record of your life is made know to all, the judgment of the only One whose opinion truly matters will be: “Well done.” But there will be no boasting. It won’t be a moment for you to ‘spike the ball’ and gloat about what you’ve achieved. But you will no longer be silent. You will join in that eternal song of praise and boast in the Lord and what He has done through you.

In fact, right now, He opens your mouth to declare His praise. He opens your lips to confess who He is and what He has done for you. He sends you out into this world to invite others to share in the full riches of God’s grace.

“35 [Jesus] 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”” (Mark 9:35). He was. And so you are. And there is no need to be silent about that any longer.