Drum Major Instinct (7)

Drum Major Instinct

On February 4, 1968 Dr. Martin Luther King would deliver his last Sunday Sermon The Major Instinct." The sermon is an adaptation from of the 1952 homily ‘‘Drum-Major Instincts’’ by J. Wallace Hamilton, a well-known, liberal, white Methodist preacher. King encouraged his congregation to seek greatness, but to do so through service and love. King concluded the sermon by imagining his own funeral, downplaying his famous achievements and emphasizing his heart to do right.

With the dates between his Holiday celebration and the date it was delivered in the moth we now call African History month I thought it would a good time to look at that text with fresh eyes.

""And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came unto him saying, ‘Master, we would that thou shouldest do for us whatsoever we shall desire.’ And he said unto them, ‘What would ye that I should do for you?’ And they said unto him, ‘Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory.’ But Jesus said unto them, ‘Ye know not what ye ask: Can ye drink of the cup that I drink of? and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?’ And they said unto him, ‘We can.’ And Jesus said unto them, ‘Ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of, and with the baptism that I am baptized withal shall ye be baptized: but to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give; but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared.’"

And then Jesus goes on toward the end of that passage to say, "But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your servant: and whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all."

This profound statement of being great is a call to serve is something we all need to reflect on on a continuing basis. Have you notice the spirit of serving is leaving the church. Yet the need to be great is more prevalent than ever?

James and John are making a specific request of the Jesus. When Jesus would reign supreme as this new king of Israel can they sit one on the right and the other on the left.

And they were saying, "Now when you establish your kingdom, let one of us sit on the right hand and the other on the left hand of your throne."

Now very quickly, as many would say we would automatically condemn James and John, and we would say they were selfish. Why would they make such a selfish request? But before we condemn them too quickly, let us look calmly and honestly at ourselves, and we will discover that we too have those same basic desires for recognition, for importance.

That same desire for attention, that same desire to be first. Of course, the other disciples got mad with James and John, and you could understand why, but we must understand that we have some of the same James and John qualities.

And there is deep down within all of us an instinct. It's a kind of drum major instinct—a desire to be out front, a desire to lead the parade, a desire to be first. I have heard more than one sermon that admonished saints for getting agree if their name was left off the program or if someone did not publicly recognize them or thanked them! Many have changed their membership over something we would all say is silly until it happens to us. See this instinct as Dr. King said is it is something that runs the whole gamut of life!

And it is something that runs the whole gamut of life

And so before we condemn them, let us see that we all have the drum major instinct. We all want to be important, to surpass others, to achieve distinction, to lead the parade.

Many an expert says that this quest for recognition, this desire for attention, this desire for distinction is the basic impulse, the basic drive of human life, this drum major instinct.

We like to do something good. And you know, we like to be praised for it. Now if you don't believe that, you just go on living life, and you will discover very soon that you like to be praised.

Everybody likes it, as a matter of fact. And somehow this warm glow we feel when we are praised or when our name is in print is something of the vitamin A to our ego. Nobody is unhappy when they are praised, even if they know they don't deserve it and even if they don't believe it.

The only unhappy people about praise is when that praise is going too much toward somebody else. (That’s right) But everybody likes to be praised because of this real drum major instinct.

Criminologists tell us that some people are driven to crime because of this drum major instinct. They don't feel that they are getting enough attention through the normal channels of social behavior, and so they turn to anti-social behavior in order to get attention, in order to feel important. (Yeah)

Dr. King said the final great tragedy of the distorted personality is the fact that when one fails to harness this instinct, (Glory to God) he ends up trying to push others down in order to push himself up. (Amen) And whenever you do that, you engage in some of the most vicious activities. You will spread evil, vicious, lying gossip on people, because you are trying to pull them down in order to push yourself up. (Make it plain) And the great issue of life is to harness the drum major instinct.

I beleive this instinct has gotten us the mist ill prepared man to ever move in 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. This pervasive instinct has caused him to call African Countries vile words. Criticized anyone who calls him to carpet. This is how we get alternative facts, fake news, and unending investigation because folks must pledge loyalty to him. The level of narcissism we see has no been may be the greatest in history of America.

Yet the principle Jesus teaches is servitude. Mark’s consistently critical presentation of the disciples in this part of the gospel is against such an interpretation, as is the fact that the rebuke which follows in vv. 42–44 is apparently addressed not to James and John but to them all. This suggests that their annoyance is not over the ambition of the two brothers as such, but over the fact that they have got in first and tried to gain an unfair advantage over their colleagues in the competition for the highest places. On this issue they are all equally at fault.

So what is a servant? Diakoneo one who ministers to or serves. Same word we get deacon from or minister. I believe we have lost focua of what servitude because we have lost focus with one who served with distinction.

Jesus did not have a drum major instinct. Luke said in 22:26-27 26 But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves. 27 For who is the greater, one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am among you as the one who serves.

Every now and then I guess we all think realistically (Yes, sir) about that day when we will be victimized with what is life's final common denominator—that something that we call death. We all think about it. And every now and then I think about my own death and I think about my own funeral. And I don't think of it in a morbid sense. And every now and then I ask myself, "What is it that I would want said?" And I leave the word to you this morning.If any of you are around when I have to meet my day, I don’t want a long funeral. And if you get somebody to deliver the eulogy, tell them not to talk too long. (Yes) And every now and then I wonder what I want them to say. Tell them not to mention that I have a Nobel Peace Prize—that isn’t important. Tell them not to mention that I have three or four hundred other awards—that’s not important. Tell them not to mention where I went to school. (Yes)I'd like somebody to mention that day that Martin Luther King, Jr., tried to give his life serving others. (Yes)I'd like for somebody to say that day that Martin Luther King, Jr., tried to love somebody.I want you to say that day that I tried to be right on the war question. (Amen)I want you to be able to say that day that I did try to feed the hungry. (Yes)And I want you to be able to say that day that I did try in my life to clothe those who were naked. (Yes)I want you to say on that day that I did try in my life to visit those who were in prison. (Lord)I want you to say that I tried to love and serve humanity. (Yes)Yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice. (Amen) Say that I was a drum major for peace. (Yes) I was a drum major for righteousness. And all of the other shallow things will not matter. (Yes) I won't have any money to leave behind. I won't have the fine and luxurious things of life to leave behind. But I just want to leave a committed life behind. (Amen) And that's all I want to say.If I can help somebody as I pass along,If I can cheer somebody with a word or song,If I can show somebody he's traveling wrong,Then my living will not be in vain.If I can do my duty as a Christian ought,If I can bring salvation to a world once wrought,If I can spread the message as the master taught,Then my living will not be in vain.Close: