Greatness through the Cross

Gospel lesson

Who is the greatest?

A question we talk about quite often

Examples: sports, life, politics

HOF, championships, teams, players, moments?

I think of… (Ken Griffey Jr.,

We all want to be the greatest at something because with greatness comes praise from others.

winning, honor and prestige

Because with

With greatness comes praise from others.

Even our president ran on the statement of “make America great again”

But what is greatness and how do you achieve it?

If you asked people they would give you many different answers.

However, some things are consistent.

If you asked

Greatness is associated with importance and high status, being highly skilled and having more victories than defeats.

What do you think of when you think of greatness?

Greatness is a world that we have created in our minds. It is a way of life, an ideal that we have set above others.

It is something we desire to have.

I think of… (Ken Griffey Jr.,

It is a way of life, an ideal that we have set above others. So much so that some people are willing to do whatever it takes to achieve it.It is something we desire to have.

So much so that some people are willing to do whatever it takes to achieve it. It is something we desire to have.

So much so that we will

.

But this is not a new mindset or a new world that we have created, no this is something that has been around for many, many years.

Turn to the Gospel

winning, honor and prestige

Some context

Only the Disciples and Jesus walking and Jesus is only speaking to and teaching the disciples in this part of Mark, the crowds are not around.

Now only the Disciples and Jesus walking and Jesus is only speaking to and teaching the disciples in this part of Mark, the crowds are not around.

We see that even the disciples were concerned with greatness. They’re own greatness.

Some context

Jesus is only speaking to and teaching the disciples in this part of Mark, the crowds are not around.

But first, the Gospel lesson starts with what is the shortest of the 3 passion predictions by Jesus

Some context

Now only the Disciples and Jesus walking and Jesus is only speaking to and teaching the disciples in this part of Mark, the crowds are not around.

All three are only told to the disciples, the disciples are confused by all of them and each of them are followed by Jesus teaching the disciples about what it means to be a follower of Christ.

After the passion prediction we hear about a conversation the disciples are having about who is the greatest of them. Who gets to take over after Jesus is gone.

Now this wouldn’t have been to out of place for the disciples to be discussing, because the culture in those days was very much a honor/same type culture.

one where social status was seen as something important and often boasted about

But why now?

Peter’s confession as Jesus as the Christ or Messiah (), Mount of Transfiguration (Peter, James John) ( beginning), then last week the disciples were unable to cast out a demon, plus Jesus keeps saying that he will be killed

So they want to know who is the next in charge.

Disciples silent/ashamed about what they were discussing.

Because they’re minds are set on greatness in the way we think about greatness. That is status and importance.

Moments where we are ashamed about something we did or was discussing with someone else because we know that it

Jesus response

Which is why Jesus sits down to educate the disciples.

Educate them about what it truly means to be great. About what it means to see greatness as we should see greatness and that is through the world of the cross and suffering.

For Jesus tells the disciples - Verse 35

With this one line, Jesus completely shatters the mindset of the disciples, flipping everything upside down. If the disciples weren’t confused before they must definitely be confused now.

Jesus completely shatters the mindset of the disciples, flipping everything upside down. If the disciples weren’t confused before they must definitely be confused now.

If the disciples weren’t confused before they must definitely be confused now. In order to be first you must be last and servant of all.

“In order to be first you must be last and the servant of all.” That’s not how it goes. But yet that is what Jesus is saying, so that must be how it is. But the fact of the matter is that this is not only what Jesus said, but this is what Jesus did.

For Paul tells us -

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,[a] 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,[b] 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant,[c] being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,

“So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,[a] 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,[b] 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant,[c] being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,”

Jesus came down from his throne in heaven to be the servant of all and suffer and die on the cross for the sins of all mankind and now He is the greatest and it is His example we all should follow.

For when greatness is looked at through the mindset of suffering and the cross we see that it is not status and importance in this world that makes us great in the kingdom of heaven, but it is service and love for those who are considered to be the least among us.

That is why Jesus continues, with verses 36-37.

because children in this culture were considered to be a burden, completely dependent on others and not caring about the status of people. They were considered the lowest of all.

And that’s who we were. As Paul reminds of that in

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—3among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the bodya and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.b 4Butc God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus

When he says, “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2in which you once walked... and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.b 4Butc God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

We were the lowest, but through Christ’s death and resurrection and through the amazing gift of your baptism into that saving work, you have been made great. For greatness does not come from you, but the one who’s spirit was given to you in your baptism.

Implications

Therefore, what Jesus is saying here is that to be great, you must serve those who are considered the lowest among you.

And this isn’t just some saying that sounds good, no this is a calling and a way of life that we are meant to embody everyday as a child of God. Especially, towards those who are the lowest among us.

For by doing acts of service towards others we are worshipping God.

For worship is not something that is just done for an hour on Sunday, no worship is something that is carried out into the world and shown through our attitudes and actions towards God and others.

It is our attitudes and actions towards others that are our witness to others about what it means to be a follower of Christ.

Therefore, we should listen to the words of Christ and become a servant to the lowly, embodying the Gospel message and sharing with them the love of Christ that has already been given to us.

So that as Paul says in .

so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Amen.

Amen.

Now may the peace that surpasses all understanding guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.