Mark 10:35-45

We are gathered in the name of Jesus. 

When I was doing my Lutheran year at the Lutheran Seminary in Philadelphia, my professor for Lutheran Confessions, Dr. Timothy Wengert, used to say that we have only one message to proclaim – and that is the message of God’s grace and love.

We have the same thing to say over and over –

God loves you.

God loves you, and that love is yours to claim, for free, unconditionally yours.

That is our message. 

That is our gospel.

That is our “good news,” which is what the word gospel means.

God loves me, and God loves you.

And when Jesus said to the disciples in Matthew 28, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you,” he was giving them – and us – the charge to proclaim that gospel, to share that message.

Jesus follows that charge with – “And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

That is our comfort, our hope, our gospel. 

Jesus is with us always, to the end of the age.

His love is always with us.

I think that is the message of the church – of the larger Christian church, of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, of Zion Lutheran Church, and all the individual people who are members here. 

Now in our gospel lesson today, James and John, two of the disciples, come to Jesus and they say, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.”

That seems pretty audacious!

But Jesus doesn’t tell them that.

No, he listens to them.

He asks them, “What is it you want me to do for you?”

But what they want is too much.

When Jesus sits in heavenly glory, they want to occupy the places on his left and on his right.

Jesus says to them, “You do not know what you are asking.”  

Well, maybe they know what they are asking for, but they don’t know what it means to get it.

They are like a child asking for a puppy.

“Please, let me have a puppy, I’ll take care of it, I’ll do everything.”

The child wants a puppy, but she doesn’t know what it means to take care of a puppy.

That’s what James and John are like. 

All of us are like that sometimes, aren’t we?

We just want to get there, without committing ourselves to what it takes, or even knowing what it takes.

But Jesus doesn’t dismiss James and John.

He asks them, “Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?”

Jesus listens to them, and tells them that in fact, they will drink that cup – they will be baptized with that baptism – in other words, they will suffer for the message of Jesus – but they do not yet know what it means. 

I think all of us are like that sometimes.

A congregation might say, “We want to grow.

We want to reach out to the community.”

But are we wanting to just get there, without being clear about the work involved?

What does it entail to grow – what does it mean to reach out? 

Can we drink from the cup that Jesus drinks from?

Can we be baptized with that baptism?

Even Jesus asked God, when he prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, to take that cup away from him.

Are we willing to face hard work and suffering for the sake of mission, for the sake of proclaiming that gospel of unconditional love? 

After all, what is church for?

Why does it exist?

Does it exist to make us feel good?

Even to make us happy?

To provide a place for our children to learn about the Bible?

To give us a sense of family? 

Yes, we belong to a church for all these things.

But that’s not all.

Let’s not forget what Jesus said to the disciples in Matthew 28.

Jesus tells us two things there – to make disciples of all nations; and that he will be with us always.

Is that gospel for us to keep to ourselves, within these four walls?

Or is that gospel given to us so that we may share it? 

After the other disciples find out what James and John have asked of Jesus, they are angry.

We are not sure why they are angry – maybe they don’t think James and John should have asked such a nervy thing – or maybe they would have liked that honor, to sit at the right or left side of Jesus, for themselves.

But in any case, there is discord among the disciples.

And Jesus calls them together to talk to them.

He tells them, It’s not the way with you as it is with the Gentiles – with the Romans, for example – whose leaders are tyrants.

No, Jesus says, with you “whoever wishes to become great … must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all.” 

Jesus is speaking to the disciples – many of whom will be active in the early church.

Peter and James and John become the leaders of the church that forms after Jesus the Christ has died and risen and ascended.

And Jesus tells them – this is what it means to be a leader.

To be servant of you, and slave of all.

Let me say that again: servant of you and slave of all.

A servant, but not just a servant of the inner circle, or the small community – yes, such a leader will be servant of you – but also, slave of all.

A servant to the world. 

Then Jesus tells them what he himself will do – “For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.”

Not just a ransom for us – yes, a ransom for us ‑ but also ransom for many.

So, as I see it … there are two types of service –

our service to each other, and our service to the world, to the people of the world.

We are bound to each other in community – bound to be servants to you.

And we are called to be like Jesus – slaves of all, in imitation of the one who came “not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.” 

Martin Luther said, “A Christian is a perfectly free lord of all, subject to none.

And a Christian is a perfectly dutiful servant of all, subject to all.”

Through the saving grace of Jesus’ death and life, we are made free – free to be servants. 

Here is a story that is based on a Sufi Muslim tale – showing us, interestingly, that there are many similarities between the teachings of Jesus and the instruction of Mohammed. 

A young person came to the Teacher asking to be his disciple.

“You are not ready,” the Teacher replied kindly.

But when the young person persisted, the Teacher relented. 

“I am going on a trip,” the Teacher said. “You may accompany me.”

The young person was overjoyed. 

The Teacher said, “When the journey is completed, you will answer this question: who is greater, a master or his servant?

On the journey there are two roles.

One must lead and the other must follow.

Which role do you prefer?” 

“It is only appropriate that you be the leader,” the young person said. 

On the first night, as the two prepared their meal over a fire, it began to rain.

The Teacher got up and held a covering over the disciple for protection.

“But that is what I should do for you,” the young person said. 

“I command you to allow me to protect you,” said the Teacher.

And so the young person did. 

The next day the young person said, “Today let me be the leader and you follow me.”

The Teacher agreed. 

“I will collect wood to make a fire,” the young person said. 

“You will do no such thing,” the Teacher said. “I shall collect it.” 

“I command you to sit as I collect the wood,” the young person said. 

“You may do no such thing,” said the Teacher.

“It is not proper for a master to serve his disciple.” 

And so it went every day.

No matter which role the young person accepted, the Teacher was the one who ran errands and performed services for the other.

At the end of the journey, the Teacher asked, “Are you ready with an answer to my question?”

“I am confused,” the young person said.

“In most cases the master is greater, but with you things are unclear.” 

“Your confusion is healthy,” the Teacher concluded.

“In society the one who sits at table is greater than the one who waits on table.

It is not so in the kingdom.

In the kingdom the greatest is the one who provides caring service.” 

As with Jesus, what we expect in this story is turned upside-down.

Jesus says the greatest one must be the servant –

and we are called to follow –

in community with each other, and in mission to the world, which God loved so much that Jesus was sent in order that we might believe and live. 

Gracious God, for the sake of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ, who was servant of all, teach us and help us also to serve. Amen.