Calvary Presbyterian Church
The Rev. Debra May Cerra
October 18, 2009

Hebrews 5:1-10 (NRSV)
Every high priest chosen from among mortals is put in charge of things pertaining to God on their behalf, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2 He is able to deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is subject to weakness; 3 and because of this he must offer sacrifice for his own sins as well as for those of the people. 4 And one does not presume to take this honor, but takes it only when called by God, just as Aaron was. 5 So also Christ did not glorify himself in becoming a high priest, but was appointed by the one who said to him, "You are my Son, today I have begotten you"; 6 as he says also in another place, "You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek." 7 In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. 8 Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered; 9 and having been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him, 10 having been designated by God a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.

Mark 10:35-45 (NRSV)
James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to him and said to him, "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you." 36 And he said to them, "What is it you want me to do for you?" 37 And they said to him, "Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory." 38 But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?" 39 They replied, "We are able." Then Jesus said to them, "The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; 40 but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared." 41 When the ten heard this, they began to be angry with James and John. 42 So Jesus called them and said to them, "You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. 43 But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. 45 For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many."

“Is Last Really First?”

You may have heard this story before – maybe even from this pulpit. But it’s worth hearing again as we ponder our passage from the Gospel of Mark: “A few years ago at the Seattle Special Olympics, nine contestants all physically or mentally disabled, assembled at the start line for the 100-yard dash. At the gun, they all started out, not exactly in a dash, but with relish to run the race to the finish and win. All that is, except, one little boy who stumbled on the asphalt, tumbled over a few times, and began to cry. The other eight heard the boy cry. They slowed down and looked back. They all turned around and went back--every one of them.
“One girl with Down’s Syndrome bent down and kissed him and said, “This will make it better.” Then all nine linked arms and walked to the finish line together. Everyone in the stadium stood, and the cheering went on for several minutes.
People who were there are still telling the story. Why? Because deep down inside of us, we all know one thing. What matters in this life is more than winning for ourselves. What matters in this life is helping others win even if it means slowing down and changing our course; even if it means not being first.”
            Mark’s message is very revealing. James and John, the sons of Zebedee are very ambitious and self-absorbed when they come to Jesus saying, “Teacher, we have something we want you to do for us.” Jesus politely asks, “What is it? I'll see what I can do.” They respond, “Arrange it so that we will be awarded the highest places of honor in your glory – one of us at your right, the other at your left."
            Jesus has already told his disciples about what he is facing when he gets to Jerusalem – his passion and his death. Were these two not listening? Did they not grasp what Jesus was talking about? It seems like an ongoing pattern with Jesus and his followers: Jesus teaches – about the kingdom of God; about marriage and divorce; about the pitfalls of love of possessions and wealth – and the disciples don’t understand.
We want to chuckle over their request. It seems ludicrous to think that James and John would ask for the highest places of honor with Jesus – even as Jesus is predicting his own death. Yet, even as we dismiss the disciples’ request as absurd, we also feel a sense of embarrassment for James and John. “Part of our chagrin may have to do with the fact that we are all in some ways like those sons of Zebedee. Certainly we know better than to make outlandish, insensitive requests, as this narcissistic duo does, but we want the best seats in the house. We may not be upfront about our self-centered yearnings, but many of us spend our live scheming for those kinds of privileged positions.” We want that large paycheck with all the perks. We want a reputation as a strong, convincing person. We want our children to be tops in their class. We want a lot of things that we never admit out loud.
            So are we really different from James and John, the sons of Zebedee? We may not make outlandish requests from our Lord Jesus but in our hearts we often covet the most prestigious spot, the best of the lot, the place of recognition, the spotlight on the stage. We try not to see our ambition as negative; instead we use psychology and socio-economic pressures to explain this type of thinking. We quip, “This is the way we are. But just maybe, as Jana Childers notes, we have Zebedee DNA in our genes.”
It is when we claim our similarities to James and John that we are able to come to terms with our humanity and ultimately with our call to be a disciple of Jesus.”Henry Nouwen wrote: ‘Only those who face their wounded condition can be available for healing and so enter a new way of living.’” It is when we honestly claim our shortfalls that we enter into a journey towards healing and wholeness. When we are brutally honest about our egotistical ways we can begin a time of transformation – a time when we move from self-centered living to a Christ-centered life.
“Richard Foster tells about receiving a phone call from a friend. The friend's wife had taken the car, and he wanted to know if Richard could take him on a number of errands. Richard was preparing to teach a college class, but since the man was his friend he reluctantly agreed. As he ran out the door, car keys in hand, he grabbed a book to read along the way. It was a book by Dietrich Bonhoeffer called Life Together.
“Foster picked up his friend, and the errands did not go well. There were plenty of stops and starts, traffic was bad, and precious time kept ticking away. Finally they pulled into a parking lot, the friend got out, and Richard stayed behind with his book. He opened it to the bookmark, and read these words: ‘The second service that one should perform for another in a Christian community is that of active helpfulness. This means, initially, simple assistance in trifling, external matters. There is a multitude of these things wherever people live together. Nobody is too good for the meanest service. One who worries about the loss of time that such petty, outward acts of helpfulness entail is usually taking the importance of his own career too solemnly.’” Ouch! How many times do we begrudging offer to help another and then stew over the time we have “lost” in so doing?
            Jesus knew that James and John did not understand what their request, “Arrange it so that we will be awarded the highest places of honor in your glory – one of us at your right, the other at your left” (37) entailed. In fact, we are told that “when the other ten [disciples] heard of this conversation, they lost their tempers with James and John. Jesus got them together to settle things down. "You've observed how godless rulers throw their weight around," he [Jesus] said, "and when people get a little power how quickly it goes to their heads. It's not going to be that way with you. Whoever wants to be great must become a servant. Whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave. That is what the Son of Man has done: He came to serve, not to be served—and then to give away his life in exchange for many who are held hostage." (41-45)
Think back to the nine physically or mentally disabled contestants at the Seattle Special Olympics. When one stumbled they went back to help. Then, with linked arms, they crossed the finish line together. Recall the lesson of the man who felt resentful while helping a friend. Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s words pierced his heart: “One who worries about the loss of time that such petty, outward acts of helpfulness entail is usually taking the importance of his own career too solemnly.”
Friends, we are forever changed when we willingly share the yoke of servanthood with Christ. Remember, whenever we ask Jesus, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” he answers, “Follow me.” Following Jesus means walking in his footsteps. We are to serve others as He serves us. Indeed, the last – which are the humble, the helping, the meek, the modest – are first in the eyes of God.
            You have heard this prayer many times. Listen again to the words of St. Francis of Assisi – this time with the message from Mark’s Gospel on your heart:
“O Divine Master, grant that I may not seek so much
To be consoled as to console,
To be understood as to understand,
To be loved as to love,
For it is in giving that we receive,
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.”
Amen and amen.