Giving Ourselves Away
Mark 10:35-45[1]
When you look at the way we live our lives these days, it’s hard
to dispute the conclusion that we as a people are to a great extent driven by
our own self-interest. All around us we can see evidence of the fact that
“self” exercises a powerful influence. From the way we spend our money to the
choices we make about our time to the challenges of getting along with the
others, “self” seems to raise it’s ugly head wherever we look. The simple truth
is that we want what we want, and we don’t want anyone to stand in the way of
our getting it. We are a people for whom “self” is at the center of much of our
lives.
The sad fact about that is that we pursue our own wants and
desires because we think that by doing so, we will find fulfillment and meaning
in life. But whatever satisfaction we may gain is short-lived. When I was in
seminary, I worked as a security officer for a family of billionaires. They had
the money to get whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted it. But the
individual families within the clan couldn’t stand to even talk to one another.
Taking this approach to life misses one of the most fundamental lessons we can
learn: our lives are not just about us and getting what we want. They are about
much more than that. In particular, they are about serving others by giving
ourselves away.
In our Gospel lesson for today, James and John, two of Jesus’
“inner circle” of disciples along with Peter, denied him in their own way with
a rather audacious request. They asked Jesus to do for them “whatever we ask of
you” (Mk. 10:35)! Now, he had already taught them that if they wanted to follow
him they must “deny themselves” (Mk. 8:34) and “lose their lives” for his sake
(Mk. 8:35). He had also already taught them that “Whoever wants to be first
must be last of all and servant of all” (Mk. 9:35). So I think it’s safe to say that their request
shows they had missed the point just as much as Peter had when he denied even
knowing Jesus.
What they asked of Jesus is truly astounding. They ask for the
privilege of sitting at his right and left hand when he came in his “glory.”
James and John, like the rest of the disciples, still thought that Jesus had
come to restore the glory of David’s kingdom in all its might, wealth, and
prestige. Even though Jesus had just warned them again that he was going to be
condemned and beaten and killed, they simply could not hear that. That doesn’t
happen to the Messiah. In their minds, when the Messiah comes, he ascends to
the throne of David, throws off the yoke of their enemies, and reigns forever!
This was no small favor that James and John requested. They
expected him to rule over the Kingdom of God forever, and they wanted to be the
ones to sit at his side. In other words, they wanted their share of the glory
they expected him to receive! To grasp the audacity of this request, we only
have to think about all the heroes of the faith that had gone before them:
Abraham, Moses, and David, not to mention prophets like Jeremiah. And there
were James and John, wanting Jesus to move them to the head of the line so they
could share his spotlight. It’s hard to imagine a more selfish request.
In response, Jesus tries again to teach them. He points out how “among
the Gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and
their great ones are tyrants over them” (Mk. 10:42). The way he words this
statement implies a critique of power at all levels. On the surface, it’s clear
what Jesus thought about the way in which those in power throw their weight
around. Beyond that, the phrase “those whom they recognize as their rulers”
could be translated more literally “those who seem to rule.” That could simply
mean that they’re the ones in charge. But the way Jesus worded that phrase was
a strange way to put it if that were all he meant to say. It is likely that he
was alluding to a significant theme in the Jewish thought of the day: the
rulers of this world only “seem” to rule, because God ultimately rules over
them all, and God’s rule has the last word.
I think Jesus was trying to help the disciples see through the
external trappings of power and glory for the sham that it is in the light of
God’s Kingdom. And so he tells them bluntly: “it shall not be so among you”
(Mk. 10:43, RSV)! Once again he tries to break through all their pre-conceived
notions of what he had come to do. More than that, he tries to break through
their own egos to impress upon them that if they want to follow him, they must
be prepared to give themselves away as servants and even “slaves” of all (Mk.
10:44). And to reinforce the lesson, he once again pointed to his own
destiny—giving his life on the cross for the sake of us all. Following him
would entail no less for them. It would mean giving themselves away for others.
We still seem to
be dazzled by power and glory. It appeals to the selfish desires of our egos:
to have whatever we want in this life. But that is not the way of following
Jesus. The way of following Jesus is the way that leads to a cross. It is the
way that leads to becoming the last of all, the way that leads to becoming the
servant and even the slave of all. I would say that just about everything
within us resists this kind of self-denial. But Jesus not only called us to
give ourselves away, he also demonstrated what that looks like by laying down
his own life. If we are going to follow Jesus, it means that we will have to
give ourselves away. That’s not an easy path. I can guarantee you that if you
choose to follow Jesus in this way you will find yourself weary and frustrated
and discouraged at some point. But Jesus didn’t promise that following him
would be easy. He promised that if we follow him in the path of giving
ourselves away for the sake of others, we will truly find life.
[1]
©2018 Alan Brehm. A sermon delivered by Rev. Dr. Alan Brehm on 10/21/2018 at
Hickman Presbyterian Church, Hickman, NE.
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