Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, amen. The text for the sermon is the Gospel, which was read earlier.
This summer, our eyes were glued on our televisions as we watched the Summer Olympics in London. We watched as athletes competed to earn the gold medal in their respective events. Each athlete would jump as far as they could jump, swim as fast as they could swim, run as fast as they could run, all in order to have that gold medal placed around their neck. It indicated that they were the best athlete in the world in their respective sport.
As we see in our text for today, the disciples are arguing amongst themselves who is the greatest. On the way to Capernaum, Jesus noticed the disciples had been arguing among themselves. Because He knew that something was amiss with them, He wanted them to put the question to Him, to ask it out loud rather than discuss it amongst themselves. When He approached them, they at first remained silent and felt guilty. But urged by the Lord, they put the question to Him.
Why were they concerned about the matter of greatness? Not only was it very human, but perhaps Jesus’ own actions suggested it. For the second time, He had taken three of them aside as special witnesses – first when He had healed Jairus’ daughter and then on the mountain of Transfiguration. This must have intrigued the remaining nine disciples, since the three did not report what had happened there. And then there were Jesus’ own words to Simon, calling him Peter, a rock. All of this was puzzling to the disciples who did not yet know the full story as we do. At the same time, it also revealed their sinful hearts, and Jesus was concerned about that.
You and I are not all that different than the disciples of old. We like to think of ourselves as better than the next person, that we’re greater than they are or that we’re more special than the next person is. And really, aren’t we greater than the next person? All you have to do is ask us and we’ll tell you how much better we are or how much more important we are than the next guy.
What the disciples failed to realize is that there is no one who is greater than another in the kingdom of God. Jesus gives them an answer entirely different than what they had expected. In the kingdom of heaven, greatness is not a matter of titles and authority. To be first means to be last, to be a servant. That was what Jesus was trying to tell the disciples earlier, but they did not hear him. Jesus told them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise.” They didn’t understand what Jesus was saying. They didn’t understand that He was speaking of His death and resurrection, the greatest act off self-sacrifice. Jesus wasn’t great in the eyes of the people. He was seen solely for who He was, the son of a carpenter. He wasn’t anything more than that, definitely not the Messiah. Even for being with Him, the disciples didn’t grasp what it was He had been saying all along, and this conversation is no different.
Instead of focusing on the words which Jesus had just spoke with regards to His being betrayed and His impending death, all the disciples cared about was who was going to be the greatest among them. They were afraid to ask the specific questions. The answers might get them in too deep. They needed to ask questions for their sake so that they would be able to understand what they had seen and heard Jesus do. Was Jesus really the Son of God? What happened to the idea of Jesus being the kingly Messiah on whom the people and the disciples had pegged their hopes for the restoration of Israel? Could He really do what He has promised to do? If He is the Messiah that He says He is, then why is He speaking about His death?
Instead of focusing on the teaching that Jesus had presented to them, all the disciples were focused upon was greatness, namely their own. None of the disciples were willing to share with Jesus the subject of their conversation because they were ashamed. Their discussion had wandered into a very distant place from the area which He had suggested. Jesus had hoped that they would reflect upon His death and resurrection. Instead, they were conversing about greatness without reference to the cross. True greatness would not be found in what the disciples had done or were going to do; rather, true greatness is found in what our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ has done for us on the cross.
By nature, the almighty God of heaven and earth is a servant. He created Adam and Eve so that He might care for them. He created them in His own image to be servants to one another, to creation and to their children. When they sinned, He did not respond with raw power and blot them out. Instead, He promised a Savior; in other words, He promised that He would serve them by doing all the work to deliver them from sin and hell to grace and everlasting life. Therefore, it was in service to all that Jesus was born to Mary. God continues to serve by providing all we need for this body and life. He also continues to serve by making sure that His Word is still proclaimed and His Sacraments are still administered, because that is where He gives the forgiveness that His Son Jesus has won.
The idea of what Jesus was saying is completely contrary to everything our selfish world is about. How are we to get ahead, how can we progress, how can we win this way, serving all, settling for last place in order to help others be first? How are we going to get to work on time pushing through crowded roads and streets, giving place to others? We shall be late and we shall be last.
For the disciples and for us, greatness is not about what you and I do, but about what has been done for us. For us, Christ lived. For us, Christ died. For us, Christ rose again. Solely because of the work of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ are granted “greatness.” It is not greatness as the world sees it but it is greatness as God sees it: we are great because we are baptized and redeemed children of God, made holy by the blood of Christ shed for us.
Jesus Christ, our Savior who was once dead, but now lives forevermore, serves us today. He serves us with the forgiveness of our sins. He serves us with His Word, the Holy Scriptures. He serves us with His life giving body and blood in, with, and under the bread and wine of the sacrament. He continually serves us with His living presence.
Ultimately, it is the desire of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ to serve us with new, holy bodies that will rise from the dead just as He rose and then our service will be perfect as we serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness. In that place, it won’t even cross our minds to ask who is the greatest. In Jesus’ name, amen. Now the peace of God that passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through faith in Christ Jesus, amen.