It’s O.K. to be last

Mark 9:30 They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were, ³¹ because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, "The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise." ³² But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it. ³³ They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, "What were you arguing about on the road?" ³⁴ But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest. ³⁵ Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all." ³⁶ He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them, ³⁷ "Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me."

Last week, in Mark 8, Jesus began to teach His disciples about His passion – that He was going to be rejected, arrested and crucified, but after three days He would rise again. The disciples didn’t understand this kind of talk and Peter rebuked Jesus for it. Then Jesus had to put His good friend in His place: “Get behind me, Satan! You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”

On the way through Galilee to Capernaum, Jesus is once again teaching His disciples about this – that He is going to be killed, and then after three days rise again. The disciples still didn’t understand, but this time they didn’t ask Him anything about it. They were afraid of being called “slow to believe” or of being called “Satan” again. They were afraid, so this time, they just kept their mouths shut.

At least in front of Jesus. But it was a different story behind His back. They didn’t understand all this suffering and dying talk. They heard Jesus’ powerful sermons and witnessed His extraordinary miracles and they thought He was going places! He could establish a new kingdom in Jerusalem instead of the hated Roman rule. So, they ignore the talk of the cross and begin arguing about which of them would be Jesus’ campaign manager. Which of them was His favorite, His right hand man.

Peter, of course, would have begun. “I’m the guy who walks on water. I’m the one that Jesus has nicknamed Rocky. I’m the greatest.”

Matthew countered, “Well, you may be the guy who walks on water, but you're also the guy who sinks. How about me? You know, I left a very lucrative government job to follow Jesus. I think I’m the greatest.”

And Thomas said, “I doubt it.”

John quietly confessed, “But I’m the disciple that Jesus loves.”

James added, “I’m part of Jesus’ inner circle, along with Peter and John.”

Judas chimed in, “Yes, but Jesus trusts me with the money.”

Nathanael said, “Jesus selected me before He ever saw me and I think that makes me very special.”

His words were lost by the claim of Andrew, “But I was picked to be a disciple first. First is first, guys.”

This conversation continued the whole trip. So imagine their surprise when they arrived in Capernaum and Jesus knew what they were arguing about. Oh, He asks them … but He already knew … and they knew He knew … and they were embarrassed. And that’s when Jesus drops a bombshell on them: “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.” In other words, if you want to be number one, be number twelve. Or, if your last name happens to start with Z, you get to go to the front of the line.

Who else in this world gives you permission to be last?

One theme of Mark’s Gospel is that each time Jesus announces His pending suffering and death, the disciples respond improperly in some way. Peter rebuked Him. Other followers left Him. This time, after they arrive in Capernaum, Jesus asks his disciples, “’What were you arguing about on the road?’ But they kept silent because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest.”

The disciples found it necessary to figure out who among them was the greatest. Their sinful pride was getting the better of them. It’s like the story about Muhammad Ali in his prime getting on an airplane and the flight attendant kindly asking him to buckle his seat belt. “Superman don’t need no seat belt,” Ali boasted. To which she replied, “Superman don’t need no airplane either.”

The Bible preaches that humility is wisdom (James 3:13) but that God detests the proud (Proverbs 16:5). In fact, Solomon writes that God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble (Proverbs 3:34). The Bible is filled with people who fell from their lofty perch of self-promoted greatness. Miriam mocked her younger brother Moses for marrying a foreigner and the Lord gave her leprosy for seven days. King Saul thought he could worship God in His own way and he eventually killed himself. King Solomon had built a magnificent temple for the Lord, but his faith became lost in too much worldly wisdom, too much money and too much sex. King Hezekiah was proud and did not thank God for curing his illness, so the Lord’s wrath was on Judah and Jerusalem.

Pride is a disease with which every one of us is infected. Husbands and wives hurt the one they love because they don’t want to put the other first in their marriage. Teenagers remain sullen and locked in their rooms, thinking they are fine while fighting their depression. The addict won’t seek counseling for his or her addiction – the arguing that ruins the marriage, the alcohol that rules the mind, or the sexual images that control the computer.

We don’t want to pray because we don’t want to admit we need help. We don’t read the Bible because we don’t want God telling us what to do. We don’t want to go to church because we don’t want to hang around with all those hypocrites. “Sunday after Sunday, sermons, children’s devotions and Bible classes, the pastor just keeps harping on sin, sin, sin. I don’t want to hear all that talk. I’m better than that!”

It’s all pride! And pride is a terrible master. Pride makes “Me, Myself and I” into the new three persons of my own personal trinity. Pride keeps us aware of our own wounds and hurt feelings so that we don’t notice the pain in others, even hurts that we have caused. Pride turns misunderstandings into arguments and arguments into fights. Pride makes people sullen, brooding over the changeless past. Pride seduces you into thinking that you are innocent and have it all together. Here’s what St. Paul learned the hard way: “If you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!” (1 Corinthians 10:12).

Jesus settles the argument by bringing a child into the disciples’ discussion and teaches, “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.” With this, Jesus not only shatters their pride and explodes their notion of greatness, but He also gives them a picture of Himself. The Son of God, who, though the greatest, became for us the least. Who came down from heaven and became a child. The Creator became a creature. He emptied Himself of all His heavenly splendor, taking the very nature of a slave. The One who was subject to no laws, put Himself under the laws of both God and Caesar. The One who is Life and the Giver of Life, surrendering His life to be executed on a cross.

Jesus is the answer to the disciples’ argument. The Greatest One was standing right in the midst of them, serving them as a labor of love. Coming and serving the least, the lowest, the outcast, the sinner, and even those twelve who were arguing that day about who was the greatest. Coming in humility and compassion toward us helpless children. Giving His life so we might have life. Risen and glorified, He now calls us to believe in Him and be like Him, “proud” to be a humble servant.

In Jesus we see true greatness and glory in the eyes of God – in His humility, in lowering Himself, in His self-sacrifice. Greatness in the eyes of God is not ascending to the heights, but descending to the depths. It is not to be served, but to serve. It is not to elevate yourself, but to lay down your life for others.

This is the cure for pride – to find joy in making other people’s lives better.

And such opportunities for God’s greatness are all around you … in abundance! To visit the sick and shut in. To feed the hungry. To speak for those who cannot speak for themselves. To encourage the depressed. To comfort the mourning. To lower ourselves and raise up others. … Yet these are the very things we fail to do, aren’t they? Looking instead to do the things of greatness. The really hard things, the really big things, the things that will get us the most attention.

But do you see irony in all of that? The higher we try to climb, the farther down we fall.

And when we fall, we can do one of two things. We can start back up the ladder to worldly greatness. Trying to climb better and faster and stronger. Or we can give up, and repent. Repent of our pride. Repent of our self-determination. Repent of our thirst for greatness and power. And admit that greatness in the eyes of God is not something we can ever earn or achieve – it can only be given. Given to us sinful children by a merciful Father. A gift given without any merit or worthiness on our part. A gift completely undeserved. A gift so costly that it cost the Son of God His life, and yet the Son of God, our Savior Jesus Christ, considered that not too high a price to pay!

Radio humorist Garrison Keillor once asked his mother, “Mom, am I good-looking? Her modest, Midwestern reply was, “You’re good-looking enough, dear.” Humility is learned behavior. By nature, we are miniature Satans – full of ourselves, prideful, interested in only one agenda in life – ours. Other people are just bit players and props in the drama of Me. 

It is natural to crave attention and to boast. It is Christian to praise others first and wait patiently for others to discover our own brilliance. Our Lord Jesus is both our example and teacher, the divine Redeemer who came to earth not to be served but to serve. 

We think, “I am the greatest, (or at least better than most).” The Bible says such sinful pride “does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil” (James 3:15). Sinful pride is deceptive, dangerous, and directly connected to the devil.

To prevent this pride, the Bible says, “Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, ‘If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.’”

 Who else in this world gives you permission to be last? Your parents don’t tell you, “Please slack off your studying to drop that GPA.” The VP for sales doesn’t demand, “Take it easy, we need to slow down or we’ll outperform our competitors.” The soccer coach doesn’t say, “Go ahead and let the other team score. You learn more by losing.” You don’t need to be first to get Jesus’ attention. You don’t need to be great to have His love.

Greatness is not in driving out demons, healing the sick or converting the crowd. Greatness is not gaining a promotion, expanding your business or earning another degree. God’s greatness is praying for the hurting, filling up a food pantry, visiting the sick, holding the hand of the grieving or giving a cup of cold water to the thirsting. All done out of faith in Christ, the servant of all.

It’s O.K. to be humble. It’s O.K. to be courteous. It’s O.K. to be gentle. It’s O.K. to be last. Not in the eyes of the world. But it is O.K. in the eyes of God. For that’s what makes you great. Amen.