Top Dogs and Servants: Mark 10:32-45 - 21st Sunday after Pentecost

32They were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them; they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them what was to happen to him, 33saying, "See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death; then they will hand him over to the Gentiles; 34they will mock him, and spit upon him, and flog him, and kill him; and after three days he will rise again."

35James 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." 36And he said to them, "What is it you want me to do for you?" 37And they said to him, "Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory." 38But 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?" 39They 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; 40but 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."

41When the ten heard this, they began to be angry with James and John. 42So 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. 43But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, 44and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. 45For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many." (NRSV)

 

Last Sunday, our confirmation class had a lively conversation about sibling rivalries. I have a younger sister, and we had our share rivalries growing up, but the sibling rivalry that came to my mind was the one between her two big male dogs named Buster and Taz. 

Taz came into the family 3 years after Buster, and even though my family loved them equally, Taz never gave up fighting to be the “top dog.” Taz would inhale his food, and then try to eat out of Buster’s dog dish while Buster was still eating. If Buster was playing with a chew toy, Taz would fight it off him. When Buster moved onto a different chew toy, Taz would fight that one off him too. Whenever I visited and Buster sat down for me to pet him, Taz would sometimes bite Buster and take his place. 

We witness a similar competition happening among Jesus’s twelve disciples in today’s Gospel. Brothers James and John brazenly ask Jesus to seat them at his right hand and left in his glory. But they weren’t just after the spotlight…

Jesus has just warned his disciples, for the third time, that he is going to be killed. He is on his way to Jerusalem, and there, he will be mocked, spit upon, flogged, and killed. 

Surely, the disciples certainly didn’t leave everything to follow a Messiah who gets himself killed. But they saw the opposition to Jesus intensifying. Therefore, if they can convince Jesus to make them his top men, then all the trouble will be worthwhile. 

Their desire for power and glory is something that comes natural to all of us. It isn’t just part of human nature, it’s part of nature’s nature. Just consider how aggressively animals will fight other animals of their own species for food or territory… Human beings are even worse. Furthermore the lust for power and dominance grows especially strong in the face of change, loss, uncertainty, and danger. This would be one big reason why we’ve seen so much fighting during the pandemic. 

All the wars between nations, tribes, races, religions, political parties—these are not inevitable. If we served each other with the same energy that we fight each other, we could end world hunger, resolve the climate crisis, and peacefully coexist despite our differences. I believe we would all be happier! But we won’t give up our lust for power and glory. 

I appreciate a sign at one of our local volunteer fire departments which read, “Help wanted. Hard labor. Odd Hours. No Pay.” 

You don’t join the fire department for personal glory or personal gain; or to make yourself more attractive on dating websites. If you do, you will put people’s lives in danger. It’s not about glory. It’s about service. 

Just the same, if you seek Jesus for personal gain or personal glory, you aren’t seeking Jesus at all. 

God’s glory is never seen nor experienced on the heights of human glory; and certainly not in the battles we wage against other human beings. 

Where do we see God’s glory revealed but on the cross of Jesus Christ, where two condemned criminals are crucified on his right and the other at his left. I am sure this is not what James and John had in mind. 

When you abandon your pursuit of personal glory, and instead roll up your sleeves, open your hands, and give yourself away in service to another, that is when you are with Jesus in his glory. That is when you experience God’s greatness. That is when you see God’s power on display.

You can be close to Jesus here in worship and at the Communion Table; in prayer, private devotion; when you enjoy music or spend time in nature. But if you are not regularly serving others, your spiritual life will be largely empty. As a church, we could have millions of dollars to build a huge, state-of-the-art building, hire a praise band, and offer programs for every need. But if the church isn’t serving those who aren’t part of it, then how can it build up the kingdom of God, let alone make disciples?

And not all service is easy. Much of it is grueling. Walking the way of Jesus will bring hardship and suffering. The height of servanthood is sacrificing yourself for another’s sake, which is exactly what Jesus does on the cross. Laying down your treasures and your life in love for another, God’s love becomes both the strength and the hope to make it through anything.

There are no top dogs in the kingdom of God. Nor are there alpha males or queen bees and wannabees. And there are certainly not winners or losers. The Kingdom of God as we know it today is a community of servants. 

I invite you to consider: 

When you think of a servant, who comes to mind? Why do they do what they do? (If you don’t know, perhaps you could ask them!)

Who are the servants who have blessed you in life? In what ways has their servanthood made a difference for you?

You can’t put a price tag on this kind of service because attaching a any dollar value would cheapen it. 

We are so quick to envy people’s wealth, people’s power, and people’s success. We want so bad to be in the spotlight. 

Envy the servant’s heart, and the passion by which they give themselves away for others. 

To be in the glory of God is to give yourself away in love to another—and for that love to change everything.