St. John Lutheran Church

“Who is the Greatest?”

Mark 9:30-37

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

There are just times when children fight over what appears to be the most insignificant things. Parents…am I right? They’ll fight over who gets to go outside first or be first in line. They’ll argue over who sits in what seat. They’ll push each other to get a specific toy they want to play with.

I hate to say it…but adults aren’t much better. Who has the fastest car…and zips in and out of traffic down Route 1? Who has the biggest house? How often do we still claim that mom and dad have a favorite child. Some of the worst fights occur when siblings argue over the inheritance? We know how foolish it is when we see ourselves and others acting childishly.

    “They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest.”

Jesus sees his disciples argue like little children over who was the greatest. Imagine the argument…he picked me to be His disciple first! Oh yeah…well he called me righteous! Some may have suggested that the money-handler was the most trusted. Why else would Jesus have placed his trust in Judas? Peter may have claimed that he had the greatest faith, that he was named “Rock” by Jesus and yet he denied Jesus three times.

Jesus took the disciples aside so that they would know what was about to take place. “They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were, 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.” But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it.”

Jesus couldn’t have been clearer. He describes to them his atoning death on the cross and his resurrection that would bring them—and you—the free gift of everlasting life. Yet the disciples didn’t get it, and they were afraid to ask. Even so, Jesus did not cast them away. By grace they would one day understand. God doesn’t cast you away either. He is patient with you and by God’s grace you too may one day understand His plan for you.

One day the Disciples would learn the importance of Jesus’ death…but for now they argued about who the greatest Disciple was until Jesus asked them what they were arguing about on the road. They were remarkably quiet when confronted with their own pride. Jesus tells them, if anybody wants to be first, he must be last and the servant of all.

That’s certainly not what the disciples were thinking. Jesus demonstrates this in himself: He who was begotten of the Father came into this world as a Suffering Servant to win salvation for you by his righteous death and resurrection. Jesus was born into a household that was not rich or important. Jesus lived as the adopted son of a simple carpenter. Jesus did the Father’s will, gave up His own life, and was crucified like a common criminal.

Often we fall into the trap of acting like spoiled children. Many believe that the more status they have, the happier and better life will be. Some feel the need to get ahead of everyone else by having the biggest home, the nicest car, the highest paying job. As with the disciples, many times we push to prove who is the greatest. Yet Jesus is clear about what is truly important.

One day a mother was going through her six-year-old daughter’s school backpack and became worried when she saw one of the papers. On it were all the desks for the students in her daughter’s classroom. Each place was marked with a circle or an X. Quickly she asked her daughter what it meant. The child replied, “Those are the children in my class. Those who go to church I marked with a cross, and those who don’t I circled.” Relieved but curious, the mother asked why she did that. She answered, “It’s so I can tell those who don’t know about Jesus.” Still curious, the mother asked how her daughter knew that. The daughter replied, “I asked them.” That straightforward attitude makes children endearing and points out how as we grow up we may lose some of the straightforwardness of our faith in Christ.

In our spiritual life God enables us to act like little children—most appropriately. Jesus presents to the disciples a little child. “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.”

Jesus describes what it is like to have faith like a little child. The faith of a little child recognizes its total dependence on God and trusts him completely. The faith of a little child recognizes its poverty and accepts God’s grace as a gift. The faith of a little child answers questions with “because Jesus said so” and believes it fully. A little child doesn’t question authority, accuracy, or interpretation.

The Lord says to each of you to have a faith like this little one. By the Sacrament of Holy Baptism, he has given you that faith. A faith that trusts completely because that is just the way it is; a faith that doesn’t feel embarrassed; a faith that doesn’t become meek merely because people ask about it. A faith that is uncompromising in the face of the world because the child knows the truth about Jesus Christ. It is this simple but strong and sound faith that our Lord wants all Christians to keep and maintain.

We adults know how difficult it is to have faith. Our faith is constantly being tested by the problems of this world. It is hard to keep faith when everything seems to be going badly. It is at these times that we often feel weakest. But our weakness is precisely where our Lord works on us. It is there that his power is made perfect in us. It is in our spiritual weakness that we rely on God and trust him to carry us through like a little child.

Who is the greatest? Christ Jesus. And because Jesus is the greatest and He chose to save you…you are the greatest! You might question that answer because you don’t feel that you’re the greatest; you might have aches and pains, you might be lonely or depressed; you might have cancer, a sickness or disease. You are the greatest. For God chose you. God chose you to be his child. God chose to save you. God chose to give up His Son to death on the cross for you. You are the greatest. Amen.

Now may the peace of God which passes all human understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior. Amen.