Go

Contact Us

  • Phone: (509) 747-3007
  • Email:
  • Mosaic Address:
    606 West 3rd Ave., Spokane, WA 99201

Service Times

  • Sunday:  8:30 am, 10 am, 11:30 am
  • Infant through 5th grade Sunday School classes available
  • FREE Parking!

Sermons

FILTER BY:

Back To List

Oct 06, 2024

Who's Great...& Who's Not

Passage: Mark 9:30-37

Preacher: John Repsold

Series: Gospel of Mark

Keywords: leadership, purpose, success, serving, greatness, meaning, servants

Summary:

We all want significance and success in life. The problem comes in how we try to achieve it. Jesus' words about what leads to true greatness could not be more encouraging or helpful in this regard from Mark 9.

Detail:

Who’s Great…& Who’s Not

Mark 9:30-37

October 6, 2024

 

Fellowship Question:  Who’s one of the greatest people you’ve ever met and what, in your opinion, made them great?

Intro:  Today’s passage is, I believe, one of the most encouraging and hopeful passages in all of scripture.  At least it is for anyone who has the least bit of longing to live a truly successful life.  And it is for any of us who want to stand before God when this life on earth is done, to hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

 In fact, I can guarantee you that, if you are a follower of Jesus, and if you put into practice what this passage teaches, you will be more wildly successful in this life and eternity than virtually every single person ever on the cover of People Magazine or Time Magazine’s 100 Most Important People of the Year… of any year. 

            In this chapter, Mark 9, we’ve been exposed to the visibly overwhelming and awe-provoking presence of the “unveiled” glory of Jesus at the Mount of Transfiguration.  Andrew reminded us that his deity veiled in the brief 33 years of humanity during the incarnation is but a blip on the screen of his astounding unmasked pre and post-incarnate glory.  That glimpse for a few moments that Peter, James and John saw is what we will experience of Jesus every moment in eternity.  Oh for those “transfiguration glasses” that allow us to see everyone and everything in our sometimes dreary days with unveiled spiritual vision!  To see the greatness of seemingly ordinary people, the spiritual battle that rages in the unseen realms, and the glory of God at work in very inglorious circumstances is to have “transformation glasses.”  I’ll take two pairs, please!

            From the glory of the Transfiguration, Jesus and his inner circle of Peter, James and John, went down the mount to find the other nine disciples engaged in a dispute with both the religious leaders of the day as well as the demon du jour.  It’s amazing how fast the demons of a regular day can seemingly eclipse the glory of mountain visions.  Jesse dealt with that story last week.  In it we saw a group of perplexed disciples who, without Jesus actually present, seemed incapable of doing what Jesus had been training them to do for three years, namely deliver people from their demons.  That troubling story has one of my favorite prayers that I find myself repeating all too often.  It’s the prayer of the anguished father of this poor demonically-afflicted boy when Jesus presses him on his apparent questioning of Jesus’ ability to cast out the demon. 

The father says, 22“But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”  23 “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.” 24 Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”  There’s the prayer we would all do well to whisper often.  That faith…and honesty… is one of the best prayers we can ever lift to God in the face of seeming impossibilities. 

            So with those two experiences fresh in their hearts and minds, Jesus now takes them from that mountain of glory and valley of demons to other places in Galilee. 

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.

The Messiahship of Jesus was gaining speed.  Much like a train on a steep mountain pass that fails to apply it’s breaks, Jesus knew that all he needed to do to see the nation make him king by force was to keep doing public miracles and keep drawing record crowds.  If national liberation and power had been Jesus’ goal, more public events and miracles would have inevitably produced it. 

But such a finish would have erased the possibility of becoming the Lamb of God who would utterly take away the sins of the world.  A sacrificial death and a successful nationalist Jewish kingdom were mutually exclusive options at the time.  And Jesus, always living out the heart of the Father, was far more interested in rescuing millions of sinners—Jews and Gentiles—than in rescuing the nation-state of Israel in the moment.

So, he takes his disciples out and about in the region of Galilee. 

But he does so for another reason besides wanting to slow down the Royal Messianic Train.  His other agenda had to do with growth His disciples still needed.  Teaching his disciples was more important than touching more and more people at the moment.  Jesus knew that if His disciples truly embraced the life he wanted for them, millions in this world over centuries of time who would otherwise be hopelessly lost, would embrace God forever. 

That simple fact shouts something very important to anyone who wants to be a follower of Jesus:  Jesus is far more interested in spending time with you, his struggling disciple, than with any adoring, stadium-sized crowd. 

            These 12 men were not the ‘cream of anyone’s crop.’ They were often faithless and, as we shall see, squabbling, ego-driven messes.  But Jesus wanted to be ‘with them’ so he could continue to ‘teach them’ what would transform these very average men into extraordinary heaven-and-earth-shaping-men in a matter of months. 

APP:  Believe me, that IS what Jesus is doing with you and me too.  But we have to be willing to pull away from the crowds with Him if we want to be taught what we need to know by him.  Jesus is more interested in teaching you and me what we individually need to grow into to be world-changers than he is with ruling the whole world by His power.  May we not trade that ‘school’ for any other illusion of greatness. 

What was it that Jesus still needed to teach the Twelve at this point?  It was that the greatest works of God in this world do not come the way we naturally think they will.  They usually come through precisely the experiences we seek to avoid.

He [Jesus] said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered 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.

 Here we have again that favorite name of Jesus for himself—“The Son of Man.”  WHO was going to do the ‘delivering’? 

Both the Father and the Son.  Jesus would lay down his life willingly in order to take up a cross that, in his humanity, he desperately wanted to avoid.  And the Father would, by His determined will, deliver His beloved Son to sinners who would heap their sin on him and make his life a substitute sacrifice for billions of sinners (Isaiah 53:10—“Yet it was the Lord’s will to 

crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand”. 

Peter’s sermon at Pentecost to the unsaved Jewish bystanders in Acts 2:23—"This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross.”)

            Jesus’ disciples still did not understand the greatness of the Kingdom.  They thought it came through political power.  They thought it came through public recognition and acceptance.  They still didn’t understand that if the Messiah they were following needed to suffer and die so they could reign with him forever. They, too, would need to suffer and die so others could join that Kingdom. 

            The text tells us that, “They did not understand what [Jesus] meant and were afraid to ask him about it.”  For whatever reasons, this death and resurrection talk was not sinking in…yet.  Mark states that clearly.  But the last phrase—“…and they were afraid to ask him about it,”—tells me something else.  WHY would they have been “afraid” to ask Jesus about it?  Peter rarely seemed afraid of being embarrassed by crazy questions or boisterous outbursts.  Why now?  There seems to be something more than just not wanting to look foolish before the rest of the class. 

            Have you ever been afraid of really wanting God to show you what some perplexing passage or truth in His word really means because you know that if He does, you will have a new level of responsibility and perhaps a new depth of decision to make?  If the disciples really embraced the truth of the brutal death of their Messiah being part of God’s plan, then it was very probable that suffering and possibly death might be in the cards for them too.  And who wants to let go or even postpone a vision of the Kingdom that knows only the reigning, triumphal Messiah to embrace a future in the service of the Messiah that would involve suffering and death?  The train might not be picking up speed quite as fast as they wanted, but it was better than one that had to take a major detour up Mount Calvary before arriving at the station of the triumphant Kingdom. 

APP:  May God give us the grace not to run from the hard and difficult teachings of Jesus, teachings that may well cost us everything…and deliver us everything.  May we have the honesty to embrace the crucified and resurrected Savior before we expect the triumphant life of the exalted Messiah.

            That mindset and commitment is absolutely critical to the main teaching of the rest of this story. 

Mark 9:33—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.

It is rather striking that virtually every time Jesus talked about His death, the disciples started arguing about their importance.  (See Mt. 18:1-5, 24-28; Mk. 10:41-45; Lk 9:46-48.)  Some commentators think that this was more than just a “king of the hill” type argument.  If Jesus was no longer going to be on the scene, who was best suited to be next in line for the top management of this kingdom that Jesus had many times said was both present and coming?  

I’m sure that the inner-circle 3 (Peter, James & John) all had something to say about that.  We know from the Upper Room scene that Peter was convinced that all the others might deny Jesus but that he was certainly a cut above that and them.  And according to Mark 10:27, James and John clearly thought they somehow deserved to be Jesus’ next-in-command in the future Kingdom.  There was no shortage of self-confidence and competition in the highest ranks of the Apostles. 

ILL:  Human nature has changed very little.  I will venture to say, having watched churches now for some 50 years of my life go through upheavals, splits, schisms and arguments, that in every single case, it was all about WHO was going to have the power and control.  I know of NO church splits, denominational schism or church arguments that don’t, at some level, have a lot of people’s preferences for their own ideas or decisions or leadership at heart.  I don’t think I know of a single case of disagreement about how a church should be run where all the parties involved were arguing about how they wanted to serve and sacrifice themselves and their dreams and their positions for those of the opposition. 

            This is just human nature, apart from being filled with and led by the Holy Spirit.  And the good news is that it doesn’t seem to phase our Savior Jesus.  Instead of getting upset and laying into us (as He has every right to do), He just starts asking probing and humbling questions:

  • “What were you guys arguing about on the road?”
  • “Why’s everybody so quiet all of a sudden?”
  • “How come you don’t want to include me in this conversation.”

APP:  I think most of our disagreements and squabbles in the church…or in marriage…or in families…would be revealed for what they really are if we were just to include Jesus in our arguments!  The presence of Jesus is the best antidote to an ongoing and unnecessary argument. 

That’s why the presence of Christ in what we do here, no matter how big or small, is what we need most.  Where the presence of Jesus is heavy upon God’s people, there is an absence of conflict.  Where the presence of Jesus dominates, the presence of selfishness and egotism is unmasked, and humility either reigns or people leave.  That is precisely what happened in the Upper Room the last night Jesus shared the Passover with his disciples.  Pride gave way to humility…and in the one case where it didn’t, Judas left the scene.

            Jesus wants to be much more than the means to the end of our dreams.  He wants to be the ‘end’ itself that we are most longing for and hungry for in this life.  He doesn’t want that because he’s egotistical.  He wants that because he knows it’s the only possible way for us to be happy, fulfilled and truly ‘great.’  For God to encourage us to put anything or anyone in the place of prominence in our lives would be for God to encourage idolatry and spiritual adultery.

            Jesus knew that even his closest disciples still tended to see him as a means to their desired ends.  So, he now hammers home again the truth of real greatness when it comes to life and eternity.

35 Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.”

36 He took a little child whom he placed among them. Taking the child 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.”

            Mark notes that Jesus called the 12 and “sat down.”  That was what a Rabbi would do when he wanted to have a teaching session with his disciples.  Jesus certainly taught them while they were traveling too.  But this was a formal instruction class unfolding.  He didn’t want his disciples to miss this absolutely critical lesson that would be not only on His final exam but theirs as well.  He would model it in the Upper Room in a few weeks.  But they needed to hear it stated flat out:  “If any of you wants to be first…wants to be successful…wants to be a real leader…wants to have a significant part in my Kingdom…wants to make your life count… THEN you MUST learn to be the very last…to serve the very least …to put the lives and interests and needs of even the lowest of the low above your own.  GREATNESS IN MY KINGDOM COMES BY SERVING THOSE YOU CONSIDER TO BE THE LEAST IMPORTANT. 

            I don’t know if that is actually the best way to say it, but it is the closest I can come to what I think Jesus is telling us.  Becoming great in God’s kingdom doesn’t come by even serving great people…or people we consider to be our equals.  It comes by serving those we might tend to think aren’t that important.  We may think our interactions with them aren’t that significant.  Our natural minds may think, “This isn’t a very meaningful investment of my time.” 

What’s the SETTING here? Jesus is teaching in a house in Capernaum.  We know from other passages that Peter’s house was in Capernaum.  I think the disciples and Jesus often stayed there.  And I think there is a high probability that Peter’s children were running around that house and courtyard.  So, I’m guessing that Jesus probably grabbed one of Peter’s boys…or a playmate of his…wrapped his arms around the kid and set him on his lap, wiggly and squirmy as he was.   

            I’ll bet Peter might have been thinking, “Where in the world is my wife who is supposed to be taking care of this kid?”  If he wasn’t thinking that, I’ll bet a few other disciples were.  “Get this kid out of here.  He’s interrupting this important class session!”   

            One of the reasons I find this story SO refreshing is that Jesus could not have done anything more direct and clear to add value to children and parenting than this.  Had he gone out into the street and found a beggar, I’ll be the Apostles would have not even included their children in their top-10 list of “the least of these.”  They might have spent the rest of their ministry lives starting soup kitchens or hospitals or clothing banks for adults.  They might have sacrificed their marriages or families for the ministry…like too many pastors and priests have done in history and the present. 

APP:

  • Moms (and Dads): many of you are (currently) far “greater” in the Kingdom of God than the most important and well-known people in this city, state or nation. You are, in God’s estimation, others you may look at and think, “They are really doing something with their lives.  What am I doing day after day changing diapers and wiping snotty-faced kids, refereeing arguing siblings and running kids back and forth to school and soccer and youth group?”  

Others you know may have built amazing businesses or careers, may have become very well known, may have worked with very influential or important people.  But too many haven’t grasped that serving children like you are doing is more important to God than serving or leading other very important people.  Jesus just told us here that nothing and no one should be more important to us as parents or grandparents, aunts or uncles, brothers or sisters, than the CHILDREN he has placed in our lives.  I know, day after day, hour after hour, serving those little human beings seems like it is SO insignificant.  But according to Jesus you are the greatest people on earth…and in heaven.  You are THE most important.  You are doing the really significant work. 

Please don’t take offense at this if you are single or have never had children.  We’ve never lived in a time when children needed loving adults more.  We’ve never lived in a time when having, valuing and raising children was as disrespected and depreciated as it is today.  God’s people need to recover the high privilege and unique place children have in the heart of God.  To fail to do so is to utterly fail at greatness in the Kingdom.

  • Church: I must confess that, as a pastor and leader in this church, I don’t think I have given nearly enough attention to children and young people as Jesus said I should have.  While I love being around ‘littles’, serving them is very different.  That involves dealing with messes, cleaning up stuff, refereeing arguments, following up on discipline, just holding and hugging them when life is shouting that there is so much that is more important I should be doing.  Children’s Ministry is not for everyone; but making sure we are a church that serves children is.  That’s why this summer’s DVBS at the Havens was a really important step for us…and we should have been doing it years earlier.  But that little step has opened up multiple other ways we can continue to invest more deeply in the lives of kids who the world thinks aren’t that important.

Here's the really good news in this story:  Greatness in God’s family is within the reach of every single one of us.  That’s not some sort of “power of positive thinking”, “you can be whatever you want to be” type of message.  Nobody can be everything they may dream they want to be all the time.  But every child of God can become “the greatest” in the Kingdom of God…because serving is within the reach of every one of us. 

Even when we are confined to a sick-bed or so old that we can’t get out of bed, we can serve anyone and everyone through our prayers, through our example in suffering, through our communion with Jesus and our grateful hearts for all the blessings God has heaped upon us on our lifetimes.  We can serve the people caring for us with kind words and sincere prayers.  Serving is always within everyone’s reach.  That’s why all of us are candidates for true greatness.  It just depends on whether you are campaigning for top dog or dog catcher…superintendent or servant.

ILL:  In my years of pastoring, every now and then, someone will start attending the church who has a real hankering to ‘be a leader’.  They may be or have been a leader in business or education or ministry somewhere else.  They let you know that they have some gifts and skills that the church really needs.  Sometimes they ask if they can even preach or lead a ministry or join our leadership team. 

            There is nothing wrong with wanting to lead…or teach… or hold a positions of leadership.  God puts that desire in some people’s hearts.  If he didn’t, we wouldn’t have any good leaders. 

If we want the world’s kind of leaders, we may look at their education or business success or physical appearance or communication skills.  But if we want the kind of leader God says He is looking for, we would be wise to look around for the people who are completely happy just serving others.  Maybe they volunteer to clean the toilets…or cook the food…or fix the building.  Maybe they roll up their sleeves and plan a retreat…or help in the kids’ ministry…or pray for others they listen to someone’s need. 

            Greatness in God’s economy does not necessarily lie in public leadership; it more often resides in private service. 

People who serve well will be people who sacrifice often. God is and has always been looking for humble servants.  They are the true leaders in His Kingdom.  They will be the primary leaders in the Kingdom of Heaven.

That’s really good news because that is within the reach of everyone sitting here today.  The poorest among us can serve others.  The least educated among us can serve others.  The weakest among us can serve others.  Young or old, rich or poor, serving others who may seem insignificant in the moment will transform you now and forever.

APP:

  • WHO has God put into your life presently who may not seem particularly important? When you are around them, you may not feel like you are doing anything very impressive.  You may not even feel like you are leading them in any real way.  But you do have opportunities to serve   Might these people be the most important people in your life for helping you become the best servant you can possibly be…and truly great in the only kingdom that will endure? 
  • HOW might God be asking you to serve “the least of these” right now? Once we’ve identified WHO God is calling us to serve, we need to discover HOW he is asking us to do that.  Don’t assume that the ‘how’ will look like much of anything to anyone.  You probably won’t get any awards or accolades for it.  You probably won’t have any title or outward reward associated with it.  But you will build value, blessing and life into whomever it is you choose to serve.  You probably won’t see them change a whole lot.  You may or may not get to see them grow.  But however you engage with them will involve sacrificing something of yourself for them, whether time or energy or love or patience.  They may not even thank you for what you do.  But God will.  And you will be eternally happy with His recognition and “well done.” 

Pray

Benediction:  Luke 12

35 “Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, 36 like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. 37 It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. 

42 …. “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? 43 It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. 44 Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.

Ephesians 6:7--Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people….

 Go in peace...and serve someone!