7th Sunday in
Pentecost Mark 9:33-38
7-15-2007
A HARVEST OF LOVE
CHRISTIANS ARE THE GREATEST
- Because of whom they serve
- Because of whom they welcome
Introduction: About ten years ago two greatly
popular and influential people died. I’m not picking on Reader’s Digest or any
other magazine that reports on the one, but even now ten years after, do you
notice the media favors one over against the other. Why? I have my guesses.
Maybe you have yours.
Ten years ago the media was all over the tragic
death of Princess Diana of England. Articles were written, news coverage
followed the entire funeral procession to the church, the funeral and to the
cemetery. Popular musicians like Elton John performed a ballad written for her
in the church, celebrities like Steven Speilberg, Paul McCartney and others
showed their grief by attending. As the world mourned “England’s Rose” the death
of someone else of great significance almost went unnoticed. Mother Theresa died
during the same time.
I’m not judging whether Princess Di or Mother
Theresa who served the Lord her whole life was “greater” because both women did
a great deal to serve people and inspire others to do so. Yet the reason the
paparazzi was all over her travels was Princess Di at the time of her car
accident was living in sin. She was living with another man who also died in the
car, while she was still married to Prince Charles. They hoped to grab a
revealing photo of them together. Yet the media and books conveniently leave
that little detail out.
Again I’m not in a position to determine who is
greater humanly speaking, but Jesus uses an entirely different grading scale to
determine that Christians are the greatest. Humans tend to define “great” by
works, the quality of the person’s life, looks, or wealth. Our Savior evaluates
Christians are the greatest because of whom they serve and because of whom they
welcome.
CHRISTIANS ARE THE GREATEST
- Because of whom they serve
- So ingrained in our nature is being first that the
disciples were even jockeying to identify who was more important. Jesus
caught them arguing about this petty position and then righted their
thinking. “You know that the ruler of the gentiles lord it over them, and
their high officials exercising authority over them. Not so with you.
Instead whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and
whoever wants to be first must be your slave.” Why would Jesus say something
like that?
- The disciples were not interested in doing their best
as much as they were fixated on beating out the other 11. They connected the
position of authority with relaxing, telling people what to do, being
popular, maybe even financially secure. “If anyone wants to be first, he
must be the very last, and servant of all.” Christians service means serving
Jesus first. “The Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and give
his life as a ransom for many.” Jesus did not give up on the world, or his
disciples. What Jesus DID give up, was his sinless life on Calvary, not just
for his disciples, or Jews only, but for the world. Christians are the
greatest because they serve the Greatest, Jesus Christ, the Savior. A
Christian’s service doesn’t make him or her great but the object of that
service, Christ, the Son of God. Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of
God, who is Christ Jesus. We no longer live, but Christ lives in us. Washed
in the blood of Jesus through the waters of baptism we have been clothed
with Christ. God sees not you and me, but his holy perfect Son, in our
place.
- Jesus opened his disciples eyes to the truth they are
the greatest NOT because of who they are, what they have done, or what they
might bring to his church on earth. Christians are the greatest because of
whom they serve. Christians serve Christ, the King of kings. Jesus, the word
made fresh who existed even before he created time, humbled himself taking
on the very nature of a person. Jesus the Almighty who has no beginning and
no end, bound himself by time and the vulnerable needs of a human so as to
serve all people. He did not merely enter into the world to serve Jews, 12
apostles, just men, just adults, but all people. Christ is in truth the
Greatest, making all those who follow him the greatest as well.
- Did you know the name Christian is in truth a slam
against those people following Jesus. The name was not intended to flatter
Christians but insult them. At first they were called followers of Jesus,
but then people who didn’t even want to mention Jesus referred to follows of
the “the Name.” At last to insult the position of Christ, God’s Anointed
One, skeptics chose Christian because they would argue, where is your
Anointed One of God, the Christ? In reality we are Christians first, then
Lutherans, Roman Catholics, Baptists and so on.
Transition: Christians are the greatest for another
reason. Working people need a break from the job. They certainly look forward to
quitting time. But people simply don’t go home and lay on their bed the other 12
hours of the day until they get up to go to work. Different kind of work is
actually stimulating and rejuvenates a person. That is what makes Christians the
greatest because of whom they welcome.
CHRISTIANS ARE THE GREATEST
- Because of whom they welcome
- To emphasize this point Jesus took a little child and
had him stand among the disciples. He took the child in his arms, touched
him and said, whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name
welcomes me; and who ever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who
sent me. Greatness by the world is measured by how many letters a person
has after their name, how many zeros are in their bank account or how much
real estate a person owns. We don’t see a small child on the cover of Time
or Newsweek because of some contribution to the world or being powerful. To
welcome children is to welcome Jesus himself. But more.
- Jesus adds the tiny but critical phrase in my name.
It must have been a little un nerving for that child to stand among a crowd
of adult men, but apparently he wasn’t too scared because Jesus was there.
In fact children in general were not afraid of Jesus. Jesus welcomed
everyone from infants and babies to highly infectious lepers, tax
collectors, prostitutes, drunks. And Jesus did so not by excusing their
sinful life style, but to call them to repent. He said himself a someone who
is healthy doesn’t need a doctor but someone who is ill. The world is sick
with sin, but most don’t thinks they are. Christians are the greatest
because of God’s unconditional grace and love is free to them. As Christ has
called us out of the darkness of unbelief into the light of faith, hope, joy
and peace of forgiveness, he welcomes sinners only to turn us around and
welcome other sinners to Jesus.
- What makes Christians the greatest people in the world
is not who they are, what they’ve accomplished, what they look like, or how
talented they may be. Christians are the greatest in the world because of
whom they welcome. To illustrate his point the Lord brought a child to stand
among the disciples and remind them, “If you welcome a little child in my
name, you have not only welcomed Jesus but also God the Father who sent
Jesus.” Anyone who welcomes in Jesus’ name a little child whether physically
little or spiritually little, Jesus promises, welcomes Jesus AND God the
Father who sent him.
Conclusion: The next phase of our Evangelism program
will be to observe how our churches welcome visitors. That is much more than
just having a well groomed lawn, building and parking lot. Welcoming people goes
farther than being friendly and welcoming to people entering the door. Welcoming
people begins in our hearts and how Christ lives in our hearts and lives by his
word. That welcoming ripples out in our actions and words as we further follow
Christ in his Word. Christians reflect his incomprehensible forgiveness and love
to each of us, the chief of sinners. In the end, Princess Di who lived a
relatively short life and Mother Theresa lived a long life of service both died.
It really is not important who was more important because both died. Our Lord
Jesus reframes our thinking to know it is not who you are, what you leave behind
or what you look like when you die that is important. Christians are the
greatest because of whom they serve. Christians serve the Greatest, Jesus Christ
the Savior. And then in serving Jesus, Christians are the greatest because like
Christ, we welcome everyone. Amen.