“Becoming A Better Self”

September 22, 2024

Mark 9:30–37

Jesus and the disciples went on from there and passed through Galilee. He did not want anyone to know it; for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, ‘The Son of Man is to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill him, and three days after being killed, he will rise again.’ But they did not understand what he was saying and were afraid to ask him.

Then they came to Capernaum; and when he was in the house he asked them, ‘What were you arguing about on the way?’ But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, ‘Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.’ Then he took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them, ‘Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.’

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“On the way they had argued with one another who was the greatest” Take a moment to imagine how that argument went. We are not told what the disciples said to each other, but it is not difficult to imagine. We need only recall the times we have argued about and striven to be the greatest.

From an early age, we watch and participate in efforts to establish pecking orders of greatness. Look at the pecking orders in our world and country. They are everywhere. We live with and participate in them even if we do not create them.

Think about the pecking orders we know so well as Americans. One notable example is playing out in public discourse this fall: the disagreement over who has the greatest right to be in this country. Researchers show that a majority of Americans believe that citizens are greater than permanent resident immigrants who are, in turn greater than undocumented immigrants.

The pecking order plays on many other stages. Are the educated greater than the under or uneducated? Are the rich greater than the poor? Is it true that English speakers are greater than non-English speakers. White or light skinned people are greater than dark skinned people. Christians are greater than Jews who are greater than Muslims. And the list could go on.

This pecking order plays out in ways no one should be happy about. An article in “The Hill” (9/18/25 edition by Elizabeth Crisp) states “About 54 percent of respondents said they ‘strongly’ or ‘somewhat’ support a wide-scale effort to deport millions of immigrants.”

Forced immigrants: Germans arrive in WI 1840

The plight of the displaced has been a problem since humankind’s creation. Lives are disrupted. Conditions for the refugees are always brutal and the causes run the gamut, from wars, corrupt rulers, political and economic strife to hardships caused by drought, famine or flooding. Whether people leave home voluntarily or under duress, the decision to leave is traumatic.

While the disciples were not arguing over immigration, they were intent upon pecking order which is always involved in humanity’s discussion surrounding people’s rights.

What the disciples said or how their pecking order argument about greatness played out remains unknown, but I am certain it did not bring out the best in them. That may be the greatest humanitarian crisis in our world today. We strive to be the greatest human being instead of bringing out the best in our humanity.

Could it be that people have completely misunderstood what greatness is really about? What if Jesus is reversing everything we thought we knew or had been told about greatness?

“Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.” That is how Jesus understands greatness. Last place? I do not think I have ever argued about or striven to be in last place. Have you? Last place is the last place I want to be and perhaps that is true for you, too.

What if greatness in Jesus’ mind is not about status, how much we have or what we have accomplished, but about what we have offered and done for others? What if greatness is not about the position or place we occupy, but about the space and place we offer others? These are the key ingredients to discipleship, which was what initiated the disciples argument at the start.

What if we stopped arguing about the topic of greatness and sought to bring out the best in ourselves and others? What would that look like in our culture?

Here is another way of getting at that. Think about who are the greatest in your life, those outstanding people who have come onto your path. What are the qualities or characteristics that make them memorable?

Let me venture to guess that fierce competitive skills or a perpetual priority of self do not make the list.

When I think about outstanding people in my life I think about authenticity, honesty, respect and integrity. Outstanding people offer are charitable and hopeful. They possess a keen ability to listen and enlarge life with wisdom and vision.

Of course, outstanding people love and accept, without judgement or comparison. They forgive and free others from the pecking orders of this life. They bring out the best in people.

The bottom line is that outstanding (the greatest) people know that they are to serve with gifts which bring out the best in others.

‘What were you arguing about on the way?’ But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, ‘Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.’

Jesus was always naming and calling forth the best in people. For God’s sake, for the sake of the world, for the sake of ourselves and one another, let us stop arguing about who is the greatest and who needs to go away.

If you were to be the greatest (most outstanding) person someone has ever met, what would you hope they say about you? What would it take today to offer someone the best of yourself?

“Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.”

Prayer:

God of mercy,

When it comes to serving, I want to believe I can meet what you ask of me.

Some people are easy to serve:

those we love,

those who love us,

those who are like us,

those who show us their appreciation.

But others make serving really hard:

those we dislike and fear,

those who attack or fear us,

those who are different from us,

those who seem to just take and give nothing back.

But in all of our picking and choosing,

you ask a difficult thing of us,

you ask us to be servants of all.

How are we to do this?

How do we serve the weak, the poor, the neglected, the immigrant

and the strong, the privileged, and the proud?

How do we serve the broken, the victims, the denied,

and the breaker, the perpetrator, the denier, and the dishonest?

How do we possibly serve all?

However it may be, Jesus, keep us from using our fear or confusion as an excuse not to serve;

and help us to make serving the default of our days, the most natural response we have to anyone.

And may our service join with that of others, to gently change our world into a place where all serve

and all are served. Amen.

Images:

“In Color” Marian Amaral June 2017 marianamaral.com

Quartz analysis of US Census Bureau data qz.com

Beth Dippel, USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin May 2017