Lord, We Are Able!

Job 38:1-7; Hebrews 5:1-10; Mark 10:35-45

Our gospel lesson for this morning reminds me a little of the story of Aladdin, who discovered an old lamp in the cave of Alababa and his forty thieves. Rubbing it with his sleeve, suddenly a genie appeared and told Aladdin that for setting him free from the lamp he may receive three wishes of anything he wants. So, the story proceeds to explain how, one by one, Aladdin uses his three wishes.

Our Gospel lesson for today shows how two of Jesus' disciples must think that Jesus is something like a genie capable of granting them anything their hearts desire. And, certainly, Jesus may have given them the impression that he could do that, with all of the healings he had performed before their very eyes, the feeding of the multitudes from just a few loaves of bread and some fish, and so on. He had even told them that anything they asked in prayer would be given to them. So, you can understand how James and John, the sons of Zebedee , thought they could ask Jesus to give them anything they wanted. Indeed, their request was to be able to sit at the right and left sides of Jesus in heaven. But, when the other ten disciples heard about their request they became indignant, probably because they all wished they had thought to ask for such a thing. They became jealous and political. But, then Jesus told them that their politics and jealousy was something that the world did and couldn't be a part of the fellowship of those who followed him. Instead, he told them: "Whoever wants to be first must be slave of all."

So, again, we have three points to contend with, the first one being: What kind of rewards do we expect from our discipleship? And the second one is: Do our expectations and desires lead us into true discipleship or merely political infighting? And the final one concerns Jesus' formula for true discipleship: "Whoever wants to be first must be slave of all."

So, let's take a look at the first point: Indeed, what kinds of rewards do we expect from our discipleship to Jesus? It used to be that persons would join the church for a variety of reasons, one of which was the possibility of climbing the corporate or social ladder of success. People would join a church and profess the faith and go through the motions of what they thought was Christian discipleship simply because their boss was a member of the church; and they knew that if they were ever going to get ahead they would have to be active supporters of the church.

This was a big deal at one time, and it still is in some rural communities. But, now, for the most part, such places as the Country Club have taken the place of the church; and one's ability to shoot a good game of golf or racquetball with the boss may be as important today as being a member of the boss's church was thirty or forty years ago.

But, still there is a vestige of this mentality in many churches; the feeling that being active in a church is somehow important for one's social success. But, the case could now be made by some that being active in a church is more of a liability towards one's success, especially if one's career demands one's full devotion seven days a week. Telling the boss that Sunday morning is a time that you reserve for God could certainly be used as grounds for being taken off the fast track.

So, if anything, the days are gone that being an active and faithful member of a church can be helpful for a person's career or for climbing the social ladder. And that's probably just as well, because as far as Jesus was concerned that would have been an improper use of the church and a poor example of discipleship. Nevertheless, I remember a town where Linda and I served as pastors out in Iowa where social climbing and being the member of a church was very closely related. In fact, the town was divided politically – not by political parties, but by churches. The Roman Catholics held the most power. In fact, they controlled most of what went on in the northern part of town, for that was where their church was, along with a large shrine that drew quite a few tourists and generated quite a bit of money. Most of the people who lived in that part of town were members of the Roman Catholic church.

The rest of the town, however, was divided up among the United Methodists, the Missouri Synod Lutherans, and retired Apostolic Christians. And just about everything in the town – from the school to the city council – was run according to a strict, unwritten formula. The school board, for instance, made up of twelve members, had to be comprised of three Roman Catholics, three Missouri Synod Lutherans, three Apostolic Christians, and three United Methodists. And if you were a high school girl who wanted to be on the community pompom team you probably wouldn't make the team if you weren't a Catholic, a Missouri Synod Lutheran, an Apostolic Christian or a United Methodist, because the formula for being a member of the pompom team was roughly the same for being on the School Board. In fact, when a new doctor moved to town, he only stayed for a couple of years. He couldn't make it, financially. Folks wouldn't go to him. Why? Was it because he was a bad doctor? No. Actually, he was a very good doctor. Was it because he had a poor bedside manner? No. Actually, he had a great bedside manner. Was it because his office was poorly equipped? No. His office was brand new! So, why didn't the doctor make it in that town? Well, you've probably guessed it, already! It was because he was a Baptist and just couldn't fit into the town's political structure. There was no room for Baptists, or even for atheists, in that town.

And, fortunately, or unfortunately, as it turned out, there was no room for me in that town, either. For one day I made the suggestion in public that there shouldn't be such a division in the community based upon the four denominations. Sitting in the cafe downtown, one day, I told someone that we were all Christians; that we were all united together under one faith and one baptism. And, well, they couldn't handle that! It was too threatening to their political system. And, so, after making that statement I was asked to move.

So, we come to our second point: Do our expectations and desires as followers of Jesus lead us into true discipleship or merely into political infighting? That's what happened in our gospel lesson for today. James and John wanted to be close to Jesus in heaven, sitting at his right and left side for all eternity. And when the other disciples heard about it, they became indignant with the two for asking for such a thing. I think that they were all secretly hoping for such a position, but had been afraid to ask.

But the fact of the matter is this: If a church is truly doing the work of Jesus Christ they can have no time for political infighting. For the work of Jesus Christ leads Christ's disciples to constantly looking outward into the world. And people who are involved with outreach and missions and reaching out with the gospel of Jesus Christ hardly have time to play political games with fellow disciples. That's why Jesus asked them, "Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?"

As disciples of Jesus Christ the goal isn't to find our place among other disciples. Rather, our goal is to find our place among those who don't yet know that Jesus Christ is Lord. The ultimate goal of a disciple of Christ isn't to hobnob with other disciples and to tend to the survival of such hobnobbing. Rather, the ultimate goal of the disciple of Christ is to go into the world and share the good news. It is the dying church that constantly focuses inward upon itself and upon its own survival. But, it is the church focuses outward with its mission to the world that will be blessed with growth.

I was talking with a person in the church, the other day. And as we were talking, the subject of cappuccino came up. I told him I had figured out a way to make good cappuccino without the expensive cappuccino machine by just using a blender. And we kind of laughed about it. And then I quipped, "Gee, we could almost have a little cappuccino shop right here in the church!" And then it dawned on me that maybe that something as insane as a cappuccino shop might get far more people into the church and touch more lives with the gospel of Jesus Christ than anything else that we as a church are doing here right now. People would come in, sit down, get a mug of cappuccino, or coffee, or hot chocolate, and while they were sitting they might hear religious music playing in the background; or they might read the Christian literature printed on the place mats. A cappuccino shop, indeed! It sounds like a dumb idea. Or is it? Or aren't dumb ideas like that more in the line of what Jesus was talking about when he asked his disciples if they could be baptized with the baptism he was about to be baptized with or drink the cup he was about to drink? And, of course, their answer was, "We can!" And, our answer is often the same. But can our focus really be outward as we consider our life in the church? Are we able to take the risks necessary to be the kind of disciples of Jesus God wants us to be? Or, as one church growth expert put it recently: "It is risky not to take risks!"

So, finally, we come to this morning's third point: "Whoever wants to be first, must be servant of all."

When I think about this passage I can't help but wonder what it would be like if everyone in the church tried to outdo each other in being a servant to all. We'd never have trouble finding people to teach Sunday school! We'd never have trouble filling out the roster of church officers. We wouldn't have to hire a church janitor. And, if a church member got sick and went to the hospital, the pastor's visit to the person in the hospital might always be preceded and followed by several other calls made by members of the church. If everyone in a church was a servant of all even unchurched folks would begin to wonder what was going on down at the church when church members started doing things for them, like taking them a pie, or mowing their grass, or shoveling their sidewalk, or just stopping in for a visit.

I am reminded of the scripture from Hebrews 13 – "Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares."

There is the true story of how many years ago a lonely traveler stopped one Sunday morning for the worship service at the Andersonville Methodist Church in Andersonville , Georgia. After the service he was warmly greeted by the people. But, he was never seen there, again.

Not long ago, in Washington, New Jersey, Robert B. Brown, age ninety, died. Soemone commented. "He was a thrifty man who kept to himself."

Mr. Brown bequeathed his entire estate to the Andersonville United Methodist Church. His estate consisted of 2,100 shares in AT&T and 740 shares of Continental Can Company stock. At the time of his death the stocks were worth over a million dollars.

The deceased's attorney, Martin B. Bry - Nildsen , in informing the church of the bequest, wrote: "My client told me that on a Sunday morning years ago, when he was traveling through Georgia, he felt sad and lonely. He stopped at your church. A friendly welcome was accorded him. He never forgot the kindness you showed him. He did not have any church affiliation and said, 'I want to give what I have to that little church.'"

How surprised were the Rev. W. J. Stanford and the members of the Andersonville United Methodist Church! No one could recall Mr. Brown's visit to the church. But what a lesson it is that when we are servants to all, even strangers, there may come a greater blessing than we may ever imagine.	Amen.