“…it is not so among you”

(Mark 10:35-45) 

James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to him and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.”  And he said to them, “What is it you want me to do for you?”  And they said to him, “Appoint us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.”  But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking.  Are you able to drink the cup that I drink or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?”  They replied, “We are able.”  Then Jesus said them, “The cup that I drink you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized you will be baptized, but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to appoint, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.”

When the ten heard this, they began to be angry with James and John.  So Jesus called them and said to them, “You know that among the gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them.  But it is not so among you; instead, whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all.  For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

            Did you notice our new signs in the church yard, the Love Your Neighbor with the United Methodist cross and flame on them?  In these last weeks before the election, it seems only sensible for our church to take the Gospel stance, to remind people that our mandate from Jesus is to love God and love our neighbor. 

Now…I am very opinionated about this election, but what we do here at church is to remind folks of our calling from Jesus.  The rest comes from the law, “Love Your Neighbor.”

Yet, our nation is so divided as we approach this election.  It has been that way for awhile.  And I have been eager to preach about these divisions.   I think today’s Mark text can help us to begin the conversation that needs to be had.  Some of my friends have been doing a sermon series calling people to do unto others as we would have them do unto us (as today’s children’s sermon is reminding us). 

            Though I will be picking and choosing from the suggestions for this sermon series, I do think that we need to remind ourselves of the importance of loving each other and not going along with the divisions that seem to define our nation and our world.  These divisions are very persuasive to just accept, and you, like me, may be tempted to write off anyone with a yard sign with which we disagree.

            Now, the story in today’s Mark reading begins with the Zebedee boys, James and John, who came right up to Jesus and told him that they wanted him to do whatever they asked of him.  What a way to anger your disciple buddies and to divide yourselves against them!  They just started right out manipulating Jesus by telling him what they wanted him to do, and then they set it up so that the two of them were going to appear to be Jesus’ favorites. 

            But Jesus, rather than even entertaining their request, told them right out that they had no idea what they were asking. 

            Of course, (she says sarcastically) none of us knows what it’s like to set up a situation ahead of time so that we get what we want, right?  Sometimes we don’t even know what we’re doing because going behind the scenes is such a natural thing for us humans to do.  “Jesus, we want you to do whatever we ask of you.”

            But Jesus was not going there with them.  He put them in their place by saying, “You don’t have any idea what you are asking.”  They were certain they did know what they would have to do. 

On the other hand, Jesus was just as sure that they, as his followers, would be painted with the same broad brush that he had been.  He was certain that they would be in trouble, they would be at risk to be arrested and even die.  They, arrogantly, declared that they were able.  We have to watch out whenever we brag about how able we are, especially when it has to do with following in Jesus’ footsteps. 

            Anyway, Jesus said, “who sits where around me isn’t mine to grant.  It’s up to God.”

            And that’s kinda where it’s left.  The scene shifts to the other 10 disciples.  As predicted, they were mad.  This drove a wedge between James and John and the others.  You can imagine the other 10 thinking things like this: “We thought we knew them better than that.  How could they?”  or “I wanted to sit in those seats that the Zebedee Boys requested.  They got to Jesus first.  I am so mad!” 

            Jesus, being the wise leader, called them all to him and said, “You’re acting just like the folks that we don’t respect, those people who haven’t been hearing the words I’ve been speaking.  They’re the ones who let their leaders be tyrants over them.”  For us, this all means pretty clearly that if we can’t be great, if we can’t be first, then none of this is worth bothering with.  The values of the world are what Jesus is calling the way of the gentiles.

            But, and this is the important part, Jesus says, “It is not so among you.  In other words, this is not the way we do things.  We do not say hateful things or divisive things or things that cause us to think of others as objects rather than human beings.  This is the way WE are because the way we do things is to be rooted and grounded in our faith in God, rooted and grounded in the very nature of God.  This is the community that I,” says Jesus, “have attempted to formulate.” 

            This divisiveness, this hatred, this way of being that drives a wedge between us and anyone who disagrees with us, it is not the way we do things.  In Jesus’ words, “It is not so among you.”

            Now, friends, I know that it is very difficult these days to take the high road.  It is really hard to not get involved in sweating blood over the horse race every minute of every day, but we have been called to a higher plane.  We have been called to be kind; we have been called to create a culture of love.

            Now, that does not mean that we do not work and fight for the issues and the candidates that we believe will be the best leaders.  Of course we do.  It doesn’t mean that we sit quietly while lies are told about us and those we support.  But we do not get pulled over into the James and John space or the other 10’s reaction.  It is absolutely essential that we call our own systems to accountability like Jesus is calling those who are acting like the same old power brokers, those whom he referred to as the gentiles. 

            …But, it is not so among us.  A true Christian culture that is rooted and grounded in the nature of God must prevail.  That other stuff—it is not so among us.

            I will freely admit to you that when I see a yard sign I disagree with, I have words to say to whomever I’m in the car with.  When I hear speeches that rile me, I just try to work harder for my candidates.  This divisiveness—that is NOT how we do things.  It is not who we are. 

            You see, whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be the servant of all.  Make no mistake about it, the Son of Man did not come to have a war and to prevail as a tyrant.  The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life for others.

By the way, that’s not a bad way to think about who we elect as leaders, who we give our power over to, who are the folks we spend time listening to, here in church, on the TV or radio or in podcasts.  “The Son of Man came not be served but to serve and to give his life for others.”

We don’t have to argue or fight over this.  Instead we just need to take the high road with our neighbors and friends, always careful to not be divisive or mean-spirited.  Let love prevail!  Amen.