18^th Sunday after Pentecost – October 4, 2009

Each week we gather together for worship and travel through what we call the church year. 52 Sunday’s, special services, and seasons like Pentecost, Advent, Epiphany, and more. But what, if any, do the Sunday’s have in common? Are they just islands that stand alone each week without any consideration for what came before and what follows? What about the services themselves? Is it just a liturgy, mixed together with some section of God’s Word, and containing a few miscellaneous passages thrown in for good measure? The answer is no. Our God is a God of order and so our service is set up in such a way as to complement each section of it. The lessons are meant to tie in with one another in order to develop a common theme. Even during a season, lessons from week to week will build on each other.

We notice that this morning as we look back over the past few weeks. Two weeks ago, we were reminded that our Lord has done all things well and that this is at the center of our confidence and confession. Last week we found out just what that confession is and means. Yet, even though we have to carry our cross in consequence to following Jesus, the truth that our Lord did all things well by securing our forgiveness and heaven is our comfort. Now again today we expand on last week by asking, what will that person be like, who follows Jesus in this life, who takes up his own cross after the one who bore it for us and for our salvation? The answer: He will be like the one he follows. And it is said of the one we follow, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).

With this in mind, let us study God’s Word before us under the theme, Jesus teaches the greatness of true littleness. He does this by giving us an example and he does this by leaving us an example.

Mark 9:30-37 - 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. He said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed 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. 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. ³⁵ Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.” ³⁶ He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him 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.”

It isn’t often that Scripture records the disciples of our Lord Jesus arguing. Oh, to be sure, we’ve seen their faults before. We’ve seen their lack of understanding. We’ve seen their worry. We’ve seen them fall asleep. But not often do we see them arguing. And we know what they were arguing about since the Holy Spirit inspired Mark to record the words, “on the way they had argued about who was the greatest.” It’s not surprising that they should argue, really, considering the things that had happened recently. Jesus, along with Peter, James and John had just come down from the mountain on which Jesus was transfigured. And, if you remember, this wasn’t the first time Jesus had singled these three out. Add to that the fact that Jesus had given them the command not to tell anyone and it doesn’t take a wild imagination to picture their discussion.

But when they came to Capernaum, our Savior puts them on the spot and asks, “What were you arguing about on the road?” The reaction of the disciples reminds us of a child caught red-handed, “They kept quiet.” Is it any wonder! Our Lord was facing a cruel death, and they were nursing their ambitions. They were ashamed. And why shouldn’t they be? Not that long ago, maybe only a week or so, Jesus had told them that to follow him meant denying themselves. It meant to give up selfish ambitions and interests. It meant to do away with all sinful pride. Therefore, in order to remind them of what the person who follows him in this life will be like, Jesus gives this example, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all. He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him 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.”

I must admit, when I look at this lesson I too feel ashamed. And don’t you have to admit that you feel ashamed too? Maybe the reason it doesn’t take a wild imagination on our part to picture the argument the disciples were having is because we’ve been filled with the very same thoughts. True, we’ve probably never argued with others that we will have a greater position of honor in heaven, but the same attitude is still there. It shows up when on Sunday mornings we think, “It’s too bad the people who really needed to hear that sermon weren’t here today.” It makes itself known when we compare ourselves to others and like to find comfort because we think “we’re not as bad.” It’s there at those times we laugh at that sin pointed out to us and joke about it instead of feeling sincere sorrow and regret. And that is sinful pride at its ugly worst, and we’ve all been there.

Selfish, sinful pride is perhaps one of the quickest ways to slide away from God’s grace, and here is the reason why: it causes us to think too highly of ourselves! Before you know it we start to think that God owes us something, or at the very least that he gives us such loving attention because we’re worth it. We start to buy into the world’s philosophy and think that everyone ought to be serving us. We scoff at the idea of humbly submitting our will to God’s, denying ourselves, and carrying a cross in following him. And finally, this envy and selfish ambition will put our membership in God’s kingdom in danger because it will lead us to forget that on our own before God we are nothing, we have always been nothing, and we will always be nothing. God doesn’t owe us a thing. The only thing that we deserve from God is an eternity of punishment in hell.

Therefore, in order to keep his disciples then and his disciples now from such a thought, Jesus gives us this vivid lesson concerning the humility, the littleness for which we must strive. “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all. He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him 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.” Simply put, humility alone is the key to greatness in God’s eyes.

In our society and often in our minds, greatness is not usually associated with serving everyone; to be last is looked at as weakness; and children are not regarded by adults as their social equals. But things are different in the society of God’s kingdom, and that’s the very point Jesus makes with this lesson. Littleness, by being a servant to all, is greatness. James explains this in our second lesson, “Wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere” (James 3:17). In fact, he goes so far to say, “But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil” (14,15).

Likewise, the child in Jesus’ arms is a picture of complete humility. At Jesus’ show of affection the child does not think, “Jesus must consider me an especially good child!” The child could do nothing to repay him. No, this child receives Jesus’ loving attention without any self-righteous pride. That is because pride has no place in the child of God, for we know that we have done nothing to make ourselves attractive to God. We had only our many sins and their damning guilt. It is from Jesus that we have received everything: pardon and peace, life and salvation. We could make no claims of merit on Jesus before, and we will make none now, for we are still a sinner who daily needs forgiveness and strength to walk the way of humble service to our Savior.

This is the reason Jesus leaves us with another example. “[Jesus] said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise.” But Jesus doesn’t say this for the simple purpose of leaving us an example. He leaves us this example because it is the answer to our sinful pride. He leaves it for our forgiveness. He leaves it for our salvation. He leaves it so that we know he came to serve us. Yes, unworthy; despicable; foolishly arrogant; sinfully proud us. Despite his throne in heaven; despite the heavenly glory that was his by right, Jesus allowed himself to be betrayed into the hands of men who would kill him. He, who is stronger and mightier than all the powers of men, stronger even than the powers of hell, allowed himself to be taken captive and killed by weak men. That is because these were the inescapable requirements of Jesus mission. Christ’s sacrificial death and glorious resurrection were mankind’s only way of being declared not guilty before a holy and righteous God. They were the only way to atone for sin; the only way to remove guilt; the only way for us to stand before a just God.

Now, when Jesus asks us and all believers to humble ourselves, he is not speaking of a one-time act. Again and again, all through life, we are to repent of our pride, of our foolish conceit that thinks we amount to something before God on our own. We are to count ourselves as nothing. To say with the Apostle Paul, “I am the worst of sinners.” To follow the example of the tax collector standing at a distance, beating his chest, and praying, “Lord have mercy on me a sinner.” To memorize the words, “It is by grace we have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8,9). And thanks be to Jesus that he has left us the example of his life, death and resurrection to know that we are forgiven.

Thus, the passion, suffering, torture, and death of Jesus for the salvation of mankind is the greatest loving lowliness this world has ever and will ever know. It is the perfect picture of true greatness. It is the perfect picture of true love, a love that seeks not one’s own good, but the good of the one being loved – in spite of our unworthiness. This then, is our motivation for our humble littleness.

There is a beautiful progression of thought laid out in our lessons. Our God does all things well. He saved us. He redeemed us. He brought us to faith. Having been pulled from the depths of despair and damnation, we gladly and humbly follow Christ. Even though opposed by our sinful flesh and ridiculed by the world, we go, making ourselves slaves to the Word, slaves to God, bearing our crosses, denying ourselves, and humbly following in the footsteps of our Savior. What more do we need to understand the greatness of true littleness. God grant us lives that shun sinful pride, repent daily of our self-righteous thoughts, and live to serve all. Amen.