Mark 9:30-37 (New International Version)

30They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were, 31because 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." 32But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it.
Who is Greatest? 33They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, "What were you arguing about on the road?" 34But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest.
35Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all."
36He 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."

33They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, "What were you arguing about on the road?" 34But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest.35Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all."

The first two verses mark a milestone. Jesus has now left the north country where he was safe, and he was taking the first steps towards Jerusalem and to the cross which waited for him there. Now he did not want the crowds around him. Jesus knew that unless he could write his message on the hearts of his chosen apostles, he had failed. Any teacher can leave behind a series of ideas but Jesus knew that he had to leave behind, a band of people in whom those ideas had taken root.

If we compare this passage to the previous passage where Jesus predicts his death, we see that one phrase is added, "The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men." There was a traitor in his little band and Jesus knew it. He could see the way in which the mind of Judas was working. Barclay suggests that perhaps Jesus could see it better than Judas could himself. And when Jesus said that the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, he was not only announcing a fact and giving a warning, he was also making a last appeal to the man whose heart was forming a plan to betray Jesus.

Yet, the disciples did not understand - especially the bit about rising again. They already knew that some tragedy was pending but that is where their tolerance ended. We are all sometimes amazed that the disciples did not grasp what was spoken so clearly. But then we remember that the human mind has an amazing capacity for rejecting things we do not wish to see. You and I are the same. How often have we heard the gospel message. We know the wonder of accepting it and the tragedy of rejecting it but then we decide to react half-heartedly to it or not to react at all.

This incident shows in no uncertain terms how far the disciples were from understanding the real meaning of Jesus' life and mission. Over and over again he had told them what was waiting for him in Jerusalem but they still thought of Jesus' Kingdom in terms of an earthly kingdom, and of themselves as his ministers of State. It is heat-breaking to think of Jesus heading for the pain and suffering of the cross and his disciples arguing about who would be greatest.

But in their hearts they knew they were wrong because when Jesus asks them what they had been arguing about they have nothing to say. The silence of shame. It is strange how Jesus has a way of putting things we believe, without really thinking, in their proper context. As long as they thought Jesus was not listening and that he had not seen, they were happy to bicker about who should be greatest. But when they had to explain their thinking in the presence of Jesus, it all became a little embarrassing. Brother, I suppose that if we took everything and exposed it to the sight of Jesus it would make all the difference in the world to the way we live our lives.

Or if in everything we did, we asked, "Could I go on doing this if Jesus was watching me?" ; or if everything we said, we asked, "Could I go on talking like this if Jesus was listening to me?" there would me many things which we would be saved from doing and saying.

Well, Jesus dealt with this very seriously. We are told that he sat down and called the twelve to him. When a Rabbi was wanting to really make a pronouncement, he always sat down, so Jesus does just that. And then he told them that if they wanted greatness in his Kingdom, they must find that greatness, not by being first but by being last, not by being masters, but by being servants of all. Barclay points out that by doing this Jesus did not abolish ambition as something evil, he sublimated it. For the ambition to rule he substituted the ambition to serve. For the ambition to have things done for us he substituted the ambition to do things for others.

So, far from being an impossibly idealistic view, this is a view of the soundest common sense. The really great people, who are remembered as having made a real contribution to life, are those who said to themselves, not "How can I use the State and Society to further my own personal ambitions?" but, "How can I use my own personal gifts and talents to serve the State?"

And now for a quick quiz!

Name the five wealthiest people in the world.

Name the last five US Open winners.

Name the last five winners of the Miss Universe contest.

Name ten people who have won the Nobel prize.

Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress.

Name the last decade's worth of FA Cup winners.

How did you do?

The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. These achievements are forgotten. Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.

Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:

List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.

Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.

Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.

Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.

Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.

Name half a dozen authors whose life stories have inspired you.

Easier? The people who make a difference in our lives are not the ones with the most power, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones that care, ones that share, ones that love and ones that serve.

Jesus' notion of greatness is not pie in the sky and it's not impossibly idealistic and unreasonable - it actually makes a lot of sense if you stop to think about it. The really great men and women, the ones who have made a really great contribution to life, are those who have said to themselves, not 'How can I use the state and society to further my own personal ambitions?' but rather those who have said 'How can I use my personal gifts and talents to serve the state?'

William Barclay, in his commentary on this passage quotes Stanley Baldwin, who once made a rather noble tribute to Lord Curzon when he died. In it he said, 'I want, before I sit down, to say one or two things that no one but I can say. A Prime Minister sees human nature bared to the bone, and it was my chance to see him twice when he suffered great disappointment - the time when I was preferred to him as Prime Minister, and the time when I had to tell him that he could render greater service to the country as chairman of the Committee of Imperial Defence than in the Foreign Office. Each of these occasions was a profound and bitter disappointment to him, but never for one moment did he show by word, look, or innuendo, or by any reference to the subject afterwards, that he was dissatisfied. He bore no grudge, and he pursued no other course than the one I expected of him, of doing his duty where it was decided he could best render service.'

The Greeks had a story of a Spartan called Paedaretos. 300 men were to be chosen to govern Sparta and Paedaretos was a candidate. When the list of the successful was announced, his name was not on it. 'I'm sorry,' said one of his friends, 'that you were not elected. The people ought to have known what a wise officer of state you would have made.' 'I am glad,' said Paedaretos, 'that in Sparta there are 300 men better than I am. ' Here was a man who became a legend because he was prepared to give others the first place and to bear no one ill will. It's rather mind-blowing to think what could be achieved by people living not for what they can get out of life, but for what they can contribute to life.

Somehow we still seem to be seduced by the idea of self-advancement and accumulation of wealth and possessions. I have battled this as much as others have. What a difference it would make if the ambition of politicians and those in positions of leadership was to serve others and not their own private agendas and ambitions. The same of course is also true of those who hold office within the Church, sad to say. Is this too idealistic? Jesus didn't think so. He was so concerned that his disciples fully understood, that he sat them down and taught them the fundamentals of life in the Kingdom. Is it unrealistic in today's world? Are we saying that the truth that is in the bible is no longer relevant? I think not. It's not unrealistic because it could start with us. We have the advantage of knowing about the Kingdom of God. We might be as hazy as the disciples about the full implications of the Kingdom in our lives, but Jesus can still sit us down and teach us.

Could people really expect to go to work and tell their bosses that all those books about management science have got it all wrong. That here in the pages of the bible is the perfect management course, summed up in just 17 words. Think how much could be saved in expenses and time lost through attending management courses. But what we can do is take the principles that we hear from God's word and apply them in our own personal circumstances. If before everything we did, we asked 'Could I go on doing this if Jesus was watching me?'; or if before everything we said, we asked, 'Could I go on talking like this if Jesus was listening to me?' If our ambition was not to rule but to serve, not to take but to give would people notice? I think they might very well notice. And you never know, it might just catch on.

'Be imitators of God' Paul told the Ephesians, who seemed to be losing the plot rather, picking up the bad habits of the world and drifting away from God. Look at what's happening to you as a church, once you start living like those who have no faith. There's division, bitterness, hatred and all those traits which are the exact opposite of the life in the Kingdom. To quote, or misquote maybe, the Stereophonics 'It only takes one match, to burn a thousand trees' The Kingdom of God is not only in eternity, it starts here and now, in each one of us who call ourselves Christians. Membership, as we know brother, is not based on wealth, power and ambition, but rather on humility and love. Quite a challenge! Not possible without the help of the Holy Spirit.

Mark