Pentecost  XVI                                         Seminarian David Dill

Mark 9:30-37                                            September 24, 2006

 

What were you arguing about on the way?

But they were silent, for on the way, they had argued with one another who was the greatest.

 

In the run-up to his galactic struggle with Sonny Lipton in 1964

an upstart boxer spat a sound-bite in the direction

of news cameras that were crowded around the rising star.

 

"If you like to lose your money

Be a fool and bet on sonny!"

 

it stuck..and people loved him.

 

Cassius Clay - soon to rename himself Muhammad Ali

was on the map.

 

even then,

even before he was famous,

he was a pr genius

 

striking a deep-down nerve in us all.

Who's the greatest?

 

Jesus and his dusty band are on the move.

they are returning from a magic mountaintop experience with God

where Jesus' clothes were turned dazzling white

They have done some good work,

but now they're right back where they started.

Galilee.mundane.dirty.same ole. Galilee

The disciples have seen some amazing things...

They've helped feed thousands.

They watched Jesus bring a dead girl back to life.

They've even seen this Jesus walk on water.

They are on the front row with God.

But now they're getting tired.

They've been in the storm so long.

They are still with him - they are still walking -

but the gap is growing wider.

Jesus is so far from them

that he can't hear what they are saying.

What were you arguing about on the way?

Last week, the cover of Time magazine wondered,

"Does God want you to be wealthy?"

 

(Its the quarterly God issue...)

 

Featured is a group of prominent Christians

arguing among themselves. who's the greatest.

 

Armed with favorite passages from God

representatives from the polar wealth camp and polar poverty camp

prove their points.

 

picking and choosing quotes from the one who asked

 

"What were you arguing about on the way?"

 

They don't call us Christians for nothing

Just like the first disciples

We still make waves

by arguing with one another

who's the greatest.

What were you arguing about on the way?

The disciples are walking

They're talking

They're getting kingdom work done!

On the front row with God.

 

They're thinking.we'll be famous!

Maybe we'll be rich.

Who's the greatest.

 

They are walking and talking and getting kingdom work done.

And then Jesus pulls them up short.

"Whoever wants to be first must be last..."

 

They don't want to listen.

They don't want to hear

the details about how they're gonna get mixed up

in this eternal story.

 

They can't hear

that they are already on the front row of the kingdom.

and in last place with God forever.

 

Jesus' most trusted friends

The rockiest kind of ground.

 

It was too much to hear then

And it is too much for us to hear now

 

They bumble along.

They don't want to hear any good news.

 

And who can blame them?

I know just how they feel.

 

Leave me out of it Jesus!

I've got a name to make for myself.

I've got things to prove!

Leave me alone!

I'm down here in my own little world.

 

I'm mixing up my own potions.

Writing my own resume.

 

I'm down here alone.all by myself.choosing my poison.

 

wondering if I am the greatest.

 

Jesus wants us to get it.

He wants to make it real simple.

 

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

 

The perplexing revelations of God -

come to us while we are on the way.

While we are going from here to there -

In the middle of our arguments about who's the greatest

God surprises us

Pull us up short

 

God - ever the trickster

reveals the master plan

while we are on the way.

while we are arguing!

 

"Whoever wants to be first must be last of all

and servant of all."

 

We are on the front row of God's new thing.

Can we believe it?

 

can we hear something new ??

Can we hear God's revelation?

(Not the way we thought it would be!

 

But can we hear what Jesus says?)

Listen!

"Whoever wants to be first must be last..."

 

 

Like the first disciples, we still have a hard time shaking that question from Jesus:

what were you arguing about on the way?

 

They were arguing among themselves.

trying to decide

who was the greatest

and couldn't see God standing right in front of them.

 

•  We see ourselves in those first disciples -

 

bumbling, vain, lovable, faithful,

 

left wondering

Who's the greatest?

Jesus says, the one who's least.

 

Jesus wants us to keep walking.

He wants us to get it!

.to hear amazing Good News

 

God is doing something completely new.

 

Amen