Upside Down Kingdom

Mark 9:33 (NET) Then they came to Capernaum. After Jesus was inside the house he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” 34 But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. 35 After he sat down, he called the twelve and said to them, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be last of all and 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.”

I wanted to be great

When I was 11, my Little League team won the local championship. On away games, the whole team rode in the back of the coach’s truck. The truck had sideboards, so we could stand and hold on. After each win, we would stand up in the back of the truck, watching for people. At every person we saw, we would pump our fist and shout, “We won!” “We won!” “We won!”

Early on, I got the idea that to be first, I had to outperform, out-think, out-work, and out-maneuver everyone else as I fought my way to first place.

That’s where the disciples were. Which is why they argued about who was the greatest.

Like the disciples, we compare ourselves with one another. We test each other, looking for vulnerabilities and weaknesses we can exploit for the purpose of gaining an advantage. We want to be great. No, more than great. We want to be the greatest. At least, I did.

The first must be last

Then Jesus interrupts our thinking with a radical idea. The first must be last. And, the first must be the servant.

Inwardly, I recoil at the idea. I want to be served. Not be a servant. I want to be the head. Not the tail. I want to be first. Not last.

Jesus demonstrated the idea. When the 5000 men plus women and children listened to him teach, he was in a position to take charge. The people wanted him to be their king. The disciples were ready to follow him on a charge to Jerusalem to take over. They even argued among themselves about who would sit at his right and at his left as he ruled as king. Instead, he quietly served. Literally. He collected some bread and fish, blessed it, broke it and served it to the multitude.

He shunned the idea if being a king, opting instead to serve in every situation. He both spoke and demonstrated the idea, “The first shall be last.”

It goes against our human nature to seek to serve. Yet, Jesus points to service as the path to true greatness.