"Last of All and Servant of All" - Mark 9:30-37

Over the last ten years the word, “goat,” has taken on a new meaning.  GOAT is the acronym for greatest of all time.  Simone Biles is the GOAT.  Serena Williams is the GOAT.  And of course, there’s the ongoing debate in basketball: Lebron vs. Jordan - who is the GOAT?  Greatness in our world is often defined as being the best at something; it's associated with being talented, successful, powerful, or wealthy.  As wonderful as being the best may be, it is not how we understand greatness in the Church.

In this week’s text from Mark 9:30-37, Jesus tries to help the disciples understand a new and different notion of greatness.  As the disciples were walking through Galilee one day an argument broke out about which of them was the greatest.  When Jesus learns of the dispute, he calls the disciples to him and tells them that among his followers, “Whoever wants to be first, must be last of all and servant of all.”  To drive home the point, Jesus, the Messiah and Son of God, took a little child into his arms and said, “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.”  

Children, then and now, are among the powerless- they depend on others to take care of them, they have few rights and responsibilities, in terms of power they are among the last.  Yet Jesus not only welcomes the children and embraces them, he tells the disciples that if they are to welcome Him, to welcome God, into their lives they must be sure to welcome the children and the powerless.

As we seek to follow Jesus and be of service to the church, let us remember this standard of greatness.  For us greatness is to be found in humble service.  For us greatness is to be found in welcoming and creating community with the powerless.  May God guide our efforts to seek greatness for this congregation by helping us to truly be of service to all.

Pastor Andrew Greenhaw