On my recent photo trip to Oregon, my goal was to compose a few stunning images of the beautiful landscape that people want to hang up in their home or give as gifts. In reality, there are over a million photos posted everyday on the internet. It is my illusion to imagine that people believe my photos have any artistic value. I humbly have come to accept that I am no Peter Lik, the famous Las Vegas landscape photographer.
The problem is all of us can become slightly delusional at times. When we’ve made up our minds to a position or an idea that comforts us, we’re going to hang on to it like a deer tick on a fat man’s thigh. We’ll argue to the death for something that’s completely insane to others but gives us the sense of security or righteousness we our insecurities crave.
Case in point: the belief held by Jesus’ disciples that their rabbi and leader will one day start a revolution which will overthrow the oppressive occupation of the Roman Empire, elevate the suffering peasants, and put Jesus on the governing throne of Israel where a son of David ought to be. James and John are convinced that Jesus will enter into glory, and they’ll both get cabinet positions in the new administration in recognition of their faithful service to the Messiah. They seem to have missed the point.
An earthly kingdom based on earthly power is not what Jesus is all about. If you worship victory, you are, in some sense, worshiping oppression. If you’re the winner, someone else has to be the loser. If you are dominant, someone else must be subservient. Jesus is pretty clear and he spells it out: “The Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.”
You’d think James and John would’ve figured that out by this time. At this point in Mark’s gospel, Jesus has told these boys no less than four times what his intentions are and how this story is going to play out. Did they get the message? Nope. I don’t think they wanted to get it. The idea of a magnificent earthly kingdom and a fat, juicy reward for the sacrifices they’d made was just too tempting an idea to let go.
Jesus is calling us to deny ourselves and embrace a spirit of love through servanthood. And this servanthood will not carry a guarantee of any earthly reward. Indeed, obedience to Christ and love of our neighbor will be its own reward.
We are called to find a need and fill it, to find a wound and heal it. We are called to follow as Jesus led the way. Think, for example, of the home caregiver who looks after an elderly dementia patient. They do what they do out of love and compassion, even though the object of that love may never recognize the sacrifice or give the slightest hint of gratitude.
These are the things which make us great in the way of Christ: the willingness to see ourselves as vessels of God’s love, and a willingness to relinquish our insane, selfish desire to be dominant. Such a desire only leads us to frustration, anger, and ultimate disappointment.
It took James and John and the other disciples a while to figure out that “the last shall be first” didn’t mean an overthrow of government. It means those who acknowledge their weakness and dependence will know the peace which comes with gratitude to God. Those who are esteemed highly by the world will win no special reward but will take their place in heaven next to the poor, the despised, the infirm, and the lost.
Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends that the invitation to serve means
we do what we do out of love and compassion, even though the object of that love may never recognize the sacrifice or give the slightest hint of gratitude.
