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READ: Mark 9:33
CHALLENGE: Stay Humble
A. HUMILITY STARTS IN YOUR THINKING
Vv33-35 – They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” 34 But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest. 35 Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.”
They debated amongst themselves who was the greatest. As Jesus contemplated the humble sacrifice of his very life, they contemplated their personal greatness and argued about who was the best among them. The word “argue” could mean to debate or discuss or battle it out verbally.
Reminds me of my bickering ways growing up. The first time my wife threw the football around myself and my brothers, she could hardly believe her ears. We argued about everything. When we were children, a missionary family came to visit us. We took them out in the back yard to play some football. Soon they were off to the side crying. Why were they crying? Our bickering! I definitely grew up knowing how to argue.
Whether a debate, argument, or discussion, there were 12 grown men having a discussion about who is the greatest. “Great” here is used as in consideration of rank and dignity. I’m more important than you are! I’m higher, better, more important. This was culture seeping into their thinking and making it of something important.
How did that conversation go? Hey, I’m better than you are. Shut up – you are not! You were saying stupid stuff on the Mount of Transfiguration. Well, you couldn’t even cast out a demon. Demons fear me! I’ve caught more fish than any of you. I’m the greatest in the kingdom. I’m better looking! I’m smarter. I have more money. I’m the favored one. All the important things that we make important.
(trans) Let’s look at some great ways to think.
- It’s Not About Being Better
This starts young. My dad can beat up your dad. My mom can take your mom. I’m the best. He who dies with the most toys wins. However, it’s not about being better. I like how Paul describes the body of Christ and says that all parts are important.
1 Corinthians 12:15-20 – Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
Every part of the body is important. You wouldn’t have a body if every part were the same part. So, it’s not about being better, it’s about being a part. And then using your abilities to build the body of Christ.
1 Corinthians 12:7 – Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.
Remember, you don’t have to be the best, you have to do your best. This impacts our expectations of church and of children and of co-workers. I don’t expect perfection out of anyone, but let’s work to do our best.
Remember it with children too. I’ve never expected mine to be the best, or better than others. I just want you to do your best. Be as good as you can be for the Lord.
We might be tempted to think it with churches as well. My church is better than your church. This kind of thing drove me nuts when we were a small church because I didn’t understand what was wrong with us. We were helping people.
Our job has never been to be better than other churches. Why? It’s not a competition.
- It’s Not a Competition
It’s not about who makes the better cookies or makes the most money or is the best at a certain game. However, in our pride, it’s easy to point out how much we got done or that we did better. Let’s complement each other rather than compete. Each of you has unique gifts. My wife is a way better singer than I am. She’s better at word games and a host of other things.
Ecclesiastes says that so much of life and accomplishment is done out of envy for neighbors. Ecclesiastes 4:4 – And I saw that all toil and all achievement spring from one person’s envy of another. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
I love Solomon, so much in life happens because you’re keeping up with the Jones’ and it doesn’t matter. Why? It’s not a competition.
- Let’s Not Compare Ourselves to Others
Comparison is a path to pride. It’s also a path to misery. Us comparing ourselves to others would be like ants trying to determine who the top ant is. You’re still an ant. I’m the best worm there is! Look at me! I’m king of the worms! Impressive! You may still wind up on a hook!
It’s easy to compare ourselves to other people but that’s unwise because we’re uniquely gifted. You are uniquely made.
Psalm 139:13-14 – For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
You’re knit together specifically by the hand of God and you’re designed for a special purpose. You have your own unique giftedness. Sure, you can’t do what someone else can do, but you can probably do things that they cannot. And you’re who God made you to be.
While, you might look at someone and wish you could sing as well as they could. Or teach like them. Or have the money they have. Or the smarts they have. Or have the position they have. Be happy with what you have.
We look at people in social media and get jealous or insecure. Stop looking at that stuff. You don’t need to have more to have more happiness. You don’t need to have what someone else has in order to be happy.
- Let Other praise you
Proverbs 27:2 – Let someone else praise you, and not your own mouth; an outsider, and not your own lips.
Let’s be careful of stories where we’re the hero or trying to praise ourselves. I like the leadership where you give the credit and take the blame. That’s our place in the world. Humility gives the praise
(trans) What should I be doing.
B. HUMILITY INCLUDES SERVICE
Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.”
If you want to be first, be willing to put yourself last. What does it mean to be last? We’re not seeking position or prominence. It’s not about the title. It’s not about status. We put others first!
For instance, I don’t have to be first in line! Moms do this all the time because they put their needs last. I have found that grandmothers work hard as well. And while you’re putting yourself last, that means that you’re putting someone else first.
When you’re last, you don’t need the spotlight, you can sit back and hand the lead to another.
And as the last in line, we’re the servant of all. That puts everyone as more important than us. Isn’t that what this is saying? Everyone else is more important. I remember what low man on the totem pole meant at work when I was young. I did every job that everyone else hated but I made it my specialty. And it paid off because that winter I got married, I was the only temporary worker that they kept over.
In context, that’s an interesting concept because you’re the servant of all people and that puts all ahead of you. There is something about doing menial tasks with others that puts you right along with them. It reminds you that you’re all the same and no one is better than anyone else. So pick up a broom, vacuum a rug, or take out the trash.
1 Peter 4:11 – If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.
What is your talent and how can you use it to help other people? Teaching? Helping? Music? Drama?
It seems grand to serve outside of the house but what about the non-glamorous work of pitching in at the house. Guys would take a bullet for our wives but will we pick up our socks? What is the way of things?
I feel like I could do better. I could get my wife a drink instead of her getting me one. But that means you put your mind on others and thinking about them. I have to get back to thinking of them as better than myself. And thinking of them at all. It’s so important to be thinking of other people.
Philippians 2:2-4 – then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
C. HUMILITY INCLUDES ACCEPTING OTHERS
Vv36-37 – He took a little child whom he placed among them. Taking the child 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.”
He took a child in his arms whom he placed among them. The illustration here is a child. Children are cute and special and they need love. But if we adults put on a Christmas show and rang bells and wore sheep costumes, no one is coming. Kids – you can get a full house.
However, I don’t think there would be a children’s program in the day of Jesus. .
“No romanticized notion of children existed in the first century. Children had no power, status, or rights. They were not considered full persons and were regarded as somewhat akin to property. They were dependent, vulnerable, unlearned, and entirely subject to authority of the father. The rabbis classified children with the deaf, the dumb, the weak-minded, and slaves. Nowhere else in this period do we find children appealed to as examples to be imitated. To become as a child basically means to recognize one’s insignificance.”
He uses a child to demonstrate that we need to care about those consider the least. In this story, the child is there either walking or crawling about let’s say. Everyone sees the child and is aware that the child is there. But it’s just a child and it’s not THEIR child so perhaps easy to ignore.
Yet he said, “Whoever welcomes of of these little children in my name, welcomes me. And when you welcome Jesus, you welcome God”. To welcome means to “receive”. We should receive as in value and care for them like Jesus does. It is a reminder to embrace the lowly and vulnerable understanding that doing for them is like doing for God.
This story certainly elevates the importance of children. I appreciate that Jesus elevates the importance of children. All children. I appreciate all those who help out with our children’s ministries such as junior church and Adventure Club and youth group. Jesus says that when we welcome others, we welcome him.
While present at the meeting for Adventure Club North, I listened to volunteers speaking about it. I love hearing the love for children and the desire to build a great club for kids so they can have an opportunity that some of them didn’t have growing up. An opportunity to learn the word of God is vital ministry.
I loved seeing people in the club holding and carrying the children of others as well. That was touching. And you welcome them, you welcome God. I would say that in a normal reading of this passage that children are very important to God. Sometimes it’s easy to forget the mission and what we’re really all about.
- Acceptance Means Taking a Step
Perhaps Jesus is waiting to see if anyone will pick up the child and give comfort or love. No one does, so He does it. Jesus takes a step beyond just seeing the child and he takes the child in his arms. There’s a difference between noticing someone needs help and taking initiative and engaging. Jesus picks up the child and holds him.
As we humbly serve all, we need to go beyond noticing a problem to answering a problem. We don’t just see it, we do something about it. Perhaps this is part of humility.
You make the first move to receive someone. Some of the people who have become a big part of our church are here because someone told them about it. Someone invited them.
As people come into the church, reach past your comfort zone.
- Accepting People Who Can’t Do Anything for You
We need to care for people who can’t pay us back. A child is dependent. The little one is not a boss. No big deal. A little one is not connected.
A child doesn’t have money so there is no way that they can pay you back for your kindness to them. They won’t be praising you or patting you on the back. They cannot return the favor. They’re just glad to have some help along the way.
- Accepting People with Messes
Not everyone is going to have their acts together. I hold my grandchildren a lot. He’s not always clean. I’ve had him sneeze on me and the other day he coughed straight into my face.
The children we will encounter will not always come out of wholesome environments. Will we care for them? I remember one year in our children’s club that we had these boys come in. The one had no idea what grade he was in. We had to call the school to figure out what class they belonged in.
Here’s our chance to truly be the hands and feet of Jesus.
- Acceptance Means Love
But one thing that is true about our little ones is that they are loved. We love our children and we take care of our children. When I’m carrying Riley, I’m showing her around. Communicating. Caring. Snuggling. We are showing love.
Jesus picks up the child and there is a care there. God expects that we will love children and a great reminder as we work with nursery or junior church or youth group or adventure club. It’s a beautiful thing.
We love people too … all people.
- Acceptance Means Taking Responsibility
I think of the fact that we are responsible for people God puts in our path. We can’t always shift the job to someone else. Sometimes we need to take care of others ourselves.
Obviously, the way we treat people is important to God. And perhaps you’re the one to reach out. You’re the one to care about them. You’re the one who makes the difference. It’s so very important.
1 John 3:16-18 – This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.