How am I doing compared to you and you and you?

So far this month, we’ve had glimpses of the mind-blowing kingdom that Jesus is inviting us all to be a part of: that new world order where everything is just as it should be. We’ve also had some pointers as to how to enter into this kingdom for ourselves.

Chart depicting the leadership style of transformational leaders

Jesus calls those who follow him and walk in the way of this kingdom ‘his disciples’. In his day, a disciple was anyone who chose to follow a particular religious leader – a rabbi – and walk with them, learn from them, ask questions, listen, discuss…This was already common practice before Jesus came on the scene. In fact, I’ve been reading in That The World May Know how ‘Rabbi’ at that time was a much wider term to describe anyone who you had deep respect for and wanted to learn from – any teacher, master of a craft, wise person – and who you wanted to develop a master-apprentice relationship with, or a guru-student relationship in the Eastern tradition. The Jewish word for this kind of follower was ‘talmid’.

The decision to follow a rabbi as a talmid meant total commitment in the first century as it does today. Since a talmid was totally devoted to becoming like the rabbi he would have spent his entire time listening and observing the teacher to know how to understand the Scripture and how to put it into practice. That The World May Know

These early disciples (not just the twelve Jesus chose to be close to him and travel with him but all who chose to follow his teaching and put it into practice in their own lives) studied Jesus’ life and teaching closely so that they could be more like him. However, Jesus was not just like any other rabbi. He was the Son of God. The stakes were higher here – and still are. Following Jesus has a far greater significance and impact than following any other human guru or prophet or spiritual leader. Have a look at this conversation from John 8 if you want some really straight talking on this!

To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’

They answered him, ‘We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?’

Jesus replied, ‘Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it for ever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. I know you are Abraham’s descendants. Yet you are looking for a way to kill me, because you have no room for my word. I am telling you what I have seen in the Father’s presence, and you are doing what you have heard from your father.’

‘Abraham is our father,’ they answered.

‘If you were Abraham’s children,’ said Jesus, ‘then you would do what Abraham did. As it is, you are looking for a way to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such things. You are doing the works of your own father.’

‘We are not illegitimate children,’ they protested. ‘The only Father we have is God himself.’

Jesus said to them, ‘If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my own; God sent me. Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.’  John 8:31-47

There’s some strong, uncomfortable language in here, isn’t there? Words and phrases like ‘slaves’, ‘sin’, ‘kill’, ‘illegitimate’, ‘the devil’, ‘murderer’, ‘father of lies’ lead to a pretty awkward conversation. Jesus is earnestly trying here to get the Jews he’s talking to to see the truth as it really is. They’ve been resting on their traditions and heritage for far too long. They’re taking their special relationship with the one true God for granted. Their roots are all that matter. They’re better than anyone else simply because of the tradition they were born into.

But this isn’t enough for Jesus. He’s looking for followers who will cling onto his teaching and thereby discover the truth. Those who can break free from the bad habits that lead to death and not to life, those things that separate them from God, those thoughts and actions and attitudes that are holding them back (Jesus has plenty to say about all those things in his teaching and we’ll be coming on to all that next week). Jesus want followers who love him and can hear what he is saying.

He’s speaking the truth, a truth that can set his followers free from all that is binding them. Think of a hot air balloon tethered to the ground by strong ropes of convention, expectation, tradition, ego, greed, fear, rivalry, addiction, lust, insecurity, distrust….Jesus has a blade, the blade of truth, that can cut through all of those ropes and let that balloon soar up into the sky to experience the most exhilarating views and the adventure of a lifetime. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of that?

The small group of named disciples in these gospel accounts are following Jesus. They’re ‘in’. And all is well and good until they start looking around them (which doesn’t take long because they are human and that’s what humans are so often tempted to do, right?). The comparisons take a hold. The doubts and insecurities begin to surface.

Am I doing well enough? Am I Jesus’ favourite? Or are the others getting ahead of me? Does Jesus love them more?

An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest. Luke 9:46

And Jesus’ answer? Get a grip. That’s basically it. Ditch the comparisons and rivalry. He takes a child and challenges them to transform their thinking. Those who consider themselves to be the least will be greatest. Those who are treated as the least will be greatest.

Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. ‘Teacher,’ they said, ‘we want you to do for us whatever we ask.’

‘What do you want me to do for you?’ he asked.

They replied, ‘Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.’  Mark 10:35-37

To these two followers who fall into the trap of thinking of this kingdom as a physical place in which they want to make sure they’re getting the best seats, Jesus says ‘You have no idea what you are talking about’. It sounds pretty ridiculous, even to us right? But think about it? Don’t we ever act out of the same motivation to be recognised, appreciated, celebrated? We want to feel that we belong and that everyone can see that we belong. We want our turn in the limelight or on the pedestal. That’s a completely natural human desire that’s hidden down there within each one of us at times, I suspect.

So where do I belong? What’s my role here? What’s my place in this kingdom?

And to these young men and the other disciples who become indignant when they hear about this conversation, Jesus has to remind them of this truth again (which he’s repeating to us time and time again too, I’m guessing).

Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.’  Mark 10:43-45 

Finally – yes, I know, it’s been a long one today! – that conversation is recorded slightly differently in Matthew’s account in Matthew 20. There, it’s the mother of James and John who’s making this request on behalf of her sons. Some of us wouldn’t ever push ourselves forward but we can totally relate to wanting the best for our kids, right?

It’s the kind of thing a mother would ask.

How are my boys doing? Can you look out for them?

We look out for our children. We want them to have the best opportunities. They deserve it. And if that means pushing other kids aside to get what we want for ours, then so be it. We want that place at the best school. We want that place on the swimming team. We want that Headteacher’s Award. And we’ll use any resources at our disposal (including lying or cheating a little) to get it. Only the best for our child. We put aside any consideration for these other kids and their parents: the only ones who matter to us are our own.

And yet Jesus is saying the same here. The first will be last. The least will be greatest. What a challenge this concept is when it comes to our children. Is this how we’re teaching them to think?

I’ll leave it there.

We’ve encountered some pretty tough questions today.

Let’s take some time to reflect on the particular truth that Jesus is wanting to reveal to us today.