From the Daily Lectionary for Monday in the Fifth Week after the Epiphany
Mark 9:30-41
They went on from there and passed through Galilee. He did not want anyone to know it; for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill him, and three days after being killed, he will rise again.” But they did not understand what he was saying and were afraid to ask him.
Then they came to Capernaum; and when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the way?” But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.” Then he took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.”
John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” But Jesus said, “Do not stop him; for no one who does a deed of power in my name will be able soon afterwards to speak evil of me. Whoever is not against us is for us. For truly I tell you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ will by no means lose the reward.”
Again, Mark is at his subversive best. In the ancient Middle East, in the era of empire, “greatness” was the supreme virtue. Kings and nobles erected statues of themselves in public spaces to let the people know of their supremacy. Greatness, of course, was directly related to one’s wealth and therefore their power. Mark’s Gospel is persistent in its proclamation that true greatness is found in sacrifice and service. I remember Frank Griswold, former Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, saying that the United States should reject the idea of being a “super power,” and embrace the posture of “super servant.”
Of course things have not changed over the millennia. We still consider wealth and power supreme virtues. That very thing makes Christianity, at its heart, counter-cultural. It is in fact a dilemma for the modern western church, particularly in a wealthy nation. How do we who have wealth follow Jesus with integrity?
The answer I think is to opt for an impassioned solidarity; recognizing that wealth ultimately serves a greater good; that all that we have comes from God. Whom do we serve? Jesus gives as an example children who were considered the very least in the ancient world. Many children were sold into slavery. Only the eldest son would receive any inheritance. Jesus is making the point that our service is to focus on the least of our world, to claim them within the circle of God’s family in which there is dignity and well-being.
In our common life, in a country hyper-political, some would call such a predisposition “liberal.” I call it Gospel. Some say to support an equitable and progressive tax structure, to require a living wage, to guarantee adequate and affordable healthcare, to take care of the planet upon which we live, to grant equal rights under the law to all, to welcome the immigrant, to rely on thoughtful diplomacy instead of coercion and the threat of violence…. Some say these things are a “liberal agenda.” I say they are the Gospel’s agenda.
Our Baptism demands that we don’t bask in our self-sufficiency. Our Baptism demands that we bring back to the table of plenty the left-out, the marginalized, the abused and the shamed. Jesus reminds us that such a vocation is rewarded in heaven. Brothers and sisters, that reward is not a future fantasy, but a promise for now. Heaven sets its roots in earth, amid our common life. Our wholeness and happiness depend upon the wholeness and happiness of others. That is the alchemy of love. Surely we know that is true. To such a vision surely it is worth giving our lives. What better legacy could there ever be?
A Prayer for the Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany (BCP p. 216)
Set us free, O God, from the bondage of our sins, and give us the liberty of that abundant life which you have made known to us in your Son our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
