Important Feature
Glory to God in the Highest, and on earth peace, to people of good will. We praise You, we bless You, we worship You, we glorify You, we give You thanks for Your great glory, Lord God, heavenly King, Almighty God and Father; Lord Jesus Christ, only-Begotten Son of the Father: and You, O Holy Spirit. Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father: You take away the sins of the world: have mercy on us. You are seated at the right hand of the Father: receive our prayer. For You alone are the Holy One, You alone are the Lord, You alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father. Amen.
I Want to Sit There!
Homily of His Eminence, Archbishop Stephen
For Sunday, March 23/April 5, 2009
The Fifth Sunday of Great Lent
St. Mary of Egypt
(Mark 10:32-45)
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Today’s Gospel presents us with some very interesting topics for consideration and reflection. One of the most poignant deals, believe it or not, with ministry, specifically, the ministry of service.
Too often we equate ministry with simply celebrating the Divine Services, administering the Holy Mysteries and preaching sermons. These things most certainly have their place in the body of Christ, but we need to understand that leadership is so much more than visibility.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus presented His disciples with a new model for ministry. It's the model He followed, and it's the model He expects us to follow. Today we'll look at how to do that.
This story begins with Jesus telling His disciples about His impending death. He says that He will be mocked, beaten, spat upon and killed. And then Jesus tells them that He will be raised on the third day. At this moment, James and John take the opportunity to ask a favor of Jesus.
“Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him and said to Him, “Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask of You.” And He said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?” And they said to Him, “Grant us to sit, one at Your right hand and one at Your left, in Your glory.” But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking.”
Now, at first glance, this sounds pretty arrogant on the part of James and John. So much so, that the other disciples became quite upset and indignant at hearing them ask this favor of Jesus. But, let's not be too quick to judge James and John for being insensitive and selfishly ambitious. In fact, I'll tell you something. As a priest and bishop, especially as bishop, there have been times when I have wished I had a few James and Johns on my team. Most clergy I know feel the same way. These guys had some good things going for them. Think about it.
They were men of vision. Jesus had just told them that He was going to Jerusalem to die. He also told them that He would be raised again on the third day. The part about Jesus dying didn't phase James and John, but the part about Him being raised from the dead captured their imagination. They knew who He was; they understood that He was God's chosen Messiah. They believed that He would one day rule all of creation. They had tremendous faith in Jesus. And they realized they were in on the ground floor, so to speak. They wanted to be key players in His administration.
What if you could go back in time to the mid-1970s, and you were able to locate this nerdy looking kid who had just flunked out of Harvard, and you could say to him: "Bill Gates, I believe you're going places. I want to be on your team." Or what if you could go back a few more years and find a nerdy looking guy who's fascinated with science fiction stories, and you could say to him: "George Lucas, I think you have talent for making movies. I want to work with you." Imagine how easy it would be to ride their coattails to success.
In the same way, just about every priest I know would be thrilled to have a couple of guys come along and say, "We think you're the next Rick Warren, we think this church could be the next Saddleback, we want to be part of your success." By the way, isn’t it pretty sad that I have to use Rick Warren as an example of a successful pastor and evangelist? Isn’t it sad that there are no Orthodox counterparts to someone like Rick Warren who can plant and grow flourishing communities and ministries like he does? But truth be told, we simply do not have anyone in the Orthodox Church who has such an international following and awareness, at least from a church planting and building perspective and evangelical vision perspective. Next to the Pope, Rick Warren is probably the most internationally known Christian minister in the world. Good, bad or indifferent, the guy is in your face with numerous books, television ministries and so-called “mega-churches” throughout the world. He is a phenomenon and has achieved a high level of success, notoriety and power, whether you agree with what he does or not.
This is similar to what James and John saw in Jesus, except, obviously, on a much grander scale. They understood who Jesus was and they wanted to be a part of it. They were men of vision.
They were also willing to pay the price. Jesus asked them plainly, "Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?" He was using colloquial phrases that meant: Are you willing and able to suffer with Me? They quickly answered, "Yes we are." They weren't just blowing smoke; they did, in fact, suffer for the kingdom of God. John was boiled in oil and exiled to the island of Patmos; James was murdered by Herod. These men paid a price for their allegiance to Jesus, so when they told Jesus that they were willing to suffer, they meant it.
Once again, just about every pastor I know would love for a couple of energetic workers to come along and say, "We know that building a great ministry for the glory of God takes hard work and sacrifice and we're willing to do it. We'll put in the extra hours; we'll give till it hurts; we'll be there when you need us. We'll pay the price." That's what James and John said to Jesus, and they meant it.
Another good thing about James and John is that they weren't afraid of being unpopular. Mark says that when the other disciples heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. Why were they indignant? Some scholars say it was because they were irritated that James and John beat them to the punch.
In the previous chapter of Mark, Jesus asked the disciples what they had been arguing about on the road. Mark wrote, "But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest." (Mark 9:34)
Apparently this was an ongoing debate among the twelve: who was the best, who was the greatest, who was the most committed, and who was the favorite. They discussed these things among themselves, but James and John were the first to be bold enough and come right out and ask for a position of prominence. It's like they were saying to Jesus, "We'll let those 'also-rans' bicker among themselves while the three of us get down to serious business."
Again, almost every pastor I know, and certainly every businessman, appreciates having a few players on the team who have enough confidence and commitment to separate themselves from the crowd and try to make a name for themselves.
James and John were what most people would consider ideal leaders. You could build a successful business with guys like them, but Jesus wanted to make it clear that their type of leadership doesn't work in the kingdom of God. That's because, in spite of all the good things they had going for them, there were some serious flaws in their approach.
This is an important distinction. Jesus didn't scold them for wanting to be great. He just corrected them for going about it the wrong way. Desiring to achieve greatness in the kingdom of God is good, but there's only one way to get there. You must become a servant. That's what Jesus said. “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be the slave of all.”
Jesus says that greatness isn't measured by position or power or prestige or influence or income or anything else. Most pastors and businessmen would love to have workers like James and John — people with vision, ready to pay the price, willing to stand up and be counted — but we would love even more to have men and women on our team who are determined to achieve greatness —and nothing less — according to the standard set by Jesus.
As Orthodox Christians, we want to learn to live, love and lead like Jesus did. Jesus said, "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve."
For the next few minutes we'll take a look at what it means to be servant. I can sum it up for you in just a few words. If you want to be great in the kingdom of God, you must spend your life focusing on what you give, not what you get. Here are three ways this applies to our lives.
First of all, being a servant means you must be willing to work without a guarantee. James and John tried to negotiate a good deal for themselves. They said, "We'll share your vision, we'll pay the price, we'll do the work, and in return, we want the recognition we deserve." Jesus said, in effect, "It doesn't work that way." He told them, "You will pay a price, but I can't promise you a position of power or prestige; that's not up to me."
Every person who wants to achieve greatness in the kingdom of God must let go of the desire for recognition, because most of the time, most people who serve God never get the recognition they deserve — not in this life. As we speak there is a multitude of committed believers quietly giving 100% of themselves to the work of God, faithfully performing their ministries with a spirit of excellence, and we'll never know who they are.
There are congregations being served by dedicated priests who live in poverty and danger, and no one really knows about them. There are missionaries who have dedicated their lives to easing the suffering of the poorest of the poor in the slums of some of the poorest cities in the third world, and their work often gets overlooked. Even here in America, there are leaders in the church who put in long hours, who sacrifice their time and resources so that others can have a chance to respond to the gospel of Jesus Christ, who give all they have to give and then give some more — and their contributions go virtually unnoticed. For every bishop, priest, monk or nun who becomes a best-selling author; world renowned speaker or singer; or internationally recognized environmental advocate, there are tens of thousands more whose work is never noticed beyond the boundaries of their local community.
It may not seem fair, but that's the way it is. And that's the way it needs to be. If you need the recognition of men and women to keep you motivated in doing God’s work, you're not yet cut out for greatness. As long as you're focusing on "What's in it for me" you can't be an effective servant of Jesus Christ, because a servant focuses on what he's able to give, not what he's able to get. If you want to be great in God's kingdom, you've got to be willing to serve faithfully — even when there's no applause forthcoming.
Secondly, being a servant means you must be willing to pay the price. Jesus told James and John that they would suffer. He said, "You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with." They understood His meaning: this is not an easy road that lays before you. People who want to achieve greatness in the kingdom need to understand that there is a price to be paid. 1 Peter says, “Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude.”(1 Peter 4:1)
Many times we look at successful people and we see only the rewards they receive. Professional athletes are a good example; these guys make a ton of money. The media love to talk about their inflated salaries, but rarely do they show us the price these men pay for their wealth: the rigorous training they put themselves through, the fierce competition, the brutality of the game, the fact they will certainly get banged up and that they are expected to keep playing in spite of their physical pain — and on top of that, when they don't perform to the satisfaction of the fans, they get booed and called all kinds of names. Most people aren't cut out for that kind of punishment; they wouldn't last a week in professional sports. I know I wouldn't.
It's often the same way in ministry. I've been close enough to a couple of well-known priests and bishops to know their jobs aren't for the faint of heart. On the surface it looks so appealing: they speak to large crowds, everyone seems to love them — but they also pay a price. They spend less time with their families than they would like. They spend more time alone on the road than they would like. They endure more criticism than they deserve, and every aspect of their lives is put under a microscope. Most priests I know couldn't take the pressure.
Let’s go back to Rick Warren for a minute. There are websites that exist to warn the public of the dangers of his teaching. There are websites — sponsored by ostensibly Christian ministries — that mock his appearance and sneer at his wife's struggle with cancer. That's bound to sting no matter how many books you sell.
Everyone that I know who has made a serious commitment to a life of service in the Church has had to suffer in the process. It's part of the package. Some suffer persecution, some suffer poverty, some suffer criticism and disloyalty — but we all have a price to pay. Jesus said, "A student is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master." (Matthew 10:24) He also said, "Men will hate you because of me." (Luke 21:17)
It's not fair, but it's the way it is. If you want to be great, suffering is part of the package. There's a price to pay. But we don't think about the price, because a servant doesn't focus on what he gets, a servant focuses on what he's able to give.
Thirdly, being a servant means you must be committed to meeting the needs of others. In verse 42, Jesus said to His disciples, "You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all."
Some people want to lead because they want to be boss. Some people want to lead because they want to help others. A friend of mine tells a story about being on the playground at recess when he was a young boy, and he and his friends were trying to decide which game to play. One boy said, "Let's play this game." My friend thought about it for a minute and said, "No, that game will leave some people out. Let's play this other game so that everyone can be involved." That's what good leaders do: They consider the needs of everyone when taking leadership action.
Jesus talked about how the "Gentile" rulers used their position of authority to push people around — to get them to do what they wanted them to do. Their idea of leadership was to have many people serving them in whatever way they desired. They associated leadership with power and control. Jesus said it's not that way; in the Church, you lead people to the kingdom of God by working on their behalf.
If you want an easy life, don't strive to be a leader, and don't aspire to greatness. Easy living and greatness are mutually exclusive. In order to become great, you must become a servant. That means that your focus is directed to what you are able to give to others, not what you are able to get from others.
I want you to realize that Jesus doesn't criticize the ambition of James and John in this passage, he just redirects it. We shouldn't turn our back on the idea of having ambition, we just need to have the right kind of ambition. Greatness is something every believer should aspire to achieve — but we must go about it God's way. God's way is that you become great by serving others, not by having others serve you.
We need leaders in the Church, in this parish and in the Archdiocesan Church, leaders who are eager to do great things for the glory of God. That means that we need leaders who are focused on what they give, not what they get — leaders who are willing to serve without recognition when necessary, who are willing to sacrifice and pay the price when necessary, and who are willing to put the needs of others first. May God fill you with a desire to be that kind of leader.
Amen.