Sunday Readings: Wisdom 2.12, 17-20, James 3.16—4.3, Mark 9.30-37
Jesus asked his disciples, “What were you arguing about on the way?” They were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. Jesus sat down, called the twelve around him, and said to them, “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.” – Mark 9.33-34
Jesus is teaching his disciples in Sunday’s gospel. They have a lot to learn. In the popular imagination the Son of Man is the human figure the prophet Daniel describes receiving dominion over all nations, all peoples, all languages (Daniel 7.13-14). When Jesus speaks of himself as Son of Man, he claims the title but attaches it to his whole story of suffering, death, and resurrection.
The gospel writer Mark knows Jesus’ whole story but characterizes his disciples in their early pre-Easter confusion about who Jesus is. When Jesus teaches that suffering lies ahead, they don’t understand but find themselves too afraid to ask questions. They resort to familiar territory — petty conversations about status and accomplishments — the world of who is better and who is best, the place where status matters and all else becomes invisible.
Jesus sits down with the twelve to talk about their arguing and turns their aspirations upside down. The first serve the rest. They must abandon the usual benchmarks of accomplishment and acclaim. How like us these early disciples are. Like children who were of far less importance in the Roman world than in ours today, they must be unassuming, the least. In Jesus’ company the invisible becomes visible, servants are first, and those with higher status fade into the background.
Who do you value for their serving of others? How do the children in your life affect what is of greatest and least importance?