Year B Proper 24 2024 A New Way of Leading

 Year B Proper 24, 20 October 2024

St. James the Less Episcopal, Ashland, VA

“A New Way of Leading”

Collect:

Almighty and everlasting God, in Christ you have revealed your glory among the nations: Preserve the works of your mercy, that your Church throughout the world may persevere with steadfast faith in the confession of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Hebrews 5:1-10

Every high priest chosen from among mortals is put in charge of things pertaining to God on their behalf, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He is able to deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is subject to weakness; and because of this he must offer sacrifice for his own sins as well as for those of the people. And one does not presume to take this honor, but takes it only when called by God, just as Aaron was.

So also Christ did not glorify himself in becoming a high priest, but was appointed by the one who said to him,

“You are my Son,

today I have begotten you”;

as he says also in another place,

“You are a priest forever,

according to the order of Melchizedek.”

In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered; and having been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him, having been designated by God a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.

Mark 10:35-45

James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to Jesus and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” And he said to them, “What is it 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. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” They replied, “We are able.” Then Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.”

When the ten heard this, they began to be angry with James and John. So Jesus called them and said to them, “You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.”

When my children were young, they would often come to me and say something like, “Dad, will you make me a promise?” or “Dad, can you keep a secret?”

They were sincere, they truly wanted me to do something, but it was obvious something big, at least to them, because they would ask for commitment on my end before they would disclose what it is they were asking for.

Now, I am no fool, and I could see through their ruse, or their sincere desire, and I would say that I could not promise before I knew what it was they were asking for.

Sometimes it was something as simple as ice cream before dinner, and then I would have to say no. Sometimes it was something bigger, and the answer was still, probably, no.

But it is not limited to children. When I have someone come into my office in a pastoral session, and ask, “Father Rock, can I share a confidence with you?” And with another adult I will have to say, “You have my confidence, but if it is something about causing harm to self or others, future or past tense, I will have to share that for your or their safety.” But I will also assure them that no matter what it is, we can walk through it together.

There is nothing new about this approach, asking for a commitment before disclosing all the facts. We even have laws about things like this, realtors or used car salesmen. If they know something, especially something bad they have to disclose it.

James and John come asking him to agree to do them an honor/favor, and Jesus being wise does not commit until he knows what they are asking of him. And when they do mention what they want, he tells them openly that they do not know what they are asking of him. They may want the honor, but they are absolutely clueless about the price that their request demands.

Like with my kids, sometimes what they are asking about was more than they could handle.

Corrie Ten Boom was a child of a family who helped hide Jews during the persecution of the Nazis in the Netherlands. Her famous book, The Hiding Place, was a deeply moving account of how her family put love first and the price they paid for love. If you have never read it I highly encourage it, and if you ever find yourself in Haarlem, the Netherlands, you should visit the museum they made of her family home.

In her book, though, she shares an account of her early childhood, when she and her father were taking a train trip. She was very young, and while she was standing on the platform, asks her dad, “What is sex?” She had probably heard the word from adults talking. The dad was smart, though. And said, “You would like to know that, eh? Well then, pick up my suitcase and we can go over there to the bench and talk about it.”

“But Father,” she said, “it is too heavy for me! I cannot pick it up!”

“Then trust me, dear one, what you are asking of me is too much for you to carry, for now anyway. One day you can, and I will talk with you about it, but for now, do not worry about it and let it go. It is too much for you to carry.”

Jesus knew that what was being asked of him was too much for James and John to carry, and it is not even Jesus’ call. One day we may see who were the greatest in the Kingdom of God, but I think if we ever do, I doubt we will have known their names here on Earth. They were such servants that they were lost in obscurity, but not with God.

The other apostles were obviously a little flummoxed by the hubris of James and John to even ask this. They were blatantly seeing themselves over and above the rest of the apostles. But Jesus uses this as a teachable moment, and an opportunity to recast their understanding of how things in his kingdom will be.

Like all the ways Jesus turns things on its head, his way of leading is the same. He flips the tables in the Temple. The Last shall be First, and the First shall be Last. Over and over and over again, he does the thing least expected. There will be the Great Reversal. What he says to his apostles is no different…

“You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.”

That was Jesus. The Servant Leader. The Suffering Servant. The Wounded Healer. The Christ. Jesus brought in a new model, leadership based on service and lifting up the lowly, and from that a community of those called out of the normal way of doing things. The word we use for Church, ekklesia, means “the called out ones.” We have been called out of the world’s way of leading and being a community, and to follow Christ’s example of humbling ourselves and serving one another.

On the night before he died, he took off his robe, wrapped a towel around himself and washed his disciples’ feet. He had one last chance to make his message sink in a dramatic and unforgettable way. He sat at the head of the table as their master and teacher, and before he did that, he knelt at their feet and served them all. And think on this, he was such a loving example of service he washed Judas Iscariot’s feet, too. The one bound to betray him, he served him, too.

That is the type of Servant Leader Jesus was, even to one who resented or despised him, he blessed and served. That is a love beyond comprehension. That is a love that can change the world. That is Grace.

And Jesus did not stop serving us when his earthly ministry was over and he ascended. He, according to our Hebrews reading, serves us still. He is a High Priest in the Order of Melchizedek. That’s who we have going to bat for us. 

Jesus is there, sitting at the right hand of God, pleading, interceding, begging, cajoling, sympathizing with us and our honest prayers of need and hope. And he earned that position, even though it was his by rights, through his laying down of his life on our behalf.

He paid the dues that only he could pay, and in that position he argues on our behalf. What a wonderful and beautiful thought. But Hebrews goes on…

“Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered; and having been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him, having been designated by God a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.”

What of the Order of Melchizedek? Abram, before he was renamed Abraham, met the priestly king of Salem and offered him a tithe of the spoils he had just won in battle and Melchiedek shared bread and wine with him. This is seen as a forerunner of the Eucharist and of Christ. The name Melchizedek means “the King of Righteousness.” And he was a priest of El Elyon, the Most High God. This is Melchiedek, and his priestly order is what Jesus represents: Priest & King. Together: Holy and Regal.

I find it fascinating that the scholars who put together today’s Lectionary reading with our Gospel reading. Here, in the Gospel, Jesus is asked about his role as the Divine Messiah, but James and John did not know what was to happen, the suffering, the death, the resurrection. They wanted the honors without the work, without the sacrifice. They were clueless about all that. But this happens before Jesus’ “time.” He has not yet ascended because he has not yet been lifted up. He is the Priestly King, but a vast majority do not see him that way yet. The Suffering Servant image of the Messiah was not yet comprehended, much less espoused.

Friends, our yearly theme was shared and unpacked at Shrine Mont for those on the retreat. I trust those here saw the new banner in the Narthex.

In a time of division and fear, we need to follow the biblical mandate to “Fear Not!”

In a time when there are arguments over how to go and who we should be, we need to remember Whose we are, and that defines Who we are. We are called to Arise and Shine. We are called to let people see our good works and give glory to God in heaven. We are called to be a city shining on a hill. We are called to be salt to a bland and tasteless existence. 

Fear Not, Arise and Shine. Not to glorify ourselves, but to humbly serve and make a difference where we can. As Mother Teresa said, “Not all of us can do great things, but we can do small things with great love.”

Friends, it is time to Shine. In our small interactions, and the big. And all of our actions, can collectively change this part of our world, which can change the world as a whole. As we take on Jesus’ way of leading and stepping out in faith, remember:

Fear Not! Arise & Shine! Amen