Year B
\u00a0Isaiah 53:4-12
\u00a0Psalm 91:9-16
\u00a0Hebrews 5:1-10
\u00a0Mark 10:35-45<\/p>\n\n\n\n
May the words of my mouth O God\u2026 speak your truth\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Michael Hegeman\u2026 who is the Preaching Professor at Princeton Theological Seminary\u2026 wrote\u2026 that scripture itself\u2026 is God’s divine condescension to human language… and human capacity… to know more about the mysteries of God\u2026 when we speak of God\u2026 our words gesture toward divine reality through the mode of metaphor\u2026 parable\u2026 and simile<\/em>\u2026 what this means\u2026 is that we struggle to understand words and ideas which point to transcendent\u2026 to ephemeral and wordless realities beyond our own…<\/p>\n\n\n\n And what we have in today’s reading from Hebrews\u2026 is a comparison between human High Priests… and the one Divine High Priest\u2026 and its author uses a form of comparison called the chiasmus\u2026 which uses the pattern\u2026 A, B, C, D, E\u2026 E, D, C, B, A\u2026 and symmetrical patterns like these are found in ancient literature\u2026 like the epic poetry of the Iliad and the Odyssey\u2026 and biblical writers used them\u2026 to highlight details which they felt were particularly important\u2026 <\/p>\n\n\n\n The human high priest is chosen from the clan of Aaron… is put in charge of things pertaining to God… offers gifts and sacrifices for sins… deals gently with the wayward… is not himself above weakness… and doesn’t presume to take this honor upon himself\u2026 but is called by God to serve in that role\u2026 <\/p>\n\n\n\n The divine priest\u2026 does not glorify himself\u2026 but is chosen by God\u2026 learned obedience through human suffering\u2026 relates to the weakness of others\u2026 offered prayers of supplication… became the source of eternal salvation… and is designated as a high priest by God\u2026 according to the order of Melchizedek\u2026 <\/p>\n\n\n\n But where we can get tripped up\u2026 where we can mislead ourselves\u2026 is in v. 5… where the author uses the phrase so also\u2026 this phrase can sound to our modern ears as though the author is comparing apples to apples\u2026 but that would be a mistake… one of these things is not like the Other\u2026 and the comparison doesn’t do justice to anything that happens on earth\u2026 and what relates to God\u2026 our earthly reality pales in the light of who God is… and what God does on our behalf\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n And the disciples had the same kind of difficulty understanding what Jesus was talking about\u2026 today’s Gospel is the last part of a three-part cycle in Mark\u2026 Jesus predicts his rejection and vindication three times\u2026 the disciples reject or misunderstand his words three times\u2026 and Jesus corrects these mistakes three times with teachings about genuine discipleship\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n In Mark 8:33\u2026 Jesus had just said to Peter\u2026 Get behind me Satan<\/em>\u2026 because Peter didn’t want to believe that Jesus would be killed\u2026 and in Mark 9:34\u2026 the disciples had just been arguing about who was greatest\u2026 and when Jesus called them on it\u2026 they got all sheepish and quiet\u2026 and now\u2026 James and John\u2026 who were among the first disciples Jesus called… who with Peter\u2026 were invited by Jesus to witness events no one else saw\u2026 the raising Jairus’ daughter\u2026 the Transfiguration\u2026 with Moses and Elijah on Jesus’ right and left\u2026 and after that\u2026 they probably felt full of themselves\u2026 because James and John now come to Jesus and say… Teacher\u2026 we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n It sounds like the promise King Herod make to Herodias after she danced\u2026 Ask me for whatever you wish\u2026 and I will give it<\/em>\u2026 Jesus says… I’m going to die<\/em>\u2026 and they’re like\u2026 Hey\u2026 can we sit on your right and on your left\u2026 <\/em>and their request is so outrageous\u2026 that when Matthew tells this story\u2026 he has their mother come and make the same request on their behalf\u2026 as mothers will do\u2026 but when the other disciples hear about their request\u2026 they argued\u2026 after all\u2026 none of them wanted to be left out of all the glory either\u2026 and speaking about mothers\u2026 at a gathering my family once attended at the National Cathedral\u2026 my very own mother asked the Bishop of the Diocese of Washington\u2026 if he had a job for me\u2026 I was mortified\u2026 but he was very gracious and kind\u2026 and suggested that I call his office\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n The disciples had been having some very bad days\u2026 that’s why it was so difficult for them to understand what Jesus meant when he talked about servant leadership\u2026 like us\u2026 they not only wanted to hold on to what they knew\u2026 they wanted to be taken care of\u2026 not take care of others\u2026 they wanted to feel special\u2026 not feel like the least or the last\u2026 they wanted to get the best seats at the game\u2026 at the concert\u2026 in Heaven\u2026 without having to wait in line\u2026 <\/p>\n\n\n\n So how do we get our heads around servant leadership\u2026 how can we understand that putting ourselves last actually puts us first\u2026 in a spiritually and psychologically healthy way\u2026 last week we heard about the rich man who wanted to know what he had to do to inherit eternal life\u2026 he didn’t like Jesus’ answer\u2026 <\/p>\n\n\n\n And so as we begin our stewardship season\u2026 we need to begin to think about\u2026 and talk about\u2026 the support of our parishes \/ this parish in a new way\u2026 we need to understand that coming in first\u2026 doesn’t of necessity also mean withholding our time\u2026 talent\u2026 and treasure\u2026 we need to correct the notion that we lose something paramount\u2026 by sharing of ourselves and our resources\u2026 of and by itself\u2026 money isn’t evil\u2026 but idolizing it can be\u2026 idolizing it can keep us from the kind of growth into which God invites us\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n We can then more easily understand… as our reading from Hebrews shows\u2026 that the abiding love and deep connection that God wants for us far exceeds this human experience\u2026 and I believe that when we experience this deep connection with God\u2026 when we know in our heads AND our hearts\u2026 that this love and care is everlasting\u2026 that it’s not something that can be consumed by moths or rust… or stolen by thieves\u2026 money becomes one of those things that we can more easily share with grateful hearts\u2026 as we are grounded in God’s love\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jesus asked James and John if they could drink from the same cup as he\u2026 and be baptized with the same baptism\u2026 they assured him that they could\u2026 and he assured them that they would\u2026 but even Jesus asked that if possible\u2026 that the cup be taken from him\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n And although the historical record can’t verify John’s martyrdom\u2026 it’s pretty clear that James was martyred in about 44 A.D. by order of King Herod Agrippa I of Judea\u2026 <\/p>\n\n\n\n and Jesus’ rebuke is meant to be a reminder to us\u2026 that we should not pin our hopes for salvation on those people… or those things… which cannot bear the weight of our expectations… because any human being who is a self-appointed savior\u2026 or anything onto which we project the power to save us\u2026 like money\u2026 is going to be a disappointment\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Year B\u00a0Isaiah 53:4-12\u00a0Psalm 91:9-16\u00a0Hebrews 5:1-10\u00a0Mark 10:35-45 May the words of my mouth O God\u2026 speak your truth\u2026 Michael Hegeman\u2026 who is the Preaching Professor at Princeton Theological Seminary\u2026 wrote\u2026 that scripture itself\u2026 is God’s divine condescension to human language… and human capacity… to know more about the mysteries of God\u2026 when we speak of God\u2026 our words gesture toward divine reality through the mode of metaphor\u2026 parable\u2026 and simile\u2026 what this means\u2026 is that we struggle to understand words and ideas which point to transcendent\u2026 to ephemeral and wordless realities beyond our own… And what we have in today’s reading from Hebrews\u2026 is a comparison between human High Priests… and the one Divine High Priest\u2026 and its author uses a form of comparison called the chiasmus\u2026 which uses the pattern\u2026 A, B, C, D, E\u2026 E, D, C, B, A\u2026 and symmetrical patterns like these are found in ancient literature\u2026 like the epic poetry of the Iliad and the Odyssey\u2026 and biblical writers used them\u2026 to highlight details which they felt were particularly important\u2026 The human high priest is chosen from the clan of Aaron… is put in charge of things pertaining to God… offers gifts and sacrifices for sins… deals gently with the wayward… is not himself above weakness… and doesn’t presume to take this honor upon himself\u2026 but is called by God to serve in that role\u2026 The divine priest\u2026 does not glorify himself\u2026 but is chosen by God\u2026 learned obedience through human suffering\u2026 relates to the weakness of others\u2026 offered prayers of supplication… became the source of eternal salvation… and is designated as a high priest by God\u2026 according to the order of Melchizedek\u2026 But where we can get tripped up\u2026 where we can mislead ourselves\u2026 is in v. 5… where the author uses the phrase so also\u2026 this phrase can sound to our modern ears as though the author is comparing apples to apples\u2026 but that would be a mistake… one of these things is not like the Other\u2026 and the comparison doesn’t do justice to anything that happens on earth\u2026 and what relates to God\u2026 our earthly reality pales in the light of who God is… and what God does on our behalf\u2026 And the disciples had the same kind of difficulty understanding what Jesus was talking about\u2026 today’s Gospel is the last part of a three-part cycle in Mark\u2026 Jesus predicts his rejection and vindication three times\u2026 the disciples reject or misunderstand his words three times\u2026 and Jesus corrects these mistakes three times with teachings about genuine discipleship\u2026 In Mark 8:33\u2026 Jesus had just said to Peter\u2026 Get behind me Satan\u2026 because Peter didn’t want to believe that Jesus would be killed\u2026 and in Mark 9:34\u2026 the disciples had just been arguing about who was greatest\u2026 and when Jesus called them on it\u2026 they got all sheepish and quiet\u2026 and now\u2026 James and John\u2026 who were among the first disciples Jesus called… who with Peter\u2026 were invited by Jesus to witness events no one else saw\u2026 the raising Jairus’ daughter\u2026 the Transfiguration\u2026 with Moses and Elijah on Jesus’ right and left\u2026 and after that\u2026 they probably felt full of themselves\u2026 because James and John now come to Jesus and say… Teacher\u2026 we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you\u2026 It sounds like the promise King Herod make to Herodias after she danced\u2026 Ask me for whatever you wish\u2026 and I will give it\u2026 Jesus says… I’m going to die\u2026 and they’re like\u2026 Hey\u2026 can we sit on your right and on your left\u2026 and their request is so outrageous\u2026 that when Matthew tells this story\u2026 he has their mother come and make the same request on their behalf\u2026 as mothers will do\u2026 but when the other disciples hear about their request\u2026 they argued\u2026 after all\u2026 none of them wanted to be left out of all the glory either\u2026 and speaking about mothers\u2026 at a gathering my family once attended at the National Cathedral\u2026 my very own mother asked the Bishop of the Diocese of Washington\u2026 if he had a job for me\u2026 I was mortified\u2026 but he was very gracious and kind\u2026 and suggested that I call his office\u2026 The disciples had been having some very bad days\u2026 that’s why it was so difficult for them to understand what Jesus meant when he talked about servant leadership\u2026 like us\u2026 they not only wanted to hold on to what they knew\u2026 they wanted to be taken care of\u2026 not take care of others\u2026 they wanted to feel special\u2026 not feel like the least or the last\u2026 they wanted to get the best seats at the game\u2026 at the concert\u2026 in Heaven\u2026 without having to wait in line\u2026 So how do we get our heads around servant leadership\u2026 how can we understand that putting ourselves last actually puts us first\u2026 in a spiritually and psychologically healthy way\u2026 last week we heard about the rich man who wanted to know what he had to do to inherit eternal life\u2026 he didn’t like Jesus’ answer\u2026 And so as we begin our stewardship season\u2026 we need to begin to think about\u2026 and talk about\u2026 the support of our parishes \/ this parish in a new way\u2026 we need to understand that coming in first\u2026 doesn’t of necessity also mean withholding our time\u2026 talent\u2026 and treasure\u2026 we need to correct the notion that we lose something paramount\u2026 by sharing of ourselves and our resources\u2026 of and by itself\u2026 money isn’t evil\u2026 but idolizing it can be\u2026 idolizing it can keep us from the kind of growth into which God invites us\u2026 We can then more easily understand… as our reading from Hebrews shows\u2026 that the abiding love and deep connection that God wants for us far exceeds this human experience\u2026 and I believe that when we experience this deep connection with God\u2026 when we know in our heads AND our hearts\u2026 that this love and care is everlasting\u2026 that it’s not something that can be […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[17,16],"class_list":["post-1385","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sermons","tag-servant-leadership","tag-servanthood"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/twochurches.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1385","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/twochurches.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/twochurches.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/twochurches.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/twochurches.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1385"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/twochurches.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1385\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1386,"href":"https:\/\/twochurches.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1385\/revisions\/1386"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/twochurches.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1385"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/twochurches.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1385"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/twochurches.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1385"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}