God's Last Words

Who’s the Boss? Mark 9: 30-37  (NRSV)

Sam walks into his boss’s office. “Sir, I’ll be straight with you, I know the economy isn’t great, but I have over three companies after me, and I would like to respectfully ask for a raise.” After a few minutes of haggling the boss finally agrees to a 5% raise, and Sam happily gets up to leave. ”By the way”, asks the boss as Sam is getting up, “which three companies are after you?” “The electric company, the water company, and the phone company,” Sam replied.

The Boss of a small company was complaining during a staff meeting that people didn’t respect him enough. Trying to change the attitude in the office he came in the next day with a sign for his door it said, “I am the boss.”One of the employees who did not appreciate the thought put a post-a-note on the sign that said “your wife wants her sign back”

The CEO of a large company was walking to the cafeteria along with two of his secretaries. Upon tripping on a bottle, a genie appeared and asked the threesome if they would like to each make a wish.  

The first secretary excitedly exclaimed, “I wish I was on a beach in a tropical island!” Immediately her wish was granted. The next secretary proclaimed, “I wish I was on a tour of France!” Immediately her wish too was granted. Being that it was now his turn to make a wish the CEO exclaimed “I want both of them back in their offices right after lunch!”

One last one: One evening a preschooler, Krystal, and her parents were sitting on the couch chatting. Krystal asked, " Daddy, you're the boss of the house, right?" Her father proudly replied, "Yes, I am the boss of the house." But Krystal added "Cause Mommy put you in charge, huh Daddy?"

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 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.”

This is the second time Jesus has warned his followers of his coming passion and death. Imagine the stir it causes each time he does – the denial, the outcry, the promises to stop it, and so on.

How would you react if someone you were close to told you they were going to be put to death for something they believe in? (You’d watch them closely or suggest they get a screening for the booby hatch.)

I use to read these verses and wonder where the disciples got the topic/issue they were arguing amongst themselves until it hit me: they were either trying to figure out who was going to be the “boss” after Jesus dies, or what position to ask for when Jesus successfully comes into His kingdom.

Either way it is a job, they assume, that they must qualify for by being the “greatest” disciple. Holy smokes, not only is Jesus not dead yet, but he’s in the immediate vicinity, and they find out he’s heard them talking behind his back. Sounds like time for a “smack down!”

And deliver a smack down Jesus does. He tells them that leadership and places of honor in His kingdom are based on different criteria then what they understand. It is not leadership that is important but rather “follow ship,” that is, service to a greater ideal and care for others, and that God will always be the “big boss.”

 In using a child as an example of priority in hospitality Jesus is tweaking the Jewish social structure to get them to recognize their responsibility to the least of all people in their community as a conscious process. Children were valued and cared for in but they had a different status.

 

Jesus’ new teachings upped the status and prestige of children to a priority, and humanity in general. 

Alongside the value we place on gold (and money), we place freedom of choice to determine our own futures next, and God calls us to value others sometimes before ourselves.

At my house we have a running joke that Chylle started. She once said that Becky was in charge of making the decisions at our house. So now whenever a decision, choice, or suggestion is to be made, we usually drudge up some form of that joke in our conversations.

 As that once popular song goes, “Who is the boss of you?” Who makes your decisions? Are they made haphazardly or with purpose and commitment?

 Driving down a country road near Funkstown, I come to a very narrow bridge. In front of the bridge, a sign is posted: "YIELD." Seeing no oncoming cars, I continue across the bridge and on to my destination. On my way back, I come to the same one-lane bridge, now from the other direction. To my surprise, I see another YIELD sign posted. Curious, I thought, "I'm sure there was one posted on the other side."

When I reached the other side of the bridge I looked back. Sure enough, yield signs had been placed at both ends of the bridge. Drivers from both directions were requested to give right of way. It was a reasonable and gracious way of preventing a head-on collision.

When the Bible commands Christians to "be subject to one another" (Ephesians 5: 21) it is simply a reasonable and gracious command to let the other have the right of way and avoid interpersonal head-on collisions.

We learn to yield control to God and His values, His Kingdom.

In the summer of 1986, two ships collided in the Black Sea off the coast of Russia. Hundreds of passengers died as they were hurled into the icy waters below. News of the disaster was further darkened when an investigation revealed the cause of the accident.

It wasn't a technology problem like radar malfunction--or even thick fog. The cause was human stubbornness. Each captain was aware of the other ship's presence nearby. Both could have steered clear, but according to news reports, neither captain wanted to give way to the other. Each was too proud to yield first.

 By the time they came to their senses, it was too late.

In the midst of our dark and foggy times, all sorts of voices are shouting orders into the night, telling us what to do, how to adjust our lives.

On the sitcom “Malcom in the Middle” the theme song says, “You’re not the Boss of Me.” Well the truth is, Jesus does want to be the boss of you.

Jesus’ voice calls us through the tumult of our journey through life. “Choose my ways and follow me,” it says. “Allow me to be in control.” I don’t want to be your co-pilot – I want to be your pilot.

That voice happens to be the Light of the World, and we ignore it at our own peril.

Amen.