True Greatness

Reading: Matthew 20.20-34

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The Atlanta Olympic Games have been officially opened. Competition is ready to begin. Did you watch the opening ceremony?

We were concerned that the presentation of the worship of the ancient Greek deities – very effectively done -was becoming more than cultural. It raised a good few questions for us – and would also have done for Christian athletes preparing to compete.

There was much to impress. It was good to see the honouring of old athletes – including the oldest living gold-medallist, a sprightly 94-year-old! And the lighting of the Olympic flame – how are they going to do it in Sydney in the year 2000? There was Muhammed Ali – the boxing champion who, as Cassius Clay, declared himself "I am the greatest" – somewhat shakily sending the flame on its way.

And in a sense over the coming days as we watch on television, that will be the underlying theme as the athletes compete against one another. In each event there can only be one individual or team to achieve the first place – who is the greatest. And they must do it without the assistance of performance-enhancing drugs – it must be their personal achievement. For all, of course, there will have been the support of trainers, coaches, sponsors... who will share some of the elation of their gold.

Who is the greatest?

We have noticed that the question of which disciple of Jesus was going to be the greatest in the Kingdom of God was important to the twelve. It was a matter of argument among them along the way on more than one occasion and here in today’s reading we have the mother of James and John bringing her request, "”Promise me that these two sons of mine will sit at your right and your left when you are King”.

James and John don’t give up easily, do they? They weren’t satisfied when the question had been brought by them all in chapter 18 – the occasion when Jesus had stood a child in the midst of them and said, “I assure you that unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the Kingdom of heaven. The greatest in the Kingdom of heaven is the one who humbles himself and becomes like this child. And whoever welcomes in my name one such child as this, welcomes me” (18.3-5).

Now, that’s a good fine spiritual principle – the sort of thing we have come to expect from Jesus. We can accept that the greatest isn’t necessarily the person who is always up front. That’s fine, but we would like the up-front positions of honour. It doesn’t get us anywhere to argue with the other disciples – let’s get Mum to make the request. Jesus might listen to her.

But they have failed to grasp the situation, “You don’t know what you are asking for. Can you drink the cup of suffering that I am about to drink?” You have no real understanding of what lies up ahead for me – and indeed for you my followers. You have not seen that the total self-giving that will be required of you will make your question irrelevant. You want honour – you will receive suffering!

“We can,” they reply. They believe they are ready for the greatest challenges in their pursuit of honour. In the event, when Jesus was arrested, they all ran away – so much for their confidence! They failed under the pressure!

Yet, restored, they will in fact drink the cup – they will endure suffering and martyrdom for his name’s sake. “But I do not have the right to choose who will sit at my right and at my left. These places belong to those for whom my Father has prepared them.” The Son of God himself lives under the higher authority of the Father.

James and John could not have imagined that, as Jesus suffered and died on the cross, there should be, on his left and on his right, two criminals – dying for their violence and murder. The one brings a simple request, “Remember me...” and is welcomed; “Today you will be with me in Paradise.” The other cursing and rejecting...

The Kingdom reverses many of our ideas of how things should be. It acknowledges the reality of human rebelliousness and brokenness. Jesus accepts a cross so that we can be forgiven. By faith we receive what he has done for us. In the course of life we may well have to bear a cross for him.

True Greatness

True greatness is to be seen in humility and service. “You know that the rulers of the heathen have power over them, and the leaders have complete authority. This, however, is not the way it shall be among you. If one of you wants to be great, he must be the servant of the rest; and if one of you wants to be first he must be your slave – like the Son of Man, who did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life to redeem many people.”

Their argument about greatness reached the upper room. It is in the background as Jesus rose from table, took off his outer garment, tied a towel around his waist, poured some water into a basin and began to wash their feet and to dry them with the towel round his waist. It is John who records this in chapter 13 of his gospel. The deliberate way in which he gives all these details suggests that they watched it all with wonder and amazement – and a deal of embarrassment. What’s he up to? What’s he going to do? Surely not...

Then at the end we hear him saying, “Do you understand what I have just done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and it is right that you do so, because that is what I am. I, your Lord and Teacher, have just washed your feet. You, then, should wash one another’s feet. I have set an example for you, so that you will do just what I have done for you. I am telling you the truth: no slave is greater than his master, and no messenger is greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know this truth, how happy you will be if you put it into practice!” (Jn l3.l2b-l7)

True greatness is to be seen in humility and service.

As our Australian athletes receive their Olympic gold, silver and bronze, we will share their moment of glory. But they are the ones who have endured the rigours of self-denial and training in pursuit of this honour. It is one of those rare moments in our society when we all share a benefit someone else has won for us.

As Isaiah wrote over 800 years before Christ, “We are healed by the punishment he suffered, made whole by the blows he received” (Is. 53.5b). We share in the benefits of his service – as “he gave his life to redeem many people.” He calls us to a life of humility and service.

Two Blind Men

The story moves on. They have been heading towards Jerusalem. They are leaving Jericho. Two blind beggars hear that Jesus is passing by and begin to shout, “Son of David! Take pity on us, sir!” The crowd tells them to be quiet, but that only provokes them to call out even more loudly.

“What do you want me to do for you?”

“Sir, we want you to give us our sight!”

Jesus had pity on them and touched their eyes; at once they were able to see, and they followed him.

Such a simple story, following the “heavy” question of greatness. The gospel writer makes no particular comment about it – he just records that it happened. Yet, it illustrates the principle. First, they sought and received what only Jesus could do for them. Then, sight restored, they followed him.

Our quest is not to be for glory and honour. That wasn’t the right request to bring.

We need the “service” of his redemption – and then to follow him, wherever he leads us. We can depend on him to be with us and all can receive the joy of coming through to glory.

Are you going for gold? “As for us, we have this large crowd of witnesses round us. So then, let us rid ourselves of everything that gets in the way, and of the sin which holds on to us so tightly, and let us run with determination the race that lies before us. Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from beginning to end. He did not give up because of the cross! On the contrary, because of the joy that was waiting for him, he thought nothing of the disgrace of dying on the cross, and he is now seated at the right-hand side of God’s throne” (Heb. 12.1-2).

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