Distractions
Once again this week, as politicans have returned to Westminster following the summer break, we had a return to Prime Ministers Question Time – this week it began in sombre fashion with a list of those people who had been killed in Afghanistan since the start of the Commons Summer Break. Gordon Brown read it – I think it was 37 names added to an ever growing list.
Also this week the Prime Minister made a statement about putting more troops out in Afghanistan – another 500 were promised in order to help protect the lives of those already there. It all sounded reasonable and sensible until that became dependant on other things – one of which was whether other NATO countries were prepared to do the same.
Whatever spin is put on this, and I have no doubt there will be something, it seemed that whether we send out more troops to help protect the lives of others has to wait until others agree to do the same.
Whether this is a just war, a sensible war even, isn’t particularly relevant to this point – if 500 soldiers should be sent, if it’s considered the right thing to do to help protect life, then we should do it, and do it boldly and confidently – and not wait for others.
Sadly it seems that even when human life is being considered, political gesturing is the primary consideration. How far removed this is from the gospel message that Jesus offers in our reading today (Mark 10:35-45).
The story in today’s gospel, with two brothers, James and John, jockeying for positions of power in the Kingdom of God, takes place just five days before Jesus' crucifixion. Four days before his betrayal and trial. One day before the clearing of the temple, and a few hours before the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem.
If the Disciples were going to start practicing the teachings of Jesus in their lives it ought to be now, but it didn’t happen. Moments before the most crucial events in their life they are a bickering, petty, bad-tempered quarrelsome group, concerned with a whole lot of things apart from the life of their Saviour, and the eternal lives of all who will choose whether or not to follow him.
And how true that often is for us as well – we choose all kinds of debates and arguments which have little relevance for the things that are most important. At times we are all a little bit guilty of political posturing!
And faced with a group of disciples arguing, Jesus reminds them of their duty to be servants – serving many, certainly not themselves, and serving God, not individuals or ambition.
In effect Jesus is saying to Gordon Brown, ‘if sending more troops to Afghanistan is the right thing to do to protect life, then do it’ – I make no comment on whether Jesus might think it is the right thing or not though !
We must always seek to do the right thing, whatever the cost…
And so, what should the disciples have been doing at this point – it was 5 days before Jesus’ crucifixion – should they have been warning him not to approach Jerusalem ? It was 4 days before the betrayal and trial – should they have been looking for traitors in the camp – should Judas Iscariot have been identified, should they have been looking for a good lawyer to defend Jesus in his trial ?
It was one day before the clearing of the Temple, when Jesus overthrew the tables of some pretty influential people – should the disciples have been good friends and kept Jesus away from the Temple, or persuaded him that actually these people weren’t doing much harm after all, and should just be left to get on with their trading ?
And it was just before the triumphal entry into Jerusalem – Jesus came with a lot of popular support, should the disciples have been encouraging him to go and speak to some of the religious leaders and others in authority, and try and negotiate on the issues that were dividing them ?
The answer of course to all of these questions is ‘No’. Jesus knew what he was doing – the Book of Isaiah, part of which we heard this morning (53:4-7), tells us of the things that Jesus is going to face – Jesus isn’t coming as a politician, nor as a tactful sort of advocate for good things – Jesus was going to come as a revolutionary leader – a leader, unlike any the world had seen before, who would not seek power and prestige, but come to truly serve his people even to the point of dying for them.
Our duty today is just the same as the duty of those disciples – not to seek to build a kingdom for ourselves, not to look at ways of compromising a message that fits in nicer with what the world expects, not to try and tame down a revolutionary message – not of war or violence, or even based on politics, a revolution built on the simple principle of love.
The task of the disciples was not to seek power or prestige for themselves, but simply to follow Jesus wherever he led them, and point others to him as well. 2000 years on, our task as his disciples of today, hasn’t changed at all – we are to follow Jesus wherever he leads us and we are to encourage others to do the same.
We are all called to do great work for God – Martin Luther King said that anyone can be great, because anyone can serve – often what we think we can’t do, we can do with God’s power, and so let’s not do what the disciples did in the reading today with Jesus and get distracted from what Jesus was about to do, and let’s celebrate what he has done, and build on that celebration to invite others to join the party, and to enter the everlasting kingdom of God. AMEN
Also this week the Prime Minister made a statement about putting more troops out in Afghanistan – another 500 were promised in order to help protect the lives of those already there. It all sounded reasonable and sensible until that became dependant on other things – one of which was whether other NATO countries were prepared to do the same.
Whatever spin is put on this, and I have no doubt there will be something, it seemed that whether we send out more troops to help protect the lives of others has to wait until others agree to do the same.
Whether this is a just war, a sensible war even, isn’t particularly relevant to this point – if 500 soldiers should be sent, if it’s considered the right thing to do to help protect life, then we should do it, and do it boldly and confidently – and not wait for others.
Sadly it seems that even when human life is being considered, political gesturing is the primary consideration. How far removed this is from the gospel message that Jesus offers in our reading today (Mark 10:35-45).
The story in today’s gospel, with two brothers, James and John, jockeying for positions of power in the Kingdom of God, takes place just five days before Jesus' crucifixion. Four days before his betrayal and trial. One day before the clearing of the temple, and a few hours before the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem.
If the Disciples were going to start practicing the teachings of Jesus in their lives it ought to be now, but it didn’t happen. Moments before the most crucial events in their life they are a bickering, petty, bad-tempered quarrelsome group, concerned with a whole lot of things apart from the life of their Saviour, and the eternal lives of all who will choose whether or not to follow him.
And how true that often is for us as well – we choose all kinds of debates and arguments which have little relevance for the things that are most important. At times we are all a little bit guilty of political posturing!
And faced with a group of disciples arguing, Jesus reminds them of their duty to be servants – serving many, certainly not themselves, and serving God, not individuals or ambition.
In effect Jesus is saying to Gordon Brown, ‘if sending more troops to Afghanistan is the right thing to do to protect life, then do it’ – I make no comment on whether Jesus might think it is the right thing or not though !
We must always seek to do the right thing, whatever the cost…
And so, what should the disciples have been doing at this point – it was 5 days before Jesus’ crucifixion – should they have been warning him not to approach Jerusalem ? It was 4 days before the betrayal and trial – should they have been looking for traitors in the camp – should Judas Iscariot have been identified, should they have been looking for a good lawyer to defend Jesus in his trial ?
It was one day before the clearing of the Temple, when Jesus overthrew the tables of some pretty influential people – should the disciples have been good friends and kept Jesus away from the Temple, or persuaded him that actually these people weren’t doing much harm after all, and should just be left to get on with their trading ?
And it was just before the triumphal entry into Jerusalem – Jesus came with a lot of popular support, should the disciples have been encouraging him to go and speak to some of the religious leaders and others in authority, and try and negotiate on the issues that were dividing them ?
The answer of course to all of these questions is ‘No’. Jesus knew what he was doing – the Book of Isaiah, part of which we heard this morning (53:4-7), tells us of the things that Jesus is going to face – Jesus isn’t coming as a politician, nor as a tactful sort of advocate for good things – Jesus was going to come as a revolutionary leader – a leader, unlike any the world had seen before, who would not seek power and prestige, but come to truly serve his people even to the point of dying for them.
Our duty today is just the same as the duty of those disciples – not to seek to build a kingdom for ourselves, not to look at ways of compromising a message that fits in nicer with what the world expects, not to try and tame down a revolutionary message – not of war or violence, or even based on politics, a revolution built on the simple principle of love.
The task of the disciples was not to seek power or prestige for themselves, but simply to follow Jesus wherever he led them, and point others to him as well. 2000 years on, our task as his disciples of today, hasn’t changed at all – we are to follow Jesus wherever he leads us and we are to encourage others to do the same.
We are all called to do great work for God – Martin Luther King said that anyone can be great, because anyone can serve – often what we think we can’t do, we can do with God’s power, and so let’s not do what the disciples did in the reading today with Jesus and get distracted from what Jesus was about to do, and let’s celebrate what he has done, and build on that celebration to invite others to join the party, and to enter the everlasting kingdom of God. AMEN
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