Sunday, October 20, 2024
The Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost

THE JAMES AND JOHN IN ALL OF US

The Rev. Mark D. Wilkinson, Rector
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
Katy TX 77450

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All of the teachings from Jesus over the past several weeks have been set in the context of his traveling towards Jerusalem. Last week’s passage begins with the rich man running up to him to ask about how he can inherit eternal life as Jesus is setting out on the journey for the day. In the paragraph between last week’s and today’s reading, Jesus has just told his disciples for the third time that he is going to be crucified in Jerusalem. This is the Jesus of our Hebrews passage who was obedient even unto death, a servant to all.  Now on the road to Jerusalem it’s as if the disciples haven’t heard anything about the struggle that is to come and are more concerned with their position in the kingdom.

This rather remarkable story is one that is preserved in all three synoptic gospels which probably means there is a good chance that this event really occurred and that the disciples really did embarrass themselves with this fighting over who gets the honored place in the kingdom. Remember this was not witnessed by the world as many of the miracles were. This is a story that had to be told by the disciples about themselves. This is a moment where we get a look at the disciples as they really were, which is as totally and completely human, creatures of their time and culture.

The disciples are hung up on status and for their world, as in ours, this is not surprising. Jesus spends a lot of time talking about status and positions of power precisely because this was important in the first century world both inside the church and in the public world. This was an honor shame society and status was everything. This is one of the reasons that Jesus’ preferential treatment of the poor, the outsider, the sick, would have been so shocking to those in the positions of power.

Who sat where at a banquet was incredibly important. Those at the head table had better and more abundant food than those at the lower tables. Jesus speaks of this in several different teachings. We don’t have anything quite like that in today’s everyday world anymore other than possibly in diplomatic dinners or negotiations.

One commentary wondered if the first-time people in the early church heard this they laughed at the absurdity of this story. How could James and John not realize what a ridiculous thing it was to ask to be seated and the right and left hand of Jesus? Another possibility is that they heard this and thought of people in their church who came to mind when they heard this passage. Maybe the laughter was nervous laughter when they recognized their own behaviors in this passage. For all of us, this can be an important moment of self-examination.

One thing is certain. We need to realize we all have some Zebedee genes in our makeup. Like James and John our ego centered self desires accolades, praise, respect. Just like with the rich man, the question is does this motivate us, drive us, or control our actions? This is the problem with the request of James and John, which is all about them and not about being the servant. They have already forgotten Jesus’ statement that in the kingdom many who are first will be last and the last will be first. And it is not just James and John because the other disciples get upset that they have asked this and maybe some of that upset is that they realize that they did not think to make the same request.

What Thomas Merton and Richard Rohr would say about this passage is that James, John and all the disciples are operating out of their ego self, their false self, not their God centered, true self. In fact, I’m not sure if they ever figured out their God centered self until sometime after the resurrection. This is still a learning stage for the disciples and must have been very frustrating for Jesus. That they have not quite grasped what is going on should be clear since this is the third time Jesus has told them what is going to happen, and they say they want to share in this cup and this baptism. Obviously, they really haven’t been listening or at least at a point where they can really understand.

Ultimately this gospel passage is a lesson in Servant Leadership. Leading from the standpoint of a servant is very countercultural both then and today! I sincerely believe that this is in large part what is behind the fascination with the leadership style of Pope Francis. Here is servant leadership. I believe it is also what marks the leadership of our Presiding Bishop Michael Curry was so engaging and exciting.

Servant leadership is what we are all called to do. Some of you may remember doing the training in this using the book Servanthood by Bishop Simms. Being the servant with our egos crying out for recognition is hard, but not impossible. Listen to the famous prayer by St. Francis from our prayer book for in this prayer is the way to live the servant life.

Lord, make us instruments of your peace. Where there is hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. Grant that we may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.

This morning we have a baptism at 10:30 and then we will baptize a family of 6 on All Saints. This is welcoming a new servant or servants into the greater church. I was at Virginia Seminary this week for a series of lectures and my 20th class reunion. We had a bishop speak and several of our professors talk about growing the church but not about numbers. Growing the church as in raising up disciples, servant leaders who have a relationship with Christ. Our Eucharist on Tuesday morning was in honor of Theresa of Avila who called on us in her famous prayer to be the hands and feet of Christ in the world.

In the Episcopal Church you are all ministers of the church. I am called a priest because I have a sacramental ministry of celebrating the Eucharist and baptizing new members. These are our two principal sacraments but everyone is a minister with a ministry in the world by right of their baptism. Now with the baby we baptize this morning we do not know what his ministry will be, but we all have a responsibility to help this new disciple learn what that ministry is and grow into that ministry as a youth and an adult.

This is why starting with the 1979 prayer book all baptisms are to take place at a principal Sunday service and the practice of private baptism was dropped. The key is in the service when I turn to the congregation and ask that the entire congregation is asked “Will you who witness these vows do all in your power to support these persons in their life in Christ.” We all take on this responsibility to provide a church that empowers and teaches people to be faithful Christians. I am grateful that this family agreed to rearrange a complicated schedule to make it possible for them to be here this morning so that all of you can witness and lend your support.

A faithful community is important for everyone who is a committed member of the church. That was made abundantly clear this week as Wendy and gathered in person with 35 members of the class of 2004 at Virginia Seminary. We laughed, we cried and we worshiped together for a couple of days and it was like we hadn’t been apart for all those years because we have stayed in touch, supported prayed for and loved each other. This is what a Christian community is about. This is what we are welcoming a our newest member to join and grow in their faith over the coming years.

Christ has no body now on earth but yours,
no hands but yours,
no feet but yours,
Yours are the eyes through which He looks
compassion on this world;
Yours are the feet with which walks to do good;
Yours are the hands with which he blesses all the world.

We can only succeed in this mission with the help of God and the help of each other. So welcome to our St. Paul’s family little Gavin and his family.