A
New Way
Then James and
John, the sons of Zebedee, came over and spoke to him. “Teacher,” they said,
“we want you to do us a favor . . . When you sit on your glorious throne, we
want to sit in places of honor next to you, one on your right and the other on
your left.” But Jesus said to them, “You don’t know what you are asking! Are
you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering I am about to drink? Are you
able to be baptized with the baptism of suffering I must be baptized with?”
“Oh yes,” they
replied, “we are able!”
Then Jesus told
them, “You will indeed drink from my bitter cup and be baptized with my baptism
of suffering. But I have no right to say who will sit on my right or my left.
God has prepared those places for the ones he has chosen.”
When the ten
other disciples heard what James and John had asked, they were indignant. So
Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world
lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those
under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader
among you must be your servant . . . For even the Son of Man came not to be
served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:35-45
Being a good Christian isn’t easy. I’ve had
people tell me that they don’t feel like good Christians. I’ve had people tell
me that I’m not a good Christian. What makes someone a good Christian? Is a
Christian the same as a churchgoer? Is a Christian a good person with strong
moral fiber? Is a Christian someone who believes and confesses the correct
creeds and doctrines? Sometimes we hear that a real Christian is someone who
makes a decision to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior – someone who is filled with
joy and never has one’s faith shaken. Is a Christian a conservative Republican
or a passionate liberal? Is a Christian someone who acts just like you do?
I typed in the words “true Christian” into
Google just to see what would come up. You won’t believe how many people out
there claim to have the correct litmus test for whether you are a real
Christian, including lots of Christian dating sites where you can find God’s
true match for you.
Many sites have more traditional claims about
what makes a real Christian. A true Christian will desire to obey God and study
the Bible. Real Christians will increasingly understand the Bible, admit they
sin, follow Jesus, sin less and less, love others, not love the things of world
more than God and have the fruit of the Spirit.
The Atheist Foundation of Australia has a test
to be able to spot a true Christian. They say that a true Christian is one who
follows the words of Christ literally. So, true Christians will be able to
literally handle snakes, drink poison, and walk over scorpions. They must hate
their families and also be hated by their families. True Christians can move
mountains and wither fig trees. The site goes on to say “There are many
different types of Christians, many sects and denominations. In their pride and
arrogance they all claim to be true believers. But it is important to make sure
that we have the real thing because Jesus said that there would be many fakers.
In [many Bible passages] Jesus tells us about false prophets, false Christians.
When dealing with Christians ask them if they are 'true' Christians. If the
answer is 'yes' then chuck a [poisonous snake] at them and stick a few
scorpions in their shoes.”
What these sites all have in common is that
Christianity is defined by following a certain set of rules and behaviors.
First you pick and choose Scripture passages that you think are the most
important ones to follow. Once you fulfill an unreasonably long list of
requirements, you can know that you are (or someone else is) a Christian.
I want to reconsider the definition. Instead
of true Christians, I want to talk about authentic Christians. For me,
authentic Christianity starts when we give up the notion that Christianity is
God’s favorite religion. In today’s Gospel story, two of Jesus’ disciples,
James and John, ask for a favor. “When you sit on your glorious throne, we want
to sit in places of honor next to you, one on your right and the other on your
left.” I can’t really blame them for asking. To have a special place helps to
overcome the fear of being nobody and the fear of having no power. Christians
claim special access and favored status all the time. It’s a way of claiming
power.
Notice how Jesus changes the focus of the
conversation. As soon as the other ten disciples hear about the request made by
James and John, they get angry. Jesus does not tell James and John that they
are wrong or bad for wanting to have a special status. Jesus says, “Whoever
wants to be a leader among you must be your servant.”
The word used here for servant can also mean
“slave.” Slaves in the Roman Empire included prisoners of war, and captured
sailors. In hard times, it was not uncommon for desperate Roman citizens to
raise money by selling their children into slavery. All slaves and their families were considered
to be the property of their owners, who could sell or rent them out at any
time. Their lives were harsh. Slaves were often whipped, branded or cruelly
mistreated. Slaves worked everywhere – in private households, in mines and
factories, and on farms. They also worked for city governments on engineering
projects such as roads, aqueducts and buildings. As a result, they merged
easily into the population. In fact, slaves could look so similar to Roman
citizens, the Roman Senate once considered a plan to make them wear special
clothing so that they could be identified at a glance. The idea was rejected
because the Senate feared that, if slaves saw how many of them were actually working
in Rome, they might be tempted to join forces and rebel.
Jesus listens to his disciples who want to
attach themselves to his rising star, and tells them if they want to be great,
then become a slave and follow Jesus along the Way – a Way that turns the
tables on power and position, a Way where the first become the followers, a Way
where senators become the subjects, A Way where the leaders become the last. It
is a Way where following Jesus means taking on the role of a slave as a form of
protest
against the worldly political order of an oppressive political empire. The Way
of Jesus is ruled by grassroots protesters who act in direct resistance to the
Roman economy supported by slavery. The reign of God come when we become the
servants of all, against all oppressive politics. It comes as we kick up some
dust and grime, as we involve ourselves in that which is common and low, grimy
and unclean.
There's an old phrase from 2000 years ago:
"The dust of the rabbi". When rabbis and their disciples used to walk
everywhere (like Jesus and his followers), the greatest disciple would be the
one following the teacher most closely, listening to every word and watching
every gesture. This one would be covered with the dirt and dust the rabbi's
feet kicked up as he walked. Authentic Christians are like that. Their
overriding concern is not seeking status but walking in the dust of the Rabbi.
Is it costly? Oh yeah! It means following the Master, no matter what; loving no
matter what; serving no matter what; speaking the truth, no matter the cost.
Authentic Christians allow our words and actions to be rooted in mercy, not
positioning ourselves as the best in the religious pecking order.
So, authentic Christianity harmonizes our
outward faith and inward journeys in ways that help us own our limitations.
Authentic Christianity is also concerned with our efforts to make us more
HUMANE. In every human encounter, we have an opportunity to reach out in common
humanity – to listen, to encourage, to reach out, to lift up . . . and to
recognize in every person the presence of The Holy One. We affirm the
importance of taking responsibility for our thoughts, words and actions. We
join side by side to identify, challenge and move beyond excuses and the ways
we limit and side step much of life and relating. We humbly affirm, encourage
and commend each other to live fully in a spirit of service to others.
I find it interesting that the early church
did not call one another “Christians”. They called one another sister. They
called one another brother. An authentic Christian is not only a follower of
Christ, but a brother or sister to others. An authentic Christian is one who
strives to be like Jesus AND embraces the Jesus in others. An authentic
Christian is one who loves Jesus AND also loves the Jesus in others – even if
the person is different – even if the other person disgusts us or hates us –
even if the other person is an enemy.
May our resourcefulness and resiliency be more
fully demonstrated; may our god-likeness and divine presence be known, heard
and felt; may this community of care cause inspiration and be inspired as this
day unfolds.
Sources:
https://www.pbs.org/empires/romans/empire/slaves_freemen.html
https://www.religion-online.org/article/minjung-and-power-a-biblical-and-theological-perspective-on-doularchy-servanthood/
No comments:
Post a Comment