Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost
Tapiwa Huggins Gusha

Mark 9:30-37

Mark 9:35, “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all”

Today’s gospel reading is the shortest of all the passion narratives. In this account Jesus predicts his suffering, death, and resurrection. Jesus is shifting his focus from working miracles, from enjoying successful ministry in Galilee to teaching his disciples and preparing them for the journey’s surprise ending.

Now, on their way to Jerusalem, the disciples fully aware that Jesus was about to leave them, started a debate as to who was to be their leader in the event that their master is gone. This time around the disciples did not ask Jesus, they discussed among themselves. I want to believe this might have been caused by the fact that last week in Mark 8:31ff again on the same subject, Peter approached Jesus for more clarity but Jesus’ response was “Get behind me, Satan”. So this time around they decided to deal with the issue among themselves.

Some of us may be quick to blame the disciples but it is important for us to note that the cross during the time of Jesus was associated with scandal. So, Jesus’ disciples just like us today, were more comfortable with news of hope than despair and I would think this explains why people crowd churches on Easter and you won’t see them on Good Friday. It is our nature to make a detour around the cross in favour of the open tomb. In this regard, the disciples were very comfortable in sharing Jesus’ firm but not suffering.

My brothers and sisters in Christ, Christianity is a package of both privileges and challenges. This has been summarized well by Augustine as the principle of transcend cum onere, we should be prepared to endure the difficulties that come with our faith. What difficulties are we talking about? Reversal of the norm. Anyone who wants to be the first must be the last, everyone who wants to be the leader then must be a servant of all. This is not the first time Jesus is advocating for the reversal of the norm. In Matthew 5, the last to be hired were paid first. By emphasizing servanthood, Jesus was not saying that ambition is bad, but he was teaching that ambition should be driven by the need to serve others and not oneself. Being Christians we share in Christ’s joys and challenges but of much importance let’s think of others before ourselves.

In the name of God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.