Apostles, Pt. 10: "What's Wrong with the Need to Be Right?"

WHAT'S WRONG WITH THE NEED TO BE RIGHT? (MARK 9:33-37)
A “yield” traffic sign is easily spotted. It indicates that a driver of a vehicle must slow down and prepare to stop if necessary (usually while merging into traffic on another road), but he does not need to stop if there is no reason to. A driver who has actually stopped in this situation is said to have yielded the right-of-way to through traffic on the main road. Do you know if two cars reach the intersection at the same time, the one on the left has to yield to the one on its right?

Let me test you drivers: Who yields when two lanes are merging into the freeway? Let me restate it in more ambiguous ways: Who yields when you are the second car behind a driver with no cars on the other stop signs, but suddenly another car arrives on a stop sign opposite you, wanting to cut across your lane? Who yields when two lanes are merging into the freeway? What to do when a car pool lane and a regular lane driver merge into the freeway? The safest and wisest answer is yield. If not, a collision would occur, damage is inevitable and your insurance will go up.

Mark 9:35 is the first of four fascinating exchanges of Jesus with the disciples on servanthood. The other instances are with James and John’s mother (Matt 20:26), the disciple reclining at the table (Lk 22:24-27) and Jesus washing the disciples feet (John 13:16). The difference between Matthew and Mark is that the theologian John, who has a unique style from other gospel authors, prefers to use the word “doulos” for servant. After the disciples had witnessed the transfiguration (Luke 9:28-36), there was a mad scramble, a heated debate and an intense argument about who’s better, who’s greater and who’s the fairest of them all. They knew Jesus’ worth, but what were they worth, who’s first and who’s better?

How should believers respond to comparisons, competition and conflict? Why is rivalry hurtful to the body and the work of Christ?

Reject Power Under Every Circumstance
33 They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” 34 But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest. (Mark 9:33-37)

Here are some quotes on arguing:
“Never Argue With An Idiot. He'll Drag You Down To His Level And Then Beat You With Experience.” - Alan Zimmerman
“Never argue with a fool, onlookers may not be able to tell the difference.” - Mark Twain
“Never argue with a pig. Both of you will get dirty, but the pig will enjoy it .”
“When arguing with a stone an egg is always wrong.”
“Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one.” - Marcus Aurelius
“Pianists don't argue too much generally because we have such a hard time just getting things right; arguing is for string players.” - Emanuel Ax
“The only argument available with an east wind is to put on your overcoat.” -
James Russell Lowell

The word for “arguing” is dia-logizomai; “dia” is thorough, through and through (diagnose, diaspora, diameter), and “logizomai” is estimate or conclude, from the word “logos” and “logic.” Their argument was detailed, methodical and lengthy. By arguing no-stop, the disciples have become argumentative, quarrelsome, grouchy, testy and unfriendly.

It was no small argument on the road. They went back and forth, on and on, point by point to talk up their strengths and merits. Even though the Greek word for “argue” previously characterized the disciples’ bewilderment over one of Jesus’ miracle (Matt 16:8, Mark 2:8), this is the only time an argument occurred among and with the disciples in the gospels, so it caught the master’s attention. It must have fierce and feisty, not friendly or funny. Luke has the noun “argument” (Luke 9:46) instead of the verb “arguing” (v 33), but both authors record the first time the disciples were “arguing” with one another and had an “argument” - at one another’s throat and in one another’s face. It was such a loss of testimony, but a good education time for the Lord.

Readers know the disciples were guilty because they kept quiet (v 34) at the wrong time, like a deer caught in headlights and a child caught with hands in the cookie jar. Previously, they spoke to one another for the wrong reasons, with the wrong attitude and at the wrong time. Presently, they acted innocent and played dumb when they were asked what the dispute was about. No one wanted to owe up to the argument. The amazing thing was that in the previous verse Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise.” They did not understand what He meant and were afraid to ask him about it. (Mark 9:31-32) Instead, they had become polarizing, personal and petty.

Resist Pride At All Cost
35 Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.” (Mark 9:35)

The great English Prime Minister Winston Churchill knows his place in life and history. He was once asked, “Doesn't it thrill you to know that every time you make a speech, the hall is packed to overflowing?” Sir Winston replied, “It's quite flattering, but whenever I feel that way, I always remember that if instead of making a political speech I was being hanged, the crowd would be twice as big.”

The successful author of Roots, Alex Haley, has a picture in his office, showing a turtle sitting atop a fence along with a saying to remind him how he made it to the top. It says: “If you see a turtle on a fence post, you know he had some help.”

It’s been said, “Pride is the only disease that makes everyone sick but the one who has it.”

Humility, modesty and civility are lost art and qualities today. From American Idol to reality TV shows, people flaunt themselves for minutes of fame. In football and basketball, stars strut their stuff and taunt their opponents. Some do it when they are on the losing side.

Elected officers forget they are merely civil servants; civil servants have the most security; good domestic servants are highly valued and believers forget they are the Lord’s servants. The word for “first” is “protos” (v 35), from which the words “prototype” is derived – the first of its kind. The “protos” is the best of the best, the top of the heap, the king of the hill, the number one, the top dog, the big shot.

The Greek word order is “of all last and of all servant,” or in fluent English “last of all and slave of all.” The word “last” is “eschatos,” where we get the word “eschatology,” the study of the last things or last days. There is no worse place to be than to be at the bottom of the pole or rung, to be at the end of the pecking order. No one wants to be last, second-last is OK. No one likes to the last taken in a pickup basketball game, like me when I first started.

“Of all” means the deserving and the undeserving, the kind and the unkind, the lovable and the unlovable, the strong and the weak, the helpful and the unhelpful, the haves and the have-nots people of the world.

The word “servant” (diakonos), however, occurs 30 times and the other word “slave” (doulos) 127 times. Christianity is very big on leadership, but do you know there is no such Greek word for “leader” in the New Testament? Only believing egomaniacs like to be called leaders, apostles and prophets. We are not called to be leaders, but servants. Paul in all his introduction recognizes he is called (Rom 1:1, 1 Cor 1:1), set apart (Rom 1:1) and commanded (1 Tim 1:1), so pride is futile and laughable.

The word “servant” (diakonos) occurs 30 times in the Bible. It is a good word, not a dirty word, in the Bible. Christ (Rom 15:8), Paul and Apollos (1 Cor 3:5)
wear it proudly. Paul calls himself one at least six times (1 Cor 3:5, 2 Cor 3:6,
2 Cor 6:4, Eph 3:7, Col 1:23, Col 1:25). It is also the word for governing authorities (Rom 13:4). A “servant” (diakonos) is an attendant or a waiter at a table or in other menial duties. A slave is in bondage and has no choice, but a servant is a volunteer and serves of his own will, just as Jesus was not forced to come to earth or give his life.

Receive People Without Any Condition
36 He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them, 37 “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.” (Mark 9:36-37)

Nobel Prize Winner Mother Teresa, who died at the age of 87, was recognized as one of the most selfless person in the world. One of her famed quotes is “I am like a little pencil in [God's] hand. He does the thinking. He does the writing. The pencil has only to be allowed to be used.”

The world marveled at how she served and what she did, but she never lost sight of why she served. She once told one of her spiritual advisers, “People think we are social workers. We are not. We serve Jesus. I serve Jesus 24 hours a day.” (“Seeker of Souls,” Time Jun. 24, 2001”)

Oswald Chambers says, “If I am devoted solely to the cause of humanity, I will soon be exhausted and come to the point where my love will waver and stumble. But if I love Jesus Christ personally and passionately, I can serve humanity, even though people may treat me like a ‘doormat.’ The secret of a disciple’s life is devotion to Jesus Christ, and the characteristic of that life is its seeming insignificance and its meekness.”
http://www.rbc.org/utmost/index.php?month=06&day=19

This word “receive” means “a welcoming or an appropriating reception” or “to receive by deliberate and ready reception of what is offered.” (Vine's Expository Dictionary) Before children were little emperors, they had no standing or say in families past - they were seen, but not heard. Their opinions did not count, their feelings were not important. Children in ancient times, even less than fifty years ago, were taught to behave themselves in public. Nuisance, brats and tantrums were unheard of and not tolerated. Jesus is talking of welcoming and paying attention to people with little significance or no importance. The Chinese say, “A child's words have no guile.” (童言無欺) Nowadays, the child has the greatest say in the home. I saw a bumper sticker that says: “Be nice to your kids. They'll choose your nursing home.”

Jesus used “paidion” (pediatrician) for child (v 36), the word for Jesus as an “infant” (Matt 2:8). The value of a servant lies not in the task but in its service to the master.

“In My name” means by God’s authority, in His strength, at His teaching. The Bible lists the things we do in God’s name include praying (John 14:14), witnessing (Acts 9:29), baptizing (Acts 19:5), assembling (1 Cor 5:4), believing (John 2:23), justification (1 Cor 6:11), thanksgiving (Eph 5:20), word and deeds (Col 3:17) and now receiving one another (v 37). When we do that, we join with the frontrunners of ministry and are in noble company. In the Old Testament the Aaron and his descendants (1 Chron 23:13-14) and Levites (Deut 10:8) minister “in God’s name,” and the prophets, who spoke “in His name.” (Dan 9:6)

Conclusion: Save your arguments and breath with Satan, the real enemy. Let me end with three quotes on serving:
“We do not serve because we are that kind of people. We serve because God is that kind of God.”
“We do not serve because we want God to love or bless us. We serve because he already loves us!”
“We do not serve because we are transformed but we are transformed when we serve.” - Jose Ramon Alcantara Mejia

Do you serve God for power, pride, prominence, profit? Do you get along with people? Are you humble or helpful in service?