061022 Sermon on Mark 10:35-45 "Servant Upmanship"

Mark 10:35-45 Servant Upmanship
What in the world does this mean, Ron - Servant-upmanship? Well, this is my take on it. When one of you or one from our community that isn't necessarily on our official church roles, says, "This is what I want . . . or . . . this is what pleases me . . . or . . . how about doing this or that . . ." Or when we worship or share Jesus’ love in different ways. When anything like this happens then, I (and maybe even some of you) instinctively chime in from the depth of my being, "But. . . but . . . this is not what I want . . . this is what YOU want . . . and I don't like that." - So, what do we do about that? What we do about a preacher who doesn't preach exactly what you wanted him to preach this Sunday. Or what do we do about the world that isn't going the way we want it to go? . . . Do we just sign off and resign ourselves to issues of whether we cooperate with oppressive, disagreeable, - even hateful folk around us who aren't like we are?
We could remember the last message or sermon or television commercial or popular talk-show host who said what we agreed with - or we could stop and try to be a servant . . . even an obedient slave to what others want or even what our "unseen God" wants. This isn't what we planned. This isn't what we want. But it is something totally different and outside of our own agenda and our own wants and desires. And it might just be what God wants us to do instead of what we want to do with our time and with our lives. God's response through His Son, here, is disagreeable and uncontrollable. But it is about redemption and grace. God's grace enables you to overcome your anger and feelings of disagreeable discontent.
In a recent Upper Room article entitled “Above the Fog” a woman named Beryl Adamsbaum from Savoy, France describes how several days of clouded freezing, murky, damp fog, she and her husband decided to take a short drive into the nearby Alps. What a contrast! They felt that they could finally breathe again as they drank deeply of the fresh, clean air. They experienced warmth as they lifted their faces to the caressing rays of the sun. Their stiff, heavy limbs were invigorated as they stepped out freely and joyfully in the brightness. It was like they had moved into a different world -- into luminous visibility "up here," from the disagreeable opaqueness "down there." She knew that now she sees through a glass, darkly, but then face to face (1 Corinthians 13:12). Yes, we have a lively hope because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead (1 Peter 1:3-7). But, our lives are often clouded by fear, pain, and uncertainty. At the same time, we already have eternal life if we have entered into a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Even in the midst of hard times, we can believe in the joy of sins forgiven and of the assurance of spending eternity with God. Beryl says, "When the fog comes -- literally or figuratively -- let us remember that there is light and warmth beyond the grayness." God's grace enables us to let go and not be upset about serving others wants and needs that seem to be so uncontrollable.
Sincere and devout prayer can transform anyone when we submit ourselves totally to God's will and not our own. One of the last instructions in the Bible is found in Revelation 21:5 where Jesus Christ says to us, "The one who was seated on the throne said, "See, I am making all things new." Our son, Damian, is a teacher's aide for high school students with physical and intellectual disabilities in Atlanta. I had a similar job as a music therapist at the Seagull School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. There seems to pop-up at least one disabled person in each such community who cannot speak and frequently has outbursts of uncontrollable rage that damage property and upset others. One of my co-workers about 35 years ago pointed out to me once that praying with the parents, family members, friends and other loved ones of such an uncontrollable person seems to calm his or her aggravated soul. One mother told me how she took a disabled child to church when he was younger, and then we both watched as her troubled son’s silent face suddenly settled and took on the look of contentment. This was such a gentle smile - difficult to describe and hard to forget.
Since then I’ve experience other signs and wonders in people’s lives even when they don’t directly or clearly explain what is happening. Some might say this is what I want to see in that person and in his or her tormented existence.
This may be partly true, because I have been accused of excessive and exuberant positive and overwhelming Polly-Annish visions of the world. I’m too optimistic or idealistic for some. But a Australian social worker named Malcolm Simpson says this is his personal experience, too. He is a caregiver in a nursing home for similarly disabled people and he observed that these spiritual experiences are "as if someone had drawn near to [the disabled person] and gently touched his or her face. I felt privileged and deeply moved as [Malcolm] witnessed this change affecting others who can’t or won’t explain. I see peaceful change happen in some of our three and four-year-old children at the Learning Center when we pray at the close of our hour-long praise and worship session. Little boys and girls are beginning to renew their excitement with and devotion to God. The transformation I see in these children reminds me of God's power to make all things new. God speaks with redemption and grace in small, simple, sometimes disagreeable, insignificant, uncontrollable but redeemable moments of love and thanksgiving. This is the way you can discover how God's redemption and grace abounds in and around you.
Heavenly Father, thank you for being the Giver of light, so that we can always live in the light and warmth of your presence. Your Faith allows us to look past the difficulties of this life to the spiritual reality beyond. You give us hope and compassion, even when we cannot see beyond the "fog" in our life. Dear Lord, open our hearts and enable us to listen to You and to others. Teach us the power of prayer. You can speak clearly even without words. We are disabled but willing to perceive Your Heavenly and Eternal presence. We ask and thank You for all this in the precious name of Jesus Christ, our Savior, Amen.