The Son of Man Came to Serve

Sermon Lent 5

The Son of Man came to serve

Mark 10:32-45

Our text this morning once again finds Jesus on the journey to Jerusalem with his twelve apostles. In fact at this point in Mark’s gospel, Jerusalem may be in sight for they were on the road going up to Jerusalem. Next week Jesus will enter Jerusalem mounted on a donkey and the events of Christ’s passion shall begin.

But before that there is more teaching from Jesus. In particular this text is the summary of teaching that begins in the eighth chapter where Peter identifies Jesus as the Christ and then Jesus teaches what it means to be the Christ. That he would suffer many things from the hands of the scribes and chief priests and that he would be put to death on the cross and then he would rise again in three days.  In, with and under this teaching of the purpose of the Christ Jesus teaches that real power is found in weakness and that genuine authority does not govern for its own sake but for the sake of others. This is what Jesus is teaching and impressing upon his disciples who are so slow to believe.

Shortly before a glimpse of glory is revealed in the transfiguration in chapter 9, Jesus tells his disciples that they too will face persecution and death. They too will endure the cross before they see Jesus in His power. Coming down from the transfiguration, Jesus reminds the disciples what he said previously that they were not to say anything about this vision until after He had risen from the dead.  But sadly after the Father’s word to listen to Jesus, the three disciples were still questioning what Jesus meant when he said he was going to die.  This idea, that Jesus would suffer and die let alone rise again, was so far from their minds that they were in utter denial of Jesus words.

The rest of the disciples were no better. When Jesus returned with Peter, James and John, down from the mountain He found the other disciples arguing with the scribes over a mute boy they were unable to excise a demon from.  The disciples had forgotten where their authority had come. They did not have authority in and of themselves. They only had authority in so far as the Father and Son would grant it to them.  Perhaps they were trying to show those scribes how wrong they were about Jesus but it back fired because they were looking to serve themselves rather than the boy in need. 

The father was just looking for a solution for his son. He said to Jesus, “But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” The Father desperately prays to Jesus, “I believe help my unbelief.” In answer to this prayer Jesus frees the boy from the demon.  Jesus later would tell the disciples that only prayer would drive the demon out. In this case it was a prayer to Jesus on the part of the father. The disciples began to think they possessed power simply because they chosen by Jesus.

Jesus once again tells his disciples that the Son of Man must suffer and die and in three days rise again and yet the disciples are still confused and continue with their agenda of talking about who among them is the greatest.  Jesus once again explains, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.”

Serving a child, receiving a child, unheard of, children were considered property. Parents held the power of life and death over the child, much like those today of the prochoice and women’s rights movements who treat their unborn children as property, as slaves, whose very fate of life or death are in their hands and not God’s. It is an obscene and perverse culture that sees human pregnancy as a women’s health issue and the unborn child a disease that is to be treated.

It is these lowly ones the culture and our disciples would cast off and reject that Jesus came to serve. Jesus later in chapter nine teaches,  “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.”  These little ones these infants cannot do anything to save themselves. They are completely powerless.  In fact they lack the ability to serve others yet Jesus the one with all authority comes to serve them. This warning by the way comes just prior to Jesus teaching regarding divorce, a sin whose causes are self serving and is a source of stumbling and barrier to the gospel for the children.

This delusion in American evangelicalism still exists that in order to be saved one must take a step toward God, one must consider the evidence and make a rational decision to follow God. Infants are incapable of such power of such reasoning so they are written off.  But this proves that Jesus serves those who are incapable of serving him. He is the Savior. He baptizes these infants into his cross just like the unbelieving disciples and ushers them into his kingdom.

Jesus serves the little ones by laying his hands upon them and blessing them and saying that the kingdom of heaven are such as these. Even a drink of water given to these little ones will not be forgotten in heaven. The one however who thinks he is rich, young and powerful. The one who believes he is able to earn his way to heaven by keeping God’s law. This is what the rich young ruler thought. Sadly, this one has rejected the Savior Jesus. This is the reason the majority of our culture is not attending Divine Service.

And those that are, many for the wrong reason. They come to worship the law with all their talents. They are doing their duty instead of coming to church as a beggar with an empty sack ready to receive, desiring to be served by Christ.

So this brings us to the summary of this teaching in our text this morning. The wonderful gospel message Jesus says, “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”  How does he serve? By giving his life! He does this by allowing himself to be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes who will condemn him to death for blaspheming they will in turn deliver him over to the gentiles the Romans to be mocked, spit upon, flogged and crucified and the third day rise again. In this notice Jesus gives his disciples even more details about his passion then he did previously.

Still what are James and John talking about? They have an agenda. They seek places of honor when Jesus establishes his Kingdom.  They totally misunderstand the nature of this kingdom which they take to be a Jewish utopia on earth. Instead it will be a kingdom of grace and mercy for the enemies of God.

Jesus uses sacramental language to describe again what he will do for them that they are unable to do for themselves. He brings in the language of baptism to describe his Passion and also the wrath of God represented by the cup. Certainly St. Paul reflects this understanding and connection in Roman 6 where he speaks of being crucified, buried and raised with Christ in baptism and in 1 Corinthians 10 the cup of blessing that we bless a participation in the blood of Christ.No, James and John, the rich young ruler and the rest of do-gooders cannot do what He would do and has done to save us from our sins as the atoning sacrifice. But as the body of Christ we will suffer persecution. We will because we will be confessing Christ’s death and resurrection and doing the faithful works that God has prepared for us. “So James and John, you will not do what Jesus has done but you will be baptized into him, the perpetually slain Lamb of God.”  

Jesus set his disciples straight about how authority works in the Kingdom of God. It is not something that is taken like in a power grab. No one can take authority from God. No one can bargain with or give anything to God for it. I cannot say I have talent. I have ability. I have training. It cannot be earned or deserved in any way.  God grants it. God is the one who grants who will be on Jesus left and right. On the cross it was two thieves, one who believed and was granted paradise that day and one who did not. Jesus says, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.  But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all.”  

Jesus shows to us a whole different way of thinking about authority. Authority is not about serving oneself but serving others. It is not something that is taken or assumed but it is granted. Jesus makes no exceptions you who I place in authority will be servants of all, servants to the rich and servants to the poor, servants to the eldest and servants even to the youngest infants who will baptized in his name.  

So the Apostle Paul will write to the Philippian church, “Paul and Timothy servants of Christ Jesus” and to Titus, “Paul, servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ.”   And James the first bishop of Jerusalem in his letter will begin with “James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.” And in Peter’s second letter he writes, “Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ.”

Jesus is first among them all so He is slave of all, “Giving his life as a ransom for many.” Yes Jesus this day is serving you by washing you clean by his words for forgiveness. And you can be assured by receiving the sacrament of the altar that he did in fact die to pay the ransom for your sin.

Your Lord has given his life so that you may be free to serve others. How could anyone withhold service when Christ has served you in this way. All of us in our various vocations such as Pastor, Church Worker, Father, Mother, Teacher, Elder, Deacon, Church Council member are not to use our authority to serve ourselves for our own advantage but for the advantage and service to those we are responsible for.  We are also to be diligent and not neglect our responsibilities for all the body feels it when one member fails to serve.

Our Lord by washing away your sins takes away your fears. He is working through you in your various vocations in serving your neighbor as a living sacrifice showing mercy and compassion to those in your midst. The son of man came to serve and that is what the He continues to do. Amen