Mark 9:30-37 (NLT)
Leaving that region, they traveled through Galilee. Jesus didn’t want anyone to know he was there, for he wanted to spend more time with his disciples and teach them. He said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of his enemies. He will be killed, but three days later he will rise from the dead.” They didn’t understand what he was saying, however, and they were afraid to ask him what he meant.
After they arrived at Capernaum and settled in a house, Jesus asked his disciples, “What were you discussing out on the road?” But they didn’t answer, because they had been arguing about which of them was the greatest. He sat down, called the twelve disciples over to him, and said, “Whoever wants to be first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else.”
Then he put a little child among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, “Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes not only me but also my Father who sent me.”
Of all the divine paradoxes evoked by Jesus, perhaps this is the toughest to swallow: To be first, we must be last. This blasphemous phrase alone spits in the face of all we hold sacred. I mean think about it. Imagine Alabama or LSU straining to lose in an effort to vie for last place with bottom dwellers Ole Miss and Mississippi State. Or one of the talented ladies from Cup Cake Wars intentionally scorching their delicious baked goods in order to be the first kicked off the show. Or Chelsea tossing away their Champions League Trophy to replace FC Dallas at the stub of the MLS totem-pole. Or an American Idol contestant who screams lyrics and smashes the set instead of belting out a slick song airbrushed for a TV audience desperately seeking the latest fad-god.
Our culture is competition driven- whether it be sports, economics, politics, or personal lives. Everyone yearns to be and look the best. And we’re willing to stomp a hole in anyone foolish enough to get in our way. It's rather naïve of us to believe that such atrocious behavior halts at the doors of the church or within a circle of Christ followers. If anything, it's even worse. As evidenced by the dog-eat-dog conversation of the disciples. Mere steps away from Jesus no less. You’ll recall that these are the disciples who had recently failed to heal the man afflicted with the evil spirit because of a lack of prayer, blamed one another for forgetting food because of a lack of responsibility, and folded up when given the opportunity to feed the masses because of a lack of faith. But they were arguing over who was best!
My dear Refugees, let us be mindful of the lesson here. Ask yourself if you’ve ever behaved in such a shallow way, either on the outside…or the inside. Whether guilty or not, there is no day like today to begin following the principle: To be first in the life to come, we must be last here by serving others. If you’re willing to obey Christ’s challenge and just do it (borrowed from Nike), you’ll discover you’re not actually giving up anything, but gaining a love, joy, and peace which surpasses all understanding, national championships, money, or fame.
Application: List ten ways to “become last” by serving others today. Then go be the Gospel!
