Today’s gospel lesson is not a shining moment for James and John. After reading this story it is apparent that Will Rogers never met James and John. If he had met them, it would have been hard for Rogers to say that he never met a man that he did not like. James and John appear to have excessively high opinions of themselves. They also show themselves to be quite selfish. They also completely overestimate their ability to live in the way of Christ which is not a surprise as they reveal that they completely misunderstand the mission and ministry of Jesus. James and John obviously have flaws which they reveal in this story, and now that they are established as the villains in this text, I could easily spend the next ten minutes tearing these two disciples to shreds but before I do that, I think that it is only fair that I start by pointing out what the sons of Zebedee get right.
I admire James and John for being willing to take some risk and to be bold in their request. They come forward and ask Jesus “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” They are direct and forceful and they do not mince any words. They are not afraid to directly approach Jesus and make their demand. They know that if a request is not made then it cannot be granted. In this case I surely would have preferred it if these two disciples had used their assertiveness to ask the Lord to heal the sick, to feed the hungry, or to lift up the oppressed rather than asking Jesus to grant them positions of power on his right and left. However, in the act of making this bold request we see that an essential thing that James and John get right in this story is that they absolutely recognize the greatness of Jesus and express a desire to be close to him. They understand that Jesus is the real deal. They followed Jesus and journeyed with him because they were so enchanted with this charismatic itinerant teacher. They had seen Jesus do many amazing things and they knew that Jesus was capable of doing even greater things. This request to sit at the right and left of Jesus is definitely rash and self-centered but I think that it can be viewed as an affirmation of their initial commitment to leave their boats and nets behind in order to follow the Lord. They still believe that Jesus has great power even if they misunderstand the way that Christ works in the world.
In contrast to James and John many of us often fail to recognize the greatness of Jesus. We have the testimony of the Bible, the witness of the saints, and a Savior who is always with us but we continually turn to other people, places, and things rather than approaching Jesus. We recognize greatness in our athletes, entertainers, and authors and we rush out to support their endeavors by buying tickets, books, or whatever they happen to be hawking at that time. We obsess over our favorite celebrities and the latest trends. We want to emulate those whom we admire, and in the process, we tend to ignore the great and merciful Son of God. We are quite comfortable relegating the greatness of Jesus to just one hour per week on a Sunday morning while we spend hours on trivial things. We limit singing the praises of Jesus to our church building and our church community and we fail to proclaim to the world that it is Christ who has the power to transform our society and in fact is doing so before our very eyes. We often fail to recognize that it is Jesus who has the power to heal this broken world where many are impacted by the consequences of climate change, where many have suffered loss because of COVID-19, and where many are food insecure. Unlike many of us, these disciples fully acknowledged that Jesus is capable of things beyond our limited imaginations.
After hearing this request, Jesus eventually has to set them straight. The reward for following Christ is nothing like the luxurious banquet that James and John have imagined. Much like James and John we tend to seek power and use it to control others and to benefit ourselves. In our society many of us hope to ingratiate ourselves with the rich and successful and then leverage our relationships with those in power to benefit from certain perks whether it be a lavish meal, or a trip, or a plum work assignment, or simply more money. In my time working both in consulting and in the corporate world I experienced first-hand this trend of vying for the attention of those considered great in order to enrich oneself. In fact, I am even guilty of it myself. However, things are different with Jesus and the places on his right and left are already reserved. Mark writes in chapter fifteen that Jesus was crucified with two bandits. One was on Jesus’ left and the other was on his right. Mark does not give us any further information about the bandits. They may be petty criminals or possibly felons or maybe insurrectionists as evidenced by their being sentenced to crucifixion. It is clear that these individuals who were crucified next to Jesus were people of low standing. The fact that Jesus suffered along with them shows that his mission was to come into this world and to be in solidarity with the oppressed, the impoverished, and all those who our society deems to be outcasts. The places at the right and left of Jesus are reserved for those who have been oppressed by our unjust social structures. On the right and the left of Jesus are those who suffer from injustice, discrimination, and abuse.
The request of James and John is denied but that is not the end of this story. As I discussed earlier despite their rather selfish and impetuous request it is apparent that these disciples are bold and they see that Jesus is extraordinary. Jesus sees that they are misguided but he knows that they have great potential to serve God’s Kingdom so he extends a very special invitation to them. Jesus personally invites James and John to participate in his death. On the surface the meaning of cup and baptism may be ambiguous but when read in the context of Mark the meaning is clear. Today’s reading from Mark comes immediately after Jesus has predicted his death and resurrection for the third time. The cup that Jesus offers is the same cup which motivates his prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane. By offering them this cup and this baptism Jesus is inviting James and John to die to their old ways and now live in the way of Christ by humbly serving others.
Baptism and the cup are not just for James and John. Through the water of Baptism and the cup of Holy Communion Jesus also invites us to participate in his death. As we read in verse forty-five Jesus came not to be served but to serve and to give his life for many. The good news is that we are assured that “the many” includes all of us. Jesus has given his life for us and this includes an invitation to share in his death. Just like James and John we are also called to die to our old ways and to now live in the way of Christ. Because Jesus loves all of us so much, we are invited to share in his death.
Today’s gospel passage ends with Jesus explaining how his way is not conventional. The way of Jesus is different than the way of the world. It is not an exercise of control over others but it is a way of loving service for others. With Jesus death is not permanent but it is essential to resurrection. Through his death and resurrection Jesus redefines what it means to be first and to be great. The giving away of oneself to others is following in the way of Jesus. Those who walk in the way of Christ are those who are dedicated to serving all because to follow a servant Messiah is to act as a servant. We all get caught up in seeking power, wealth, and glory but through his death Jesus frees us from our captivity and invites us into a new way of living. Jesus liberates us not to become great as the world understands greatness, but to live as servants of Christ. By offering us this cup to drink and inviting us into baptism Jesus gives us a remarkable gift which remakes our lives and reconstructs our society. Therefore, by sharing in the death of Jesus we also share in his life affirming resurrection.
May we all be bold in our request to be close to Jesus. May we recognize the greatness of Jesus which brings goodness and new life to the world. May we accept the invitation of our Lord Jesus Christ to fully participate in both his death and his resurrection. Thanks be to God.
- Vicar Kyle Anderson