Mark 9:33-35 "And he came to Capernaum:
and being in the house he asked them, What was it that ye disputed among
yourselves by the way? (34) But they held their peace: for by the
way they had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest. (35)
And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire
to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all."
I confess I had to read these verses several times and compare them to the other accounts of the Gospel before I could come to a peace about what Jesus was saying. As I began the study of Mark, I made the observation that Mark is a man of few words. This is another case to show this to be so.
Picture this: Jesus and the disciples are walking along the road. They have observed many things that have happened at the hands of Jesus. They have heard His teachings and observed His ways. They just watched as Jesus cast the demon out of the young man. They had not been able to do that and had questioned Jesus as to why they could not. None of them were able to cast out the demon. It could only happen by prayer and fasting; which tells me that apparently they had not done those things as they ought. And now, they have the audacity to argue among themselves as to who should be the greatest. But, is that not human nature coming out in them? They didn't want Jesus to hear what they were saying, so I imagine they must have held back along the way to place some distance between them and Jesus.
They arrive in Capernaum. They are in the house where they will be staying. Jesus looks at them and asks, "What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way?" Don't you know He already knew what they had been arguing about? This is another question that is asked to make them (and us) take a look at ourselves as to where we are in our thinking and in our attitude toward ourselves and others. They were quiet because they knew they had done wrong. I picture in my mind Jesus sitting down and calling for those twelve men to come closer to him. What were they thinking? What was racing through their minds? Had they been as the Pharisee in the temple who prayed, "Lord, I thank you that I'm not like the Publican"? Had their conversation started because of the words of the father of the boy, "Lord, I believe. Help thou my unbelief"? Whatever caused the argument to begin, they realized the wrong of it all.
Jesus then said, "If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all." In this statement, Jesus gave direction for greatness. I use the word greatness, for there would be another time these same men would have a very similar discussion. That discussion occurred at the Passover Supper when Jesus declared one of them would betray Him. In one sentence, Jesus gave to these disciples, and to us, the prescription for greatness. What is it? The answer is not found in greatness as the world thinks of it; rather greatness is found in being a servant. Jesus was saying if you really want to be great, be a servant. If you really want to be remembered by others, be a servant. If you really want to make a difference in the world, be a servant.
Think about our own lives this morning. Who has made the greatest impact and difference in your life? Was it some famous celebrity? Or was it your parents, a teacher, or a friend who has reached out in your time of need and stood beside you when all others would turn and walk away? Who do you count to be the greatest in your life? For me, there have been many who have helped me along the way, but the greatest of all is my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
I confess I had to read these verses several times and compare them to the other accounts of the Gospel before I could come to a peace about what Jesus was saying. As I began the study of Mark, I made the observation that Mark is a man of few words. This is another case to show this to be so.
Picture this: Jesus and the disciples are walking along the road. They have observed many things that have happened at the hands of Jesus. They have heard His teachings and observed His ways. They just watched as Jesus cast the demon out of the young man. They had not been able to do that and had questioned Jesus as to why they could not. None of them were able to cast out the demon. It could only happen by prayer and fasting; which tells me that apparently they had not done those things as they ought. And now, they have the audacity to argue among themselves as to who should be the greatest. But, is that not human nature coming out in them? They didn't want Jesus to hear what they were saying, so I imagine they must have held back along the way to place some distance between them and Jesus.
They arrive in Capernaum. They are in the house where they will be staying. Jesus looks at them and asks, "What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way?" Don't you know He already knew what they had been arguing about? This is another question that is asked to make them (and us) take a look at ourselves as to where we are in our thinking and in our attitude toward ourselves and others. They were quiet because they knew they had done wrong. I picture in my mind Jesus sitting down and calling for those twelve men to come closer to him. What were they thinking? What was racing through their minds? Had they been as the Pharisee in the temple who prayed, "Lord, I thank you that I'm not like the Publican"? Had their conversation started because of the words of the father of the boy, "Lord, I believe. Help thou my unbelief"? Whatever caused the argument to begin, they realized the wrong of it all.
Jesus then said, "If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all." In this statement, Jesus gave direction for greatness. I use the word greatness, for there would be another time these same men would have a very similar discussion. That discussion occurred at the Passover Supper when Jesus declared one of them would betray Him. In one sentence, Jesus gave to these disciples, and to us, the prescription for greatness. What is it? The answer is not found in greatness as the world thinks of it; rather greatness is found in being a servant. Jesus was saying if you really want to be great, be a servant. If you really want to be remembered by others, be a servant. If you really want to make a difference in the world, be a servant.
Think about our own lives this morning. Who has made the greatest impact and difference in your life? Was it some famous celebrity? Or was it your parents, a teacher, or a friend who has reached out in your time of need and stood beside you when all others would turn and walk away? Who do you count to be the greatest in your life? For me, there have been many who have helped me along the way, but the greatest of all is my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.