First Presbyterian Church
It's Not About You
Sermon for October 22, 2006
by Pastor Susan Barnes

Children's time: The CROP Walk banners.

Paul Beran visited last Monday. He's worked in the United States and in Israel-Palestine for peace. He worked for World Vision. That's one of the places that gives money to people so they will have enough food. When the youth group has the 30 hour famine, that's where the money goes. Downstairs in the PYG pen there's a mural on the wall about the 30 hour famine. Paul was really glad to see that mural.

He also liked the CROP walk banners, especially the one about refugees. The members of his family were refugees for awhile. They were kicked out of their home by soldiers.

Do you know what the CROPWalk is about?

Let's dedicate the CROPWalkers. We'll invite them up, and then during the prayer, I'd like you to touch their feet to bless them. (As we dedicated the CROP walkers, I realized that I told the children to touch their feet. Some of the children thought that meant to touch their feet once, others thought it meant pat the feet the whole time. Next time I will say “hold their feet during the prayer.”)

In our gospel reading, Mark has told us that the disciples were amazed and the others were afraid of what Jesus taught them on the way to Jerusalem. Jesus tried to prepare the twelve for what was coming. But they continue to show they don't get it. They open with a childish question like, “Promise you won't get mad, no matter what I ask you?” or “If I ask you to do something, will you do it no questions asked?”

Listen for the word of God as it is found in Mark 10:35-45.

35 James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to him and said to him, "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you."

36 And he said to them, "What is it you want me to do for you?"

37 And they said to him, "Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory."

38 But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?"

39 They replied, "We are able." Then Jesus said to them, "The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; 40 but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared."

41 When the ten heard this, they began to be angry with James and John.

42 So Jesus called them and said to them, "You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. 43 But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. 45 For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many."

This ends our gospel reading. James and John needed to hear from Jesus that “It's not about you.” The gospel isn't about power and preference either, but about obedient ministry and solidarity. That's how Hebrews speaks of Jesus Christ's role as priest and king. Listen for the word of God as it is found in Hebrews 5:1-10.

1 Every high priest chosen from among mortals is put in charge of things pertaining to God on their behalf, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.

2 He is able to deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is subject to weakness; 3 and because of this he must offer sacrifice for his own sins as well as for those of the people.

4 And one does not presume to take this honor, but takes it only when called by God, just as Aaron was.

5 So also Christ did not glorify himself but was appointed by the one who said to him, "You are my Son, today I have begotten you"; 6 as he says also in another place, "You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek."

7 In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.

8 Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered; 9 and having been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him, 10 having been designated by God a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.

This ends our reading of God's word.

Melchizadek is a mysterious figure from the old testament, the Hebrew Bible. He's mentioned in just one place there. All we know about him is that he was both a priest and a king. As a priest, he offers the sacrifice of himself, and represents people before God. As a king, he rules the people as a representative of God.

Hebrews speaks of Jesus “offering up prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.” Another way to translate “reverent submission” is “devout reverence” or “devotion.”

Jesus' faithfulness wasn't compromised by his loud cries and tears. There's not a theological problem with Jesus' suffering and his prayers being heard by God. It just means Jesus is like the brothers and sisters who also suffered and prayed in New Testament times and in our time.

Still most of us don't like to hear about suffering. We certainly don't like to see people suffer. Some of us prefer instead to deny there's a problem at all. “There's nothing to be upset over.” “It doesn't really hurt that bad, does it?” “She's going to beat this. Why did you call hospice in?”

When someone we know is dying, part of our grief is realizing that this is not about us. Sometimes our frustration at our own powerlessness and unimportance makes us behave inappropriately and say cruel words. The wife of a dying man told me her sister-in-law said “If you had given him that vegetable juice like I told you to, he wouldn't be dying.” I spoke with a woman whose ex-husband had died of cancer. Her ex- mother-in-law told her in the hospital room “If only you hadn't divorced him, he would still be alive.” The ex-wife said simply “You don't want to go there.”

Most of you know I was gone this week to attend a friend's funeral in California. After the funeral I went to the family's house with a bunch of friends. We watched a memorial video that two of her girlfriends put together. Usually those kinds of videos are assembled by the funeral home using photographs provided by the family. This video showed a few pictures of her family. She had three brothers, and had four children. But it was pictures of her two girlfriends that dominated the video, one on her right and one on her left. I was embarrassed for them. They had succeeded in making the memorial video about them instead of about our friend. Her whole family saw it.

The disciples heard what Jesus had said about why he was going to Jerusalem and what would happen there. But they didn't really get it when they asked for the positions of honor – to sit at his right and left hand.

Does Jesus say to the disciples “It's not about you?” No, he was gentle with them. He tells them again that it's about being a servant of all.

“The rulers of the gentiles are tyrants and lord it over them, but whoever wishes to become great among you must be a servant.”

Those of you who were able to come here last Monday night heard Paul Beran speak about his peacemaking work.

Paul had been a young adult volunteer in mission in Israel-Palestine. He told me while he served in Jerusalem, he asked questions like “Why don't the Palestinians stop protesting? If they just stop, there'll be peace.” Finally his supervisor took him aside and talked to him about the history of the Israeli occupation.

Paul ended up marrying a Palestinian woman. In getting to know her family, he learned what the Palestinians who remained in Israel-Palestine go through. Because Paul once was ignorant, he has patience with people who still are, even though he's a professor now. And so, when students ask him naïve questions, he is patient with them. He gently responds to their question. He is a better teacher for knowing what it is to be a judgmental and know-it-all student. It reminded me of Jesus. Hebrews says that a high priest is able “to deal gently with the ignorant and wayward since he himself is subject to weakness.” When Jesus suffered, he learned what it meant to be tested. And so he can be gentle with us when we are tested and ignorant and wayward.

When Jesus asked James and John if they could drink his cup and experience his baptism, he was asking them if they were willing to undergo his sufferings. They said yes. Evidently James meant it; Acts 12:2 tells us he was executed by Herod Antipas.

There are people in the world who are willing to undergo suffering for others.

Paul, our Presbyterian peacemaker, told the story about a friend of his wife's family in Palestine. She lives in the same apartment building as his in-laws. One evening, three soldiers came to the building, and demanded everyone leave. The woman said “I have just put my five children to bed and they are sleeping. You may come in and search, but we are not leaving and I am not waking up the children to traumatize them and leaving in the middle of the night.” So instead, the soldiers forced all 30 people in the building to live in her two-bedroom apartment for three days, taking away their phones and their faxes so they couldn't communicate with anyone. Then they left.

Paul's father-in-law is a pastor. He was an outspoken critic of an Arab politician's corrupt policies, and the Palestinian police came to arrest him. His wife invited the soldiers into the apartment, served them food and drink, and her husband came out and talked with them for hours, getting them to speak about how they didn't like the corrupt policies either. As they were leaving, they said, “We'll just tell our superiors you weren't at home.”

Another time, their neighbor was waiting in line to get her driver's license. Any legal paperwork always takes a long time for Palestinians in Israel. As they waited in line, a solder walked up and down by the line, smoking a cigarette and blowing the smoke in their faces. Eventually, she walked up to him, and she is a tiny lady, and she took the cigarette out of his mouth. He threw her down the stairs.

I asked Paul what gave them all such courage. He said their faith is very strong. They believe the next life is more important than this life, so they aren't afraid to stand for justice.

Paul showed us pictures of the Women in Black, women who protest the unjust treatment of Palestinians in Israel. The women are Israeli, Palestinian, Christians, and Jews. This last week, he's been in Israel-Palestine protesting the wall with American Jews who traveled with him there. They stand in front of the soldiers who are carrying machine guns.

Paul is a brave man, but he is not without fear. When he was at our house, Eleanor proudly showed him her beloved gecko Fin curled around her hand. Paul didn't want to get too close. We all can be brave about different things.

Paul's bravery comes in part by practicing the brave acts that he preaches.

If we practice following Jesus by serving others, then it becomes who we are. If we practice it enough, even during times of great stress, we can hold onto the idea it's not about us, it's about God. Jesus gave his life as a ransom for many. That word, many, can also be translated ‘all.' Jesus gave his life as a ransom for all. That part is about us. Amen.