An Embarrassing Question
Mark 9 : 33 – 50

The bleachers are packed with family & friends. Excitement fills the air. There are feelings of pride & accomplishment, & also of relief. Present, too, are tears of joy & tears of sadness.
Faded jeans & old tennis shoes have been replaced with unaccustomed finery. The uniformity of the robes accentuates the fact that mortarboard hats are being worn at every conceivable angle.
The orchestra plays. The choir sings. And then a speaker begins the time-honored practice of seeking to impart some timeless words of advice & encouragement.
I don’t need to go on any further. We all know the scene that I am describing. It is a graduation ceremony. And in the last 40 years I have attended or participated in about 30 different graduation ceremonies. They are times of excitement as young people face whatever the future holds for them.
Now let’s look at our scripture text this morning, Mark 9:32-34. "They came to Capernaum. When He was in the house, He asked them, ’What were you arguing about on the road?’ But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest."
Mark tells us that they didn’t answer Him. They didn’t answer because they were ashamed. As long as they thought that Jesus didn’t know, it seemed reasonable. But when they realized - - -.
If they had been discussing how to have a better prayer life, or how to serve God better, they would have been eager to tell Jesus about that. They would have said, "Lord, we just had the greatest discussion! Now we know how to pray better, & now we know how to serve you more completely." They would have been anxious to tell Him about that. But they kept silent because they had argued about which of them was the greatest.
We wonder, "How did this happen, anyway? Why were they arguing about who was the greatest?"
Mark doesn’t tell us, but may I suggest a possibility? Do you remember what had happened shortly before they began arguing about who was the greatest? You’ll find the answer in the first 12 verses of the 9th chapter.
You see, Peter & James & John had just come down from the Mount of Transfiguration. There they had seen Jesus talking with Moses & Elijah. They had even heard the voice of God Himself from the cloud saying, "This is My Son, whom I love. Listen to Him!" It had been a wonderful & inspiring experience.
But as they were coming down Jesus had cautioned Peter, James, & John not to tell anyone what they had seen until after His resurrection.
Now you know as well as I do that keeping a secret is a tremendous burden. But it can also be an advantage, especially if you can figure out how to let people know that you know a secret without telling them the secret. Right?
Here is where I want to use my imagination. The Bible doesn’t mention it, but I can just imagine something like this happening.
Peter, James & John are all excited, & maybe Peter says something like this, "That was the most wonderful thing that has ever happened in my life." James adds, "For me, too. I’ve never ever seen anything like that." And John chimes in, "I hope we can go back to that mountain soon, & see it again."
Now when the rest of the apostles heard them talking like that, can’t you imagine their curiosity? "What are you talking about? What did you see?"
Then Peter might have replied, "Well, we really can’t say. Maybe someday we can tell you what we saw on top of the mountain, but right now Jesus only wants the 3 of us to know, & we’ve been instructed not to tell anybody else."
If Peter really said something like that, then I can just hear Andrew responding, "You think you’re pretty great, don’t you? I’m the one who introduced you to Jesus in the first place. If it hadn’t been for me you wouldn’t even be here. You’re not nearly as important as you think you are."
Maybe the Zealot said, "Well, wait a minute now. It’s my enthusiasm that keeps this group going. The rest of you would have given up a long time ago if it weren’t for me."
One right after another they must have all proclaimed their own greatness.
Amazingly enough, they thought that Jesus didn’t know what they were discussing. But He knew what was in their hearts, & even though they didn’t answer His question, Jesus knew exactly what they had been talking about. So He begins to talk about greatness.
"Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve & said, ’If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, & the servant of all.’" [Mark 9:35]
Now notice that Jesus did not condemn them or rebuke them for desiring greatness. He did not say that it is wrong to want to be great. He did not say that it is wrong to want to succeed.
I believe that God has given all of us an inborn trait that makes us want to succeed in life, to be great in whatever it is that we do. Jesus doesn’t say that’s wrong. But He defines what "greatness" is.
What is "greatness?" "True greatness is to be found in service, in a concern about others, willing even to be last, instead of always putting yourself first."
This is contrary to everything the world teaches. The world says that greatness is measured by how many people serve you. Greatness, according to the world, is measured by the number of lives that you control.
But Jesus says that true greatness is measured by how many people you help - how many people you serve along the way.
Folks, if we’re really serious about being Christians we’ll have to do some changing in our thinking. Being a Christian will change the way we look at our jobs, & at one another. It will change the way we view society. It will change the relationships between husbands & wives, children & parents.
Jesus was a master teacher & He knew that a visual aid is one of the best ways to teach so that everyone will remember. So Jesus calls a child over to Him, & puts His arm around the child.
Famous artists have painted this scene, but I wonder how realistic their paintings really are? Many have portrayed the child as an angelic little child, with blond hair & blue eyes, & the artist has put a halo over its head.
I really doubt that Jewish child had blond hair & blue eyes. And even though a little child can be angelic at times, I am convinced that this was an average child - one who could be mischievous, get dirty, pout & cry.
We think about my Daughters and or granddaughters & how sweet & precious they are. But at times they also cause us to recall the little saying, "There was a little girl who had a little curl right in the middle of her forehead. When she was good, she was very, very good. But when she was bad she was horrid."
Jesus takes this child & says, "If you really want to be great, here is what you do. Welcome one of these little children in my name, & when you do that you’re welcoming me. And not just me but the One who sent me."
Why did Jesus use a child as an object lesson? Someone said, "Jesus used a child because a child really can’t do anything for us." A child can’t enhance our position in society. A child can’t add to our success.
On the contrary, a child demands things. Every mother & father here knows that when we become parents we begin to learn what "serving" is all about. We quickly learn about sacrificing ourselves, our time, & our energy to meet the needs of our child.
The moment we become a parent we start giving & giving & giving. When they become 18 we still give, & when they become 20 we give some more. And when they get married we find ourselves still giving.
So Jesus took the child & said, "This is what I’m talking about. A child can’t do anything for you. A child can’t make you more important in the eyes of the world. But a child can teach you what ministry is all about."
There is a second visual aid brought in here that almost seems to be unattached, but really is not. When Jesus said, "Welcome one of these little children in my name," John interrupts Him & says, "Teacher, we saw a man driving out demons in your name & we told him to stop, because he was not one of us." [Mark 9:38]
You see what he is saying? "Lord, who gave this man permission to speak in your name? He hasn’t been traveling with us. He hasn’t learned all the things that we have learned. He had no right to do this."
But in verses 39-41, Jesus replies. "Do not stop him. No one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us. I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward."
How does that fit into what Jesus is talking about? He’s saying, "Here is a man who is very much like this child. He has a lot to learn. He may even seem to be an embarrassment to us, but he is honestly trying to serve, & he will be rewarded for that, so don’t hinder him."
Jesus is reinforcing what He has been teaching them. He says, "Don’t just work with people who can enhance your position. Don’t be a respecter of persons. Go out & find them & love them & win them into the kingdom."
Secondly, Jesus tells us that we have a serious responsibility. "And if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck." [Mark 9:42]
Parents, teachers, Christians, what about our example? What about our influence? Are we causing anyone to stumble? Jesus very plainly warns us about God’s attitude toward anyone who causes someone else to stumble.
Thirdly, in verses 43-48 Jesus points out to us how we can make sure that we don’t stumble or cause other people to stumble.
“If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet & be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes & be thrown into hell, where ‘their worm does not die, & the fire is not quenched.’”
Strong words aren’t they? Words that give us a great deal of difficulty. But remember the context. Jesus is talking about our lives, our influence, about accepting people & the responsibility that comes from that.
He is saying, "If your hand is doing something that causes you to stumble, or someone else to stumble, it is better to cut it off than it is to have two hands and go into hell, the unquenchable fire."
Jesus is trying to drive home a very important point. I don’t think He really wants us cutting off hands when we sin. If He did, most of us wouldn’t have any hands. But the principle is clear, if something is going to destroy us or one of these little ones, then we had better get rid of it quick.
Earlier He had talked about having a beam in our own eye while trying to take a speck out of someone else’s eye. We need to get rid of the problem in our own life before we can meet the need in someone else’s life.
What is He saying?
He is telling us to examine ourselves. We get so busy judging others that we don’t look at ourselves. Jesus says, "Look at your own life. If you are doing something you shouldn’t do, & you’re causing other people to stumble, get rid of it, because the alternative is hell."
Folks, our influence, our witness, our example is a very serious matter. It is a far more serious matter in the eyes of God than we seem to realize.
Finally, in vs. 50 He says, "Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, & be at peace with each other."
The fastest way for us to have peace is for us to stop judging one another & start examining ourselves. We need to examine what our hands are doing, & what our eyes are seeing, & where our feet are taking us.
I hope that you have the courage to look honestly & see those areas of your life that may be causing you & others to stumble. Be honest with yourself & get rid of those things before it is everlastingly too late.
Whatever your needs are Jesus can meet them & He stands ready to meet them as we stand and sing together. Will you come?

Contributing Sermon
by Melvin Newland