PSEUDO-POWER

Job 38:1-7; 34-41; Hebrews5:1-10; Mark 10:32-45

“Whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all.”


Job, James, and John all wanted something from God—felt that their request was worthy of being honored because of who they were and how they had given up everything to be obedient. The problem was that as soon as they made their request, it moved farther out of reach. Such is the paradox of faith.

All three men were quite sure that they had sacrificed everything to follow the Lord.

So when they voiced their confidence, they became like the 7-year-old who had just won $2 for great memory work in Sunday school. After the morning service, the pastor congratulated the child. The child proudly announced, “And I put it all in the morning’s offering!” “How wonderful!” the pastor exclaimed, “I’m sure God will be pleased.” “Yes,” the child replied, “now maybe God will let me do some of the things I want to do!”
Job has finally had enough of the sacrifice, sickness and surrender of his dignity he has experienced for the first 37 chapters of this book. He finally asks the great question that many of us have asked at least once in our lifetimes:
Why are you doing this to me, God?
Why let bad things happen to good people?

James and John got the surprise of their lives when they said to Jesus (nb: they didn’t even ask!). “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you” (Mk 10:35). The brothers asked to sit in seats of glory.

Let’s look at the responses that God gave Job and Jesus gave James and John. Compare them:

First, God answers Job “out of the whirlwind” (God is angry). “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?”

First, Jesus answers the Zebedee brothers, “You do not know what you are asking.”

Second, to Job: God booms, “Gird up your loins like a man. I will question you…”(38:2-3)

Second, to James & John: “Are you able (Are you man enough…) to drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?” (v 10:38).

God barrages Job with the divine truth that God is God and Job is not. “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?” And on and on rails God for 67 verses to which Job can only reply, “See, I am of small account; what shall I answer you?” This is the correct answer.

Turning from God and Job to Jesus, James and John, the same kind of question should haunt us, “Where were you when they crucified my Lord? Where were you when they nailed him to a tree? Where were you when they laid him in the tomb?”

These questions should cause us to tremble because we know where James and John were—scattered and in hiding. Just a few days after this bold request, they and the others betrayed the very Lord they wanted to sit next to in glory.

Like Job, we want God to explain things to us; we demand to know, Why? Why did this or that happen to me? How could you let this happen?

And like James and John, we want to bargain with Christ for favors, especially for glory and power because of our “faithfulness”. Remember last week? The disciples said, “Lord, we gave up everything to follow you …” (10:28)

Because we feel we have given up everything, even our prize-winning $2.00 we earned for our “faithfulness”: ie, going to church, learning our bible, placing offerings in the plate, does not automatically mean that we are faithful people who deserve all the gifts of heaven.

Can we gird up our loins and drink the cup that Jesus drank? Are we able to be baptized with the baptism that Jesus was baptized with? Are we willing to sacrifice all that we have, for the prayer of the Lord?

This question is an excruciating one, yet one that must be asked of us. God’s is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever, not ours. God is God and we are not.

If we are not God, then what are we? In this world, we want the good life. We want stature and riches and the finer things: having it all gives us a sense of power, but it is pseudo-power. We have people going from riches to rags everyday in this country; ask them how powerful they feel. The Good News is that Jesus has the answer to the pain of powerlessness.

True power comes from living the servant life that Jesus modeled and preached, day in, day out, all the way from Bethlehem to Jerusalem, from cradle, to cross, to grave, and ultimately to the skies.

To have this true power, we must go to its source, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. His words to the disciples in first century Jerusalem have not changed. With the Gentiles, their rulers lorded power over them. Others with great power became tyrants over the poor and sick and ostracized.

“But it is not so among you,” Jesus declares; in other words, gird up your loins…your fancy clothes, your robes and fancy garments. Whoever wishes to become great (whoever wishes to have true power) among you, must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all.”

Jesus lived, died and rose again with true power in his obedience to God. No matter the harassment, betrayal, abandonment and physical punishment he endured, he knew that God had a plan, and it was designed to the finest detail.

We understand the design and the details when we live like Jesus and for Jesus, “for the Son of man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many” (10:45). Be one of the many. Amen.

October 18, 2009
1st Parish Federated Church, South Berwick, ME
Rev Donna Lee Muise