Jesus: True Power Means Serving Others

Before we scold John & James for angling for the corner offices of Jesus’ executive suite, we should note that there is a built-in assumption to their request. They are asking for the cushy gigs, because they are so confident that Jesus will indeed ascend to the throne to be the King of Kings that they are already taking measurements for their new curtains.

     Aside: May we all be as confident in our faith walk as the 4-year-old boy wearing his Batman costume at Price Chopper.

Secondly, alas, we also know that our friends are missing the bigger picture. Yes, Jesus is the King of Kings, but following Him isn’t the path to self-glorification or bloated job titles or reserved parking spots. Rather following Him comes with a great burden to make God’s Kingdom a reality here on earth. (It should be noted that John & James’ selfless & sacrificial ministry recorded in the Gospels & in legends confirms that they indeed got “it” later on.)

Thirdly, I’m also fascinated at the rare glimpse of the group dynamic occurring within the Disciples. There is dissension in the ranks as the other Disciples are ticked off that John & James are tossing aside the “all for one & one for all” group mindset to seek self-glorification. This raises the question: How DID Jesus keep His Disciples together for 3 years & prepare them to spread the Good News to all the corners of the earth after His earthly ministry?

Bear in mind, the Disciples were an incredibly diverse group. In Jesus’ day there were 4 main religious/political sects in Judaism. (And you thought 2 political parties was chaotic!)

1. Essenes – Wanted to retreat from the world & seek God in a commune lifestyle
2. Sadducees – Politically connected–strict interpretation of God’s law
3. Pharisees – The most popular sect who were generally open to new interpretations
4. Zealots – A libertarian group who passionately wanted to serve God & only God. The more radical Zealots believed that the mere presence of Romans in Jerusalem, let alone in power, was an affront to God.

While there is little documentation about the Disciples’ political inclinations, there is the general belief that Jesus would have selected representatives from several of the sects, which would seemingly create a lot of tension. For example, one could easily imagine Simon the Zealot having serious issues with Matthew betraying the Jewish people by serving as a Roman Tax Collector. Or if some of the Disciples, like James & John, were devout followers of John the Baptist, who may have been an Essene, they would have issues with someone who was a Pharisee. These disagreements would be on top of the normal squabbling that comes from hiking & camping together for 3 years.

     Aside: You DO realize that when someone is called a “happy camper,” it is usually sarcastic, right?

So how did Jesus keep this band of believers together? I would submit that Jesus constantly elevated the conversation beyond the constant drumbeat of the daily political tedium to focus on the Kingdom of God. That’s why He didn’t get bogged down talking about Senate Resolution MMCXIII declaring Motel VI the Roman Empire’s Official Motel, the financial viability of Egypt’s Pyramid Schemes, or the literal political back-stabbing going on in Rome. (Et tu, Darren? Editor)

I recall years ago a fellow Disciple member said if she had the chance, she’d want to ask Jesus about His thoughts on Social Security. While I understood her thinking, I thought my questions for Jesus would revolve around what was it like when the Cosmos got started, what happened during those 3 days in the tomb, & was God having a whimsical day when He created giraffes? (Full disclosure, I might eventually ask Him who shot JFK.)

Maybe our faith walk & the spiritual health of our small groups would benefit from taking a sabbatical from the constant barrage of political news in our world & focus on striving to make our own lives & our own small worlds more in sync with the Kingdom of God. As the old adage goes, “Everyone will march to protest for a cleaner environment, but no one will volunteer to help Mom clean the dishes.”

We’ll close with the old Preacher story of the JFK conspiracist who goes to heaven & asks God, “So, who really shot JFK?” God replies, “Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone.” The conspiracist whistles & mutters, “The cover-up goes higher than I thought.”