Cuba Christian Church
Proverbs 31:10-31
Psalm 1
James 3:13-4:3, 7-8a
Mark 9:30-37
“The Paradox of Humility”
For years, servanthood ministry has been a term for the kind of service and ministry that we do for one another as Christians—and it’s a good term. But sometimes, servanthood and leadership combined makes servanthood showy or conceited. For example, a person I knew many years ago who was in leadership within our denomination borrowed the words and symbols that pointed to servanthood, but seemed to carry that servanthood as a mantle of glory. In other words, that person’s humility became a place and time for boasting.
Instead, perhaps we can practice a humility of friendship—egalitarian servanthood rather than hierarchical servanthood. People in relationship serve one another—not because one has more or less resources—or is respected more or less. We serve because we are all the same on the inside—created by God in God’s own image.
Mark’s gospel was written—and Jesus taught—within a society of incredibly strict social hierarchies. These power relationships were seen as permanent—unchangeable. Romans had more power than Jews, unless they were inside the temple itself. Men had more power than women, whose status was based on their husbands or fathers. Children and slaves had little to no power and could be killed without penalty in most cases. Each had very little real worth—though they were obviously loved within family relationships. An egalitarian relationship was rare because most people had differing status even within close relationships. When Jesus said his life would be forfeit and then brought a child to their attention as a model of personhood, he was striking at the very heart of their understanding of power.
Teachers and leaders like Jesus were supposed to wield power in an obvious way—holding authority like a sword or scepter of a king. Even though they recognized Jesus’ power, it was often difficult for the disciples to really understand what it was that he was doing with it. Yet Jesus was different—he used his power to uplift others rather than rule them. He had confidence in the power of God, so that he didn’t have to defend it or prove it, he simply relied upon it.
The gospel text today begins with Jesus’ second affirmation of his death and his resurrection. He stated it plainly, “Son of Man is to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill him, and three days after being killed, he will rise again.” But such confidence in his own submission and God’s power was so outside of the normal way of doing things that Jesus’ disciples continued to be confused by it.
We look back at those disciples and wonder that they didn’t trust Jesus’ obedience even to death and submission to God’s purpose for him, but I don’t think we understand that kind of humility any better than they did. We may have a clearer idea of equality in our society, but humility has never been the way of the western world.
Humility, in my mind, is becoming so accustomed to serving others that we do it naturally, without thought. However, we have to realize that serving others takes time to become a habit in most cases. And we have to realize that that service is not to be coerced—it is not a matter of fear, but a matter of power given to another.
Humility comes from the choice to be humble—humility is not require of someone without the opportunity to choose. It’s a paradox. We are called to humility—and we are called to empower those without power so that each one can choose humility and service for oneself.
There are people all around us who have no voice—some of us feel that kind of powerlessness at times. And there are times when those who have no voice to speak need to be given the power and the voice so that we can hear about humility.
When the gospel of Mark was written, the Roman Empire was the cultural power of the world. The structure and government of the Romans was the tool by which most of the western world was ruled; the disciples and Jesus’ followers within the Roman world were powerless in the face of the Empire. The message of humility was given to people who may not have had power over their surroundings, but needed humility in the midst of day to day relationships. They needed to realize that with power came the responsibility not to destroy people using it. At times in Jesus’ teaching he reminds them of this, but it takes a long time to understand. Human beings often have to live that kind of humility and understanding a long time before they can really live it.
Jesus explained that people who had power were going to arrest and kill him—and that he would come out on the other side of death. That death was not the irreversible defeat it was assumed to be. He was trying to show them that God was still God of all, even death. Their conversation revealed their misunderstanding.
He first told them, “I will live this message of God, revealing my love for all creation to the point of inevitable death. I will show you that my love is not overcome by death.” And then they turn around and argue about who was the greatest among them. He said, “I will be your salvation because I will die and you fight and argue over status and power? I will live the mission that God gives me even though God and I both know it will be violently rejected and you wonder who has more status in the kingdom of God? Listen to me and watch what I do.
“I serve others. I heal their wounds and take away their illnesses. I absorb their brokenness and give them wholeness. I take what you have called impurity and uncleanness and give them a status within their relationships again. Every moment I choose to follow the mission I have been given. Yet you think that one of you will be great and rule over the others.
“If you have no more worth and status in society than this child, then you can count on greatness. . . if you follow God’s mission to you expecting no more than death, as I do, then you are one of the kingdom. If you realize that kingdom doesn’t mean ease of living or power over anyone, then you might be seeing it in small part.
Even today misunderstanding is often the case. We are told that unless we take power, wealth, status or praise, none will be given. Yet in scripture after scripture, God resists that kind of power—power over others instead of the humility of power shared among equals.
Honestly, I have watched this church reveal that kind of understanding over the years in many ways—we aren’t perfect, but it has been done in some amazing ways. That doesn’t mean that we are wealthy or powerful or have a guarantee of success, the reward for humility is knowing that humility is God’s will.
We have refused, at times, and maybe without conscious realization that the approval of the community is not a good way to make a decision. We have gone ahead with our choices for leadership at times when there were murmurs from other quarters about those who lead us. We don’t always speak clearly of our choices—we humbly continue on about the journey.
And we aren’t perfect about our humility—but I think that’s important, too, because it helps us understand what we need to stand up and say and when we need to simply stand and let our actions speak for us. Humility sometimes means being misunderstood—as I’m sure Jesus could have told us as he heard his disciples speak of power and greatness even as he contemplated the results of his own obedience to the mission that God had given him.
Whenever we bring people to the center of influence that we hadn’t formerly listened to: in church, in other times and places, like family conversations or in work situations, then we embrace humility. When we acknowledge that within our relationships as a mother or father, grandmother or grandfather, teacher, preacher, husband, wife, adult or grown child that we don’t know all the answers and can listen and act on others’ words or wisdom, we embrace humility. As adults, we can listen to children. As teachers, we can hear what students are saying in bits and pieces through action and conversation. As parents, we can hear what children of different ages say and do, truly taking it seriously, realizing our mutual humanity. As husbands and wives, we can look to one another with respectful recognition of one another’s actions—knowing we are equal partners, though not exactly the same. And as a pastor, I can recognize real humility and try to live up to the examples I see.
A faithful life, as Jesus lived it, meant embracing the paradox of God’s own wisdom as God released humanity to live in relationship with one another. God taught and spoke through many people, who were imperfect and sometimes not so humble. God walked in the life of Jesus in completion, showing us that humility wasn’t about being ashamed of who we are as woman or man, husband or wife, adult or child—but embracing what God has made us to be and living it within God’s will, not more or no less.
We are called to be humble—yet be all that God has created us to be. As the epistle to James teaches, we are called to live the kindness that comes from wisdom, not allowing abuse toward us or another, but healthy humility, not more than we are, but certainly not any less. We are called to be humble within the purpose and mission that God calls us to live—not to be humiliated because another wants power.
Jesus’ triumph over humiliation and abuse to the point of death reveals that that is not God’s will—that death is to be defeated by life given as a gift of God.
Let us take the voice of purpose that we are given—let us live the life of intentional kindness and gentleness that God gives—not because we are no better than slaves, but because we are called to take our places within the kingdom of God as servants because that is the high and humble place to which we have all been called as disciples of Jesus Christ.
In the name of God: Author of life, Redeemer from death, Sustainer of living. Amen.
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