In the Name of the Creator, Redeemer,
and Sanctifier
It is one of the most dramatic stories to come out of the Civil
War. Colonel Joshua Chamberlain of the Union Army's 20th main regiment
received orders from General George Meade to shoot 120 deserters, or
take them with him into battle at Gettysburg. No one would be allowed to
return home. At this point in time, the Union Army was demoralized and
in disarray, and Chamberlain's decision would be a monumental one. He
walked slowly to where the deserters waited, knowing that he had to make
a decision about the fate of these men in a matter of minutes.
What do you suppose he planned to do when he reached them? Would
he order them to be executed? Would he order them to follow him into
battle, and kill only those who refused to accompany him? What would he
do? Would he even want to go into battle with men who had already
shown cowardice? What would we have done in his situation? Remember that
we only have a few minutes to decide. We’ll come back to this dramatic
moment in American history.
James and John, two of Jesus' disciples, weren't deserters, but
it's clear that they didn't have a clue what they were getting into when
they signed on with Jesus. They were sort of like you and me. Many of us
came to church riding primarily on our family's faith. We identify
ourselves as Christians mainly because our parents were Christians.
We're not pagans or Jews or Muslims. We believe in Jesus, but we've
never really given much thought to what that means. We enjoy church, and
prayer comforts us. We treasure the relationships we’ve made in
church. We’re not saints, but to tell the truth, we don’t strain our
lifestyles too much by trying to be disciples. We can relate to James’
and John’s concerns.
One day they came to Jesus and said, "Teacher, we want you
to do for us whatever we ask of you." (NRSV) Be cautious whenever
someone approaches with a request like that, because they're getting
ready to ask for something major.
This probably amused Jesus, because, as usual, his disciples were
clueless. The Master may have had a sly smile on his face when he asked,
"What is it you want me to do for you?"
They answered him, "Grant us to sit, one at your right hand
and one at your left, in your glory." (NRSV)
Well, that's certainly not us! We're definitely not glory hogs.
We don't have to be, or need to be, in the top spot. It doesn't bother
us if someone else in the church choir is chosen to sing the solo, or if
the class elects someone else as president. It doesn't bother us if
someone else gets the lion's share of the pastor's attention or is
nominated for chairman of the board. Even at the office, it doesn't rile
us even a little if someone else got the promotion or the raise that we
were expecting. Number one! No, not us! James and John want to sit at
the head table. They want recognition and glory. Don’t we all?
They didn't have a clue where Jesus was leading them. In fact,
Jesus said to them, "You don't 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?"
James and John wanted to ride in on Jesus' coattails. Jesus would
win the victory, but they would bask in reflected glory on his left hand
and his right. There are people like that. They want someone else
to make the sacrifice, someone else to pay the bill.
The great preacher Dr. Harry Emerson Fosdick once preached a
sermon titled "Parking on Another Man's Nickel." That title
alone should give us an idea how long ago this sermon was preached. The
allusion was to a parking meter that hasn't quite expired. We pull in
and park our car and see that enough time is left on the meter for us to
take care of our business. Lucky us! We won't have to put any of our own
money in the meter. And so we are parking on somebody else's nickel, or
quarter, or dollar.
There are people like that in every society. They want to enjoy
the benefits of freedom, but they don't want to make the sacrifices
necessary to ensure that the next generation has the same benefits that
they have enjoyed. Let someone else pay taxes, serve in the
military, and participate in elections. There are people like that in
the church. They want the church to always be there. They want us to
have a first-class ministry to children and youth. They expect excellent
facilities and exciting music. They just don’t want to pay any of the
bill: pay their tithe, serve on any committees, sere as advisors, work
in the kitchen. Jesus knew and understood. He told his two ambitious
disciples, "You don’t know what you’re asking. Are you able to
drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism that I am
baptized with?"
James and John still didn't get it. They replied, "We are
able." Actually, they probably thought they were
able. But the records show that they were not nearly as able as they
thought they were. There would be many ups and downs in their
discipleship. Jesus knew they were not yet ready. But he was trying to
prepare them. He said to them, "The cup that I drink you will
drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be
baptized; 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." James
and John would serve their master ably, but first they would need some
rough edges removed from their discipleship.
About this time the other disciples were eager to help remove
some of those edges. They were angry with James and John for making such
a presumptuous request to sit at the Lord's left hand and his right.
After all, they might be the ones chosen to sit by the side of the
monarch.
It was then that Jesus took his disciples aside and taught them
one of the most important truths of our faith. He said to them,
"Whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and
whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son
of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom
for many."
Following Christ is about serving others. That’s the point of
this lesson. Following Jesus is about serving others.
If serving others is not our cup of tea, we won't be very happy
in Christ's family. In fact, if we don't have an area of our life in
which we serve someone other than ourselves, we aren't going to be very
happy anywhere. Serving others is healthy for mind, soul, and body.
I was interested to read a study by psychologist Larry Scherwitz.
Scherwitz found that people who are what he calls
"self-involved" have more severe coronary artery disease than
those who are more focused toward others. He studied 150 patients
hospitalized either for suspected heart disease or after a heart attack.
He monitored how often they used the pronouns "I, me, my, mine, or
myself." He found that
patients with more severe disease made far more references to
themselves. His findings remained significant even when he matched
patients for age, blood pressure, cholesterol, and Type A behavior.
One of the best things we can do for ourselves is to stop
thinking of ourselves all the time. Take the focus off self and consider
the needs of others and we'll be healthier, happier, and more fulfilled.
We will also be more of what Jesus called us to be. Following Jesus is
about service.
Why? Because that was what Jesus was about. Jesus did not write
down a list of requirements for those who wanted to follow him. He
required no catechism. Instead he provided the ultimate example of
sacrificial love. He said to his ambitious followers: ". . .
whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son
of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom
for many."
We are called to choose a lifestyle that includes service and
sacrifice. Why? Because it will get us into heaven? No. That's already
promised. We don't serve others in order to ensure our salvation. We
serve in order to try to be more like our Master.
A catchword in today's business world is "servant
leadership." No one ever personified that quality more than Jesus.
We serve and we sacrifice because we want to be more like him. So as we
discuss and decide serious issues (divorce, abortion, women in the
ministry, homosexuality) in our society we need to bear all this in
mind. What would Jesus do?
Let's return now to our story about the Civil War. It has an
exciting ending. Colonel Joshua Chamberlain had a decision to make. He
had been ordered to shoot 120 deserters or take them with him. When he
reached these frightened men he immediately ordered that they be
unshackled. Then he fed them a meal before listening to their
grievances. He told them that he was ordered to shoot those who would
not follow him into battle. But he promised them that he would not give
that order. He told the men, "This is free ground. All the way to
the Pacific Ocean. No man has to bow. No man is born to royalty. Here we
judge you by what you do, not by what your father was. Here you can be
somebody. Here is a place to build a home. It isn’t the land.
There’s always more land. It’s the idea that we all have value, you
and me, we’re worth something more than dirt. I never saw dirt I’d
die for, but I am not to asking you to die for dirt. What we’re all
fighting for in the end is each other." When Colonel Chamberlain
finished his speech, 116 of the 120 deserters joined him in his march to
Gettysburg. This helped to turn the tide of battle for the Union army on
that historic battlefield.
One hundred sixteen men out of 120 were willing to die for the
idea that all people have value. Jesus' disciples also gave their lives
for an idea--the idea that Jesus was indeed the Savior of the world.
What inspired them to follow him? They knew that he would do the same
for them. In fact, he had already done the same for them.
James and John wanted fame and celebrity. They wanted to sit by
Jesus' side in his glory. Instead they drank of the cup from which he
drank, the cup of service and sacrifice. What changed them? They came to
know what it meant to follow Jesus. How about each of us?
S
H A L O M