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September 24, 2006
The Rev. Canon Grant Carey
Proper 20 - Year B
His followers knew Jesus by several titles. He was called "Son of Man," and "Son of God." Those most intimately involved called him "Lord" or sometimes "Master" which was a title of utmost respect. But one of the titles that best describes Jesus in today's Gospel is "Raboni" - - teacher.
Jesus was the teacher of teachers - - the way he told stories or parables, the way he used example to put across his point - - and his patience with those disciples who, much like ourselves, frequently missed the point.
Notice how Jesus is first of all perceptive. He knows that there is a problem among his disciples that he has to deal with. "What were you arguing about...?" And when they ... perhaps sheepishly ...tell him they had been arguing about who was the greatest among them (you see, the disciples were human after all), Jesus doesn't reprimand them, rather he just seats them down and does two things. First he says: "Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all..." a rather revolutionary teaching in a world dominated by the haves over the have-nots. The first century was not a kind and gentle world.
The second thing he does is to reinforce his very radical teaching by example, taking a child into his arms and saying: "Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me..."
We seem to be living in a world not too different from the world of the first century. Not only is there greed and corruption in high places and low,. . . finger-pointing and name calling, . . . but then as now, many people are willing to climb the ladder of success by stepping on the hands of those below them.
Jesus says however that true success is not to be based on how much power or wealth we have acquired, or how greatly we are respected or feared because of our position in the world in which we live. True success is to be found in service, in caring, in compassion, in reaching out to others and helping to lift them up when they have fallen.
There is no question but that ... to be a Christian in the fullest sense of the word is to be a servant, first of God, seeking his will for us; and second, to express a willingness to serve others in Christ's Name.
It has been rightly said that the Church primarily exists ... not for those who are inside, ... but for those who are still living in darkness, that they might receive the Light of Christ.
"Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me," says Jesus. "And whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me."
Amen
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