Revd Sara’s Reflection Sunday 220924 Bible Reading: Mark 9:30-37
How committed are you to your discipleship journey? Does it define you? How do you respond Jesus’ teachings?
Today’s gospel reading takes us deeper into Jesus the Teacher and we explore themes of humility, service, and the true nature of greatness. What do these themes, and what do Jesus’ words mean to you today? What do you need to take away from this time of prayer and reflection. You might like to make some notes about your initial responses…
As Jesus and his disciples travel through Galilee, he teaches them about his impending betrayal and resurrection, subjects they do not fully understand and are afraid to question. Instead, they argue among themselves about who is the greatest. Jesus’ response to their debate is a typically-Jesus-style inversion of social values: "Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all." This teaching challenges our cultural norms that often equate greatness with power, status, or dominance. As usual, Jesus is inviting us to turn the whole thing on its head.
Reflect on your own perceptions of what makes you feel important, or great. How do societal standards shape your ambitions? Are there ways you strive for recognition or influence that might conflict with the servant-hearted model Jesus presents? Consider how you can embody Jesus’ definition of greatness in your daily interactions and commitments.
Jesus further illustrates his point by placing a child among the disciples, embracing the child, and telling them, "Whoever welcomes one of these little hildren in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me." In Jesus’ time, children had little social status and no power, making his action and words even more counter-cultural.
This act is a powerful reminder of the importance of welcoming and valuing those who are often overlooked or undervalued in our society. Reflect on the 'little ones' in your own community – those who might be marginalised or powerless. How can you actively welcome and serve those who are considered the least? How does this practice of radical hospitality reflect your discipleship?
It’s worth noting that the disciples’ argument about greatness follows immediately after they exhibit fear and misunderstanding about Jesus' teachings on his suffering and death. This suggests that their quest for greatness might be a diversion or a way to cope with their fear and confusion about the future.
Consider how your own fears or misunderstandings about faith, the future, or your life’s circumstances might lead you to grasp at control or status. How can you surrender these fears to God and find true security in being a servant, as Jesus calls you to be?
As you meditate on this passage, let the themes challenge you to transform your understanding of what it means to be great in the eyes of God. This week, make a conscious effort to serve someone else in a way that goes unnoticed, to welcome someone who is typically excluded, and to replace a fear with an act of faith.
May this reflection inspire you to live out your discipleship with a focus on humility, service, and the radical, inclusive love of Jesus. Embrace the lowly position, find greatness in service, and see the face of Christ in everyone you meet.
Blessing
You rise from this moment, part of a movement of people, seeking to shape the future together.
As you go about your day, and your week, may you encounter others who are on this path, may they bless you, may you encourage them,
And let us build a kingdom where all are equal, all are flourishing, none are discriminated against.
And let that world of justice, begin with you, today,
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
Love and prayers Revd Sara
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