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Being First
Presenter: Larry Kirkpatrick
Location: Bonners Ferry Seventh-day Adventist Church, ID, USA
Delivery: 2010-11-06
Publication: GreatControversy.org 2010-12-04 05:26Z
Type: Sermon
URL: http://www.greatcontroversy.org/gco/ser/kirl-beingfirst.php
Jesus poses two ideas in radical opposition to each other; two which cannot continue to co-exist in the world.
The setting is that Jesus’ ministry is nearing its end. The disciples see Jesus as Messiah and are sure that He will be king in a new kingdom. They anticipate a new government, and have been arguing among themselves over who will be first.
The mother of James and John encouraged them to ask Jesus for the number two and number three slots in the new order. Jesus refuses to assign them, stating that the answer to that question was one reserved to God the Father. The other disciples hear, and are angry with James and John. A fresh round of angry discussion is in the offing. Jesus intervenes. If we can hear Him, He will offer a perspective that will change us for eternity.
Turn to Mark 10:42. Let’s hear it, first, in the King James Version, and then the same passage in the English Standard Version. The content is the same, but it will help us to hear it twice. Listen.
Jesus called them to him, and saith unto them, Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them. But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister: And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many (Mark 10:42-45 KJV).
And in the ESV:
And Jesus called them to him and said to them, ‘You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many&rsnquo; (Mark 10:42-45 ESV).
And so, today we will contrast what it means to be first among non-Christians, with what it means to be first among Christians.
Jesus makes a strong distinction between the two groups. After all, some are part of a system of domination ruled by Satan, and some are part of an entirely different order that Jesus is setting up. First see the parallels in 42. “Rulers of the gentiles&rquo; are the same as “their [the gentiles] great ones.”
The “rulers” in the Greek are the ARXW, those who are recognized by the gentiles as “being first,” governing, ruling. The parallel is that these are considered by the gentiles to be “their great ones.” That is, there is a subgroup which the ETHNOS, the nations, recognize as being of them and over themselves, and which they grant the prerogatives of power, of firstness.
Notice what these do. Again, we have parallel statements: They “lord it over them” and they “exercise authority over them.” The first statement literally comes out that they engage in mastery over them. Every usage of this word in the Bible (Matthew 20:25; Mark 10:42; Acts 19:16; 1 Peter 5:3) is about someone or some group—other than Christ—who “lords it over” others. The Bible refers to Jesus as Lord many, many times, but never as engaging in KATAKURIEVW.
The second statement is that those who are great “exercise authority” over others—again, interestingly enough, something not said of Jesus. Bauer also suggests, to “tyrannize over” (A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and other Early Christian Literature, 3rd ed., Walter Bauer (BDAG), p. 531).
But the case is very different for the Christian. For Jesus says, “But it shall not be so among you.” That is, it shall not be so, that among Christians, we seek position. True, John and James had not sought to be first, but for positions two and three (to sit at Jesus’ right and left hand).
Nor shall it be that we are “lorded over” or “tyrannized” by our leaders. These are characteristics of secular leadership. Jesus tells us that leadership among those who serve Him will be very different.
Just as we had parallels for secular rulers, so too do we have parallels for Christian leaders. What are they? Look closely at 43 and 44.
Those who are first demonstrate that they are first by being “servants” and “slaves.” (King James Version offers the translations “minister” and “servant,” respectively.) If you want to know what the words in the original language are, the first one is “DIAKONOS.” We get the English word “deacon,” literally, servant, from this. Minister works too. The second word is “DOULOS,” literally, “slave.”
What do Christian leaders do? They are servants and slaves of all. They lead by serving. They are first in service. What is the ultimate example of service? Verse 45: “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Jesus’ example is not that He came down off the cross and began to issue orders, but that He hung on the cross and gave His life for sinners, even asking, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). Jesus served as sacrifice for all.
Nor is Jesus alone. He is alone in terms of being the one who died for us on the cross. But the Holy Spirit also calls us to present our bodies as “living sacrifices” (Romans 12:1).
Returning to our main text, Mark 10:42-45, this does not mean that those who rule among the gentiles never serve others (Isaiah 44:28), or that those who lead among Christians never exercise authority in the church (2 Corinthians 13:10); but that, the leadership of secular leaders is characterized by the exercise of authority and that leadership among Christians is characterized by service.
You might also think of Hebrews 13:17, which in the King James Version says, “Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves.” The English Standard Version is identical. The Greek can also be rendered, just as literally, “Follow those who lead you, and yield to them.”
The “Obey them that rule over you” translation is correct, but to some ears it sounds more open-ended and more absolute. “Follow those who lead” makes more clear the responsibility of the individual Christian to be in motion, to be reforming and moving forward with Jesus as He, Jesus moves forward. It also calls us too be sure that those whom we are following are actually going where God is taking His church.
There is another difference here too. The “rulers” of the gentiles are never presented in this passage as being “among” the people they rule; they are over them (verse 42). But in verses 43 and 44, three times we have Jesus using the preposition which means “among.” Listen to the passage one more time:
And Jesus called them to him and said to them, ‘You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many’ (Mark 10:42-45 ESV).
Those who are “being first” among God’s people are not distant, but engaged in service “among” believers.
Jesus poses two ideas in radical opposition to each other; two which cannot continue to co-exist in the world. One group rules others by force; one group leads others by service. Hear Ellen G. White who comments on the extreme difference between the two approaches in these verses.
In the kingdoms of the world, position meant self-aggrandizement. The people were supposed to exist for the benefit of the ruling classes. Influence, wealth, education, were so many means of gaining control of the masses for the use of the leaders. The higher classes were to think, decide, enjoy, and rule; the lower were to obey and serve. Religion, like all things else, was a matter of authority. The people were expected to believe and practice as their superiors directed. The right of man as man, to think and act for himself, was wholly unrecognized.
Christ was establishing a kingdom on different principles. He called men, not to authority, but to service, the strong to bear the infirmities of the weak. Power, position, talent, education, placed their possessor under the greater obligation to serve his fellows. To even the lowliest of Christ’s disciples it is said, ‘All things are for your sakes.’ 2 Corinthians 4:15.
‘The Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many.’ Among His disciples Christ was in every sense a caretaker, a burden bearer. He shared their poverty, He practiced self-denial on their account, He went before them to smooth the more difficult places, and soon He would consummate His work on earth by laying down His life. The principle on which Christ acted is to actuate the members of the church which is His body. The plan and ground of salvation is love. In the kingdom of Christ those are greatest who follow the example He has given, and act as shepherds of His flock (The Desire of Ages, p. 550).
Who are the shepherds? Those who give; those who serve; those who offer themselves so that the members of the church may be actuated—that is, to be set in motion. To set a church in motion requires many things, some more obvious, some less so.
We may recall the problem that arose in Acts chapter 6, when the apostles were overtaxed by all the needs in the church. At that time, seven deacons (servants) were chosen, and afterwards, “the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith” (Acts 6:7). That is, when more served, and served faithfully, the church was able to be more effective in soul-winning discipleship.
We may be thankful as a congregation this day, for the many who serve in this church. How rarely do we mention them or tell them how thankful we are for their labor of love. The unsung servants among us do a thousand unnoticed things, unlocking doors, cleaning, counting offerings, cleaning toilets, attending committee meetings, planning, going the extra mile in their own personal witness because they know that even the smaller details of what they do will tell either for or against the kingdom.
If we take Jesus seriously at His word, then we begin to see that Christians are a completely separate group from the world system. We have different ultimate leaders (Satan versus Jesus) and different human leaders (those who dominate versus those who serve). One group uses force, the other leads by service.
I try to be careful how I make superlative statements. I am careful of those who use the word “radical” at the drop of a hat. But at today’s topic, I make an exception. If there is radical truth in the New Testament it certainly includes this: That “It shall not be so among you.”
Our Lord calls us to live under a different order: humility, giving, sacrifice, service to God, service to others. Being first for us means being like Jesus: Giving of our life in order to benefit the many. Jesus is the ultimate example; may His people be the ultimate exemplars. GCO
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