A Different Kind of Greatness

Use these materials to go deeper into this message on your own, or with your small group.
Series Overview
Group Format
Personal Study Sheet

9:00 Service | 10:30 Service | Sermon Audio

Good morning Chapel family. Happy St. Patrick’s Day—any Irish-Americans here? Funny story: I’m about one-quarter Irish, but I didn’t find that out until about 15 or 20 years ago. It’s a long story about my mom being adopted as a young girl, and it took a while for her to trace her genealogy. So when I first found out I’m part Irish, I wasn’t really happy about that—I always thought of myself a pure Norwegian-American—you know, Vikings and sailing ships. It was hard to get excited about Shamrocks and Leprechauns. But I have to tell you, I am now very proud of my Irish heritage.

Did you know that when Patrick was a teenager in the fifth century, he was kidnapped from his home in England, and sold into slavery in Ireland, where he spent six years as a slave; he was able to escape and return home to England. But listen to this: then he decided to go back to Ireland—to the land of his slavery. Why would he do that? Because when he had been there, he saw that Ireland was violent and war-oriented, and they viewed women as commodities. And he knew they needed Christ. So he went back to Ireland as a missionary, which was incredibly risky. Patrick said this: “Daily I expect to be murdered or betrayed or reduced to slavery if the occasion arises. But I fear nothing, becaud of the promises of heaven.” So he went to spread the gospel, and because of his influence, Irish culture was deeply affected for the good. One more quote from Patrick that shows depth of his faith: “Christ beside me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ within me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me.” Now you see why I’m proud to be Irish, right? So…happy St. Patrick’s Day.

Okay…we’re taking this winter to walk through the Gospel of Mark, and from the start, we’ve seen Jesus inviting people to be part of the kingdom of God. And as the King of that kingdom, Jesus has the authority to redefine how we think about some of the biggest things in life. So two weeks ago, Pastor Ted talked about a different kind of success—in God’s kingdom, success is not about building your own dream life; it’s about losing your life and taking up your cross. Last week we talked about a different kind of wealth—that comes from treasuring Christ above all things. So today, we’re going to listen in as Jesus talks to his disciples about A Different Kind of Greatness.

At one point in this conversation, Jesus says, “Whoever wants to be great among you must…do such and such” (and we’ll talk about what exactly what he says). “Whoever wants to be great.” So he lays out a path to greatness. He doesn’t say, “Whoever wants to be great among you must repent of that evil desire. How dare you desire greatness!” He doesn’t rebuke wanting to be great! BUT…he radically redefines what greatness is. And then he invites us—he wants us—to strive for the right kind of greatness.

Some of you have been dreaming dreams for your life that are way too small. So…today let’s expand our minds and dream about how our lives would be different if we pursue greatness the way Jesus defines it.

Mark chapter 10, starting in verse 35. Let’s hear God’s word…

35 Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.”

36 “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.

37 They replied, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.”

38 “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said. “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?”

39 “We can,” they answered.

Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, 40 but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.”

41 When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. 42 Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 43 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” This is the Word of the Lord.

In this teaching, we see three things: The Typical Way, The Better Way, and Changing our Way.

So, first: The Typical Way. Jesus is approached by two of his disciples, who were brothers: James and John. Did you know Jesus had previously given these two guys a nickname? You know what it was? “The Sons of Thunder.” Is that not an awesome nickname? Apparently, James and John were not known for being quiet and passive. I picture them with leather jackets with lightning bolts on the back, and the words “Sons of Thunder.” Riding Harleys.

So they come to Jesus in private, and I’ve always been struck by the way they introduce their request: “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask.” Just a little bit presumptuous, wouldn’t you say? “We’re going to ask you something, and promise you’ll say yes.” Which is kind of funny, but also very revealing. It seems like the Sons of Thunder have a sense of entitlement.

And Jesus says, “Oh really. What you like for me to do for you?” And they say, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.” See, they believed that pretty soon, God’s kingdom would come on earth as it is in heaven. “So Jesus, we know that when your kingdom comes, you’re going to be number one—there’s no competition for your seat. But we think we should be number two and number three.” That’s all. So you’ll do that for us, right? Say yes. I think the Israelites would call that chutzpah.

Just a side note: some people say the Gospels were made up. So this stuff didn’t really happen; the church invented these stories to advance its agenda. Why in the world would the church invent a story that makes two of its key apostles look like idiots? Right? “I know—let’s say that James and John made a secret power play for the top positions, and then Jesus rebuked them and embarrassed them in front of their friends. That’ll make Christianity look great!” The Gospels are so raw, and at times they’re so unflattering to the top leaders of the church, and to me, that’s another reason we should believe that they’re true.

So here’s my question: what would drive somebody to make a request like James and John made? And the answer is: look in the mirror. Because all of us are naturally self-absorbed and self-promoting, and at the same time self-doubting. In other words, we think a lot about ourselves. And when it comes to relating to other people, that natural self-focus tends to come out in two big ways.

First, it comes out as competition. In the previous chapter, Mark 9, it says the disciples were arguing about who was the greatest. Can you imagine that argument? Matthew says, “Look: all I’m saying is I had a sweet job—I was chief tax collector—and I gave all that up to follow Jesus. You have to admit

that’s impressive.” And then Judas says, “Okay—but who did Jesus put in charge of his own money? He made me the treasurer—probably means he trusts me the most.” And Peter’s just sitting back, biding his time, and when everybody else is done making their case, he says, “Um, I walked on water. Anybody else? Didn’t think so.” They were arguing about who was greatest! Why? Because their view of greatness was all about: how do I compare with you?

Do you ever find yourself comparing? You’re at someone’s home and you compare their furniture with your furniture; their kitchen with your kitchen (I thought my KitchenAid stuff was nice; they’ve got Viking! I want Viking! Or, what’s better than Viking? I want that!) You’re in the cafeteria at school, and you compare your grades with other people’s grades, or your phone with other people’s phones, your boyfriend with their boyfriend. You’re a parent, and you compare your kids with other people’s kids: “My daughter’s applying to TCNJ and Bucknell—how about your daughter? Oh—County College—I heard that’s very nice.” You’re a pastor, and you say, “Why are more people going to his church than my church?” We have a strong tendency to measure our success by comparing it with other people’s success.

A friend of mine is a very successful salesman. And every year, his company takes the top 15% of salespeople on a really nice trip. And my friend was in the top 15%! So this year the trip was to this beautiful beach resort in Mexico. And my friend and his wife had a great room at the resort. But they didn’t have the greatest room. Because the top ten salespeople in the company each got their own private villa right on the beach. They also got the most recognition and the most prestigious awards at the awards ceremony. And all through the week, every time my friend walked to the beach, he felt a pang of inferiority, and he found himself longing to be in one of those beachfront villas. So instead of being fully present and just enjoying the trip, all he could think about was how he could work harder and be in that top ten next year. So he came back from that trip and came to our men’s group, and we studied this passage, and the words of Jesus just smacked him in the face. And he thought, “What am I doing? I have to stop being so concerned with status and rank, and just serve God and serve people.

Can you relate to that? It’s human nature! “Jesus, let us sit at your right and left hand.” And by the way, did you notice how the other ten disciples respond when they hear what James and John had requested? Verse 41: they became indignant with James and John. Like, “How could you??” You know why they were so mad? Because they wanted those seats, too.

So our self-focus comes out as competition. And then here’s the other way it comes out: Domination. This is ugly! Verse 42: Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. So Jesus says the “rulers of the Gentiles”—in other words, the secular approach to leadership—is to dominate others. You get to tell people what to do, and they have to obey. You are clearly above, and they are beneath. And the disciples didn’t need to look far to see examples of that, because there were well-armed Roman soldiers on every street corner.

Do you ever see that today? People seeking greatness through domination? All the time. You can find it in politicians. In school principals…in pastors…in bosses…in parents. I was at the DMV last week, and the person behind that desk knew she had the power and I was dependent on her, and she really seemed to enjoy making me squirm. Oof—God was testing me that day. So domination says, “I will feel good about myself based on the power I have over you.”

So Jesus calls his disciples together, and he says, “Listen: we all that’s how secular leadership works.” Why would he bring that up? Because when he heard James and John’s request, he realized they

actually had no problem with the concept of domination. They just wanted to be the ones dominating! The Bible scholar David Garland said it like this—he’s talking about James and John:

They hope to replace the self-serving oppressive power structure of the Romans with their own self-serving oppressive power structure. Nothing changes except the names of the rulers. Oppressive power gets recycled and new tyrants rise on the scene. The worldly ambition to be at the top and to beat down others still rules.

Guys, James and John are a lot like us. When we think about leadership; when we think about being successful and what we want in life; our natural way is to approach it with competition and domination. Frankly, this one of the biggest reasons that we are often miserable. That’s why there’s discord… tension… stress…in your home or your marriage or your business or in our church—because we’re all James and John, trying to compete and dominate—some of us more aggressively; some of us more passively. And it never goes well. There has to be a better way.

Which leads to point 2: The Better Way. One of the most important lines in this whole passage is in verse 43—Jesus says, “Not so with you.” You know that’s the way the world works! But not so with you. Can we just say that together? Not so with you. Any time you see someone leading with competition or domination, and you find yourself envying that person, and you think, “Maybe that’s the only way to get ahead.” I want you to picture Jesus saying to you…everybody? Not so with you. If you walk out of church, and you say, “That was nice, but Pastor Dave doesn’t really get it. He doesn’t understand the real world.” If you say that, I want you to hear the voice of Jesus saying…what? How dare you say that about Pastor Dave. And then, Not so with you. Not so with you! Don’t settle for the way the world leads. This world desperately needs to see a different kind of greatness. And in my kingdom, we do things different.

So Jesus says, “Let me show you a better way. The true path to greatness, is first of all…”

Suffering. Right after the Sons of Thunder make their big request, listen to what Jesus says—verse 38: “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said. “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?” What does he mean by that? Remember when Jesus was praying in the Garden right before his arrest, and he said, “Father, if it’s possible, take this…” What? “Take this cup from me.” So the cup symbolizes of suffering. And in this context, “baptism” also refers to suffering. So Jesus is saying, “You guys are asking for prominent positions in my kingdom; but those positions don’t just get handed out! They always come through suffering.”

You know, sometimes we seek a high position, because we like the prestige and honor and the paycheck that come with that role. But just like James and John, we don’t know what we’re asking. We have no clue of the pain and the sacrifice that accompany leadership. Because here’s what I’ve found: when you’re in a leadership role—pastor; manager; parent—any leadership role, if you’re doing it well, listen: it comes with suffering. Because you’re making hard decisions that affect people’s lives; you’re being criticized regularly; you feel the pressure of people’s expectations. Leadership, in many ways, is painful. That comes with the territory.

So let me ask you something—parent; boss; teacher; manager; spiritual leader…are you experiencing any pain in your leadership? Any pressure? Any stress? Don’t be surprised by that. Don’t let it scare you away. That’s part of the cup we drink as leaders.

So this countercultural vision of greatness is not an easy life; it involves suffering. And then, secondly it involves service. Jesus says, “You know all about secular leadership. It’s about lording your position over people; dominating them.” But Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great

among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. In other words, if you really want to be great, stop viewing people as the competition to be dominated! Start viewing them as precious people to be served.

Years ago I was an intern here at The Chapel. And there was an event over in the Impact Center. And after the event, people were cleaning up. And I remember seeing Earl Comfort, who was the Senior Pastor, with a vacuum, vacuuming the floor. I’ll never forget that sight, and that was so good for me to see. So lots of times, that’s what service looks like: cleaning up messes, taking the time to counsel your co-worker…washing the dishes for your spouse…taking your elderly father to the hospital. Giving up your rights; giving up your convenience, to meet the needs of others. And you know what? Even though there’s some suffering in that service, it’s kind of rewarding. Because people usually appreciate what you’re doing for them.

But…sometimes serving is not rewarding—at least in the short-term. You walk into the bedroom of your 12-year-old son, and it’s covered with half-eaten bowls of cereal and empty soda cans. What does it mean to serve your son? Clean up the room for him? Because that would be the easy thing, right? And you might feel noble—like, “Look at me, sacrificing like Jesus.” But actually, serving your son at that moment would mean…what? Making him clean his room. And so you’re actually sacrificing his short-term approval, right? And that’s part of the pain of leadership—you’re doing something that doesn’t make you popular, but you’re truly serving his needs. So when you think of service, make sure you don’t have a narrow definition of what that means. It means sacrificing your convenience for the good of others, and that takes a lot of different forms.

So Jesus doesn’t rebuke his disciples for wanting to be great! He rebukes them for the way they wanted to get there. He says, “Stop seeking greatness through competition and domination! True greatness comes through sacrifice and service.” So…how do we get there?

Last point: Changing our Way. The key to this whole thing is verse 45. This is a verse you should memorize, if you haven’t already—let’s read this together: For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. It’s actually simple: the key to greatness is to focus on Jesus. Keep your eyes on him. Because when you do that, you benefit from two things. First, the example of Christ. We become like the people that we idolize and admire. Right? So Jesus says, “Follow my example. Even I didn’t come here so people could serve me! I came to serve them.” And you see that all through his life, don’t you? He allowed himself to be interrupted by people; he washed people’s feet; and most powerfully, he went to the cross as a ransom for many.

So out of all the examples out there, follow the example of Jesus—do the kind of things he did. But also, when you focus on Jesus, you get the power of Christ. When we’re trusting in Christ, there’s this spiritual thing that happens, where his life flows through us. Jesus said, “If you remain in me, you will bear much fruit.” So when you’re heading to the job site; when you’re walking to class; when you’re driving home to be with your family; pray something like this: “Lord, I know I have this tendency to compete and dominate. But I’m praying for the power of Christ to fill me and make me a servant.” Because this kind of leadership does not come naturally. It takes the power of Christ to pull it off.

Follow his example, and receive his empowerment.

As we close, let me suggest three practical ways to live this out.

Number 1: Rethink the purpose of your position. If you have any kind of leadership role, why did God put you there? What does God want from you? Do you remember the movie Braveheart? Mel Gibson plays William Wallace, who was fighting for the independence of Scotland from England. And in one

scene, he’s talking with one of the Scottish nobles—who were Scottish men, but they were sort of puppets of the English government, and they had very comfortable positions. So William Wallace says to this noble: "You think the people of this country exist to provide you with position. I think your position exists to provide those people with freedom.” That is so powerful. And when you’ve got blue war paint on your face, people listen. But that’s true of your position—you’re not there to be propped up and served and patted on the back by people; the whole reason you’re there is to serve them. So rethink the purpose of your position.

Second: Show genuine interest in others. I was talking to a friend of mine who just started a new job. And he said every time he’s with his new boss, his boss has his cell phone in his hand—which speaks volumes in itself—and he said the phone rings constantly, and the boss answers the call every time. What message does that send? Whatever this person (pointing to phone) needs, is obviously more important than what you need. See, serving people means that when you’re with them, you’re with them. You’ve put your phone away; you’re focused on them; and you truly listen. What’s important to them becomes important to you.

Third: Become a “giver.” Adam Grant is a researcher at the Wharton School of Business. And in his research, he’s identified three basic kinds of workers. See which one of these fits you best. Three kinds of workers: takers, matchers, and givers. This is so consistent with the teaching of Jesus. Takers view the workplace as very competitive—like, “If I don’t look out for myself first, nobody will.” Matchers believe everything works by exchanging favors. So I might do something for you, because then you’ll owe me. Givers choose to focus on the needs of others, without worrying about what they’ll get back. So takers, matchers, and givers. You know what percentage of people actually function as givers in their jobs? About 8 percent. Because most people assume that if you’re a giver, you’re being too nice: you’ll never get anywhere. And for most people, when they’re stressed out at work, their first instinct is to revert to a taker mentality. But here’s the aha of his research: givers are among the most successful people in business. And very often, they’re the happiest.

I’m going to guess that some of you who middle-aged or older, if you look back on your career, you’ve been helped by a giver. Some older person in the organization who took the time to invest in you. It’s a beautiful thing. And now it’s time for you to be a giver. In some way, get up out of your office; give your time and your energy to the success of others. It’s so rewarding.

The world says greatness comes through competition and domination. Jesus says, “Not so with you.” It comes through sacrifice and service, in the power of Christ.

There’s a famous story about Abraham Lincoln—during the Civil War, he would sometimes attend a church not far from the White House on Wednesday nights. The pastor allowed the president to sit in the pastor’s study with the door open to the sanctuary so he could listen to the sermon without drawing crowd. So one Wednesday Lincoln was walking back to the White House after church with a companion—I don’t know if it was Secret Service, or if they even had that yet. But this companion said, “What did you think of tonight’s sermon?”

And Lincoln said, “It was brilliantly written; it was biblical, relevant, well presented.”

The guy said, “So, you thought it was a great sermon?”

And Lincoln said, “I thought it failed miserably.” He said, “Why?” Lincoln said, “Because the pastor never asked us to do something great.”

I’m not going to make that same mistake today. I’m going to ask you to do something great—here it is: decide today that you will no longer define greatness the way the world does. Decide that you will

no longer compare yourself with others and try to dominate others. Like my friend who came back from the resort in Mexico, and he said, “Man, what am I doing? I’m not even enjoying life and I’m not honoring God.” Decide that you’re done with that. And instead, fix your eyes on Jesus. Follow his example of suffering and service, for the good of others. The world may or may not be impressed, but in the eyes of Jesus, you will be great.