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January 26, 2014–Are We Running Out of Fish?

Contributed by John Wertz, Blacksburg, VA

 

Warm-up Question

A few weeks ago, a researcher posted a video which proves that fish, don’t simply get caught, sometimes they do the catching.  Take a look at this video of  a fish catching a flying bird.  Do you think it is real or a fake?

http://newsfeed.time.com/2014/01/12/watch-fish-jumps-out-of-water-to-catch-bird-in-mid-flight/

Are We Running Out of Fish?

shutterstock_130183616editAccording to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, over 33 million adults in the United  States go fishing during the course of a year.  For many of those individuals, fishing is a source of relaxation and entertainment, but fishing is also a vital source of food for families around the world.   A study produced by the U.N Food and Agriculture  Organization revealed that the worldwide fish harvest in 2012 amounted to nearly 90 million tons of fish.

Given the amount of fish being caught in the oceans and harvested from fish farms on a yearly basis, there is genuine concern in some areas that over the next 50 years, the world’s fish population will diminish to dangerous levels.   Some groups like the World Wildlife Federation are working to raise awareness of the dangers of  poor management of fishers, overfishing and destructive fishing techniques which they claim have put over 53% of the world’s fisheries at risk (http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/blue_planet/problems/problems_fishing/).  Other groups, like Marine Stewardship Council  are working with fishers, retailers, processors, and consumers to encourage practices which safeguard the world’s oceans and create sustainable supplies of fish and seafood.   Hopefully by raising awareness and encouraging good stewardship of the world’s fish stocks, oceans, lakes and rivers,  there will be an abundant supply of fish to meet the dietary and economic needs of our ever growing world.

Discussion Questions

  •  If you were going on a fishing trip, where would you like to go and why?
  • How might your choices affect rivers, lakes, oceans and fish?  What could you do to be a better steward of these gifts.
  • Share examples of ways that people work together to care for creation.

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, January 26, 2014 (Third Sunday After Epiphany)

 

Isaiah 9:1-4

1 Corinthians 1:10-18

Matthew 4:12-23

(Text links are to Oremus Bible Browser. Oremus Bible Browser is not affiliated with or supported by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. You can find the calendar of readings for Year C at Lectionary Readings.)

For lectionary humor and insight, check the weekly comic Agnus Day.

 

Gospel Reflection

When most of us think of fishing, we probably think of a person either sitting in a boat holding a rod with a single line in the water or we think of a person standing in the edge of a stream, casting a bait covered hook into the water.  Unless you happen to be a part of a commercial fishing operation, very few people today would describe fishing as something you do with a net, but in Jesus’ time things were a little different.  For Peter, Andrew and the other fisherman around the Sea of Galilee, fishing meant casting a wide, broad net and pulling in whatever the net touched.  Fishing wasn’t about gathering one fish at a time.  Fishing was about  gathering as many fish as possible with the cast of a net.  When Jesus says to Peter and Andrew “Follow me, and I will make you fish for people,” he is inviting them to join him in a ministry that will cast out a broad net and potentially touch the lives of countless people.

When Jesus says, “Follow me, and I will make you fish for people,” he is inviting Peter, Andrew and all of God’s people to join him in proclaiming the good news of God’s love for the world.  When Jesus says, “Follow me, and I will make you fish for people,” he is inviting Peter, Andrew and all of God’s people to join him in gathering people in from a sinful and broken way of life so that they can experience the healing of a life in Christ.  When Jesus says, “Follow me, and I will make you fish for people,” he is inviting Peter, Andrew and all of God’s people to join him in spreading a message of hope and salvation to a world that is searching for a future.   The fishing Jesus invites us to do is not about finding the right bait to trick someone into getting close to faith, so that the church can get its hooks into them.  The fishing that Jesus invites us to do is about gathering together God’s people from far and wide so they can be touched by the unconditional love, mercy and forgiveness of God.

Discussion Questions

  • Why do you think Jesus invited Peter and Andrew to join him proclaiming God’s love to the world?
  • How many people do you think are touched by your ministry in the world during a week?  How many people do you think are touched by the ministry of the people in your congregation during a week or a year?
  • Jesus uses images from everyday life to help people understand God and God’s mission to love and bless the world.  When he invited Peter and Andrew to follow him, Jesus talked about fishing because they were fisherman.  If Jesus was inviting you to follow him, what example would he use to help you understand what he was inviting you to do?

Activity Suggestions

  • Lay a bed sheet on the floor and place a ball in the middle of the sheet.  Invite the group to grab hold of the corners of the sheet and throw the ball into the air as high as possible using the sheet.   Now invite one person to try and match that result by themselves.  Talk about the ways that we can accomplish more when we work together.
  • Jesus invites Peter and Andrew to help cast God’s story into the world.  Think of one way that you can share the story of God’s love with the world this week.

Closing Prayer

Loving God, you call us to follow you and fish for people.  Inspire us to be your hearts and hands and voices in the world and help us to use the gifts you have given us to make your love known to the world.  Amen.

January 19, 2014–Who Needs Christ?

Contributed by Scott Mims, Virginia Beach, VA

 

Warm-up Questions

  • Who is the most famous or important person you have ever met, and what was the experience like? Or alternatively, if you could spend an afternoon with any one real person, currently alive or from the past, who would it be and why?
  • What is the most meaningful part or worship for you?  What makes it so meaningful?

Who Needs Christ?

shutterstock_124884124editAmidst all of the holiday advertising last month, one Times Square billboard drew national attention.  Sponsored by American Atheists, its message sparked a lot of coverage and debate, both in the news and online, with one New York State Senator calling for it to come down. The following is an excerpt from the press release which accompanied the billboard’s launch:

Using motion graphics, the billboard proclaims, “Who needs Christ during Christmas?” A hand crosses out the word “Christ” and the word “NOBODY” appears. The display then says “Celebrate the true meaning of Xmas” and offers a series of cheery words: family, friends, charity, food, snow, and more. The commercial ends with a jovial “Happy Holidays!” from American Atheists and displays the organization’s website.

Now that January has come and our schedules and lives are getting back to some sort of post-holiday “normal,” it may be hard to think in terms of Christmas. But the question posed by the billboard is an important one for us to think about.  “Who needs Christ during Christmas?”  Or even more simply, “Who needs Christ at all?”  Increasingly people in our culture agree with the sign’s message.  Roughly one fifth of adults in the U.S. – and a third of young adults under 30 – claim no religious affiliation. Yet the witness of the Scriptures is that God is indeed present and active in our world and in our lives, and so during these Sundays after Epiphany we focus on exploring who the baby in the manger is and why and how his birth is good news for all people.

 

Discussion Questions

  • What are your reactions to the message of this billboard?  What do you think its sponsors are trying to say and how do you feel about that?
  • Many people these days claim to be “spiritual but not religious.”  What do you think that means?
  • What are some of the reasons that people might have for not being “religious?”  For not being spiritual?
  • Can you be a follower of Jesus without being religious?  Without being spiritual?
  • Have you ever experienced a negative reaction or “push back” from other people because of your faith?  If so, how did you handle the situation?

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, January 19, 2014 (Second Sunday after Epiphany)

Isaiah 49:1-7

1 Corinthians 1:1-9

John 1:29-42

(Text links are to Oremus Bible Browser. Oremus Bible Browser is not affiliated with or supported by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. You can find the calendar of readings for Year C at Lectionary Readings.)

For lectionary humor and insight, check the weekly comic Agnus Day.

 

Gospel Reflection

Who is John the Baptist?  Who is Jesus?  Who are we?  These are some of the questions that John (the gospel writer) addresses today as we continue our journey through the Epiphany season.

So first, who is John the Baptist?  Despite his great popularity and powerful appeal as a preacher and prophet, John is not the Messiah.  We hear this quite plainly, both in the opening words of the gospel (Jn. 1:6-9) and in John the Baptist’s own reply to those who come seeking to know what he is up to (Jn. 1:19-23).  Rather, John is “the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord.’” As such, his divine purpose is to reveal to Israel – and ultimately to the world – the Messiah (Jn. 1:31)

What then does John reveal?  First, that the person whom he was sent to make known is Jesus and that Jesus is “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” Two times John uses this image to describe Jesus in today’s gospel.  It is an image that has connections both to the sacrificial system surrounding the Jewish Temple and to the Exodus event in which the blood of a lamb caused the final plague to pass over the households of the Israelites.  What’s more, Jesus will be crucified for the sake of the sin of the world on the day in which the Passover lambs are slaughtered (Jn. 19:14, 31, 42). This central part of Jesus’ identity is what we often sing about during Holy Communion after the bread and wine have been consecrated: “Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world, have mercy on us….”

Jesus is also the one upon whom the Holy Spirit descends and remains.  Unlike last week’s gospel reading from Matthew, we do not actually get to witness Jesus’ baptism in John’s gospel.  Instead, we hear John the Baptist’s witness – his testimony about Jesus – as sort of a flashback.  For John himself, this was the sign that he was looking for (Jn. 1:33).  Not only is the Holy Spirit the marker of Jesus’ true identity and the power of God at work in and through him, the Spirit is the gift the Jesus gives to those who believe and follow him (Jn. 20:21-23).

Finally, in terms of who Jesus is, John makes an astounding claim: “And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.”  In my congregation we read the opening section of John’s gospel as part of our candlelight services on Christmas Eve.  In a darkened sanctuary illuminated by the glow of a hundred or so candles we hear about the Word of God becoming flesh, about the One who is the “true light” of the world, about God’s only Son through whom we have all received grace upon grace.  John the Baptist points to Jesus as being this One.  It is a claim, of course, that many today deny.

Which brings us to the third question this passage addresses: Who are we?  In the second part of our gospel reading John the Baptist’s witness – his sharing of his faith in who Jesus is – moves two of his own followers to find out more about this “Lamb of God.”  Seeing them following him, Jesus asks them, “What are you looking for?” For all who read John’s gospel, this is more than simply a casual question.  It is a question that we are asked, too.  When it comes to the future, when it comes to our lives, when it comes to Jesus, what are we looking for?  And, like the two disciples, are we ready to accept Jesus’ invitation to us to “Come and see?”

So, what did they “see” when they were with Jesus that day?  We aren’t told, only that, whatever it was, it led these two seekers to a point where it was no longer John’s witness but their own experience of being with Jesus that caused them to follow him.  One of them, Andrew, is so moved that he, in turn, also becomes a witness, inviting his brother, Simon to come and see.  Simon, who we also know as Peter, became one of the most central disciples in the whole gospel story.  At this point there is a lot yet to happen before he truly begins to understand what it means for Jesus to be Lamb of God and Messiah.

Perhaps that is also something for us to take away from our gospel for this week.  It is not perfection in understanding or completeness of knowledge that John (the gospel writer) is aiming for in his account of God’s great love for us in Jesus.  John is aiming for faith – that we might come to believe in Jesus ourselves and, in believing, to discover true and abundant life.  Here, by the Jordan River, he looks back to the very beginning, to the mysterious and powerful proclamation of his opening words, and, at the same time, forward to the cross, to the very place where the image of Jesus as Lamb of God finds its fulfillment.

Discussion Questions

 

  • The following are some of the titles and epithets that people have given to Jesus.  Which one(s) is (are) most meaningful to you? Why?

 

Son of God           Emmanuel                   Prince of Peace           Man or Sorrows

Good Shepherd     Lamb of God              Friend of Sinners        Teacher

Lord                      Light of the World      Bread of Life              Messiah

 

  • Who in your own life has shown / brought you to Jesus?  In what ways have they witnessed to their faith?
  • John the Baptist’s role was to point other people to Jesus.  If, as they say, actions speak louder than words, what are some practical, real-life ways that you might help other people know about Jesus and experience his love?
  • Why do you need Jesus?

Activity Suggestion

Act out the gospel lesson.  Try to imagine why Andrew is so eager to introduce others to Jesus.  What about Jesus do you think made him so excited that he couldn’t wait to tell Simon Peter?  Have you ever had the chance to invite someone else to “Come and see?”  If so, how did it go? Have those acting other parts give typical reactions to talking about Jesus with friends and acquaintances.  Talk about how this story might be seen as a model for doing evangelism.

Closing Prayer

Gracious and loving God, in the waters of baptism you name us and claim us and make us your very own.  Thank you for your love and for the forgiveness and new life that is ours through Jesus. As we seek to be his followers in our often messy and complicated world, place into our lives people and events who will remind us of who and whose we truly are.  Help us, in turn, to be living signs of your love and grace in the lives of those around us.  In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen.

May 12, 2013–That They May All Be One

Contributed by Paul Henrickson, Salem, VA

 

 

Warm-up Question

These are some Lutheran bodies in the United States.  What do you know about them?  Can you explain the primary differences between them:

  • Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)shutterstock_74771062edit
  • Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LC-MS)
  • Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS)
  • Association of Free Lutheran Congregations (AFLC)
  • Evangelical Lutheran Synod (ELS)
  • The American Association of Lutheran Churches (TAALC)
  • Church of the Lutheran Confessions CLC)
  • North American Lutheran Church (NALC)
  • Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ (LCMC)

That They May All Be One

The St. Mark’s Church and Life Center of Marion, Iowa, (along with its pastor) has been removed from the roster of ELCA Lutheran Churches.  St. Mark’s attempted to associate with both the ELCA and the LCMC.  In news accounts, different interpretations of the situation have emerged. Read this news story and respond to the following questions

 Discussion Questions

  • According to the story what are the primary issues separating North American Lutherans in this instance?
  • Are these issues about theology or practice or both?
  • Thinking more broadly than this division among Lutherans, is it possible for the thousands of Christian denominations to all be authentically Christian?

 

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, XXXXXX (SEASON)

Acts 16:16-34

Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21

John 17:20-26

(Text links are to Oremus Bible Browser. Oremus Bible Browser is not affiliated with or supported by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. You can find the calendar of readings for Year C at Lectionary Readings.)

For lectionary humor and insight, check the weekly comic Agnus Day.

 

Gospel Reflection

John 17 is the “High Priestly” Prayer of Jesus.  The whole prayer might be separated into three parts: vs 1-5 are about Jesus and His Father; vs 6-19 are about Jesus and the Disciples; vs 20-26  are about the unity of the church.  “That all may be one” has been the theme of countless conferences and programs about Christian unity.  Despite all the energy for unity, Christianity    remains more like a stained glass window than a cross-etched, clear glass window on the world.

The key phrase is  “…that they may all be one.”  This article in this study uses the Lutheran Church as an example of church disunity; but the larger focus is on the whole Christian community.  The question should not be what separates us, but what binds us together.

Discussion Questions

  • Does Jesus really mean “one,” as in “one church?”
  • Read Ephesians 4:4-7.  “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling,one Lord, one faith, one baptism,one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all. But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ’s gift.”  Does “one Lord, one faith, one baptism” mean that the church cannot have different expressions?
  • Is there a “power of evangelism” in having different expressions of the Christian Church? How does Sacramental practice separate Christians–or not?
  • What binds Christians together?

Activity Suggestions

  • Think about the people you know.  Name the many Christian expressions you come in contact with each week.
  • How do Christians in your community work together?
  • Plan and event in which you work with another faith community in a common service project?

Closing Prayer

God our Father, your Son Jesus prayed that his followers might be one.  Make all Christians on with him as he is one with you, so that in peace and concord we may carry to the world the message of your love, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.  Amen.  (Evangelical Lutheran Worship, page 61)

February 10, 2013–Transcendent Moment

Contributed by John Wertz, Blacksburg, VA

 

Warm-up Question

The ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus famously said, “The only constant in life is change.”  Name three things in your life that have changed since the beginning of the school year?

Transcendent Moment

shutterstock_110592482editChances are that you or someone in your family was one of over 115 million people who watched the Super Bowl last weekend.  When the game was over, Joe Flacco was  named as the Most Valuable Player for the game.  Now to be sure, Flacco is still the same person he was before the game, but by shining brightly in the biggest game of the year, Flacco will now be seen in a different light by those around him.  People around the world will suddenly know his name.  Companies will ask him to endorse their products.  He’ll be lifted up by fans and celebrated as a hero in his community and eventually his team, or another team interested in his abilities, will probably pay him more money in his next contract.  Thanks to this one event on this one day his life will change.

Most of us will never play professional sports, but our lives often have transformational moments when our gifts are revealed to the world.  These moments may happen on a large public stage, like the Super Bowl.  These moments may happen in the quiet of a family room.  These moments may happen through a paper written for school.  We rarely know when these moments will occur, but when they happen, the people around us –our family, our friends, and our peers, begin to discover who we are and what we are capable of accomplishing.

 

Discussion Questions

  • Have you experienced transformational moment when you discovered something new about yourself or someone else?  How did you react?  How did the people around you react?
  • Can anyone in the group name the last five Super Bowl MVP’s?  What do you think makes some transformational moments lasting and others only temporary?

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, February 10, 2013 (Transfiguration of Our Lord)

Exodus 34:29-35

2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2

Luke 9:28-36 [37-43]

(Text links are to Oremus Bible Browser. Oremus Bible Browser is not affiliated with or supported by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. You can find the calendar of readings for Year C at Lectionary Readings.)

For lectionary humor and insight, check the weekly comic Agnus Day.

 

Gospel Reflection

In our Gospel reading today from Luke, we see Jesus undergo a powerful transformational moment of his own.  Jesus takes Peter, James and John with him to the top of a mountain to talk to and listen to God in prayer.  In Luke, we see Jesus praying at his baptism (3:21).  We see Jesus praying the night before he calls the apostles (6:12).  We see Jesus praying following the feeding of the five thousand (9:18) and during his final days, we will see him praying in the Garden of Gethsemane (22:41) and on the cross (23:34, 46).  For the disciples, seeing Jesus in prayer would have been a fairly normal part of their faith and life, but their experience on top of the mountain with Jesus was certainly unique.  While he was praying, his clothing became dazzling white; his face began to change, and Moses and Elijah appeared in their glory.  Just as Peter appears to be getting a handle on what is happening, a terrifying cloud moves over them and a voice from heaven says, “This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!”  Within moments, the whole experience was over.  Jesus’ face and clothing returned to normal.  Moses, Elijah, and the cloud disappeared.  The voice faded away, but the there is no doubt that the disciples and Jesus were changed by this transformational moment.

In this time of prayer on top of a mountain, Jesus’ true nature is revealed by God’s presence and power.  For Jesus and the disciples, prayer was not an afterthought or something you only did at meals.  Prayer was an important part of a relationship with God and a place where they expected God to be present and active.  The dazzling clothing, the appearance of Moses and Elijah, and the booming voice from heaven during this time of prayer affirm Jesus’ mission and ministry and make it clear to the disciples that Jesus is more than just a teacher, miracle worker, and prophet.  Now certainly every time of prayer in scripture is not accompanied by a dramatic transformational event, but the story of the Transfiguration reminds us that through prayer we can experience God’s presence in our midst and we can discover more about who we are and who God is calling us to be.

Discussion Questions

  • Why do you think Jesus took Peter, James and John with him to pray?  How is praying with a group different than praying alone?  How do you think you would have reacted if you had been on the mountain top praying with Jesus?
  • The voice from heaven affirms that Jesus is God’s Son, just as it did at Jesus’ baptism, but the focus of the overall message changes.   At the Baptism of Jesus, the voice says,  “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”  At the Transfiguration, the voice says, “This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!”  Why do you think the message changed?  What does this message at the Transfiguration mean for Jesus? for the disciples? for all of us?
  • Prayer is clearly a part of Jesus’ relationship with God.  How is prayer a part of your relationship with God?  What is one question you have about prayer?

Activity Suggestions

  • Try a one-word prayer.  Say a prayer by having everyone in the group say one word.  Pick someone to start and then have the person to their left add the next word.  For example, the first person might say, “Dear,” the second person might say, “God,” and the third person might say, “we”.  Have people continue to add words until you get a complete prayer thought.
  • If your congregation participated in the Super Bowl of Caring, find a creative way to share the story of how your donations will help fight hunger in your community.  If your congregation did not participate in the Souper Bowl of Caring, use their website: souperbowl.org to learn about this exciting ministry.

Closing Prayer

Loving God, we give you thanks for sending Jesus to be a light in the world and a model for ministry.  Transform us by your presence with us and inspire us to be your hearts and hands and voices in the world.  Amen.

September 23, 2012–Self-Esteem

Contributed by John Hougen, Melrose Park, PA

Warm-up Question

Think of times when you felt great. What caused your positive feelings about yourself and your situation?

Self-Esteem

As the boxer Muhammad Ali was rising through the ranks toward becoming heavyweight champion of the world, he was famous for strutting proudly, speaking about himself in laudatory poetry (long before hip hop), and proclaiming, “I am the greatest.” He did not have problems with low self-esteem.

Not many of us have the supreme self-confidence of Muhammad Ali. Most of us struggle with low self-esteem for one reason or another. There are under-achievers who think they are unable to succeed and sabotage their own efforts. There are over-achievers who are always disappointed because they fall short of perfection. There are those who buy into cultural stereotypes of inferiority (of race, social status, economic class). There are those who, in childhood, come to believe discouraging messages from critical parents, teachers, or peers. There are those who start out with confidence, but have it shattered by failures in the “real world.” There are pious Christians who believe that the Bible’s emphases on sinfulness and “humility and meekness” mean that we should not love ourselves.

In our culture, where so many struggle with low self-esteem, there are both unhealthy and healthy ways to come by a positive self-image. One example of an unhealthy way to improve one’s self-image is through drugs and alcohol. Drugs and alcohol promise “good feelings,” but their effects are short-lived and usually are followed by a crash into lower self-esteem. Another unhealthy road to high self-esteem is to seek fame at any cost. Cravings for “fame” and “celebrity” can lead people to do stupid and self-destructive things just to get noticed by their peers or claim a few moments on TV.

On the other hand, there are many healthy ways to foster positive self-esteem. Loving, affirming parents and teachers help. Close friends help. Setting and achieving realistic goals helps. Maintaining a balance between work and play helps. Attending to the health of body, mind, and soul helps. And, the Christian faith can help, too. God has affirmed our worth by creating us, watching over us (Psalm 139), by dwelling within us, by forgiving our sins (repeatedly) and giving us fresh starts (repeatedly), by becoming one of us (Jesus Christ “became flesh and lived among us” John 1: 14), by sending the Spirit to love and guide us, and by promising to welcome us into a heavenly home after our life is over. The more intimate our relationship with God, the more we sense that all these teachings apply to us, and the more our faith bolsters our self-esteem.

 

Discussion Questions

  • Can you identify the factors in your life that have helped your self-esteem and those that have hurt it? What are they?
  • Has your experience as a Christian been that Christian faith makes you feel worse about yourself or better?
  • How do you cope with the temptations to bolster your self-esteem with dangerous, stupid, or self-destructive behavior?

 

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, September 23, 2012 (Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost)

 

Jeremiah 11:18-20

James 3:13–4:3, 7-8a

Mark 9:30-37

(Text links are to Oremus Bible Browser. Oremus Bible Browser is not affiliated with or supported by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. You can find the calendar of readings for Year C at Lectionary Readings.)

For lectionary humor and insight, check the weekly comic Agnus Day.

Gospel Reflection

Jesus and his disciples walked wherever they went. In Mark 9: 30 – 37, they are walking to the fishing village of Capernaum, located on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee. They talk as they walk. Jesus is trying to tell his disciples that trouble is ahead. He will be betrayed and killed; human depravity in the form of disloyalty, lying, false accusation, and murder will end his ministry and his life. However, Jesus adds a note of hope, saying that after he is killed, he will rise again in three days.

The disciples don’t understand what Jesus is saying and “are afraid to ask.” (Verse 32) Perhaps it is impossible for the disciples to imagine such betrayal and violence while walking together on a scenic road to the seashore. Perhaps they had been expecting a triumphant Messiah and cannot wrap their heads around the idea that the Messiah will be killed.

When they reach Capernaum, Jesus asks his disciples what they were arguing about on the way. It turns out they were arguing about who was the greatest. Jesus responds by teaching them about the source of true greatness: “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.” In other words, to be great and have substantive, authentic, positive self-esteem; you must give up other ideas about how to be great, and see greatness in service.

Then, Jesus illustrates what he means. He lifts up a little child, and holds the child in his arms. In Bible times, children were of “low status in society,” and considered “weak and insignificant.” (Quotations from the marginal note to Mark 9: 36-37 in the Lutheran Study Bible.) Jesus teaches that to serve all, one must be willing to serve those of the lowest status, such as the child he is holding.

Jesus also uses the child to teach his disciples that he and the one who sent him (God) are in solidarity with those who are weak and insignificant. They are united in spirit with the weak. They dwell in the hearts of the insignificant. Their unity with the weak is so profound that Jesus claims, Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.” (Mark 9: 37) (See also Matthew 25: 31 – 40) True greatness and authentic, positive self-esteem come from serving; and they also come from welcoming God into our lives. As noted above, the more intimate our relationship with God, the more our faith bolsters our self-esteem.

At the same time Jesus teaches his disciples that true greatness comes from being close to God and serving those of low status in society, he is preparing his disciples for the future: the future he predicted on the road to Capernaum. To continue to worship and serve Jesus as he suffers and dies, and to continue being in relationship through Jesus with the One who sent him, the disciples will have to ignore public judgments about who is the greatest. For, as a criminal on the cross, Jesus – the one they consider great enough to worship and follow – will occupy an even lower status in society than the child Jesus holds as he teaches. (See Philippians 2: 3 – 8). The disciples will have to see greatness in one who serves until it hurts, who serves the weak and insignificant until death stops him, who serves until his only hope for future service is placed in hands of a God who will raise him from the dead. And, the disciples will have to learn that if they want to remain Jesus’ disciples, they too will be called to follow Jesus’ path, and to serve the weak and insignificant until their only hope is in a God who promises to raise them from the dead.

Discussion Questions

  • Are you willing to be a disciple, to worship Jesus and practice his way of serving? What exactly does that mean?
  • Before you encountered this text, what was it about Jesus that made him great in your eyes? Was it his miracles or his being raised from the dead? Was it because prayers in the name of Jesus have helped you? Was it his teachings or the fact that Christianity claims more believers than any other religion? Was it his sinless life or his ability to forgive his enemies? Did you ever think Jesus was great because of his unity with God and his solidarity with those who are weak and insignificant?
  • Do you think it is possible to raise your self-esteem by serving others? Why or why not?
  • Have you had experiences in which you felt God’s presence while serving people in need? Describe the experiences and the feelings.

Activity Suggestions

  •  Children are valued much more in our society than they were in the Roman Empire of Jesus’ day. If Jesus were telling us we must be the servant of all in our society, who or what would he bring into our midst in order to illustrate what he meant when he said we should be the servant of all! Make a list of those of “low status” in our society. Include those who are considered “weak and /or insignificant.” (Are any of those on your list mentioned in Matthew 25: 31 – 40?) Then list the kinds of service needed by the “weak and insignificant” in our society.
  • Make two more lists: entitle one “Ways I Bolster my Self-esteem” and the other “Opportunities for Service.” Choose the least healthy “way” in your first list and the most attractive “opportunity” in your second list. During the month ahead try to replace the least healthy way you bolster your self-esteem by replacing it with the most attractive service opportunity. Share with your group your progress toward becoming great in service.

Closing Prayer

Gracious God, help us to see that those who serve are the greatest among us. Give us the courage to be different from all who seek greatness in power, fame, wealth, and prestige. Guide us into lives of service for those who need it the most, and help us to discern your presence within them.  Amen.