“Last of All, Servant of All” Mark 9:30-37 Pr. Tom Schoenherr September 19-20, 2009 Have you ever felt like the prophet Jeremiah, where it says that his enemies wanted to wipe his name from remembrance? Have you felt invisible or insignificant, as if all that you are doing and the quality of your life really seems to count for nothing? It is for people like us that Jesus comes to be last of all and servant of all; to turn the world upside down. Jesus has just told the disciples a second time that his going to be killed and rise again, but they do not understand. Instead, they discuss who is greatest among them. They may have done that in relation to who will take Jesus’ place when he is gone. Jesus brings a child into the circle. We don’t know if the child is a boy or a girl. Children had no status in the community. They were loved and cared for, but they, along with women, had a lower station than men. They were socially invisible, not to be meddling or interrupting in the important business that needed to be talked about. To adult male disciples focused on their greatness, children were of no consequence. Jesus brings the child into the center to show the disciples that greatness has to do with welcoming, serving those like children, who have no status, who are invisible in society. Jesus is turning the world upside down, disturbing the way the world normally operates. I have felt invisible and insignificant any number of times in my life. While a seminary student, trying to make money for our family, I worked as a waiter at the Chase Park Plaza Hotel. While serving a large banquet, wearing my gold vest, running in and out of a crowded kitchen, carrying trays of food or dirty dishes, I was just someone whom others could tell what to do. A new table was opened up and I was called upon to serve those people. The maitre de told them I would o a great job for them. He had no idea who I was. We are each invisible people to someone else. Who are those invisible people in your life; people who may be waiters or waitresses, those who may do yardwork at your house, those who check out people at the grocery store, or work behind the counter at Starbucks or McDonalds. These may be people we see quite regularly but we don’t know their names or their stories. Jesus comes to turn the world upside down; to show what greatness really is. He gives his life as the last of all and the servant of all, and in so doing he is the greatest of all. Jesus serves you and me, people who may feel invisible or insignificant in the world, but to jesus we are special, not invisible. Jesus dies on the cross and rises again from death to find us, to forgive and heal us, to welcome us into the kingdom, and to serve us. He gives us greatness and is delighted with us just because he loves us. It is through faith in Jesus Christ that we know God’s personal care and that we are able to see people in a new way. Jesus says, “Whoever welcomes on such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. When we receive or welcome in love those who are socially invisible, we receive and welcome not only them, but Jesus, and not only Jesus, but God the Father, and again the world is turned upside down. The world we live in has deep trouble. There are many people being ignored and passed over, and others who abuse power to seek greatness. How do we follow Christ as the church sent into this world today? While people are arguing about a variety of issues, there are wars going on, invisible people are dying from suicide bombers, hunger and neglect. The world cries out to be loved, to be listened to, to be known. We who area God’s children area opened to see people who have been invisible, because in seeing them and caring for them, we are welcoming Christ as God’s child put in our midst. In receiving Christ as we do in the Lord’s Supper, we are also receiving the worries, cares and life stories of God’s people here and throughout the world so that we may love one another as Christ loves us. Who are the invisible people in your regular day? How can you welcome them? This is Christ’s way, the way of greatness in loving the world. We are last of all and servant of all, and in the process the world is turned upside down. In Jesus’ name. Amen.