Temporary Courage

Mark 14:53-54

      That must have been some meeting. All the important folks were invited. None of the undesirable attended. It was behind closed doors. No camera flashes. No hidden recordings. The power holders in the room were ready to act. They were tired of the status quo. They wanted something done, and they were going to do it. Something was going to happen. They wanted credit.

      This sounds like so many political gatherings that have happened throughout time. The powerful get together and make decisions that affect the rest of us, whether we want the affect or not. Bilderberg meets every year as one of the most secretive, powerful groups in the world. Only the most influential get in. Nothing gets out. We don’t know if they play cards or plan the takeover of the world when the doors close.

      The nature of these types of summits has changed over time. Now things are much more fractured, much more volatile. Now we have the ability to destroy an enemy with a single weapon, something that makes disagreement more dangerous. It also makes blackmail more attractive. These types of meetings have always been about power, land, control, prestige, honor, status.

      In ancient times daughters were usually part of the process of coming to an agreement. Daughters were exchanged across the borders of political disagreements. The hope was that as ‘family’ now, there would be less tendency to go to war. We don’t exchange daughters now. Maybe that is why the process is so much more difficult!

      Jesus’ enemies have gathered in an attempt to figure out a “Solution” to the Jesus problem. All the power stakeholders are in the room. Each has a slightly different stake in the outcome. Each needs Jesus gone for a slightly different reason.

      The high priest was responsible for the whole working of Judaism. It was a lifetime appointment. He needed to make his mark on the world a positive one. He didn’t want to go down in history as the one who let it all fall apart. So Jesus was a threat. If everyone started following Him, it would turn everything upside down. His legacy, let alone the relationship with Rome, was hanging in the balance. Jesus had to be stopped.

      The chief priests were responsible for worship in the Temple and Jesus had already disrupted worship, turning over the tables. They had administrative oversight of that corner of their world. Their illegal extra income was at stake. They needed the extra cash to maintain their lifestyle. They were in charge of keeping everything going. They were the CFO’s and CEO’s of their day. They were constrained by the High priest, but were held in very high esteem. They had lots of power and privilege. If Jesus’ won, everything they had accomplished and accumulated would disappear.

      The elders, like elders in many cultures, were the reservoir of knowledge and wisdom. They were slow and steady. They provided stability and kept the impulses of youth in check. They had been around the block a few times. They had seen trends come and go. They had an interest in keeping everything the way it had always been. They tended to be more conservative than others, more cautious. They don’t like rocking the boat. And Jesus was rocking the boat.

      The teachers of the law were in charge of giving the official interpretation, their interpretation for Scripture. They had their reputation on the line. Everything had become structured to keep the power structure as it is. Think USA tax code, and government regulations. The rich get richer. The powerful gather more power. The protected, favored groups maintain their positions of power and influence. Winners and losers are chosen. They couldn’t have Jesus win.

      Now we don’t know exactly what each group was thinking and feeling, but they united against Jesus. They found a common purpose in trumping up charges against Him. Scary.

Servants & Slaves

Mark 10:41-45

      Slavery has gotten a bad rap! Now before you blow a gasket, hear me out. Most of us don’t know what slavery looks like, other than a vague image from a school textbook. Or maybe you have seen an image flash across the screen of the modern day sex slavery industry, or of forced labor in some factory far, far away. But the reality is, most of us don’t know much about slavery, its many gradations and variables.

      Two of the disciples have taken it upon themselves to try and secure the top spots in Jesus new Kingdom. The other disciples have heard about their failed attempt and get rip-roaring mad. They can’t believe they would do this to them. Or maybe they are so mad because they didn’t come up with the idea first.

      But Jesus has a very different idea of being on top. He would not be grappling for the front row seats. He wouldn’t strategically place Himself directly behind an important dignitary so that their face gets captured in the pictures. Jesus has a very different picture of leadership than the rest of us. Leadership starts and stays in slavery mode.

      Jesus contrasts the kind of leadership He wants His disciples to display with that of the political officials of His day. They acted superior to those over whom they ruled. You could see it in their actions. Private jets and exclusive restaurants. Chastise those who participate in your favorite banned behavior and then be excessive in the exercise of that same banned behavior. Rail against the treatment of the poor, and then do nothing with their millions or billions to help. Fight against smoking, but sneak your smokes on the side. Speak against poor dietary habits, but then eat whatever they want, including what your spoke against.

      History and people haven’t changed much. The leaders of Jesus’ day were just such people. They acted superior to the common people. Their attitude stunk! They acted like they owned the people, that they were their play things to be commanded at will. The point of a finger was all it took. The gesture of the hand could signal life or death.

      Jesus says that if we want to be great, at the top, hold one of the top spots in His Kingdom, then we must become both a servant and a slave. We must work toward meeting other people’s needs. We take our directions from what will help others, not what will help us. We are not the boss. We take orders from Him, and from the needs that the Holy Spirit points out to us. Great people are great servants. Those with top rank are those that are slaves to everyone else.

      This concept of upside-down leadership is so unfamiliar that it sounds impossible. Well it is! But putting others ahead of ourselves is at the heart of the Gospel. Jesus came, not to be a good moral teacher, but to give His life as the payment for everyone else’s sin. He did what we could never do. And He did it without any hope of earthly reward.