Who Is The Greatest
AM Psalm 31 • PM Psalm 35
Exod. 4:10-20(21-26)27-31 • 1 Cor. 14:1-19 • Mark 9:30-41
In our gospel reading today, we find Mark’s account of the disciples arguing about who was the “greatest” among them. I see this as an amazing window into the humanity of the disciples. First, that they were arguing about it at all was pretty amazing. I would love to hear the examples of what the qualifiers were to be the “best” disciple. Obviously there were feelings of success and grandeur that led to the very human conversation of “...but which one of us is the BEST?” Having been part of conversations like that, I recognize that it is a combination of self-aggrandizing and mutual support, all accumulating into an empty ego-fest. I also love that when they were “caught,” they knew that it was something to be embarrassed about.
Even with this story as a repetitive reminder, it is so easy to fall into this pattern of behavior. We are inherently competitive, and if we are mindful we can recognize that it finds its way into places we wouldn’t even imagine. From feeling like we go to the “best” church, to feeling like you make the “best” pie, we are constantly seeking affirmation through the lens of competition.
The encouragement here is that life’s not a competition. The only person we truly compete with is ourselves, and the only “referee” is God. Living into this truth frees us from the burdens of self-deprecation and envy. It allows us to embrace ourselves fully, and set our expectations and goals based on God’s will for our lives, rather than what is happening in other’s. The child Jesus brought into the conversation inherently had no worldly agenda, no fragile ego, and an open heart. When we bring a child into a situation we are inclined to have gentle expectations and abundant compassion. Freed from the dynamic of earthly competition, we can extend that grace to others, and more importantly to ourselves as we make room to seek God’s “greatest” for ourselves in our daily lives.
Written by Dan Robinson
Dan Robinson is the Media Ministries specialist at St. Paul’s, overseeing the streaming of services online.