Sunday Sermon Mark 9:30-36

Today's sermon by Pastor Richard Chiu was about the topic of serving. In the passage of Mark 9:30-36, the disciples were squabbling over who was the greatest amongst them. Despite being followers of Jesus, they were caught up with the worldly "me first" mentality. Jesus message to them, as well to all christians, is a counter-revolutionary and counter-intuitive one to all contemporary concepts of greatness; that is he who wants to be the first must be the very last and servant of all.

I liked out Pastor Chiu contextualized the passage, giving a representation on how the various disciples would have been acting in that passage. Peter would most likely have said, "I walked on water, and was proclaimed as the rock on which the ministry would be founded". We could envision Matthew retorting "Yeah, but you sank. But it is I who is greatest because I forgo a lucrative position in the government to follow Jesus." John could have quipped, "Jesus said that he loved me the most", whilst his brother Andrew could have said "Jesus called out to me in my name even before I knew him. Surely there must be something special about me." And Judas Iscariot could have remarked most astutely amidst all the squabble "Ah, but it me whom Jesus trusted to handle the money! Surely I am the greatest."

It is certainly easy to slip into a mindset featuring all the contemporary notions of success. I find myself being influenced in my life as a law student in such a manner, especially when one is extolled and praised if he or she is clever, and contrastingly dismissed or ignored in a somewhat condescending manner if he or she is perceived to be stupid. Amongst social talks are the likes of who is the brilliant one, who is the star student, who is the brilliant mooter, who is the first-class honours material, who will make it to partners in the law firm, who has it in them to become the next senior counsel or chief justice in Singapore,  Everyone wants to be the successful one amongst the legal fraternity. I didn't find myself so angst about having to do well in law school when I first entered, but somehow, I find that my mindset has changed quite surreptitiously such that I am deeply angst when I did not do well for my law school results last semester. It does call in question why I feel so aggrieved and angst. I suppose I find myself quite success-oriented in my mentality as well.

I suppose there needs to be some perspective about what the role of excellence is. I suppose success, or excellence in the field of one's vocation is a good thing because it helps one to serve others the community better. However, even if one is not as capable or successful, one should not be too aggrieved if one truly sees the function excellence or success as being that to serve. It seems to me that God has placed people of varying abilities and skills to serve others in their various roles. If everyone were so intelligent and capable, and did very well in school, and aspired to be lawyers, doctors, business person, and the like, who would run the provision shops, cook the dishes at the hawker, drive the buses and taxis, and clean the garbage from the vicinity? I do wish that everyone, including myself, could see things in such a manner and not be condescending in their perception of the lower position vocations in society.