Where are you sitting?

October 18, 2009
Time after Pentecost – Lectionary 29
Mark 10:35-45
Where are you sitting?

Where are you sitting? You may be one of those who is very concerned about this question when you come to church. If someone is sitting in “your” pew it is as that person stole something from you that is sacred above all else. You walk past them and you glare. Good thing you came to church today, ‘cause you had better repent…sinner. The 11th Commandment: Thou shalt not sit in my pew!

Where are you sitting? My brother Zach and I were very concerned with this question as kids. Like many kids we wanted to sit in the front seat of the car. We had the “shotgun” rule -- whoever yelled “shotgun” first would get to sit in the front seat. However, this rule developed all sorts of intricacies. You couldn’t yell shot gun until you were out of the house. Eventually the one who didn’t yell shotgun could call “shotgun breakers.”
One time, so dedicated to my persuit to sit in the front seat, as my brother and I were racing, I stuck out my leg and my brother tripped and scratched his face.
Another time, I decided I would pretend to be completely uninterested in sitting in the front seat, and I would intentionally sit in the back seat. After sitting in the back seat for a few days I was actually starting to like it…until my brother decided he liked it too, and then we’d start to argue about who got to sit in the back seat.

Where are you sitting? This is also a question we often ask in society. Where am I sitting socially, economically? We are told we need to sit in the front seat, to sit in the best seat. We need to be of high status and social standing, and we’ll do whatever it takes to get us there.
When I was in Chicago last weekend, I saw Rod Blagojevich jogging. What’s interesting is that when the charges came out against Blagojevich, he insisted he did nothing wrong, and look—everyone else is doing it, this is the way it’s done! He was right, and that’s why Chicago is ranked as one of the most corrupt cities. LA is the least corrupt though, right?
Blagojevich was right, everyone else is doing it, this “dog eat dog,” “every man/woman for him/her self.” These are social mantras, and very much a part of our society. It’s like Las Vegas, which I drove through last week (gambled all the church’s money away). I started to think about all the people who start out gambling a little, but before you know it, they get sucked in, mesmerized by the glow of the Vegas lights, they have to win, even if it means selling everything they have, even if it means compromising the money they would have used to feed their kids.
Why are we in this economic crisis? There were many who were so concerned with their pursuit of wealth, that they didn’t think about the effects they would have on others or the economy as a whole.
Like kids that argue over sitting in the front seat, we’re not sure really even why we want to sit in the front seat, but we’ll do whatever it takes to get to it, even if it means sticking out our leg to trip someone.

Where are you sitting? This was the concern that James and John brought to Jesus in today’s Gospel lesson. First they ask, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you,” and Jesus said, hold up, what is it exactly you want? They were concerned about where they get to sit. They wanted the best seat. “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.”
Sitting at the right hand was the highest place of honor. Status was very important for people at this time. James and John have been brought up this way, that they should seek to be glorified, exhaulted, to sit in the best seat.
Where are you sitting? was a very important question. To illustruate how this question plays out in society, Jesus points out that for the gentiles (Romans) the greatest are the tyrants. The measure of greatness, was tyranny, domination, and doing whatever it takes to advance yourself.

James and John wanted to sit at the right and left of Jesus in his glory. But later, the ones at the right and left of Jesus are two thieves that are hanging on crosses. This isn’t what James and John had in mind.
Jesus did not come to be another tyrant, or to be lifted up, or served … but he came to serve, to give his life so that all people would live.
It is in the light of this same selfless service that he is calling us to live…
…their great ones are tyrants over them. 43But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant,

By society’s standards, we will never achieve greatness…
Where are you sitting? Jesus turns the question around: Where are you kneeling? Who are you serving? Greatness is not measured by where you are sitting, but where you are kneeling, and how you are serving. It’s not measured by how much you can take, but how much you can give.
Jesus’ message to his disciples: If you want to be great, be great at serving one another.

Martin Luther King Jr. preached on this text in a sermon called: “Drum Major for Justice” The ambition for the best seat he described as the “drum major instinct,” we all want to be the drum major, to be the one on top. He said:
“And so Jesus gave us a new norm of greatness. If you want to be important—wonderful. If you want to be recognized—wonderful. If you want to be great—wonderful. But recognize that he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. That's a new definition of greatness.” He went on to say:
“If any of you are around when I have to meet my day, I don’t want a long funeral. And if you get somebody to deliver the eulogy, tell them not to talk too long. And every now and then I wonder what I want them to say. Tell them not to mention that I have a Nobel Peace Prize—that isn’t important. Tell them not to mention that I have three or four hundred other awards—that’s not important. Tell them not to mention where I went to school.
(instead) I'd like somebody to mention that day that Martin Luther King, Jr., tried to give his life serving others.
I'd like for somebody to say that day that Martin Luther King, Jr., tried to love somebody.
I want you to say that day that I tried to be right on the war question.
I want you to be able to say that day that I did try to feed the hungry.
And I want you to be able to say that day that I did try in my life to clothe those who were naked.
I want you to say on that day that I did try in my life to visit those who were in prison.
I want you to say that I tried to love and serve humanity.
Yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice. (Amen) Say that I was a drum major for peace. (Yes) I was a drum major for righteousness. And all of the other shallow things will not matter. (Yes) I won't have any money to leave behind. I won't have the fine and luxurious things of life to leave behind. But I just want to leave a committed life behind. (Amen) And that's all I want to say…
Yes, Jesus, I want to be on your right or your left side, (Yes) not for any selfish reason. I want to be on your right or your left side, not in terms of some political kingdom or ambition. But I just want to be there in love and in justice and in truth and in commitment to others, so that we can make of this old world a new world.”

So, where are you sitting? Better yet, where are you kneeling? Who are you serving?
I look forward to living out Jesus’ call to servanthood with you all, as we serve one another and our neighbors. In Jesus’ name, Amen.