The most important person always sits at the most conspicuous spot visible to everyone in the room. In a wedding celebration, the groom and the bride would be the most important people and they would be seated right in the center of the presidential table (or long table). All eyes are on them throughout the occasion. Of course seated next to the couple would be the next most important people and they are the parents, then the best man and the bridesmaid and then the sponsors and so on and so forth.
Occasions like this, it would seem to me that there is hierarchy of importance but the one at the bottom of the list would be the least noticeable or hardly at all because they are simply the last on the list. Therefore, there is the very important person to whom we pay a lot of attention all throughout the party—the bride and the groom; then the next important people to whom we would take notice also—the parents, the best man and the bridesmaid, sponsors; then the important people but not too important and they are the guests and the least important people whom we wouldn’t mind at all—the servers. The first two get to be recognized but not the guests and certainly not the servers.
So in a wedding reception, the couple get to be recognized specially. How can you attend a wedding party without knowing the couple? Everybody has to know the couple. You can live without knowing the parents and the rest of the wedding entourage but the couple’s name, you got to know them.
Now the servers could be the least important people at a wedding reception, but, who will bring out the food if there would be no servers? Certainly we cannot ask the guests to do that? Most certainly not the newlyweds? nor the parents? nor the sponsors? So in terms of position, the servers would be the last on the list. But in terms of function, they are important after all. Because no party is going to be successful without the servers.
There are also those who work behind the scene whom we would not know and see at all and yet without whom the occasion would not be possible. Simply saying, without them, there would be no celebration. So in a wedding party, these people are the kitchen coordinator, the cooks and those who assist the cooks.
- men’s retreat / during meals: most important is the server
- adding to the bulletin a section: On today’s menu
When I was in high school I didn’t know any better. I thought being odd would make a person important. Our school prescribed to wear this uniform: white shirt short sleeve, black pants and black leather shoes. But I was the one who always cross the other side of the fence. Instead of wearing short sleeve, I wore long sleeve. In placed of black pants, I wore Levis jeans. Instead of wearing black leather shoes, I wore Indian boots. I was a little odd. But I got the attention. It felt good. It felt like I was important because my classmates talked about me.
Probably at one time or another you felt the same way. You must’ve thought it would make all the difference in the world if only you were a celebrity. Perhaps you thought when people’s eyes are on you, you’d get some kind of satisfaction, or it would up your energy and somehow boost your morale. If only you can invent a machine that produce gold, or a machine that would spit out a month’s worth of grocery items maybe that’ll make you the most important person in the world. It sure will. That would certainly make you feel good. It won’t make you feel like you’re a nobody but rather somebody who invented a machine that was extraordinary. But then again you’re not sure of what to do either. Man’s way of
God’s perspective on the issue is somewhat different. Not strange or odd but different and true. If you want to be important you must first become a servant of all; one who is a nobody; one who does not look too highly of himself; one who thinks of others before self; one who is humble and does not care about position or accomplishment for as long as the work is done as a slave does; one who is willing to get down on his knees for the sake of others. In short, Jesus’ resolution was not to put somebody in the highest position on earth or in heaven. If that was God’s answer for a child of God to be great in the eyes of men, then Jesus would’ve made all 12 apostles as leaders of Israel. But that wasn’t God’s resolution. Simply putting it, Jesus said:
IF YOU WANT TO BE SOMEBODY, BE A NOBODY
If you want to be somebody in the eyes of God be a nobody in the eyes of men.
What else could be the reason why James and John boldly requested Jesus to put them next to Him when they got to His kingdom? There has to be significance in that request else they would not even try asking Jesus about it. In fact they demanded of Jesus, “Teacher we want you to do for us whatever we ask.” (v.35) Jesus asked what it was all about and they boldly replied:
“Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in Your glory.” (10:37)
That wasn’t just some kind of a party they were talking about there, like sitting with Jesus at the presidential table at someone’s wedding. Rather what they were asking for was eternal position—to sit with Jesus as ruler in His kingdom. In fact, according to Matthew’s writing of the same account, it was James and John’s mother who requested Jesus to:
“Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.” (Mat 20:21)
We know that a mother’s influence can be very strong but not this time. That was commendable of John and James to be asking for the impossible—a bold and confident request but at the same time naive because they didn’t know what they were asking for.
It was because of James and John’s close relationship with Jesus Christ that they were able to utter that bold request. If you were the son of a General in the military, would you request your dad to take you with him to the white house and meet the president? Yes you would. But there was no guarantee that he would grant your request, right or the president meeting you? A place of great honor is not asking for it. But earning it. Now it would be different if you as a private then work yourself up and eventually become a general and you greater opportunity to meet the president. It would be more significant if the president himself invites you over to the White House and not through the influence of anyone.
Jesus’ bold challenge was: to become great among you must be your servant and to be honorable and dignified (first: of rank) must be slave of all. This does not mean that you choose the profession of becoming a janitor or a servant (maid). In your chosen field always have the servant attitude, ready to care, serve, love others. You allow room for yourself to be of service to others in terms of
- help others whenever they need it;
- you share your knowledge to others who are not too smart to deal with complex things;
- you don’t make fun of others who are less intelligent than you
- you don’t boast about your ability or intelligence
- you think of others first before yourself
- you treat people equally without showing favoritism
- you provide for your family
- you serve your parents now that they are old for they served you when you were growing
- be kind to others
- even if you have a high position in society, be willing to do a lowly job when you’re with fellow believers
- does that mean if you are a doctor, engineer, a wealthy man you are excuse from sweeping or mopping the floor in our fellowship hall?
IF YOU WANT TO BE SOMEBODY, BE A NOBODY
It is by being a nobody that you become somebody before the eyes of God and men. People will take notice of what you do and not who you are in society. You are what you do. Your bold service before God is what stands out and remembered by others. But remember always, you became somebody in the Lord because of Jesus Christ.
If there was one who was a nobody, and became somebody in our life is Jesus Christ. He became nothing but a mere man: from riches to rags; from God to becoming man—that must have been a great humiliation on His part. But He had to become like one of us —a nobody so that He may experience the same pain and suffering we experience in this world.
Jesus is a loving God; the almighty God who made Himself a nobody, chose carpentry as a profession then went on to become a preacher and a teacher because He wanted to tell others about God’s truth. He gave His own life for all mankind. He gave Himself up for us on the cross. His life became the payment for our sins so that we may become somebody and not a loser; that we may be the winner and live a victorious life. He became the ransom, God Himself became the payment for our sin. Wow we must be that important. Not because for who we are or for what we did but because of who He is a loving God. Jesus becoming a nobody brought about our redemption or freedom sin and its consequences. We do the same thing,
IF YOU WANT TO BE SOMEBODY, BE A NOBODY
If you want to be somebody or in other words if you want people to remember your name even when you’re 10, 100, or 1000 years dead already; or if you want people to respect you and follow your examples; or if you want people to listen to you then be a servant. Be a nobody. If it takes for you to face humiliation. Do you know that there are doctors out there who do on mission to care for people who are sick? There are wealthy men and women in the history who gave their time, talent and treasure to become missionaries. Jim Elliot was one of them.
CONCLUSION:
The best decision ever to make is to follow God’s commands. You can never go wrong if you follow the way of God instead of the ways of men. The way of the world is to become leaders and rulers lording over those who are peasants and poor. But God’s way was to be one with the peasant and the poor that we may experience the joy of servanthood. To lord over one is to rule like the world; to bend our knees before men is to serve like Christ.
Imagine a church where everyone is serving one another; where there is no one who lords over another. Not even the pastor is in a position to say: do this and do that. He is to humble himself before God before his peers will follow his leadership. Imagine a community where everyone serves one another: no pointing of fault but loving one another as Christ loved everyone equally and importantly.
