BLUF: A Paradox of Leadership

Text: And they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.” (Mk 9:33-37, ESV)

Context, Context, Context: In Mark’s account of this event, it follows immediately after Jesus’s transfiguration (Mk 9:2-23), and Jesus’ healing of the boy with an unclean spirit (Mk 9:14-29), and Jesus’ foretelling of his soon-to-occur death, burial, and resurrection (Mk 9:30-32). Events in Mark’s gospel occur quickly. John Mark loves the adverb immediately. He’s a plot-driven writer, if you will, who keeps it moving. But we see in the snippet above Jesus’ penetrating question to some of his disciples: “What were you discussing on the way?” Hmmm, why would the omniscient God the Son ask questions of his students? Well, for the same reason any master teacher might query his students–namely, to get them to dive deeper into the wisdom that’s about to be revealed.

The Disciples Didn’t Answer the Question: Why didn’t they? Because they were too consumed with jockeying for position and power. They’d argued with one another about their status. They were, well, a lot like people today. Why? Well, because human nature’s a constant. Pride is just part of the program. Find people and you’ll find pride—lots of it. But Christianity turns everything upside down, doesn’t it? It says if you want to be first, you must serve. It’s not about being at the head of the table; it’s about setting the table. It’s not about being served, but about serving. It’s not about you or me being the greatest, because if we’re honest, we know we’re debtors to grace.

Encouragement: Biblical leadership’s difference is that it’s known for its selflessness. It’s a pouring out for others. It’s self-denial for the sake of the greater mission. The Christian gospel is the greatest true story ever told because it’s about the only holy and righteous Leader (God) becoming a slave and being a rejected and despised lamb for slaughter. Why? For the sake of puffed-up, prideful sinners who were jockeying to see if they were the greatest? Yes. Because as prideful as those disciples were in that scene, they’re a lot like we are. Again, it’s that constant of human nature. Here’s the great news: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Prideful disciples, skeptical Pharisees, and more. Broken sinners. In other words, fellow sinners who are a lot like the man or woman you see in your mirror each day.

Introduction: This morning I was reading in the Gospel of Mark. In chapter 4 we read of an event that is like something from an adventure film. It is found in verses 35-41 of Mark 4, when Jesus calms the storm.

Context, Context, Context: The passage is about Jesus’s command of all things, of course, but it’s about more than that. It’s an exploration of what the disciples were trusting in. That’s the point.

When the squall arose, this violent storm on the water, the disciples grew afraid. Why? Well, this was not just a small breeze at sunset. It was, rather, a “great windstorm” (v. 37) such that “the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling” (v. 37).

And what’s Jesus doing? Sleeping in the stern (v. 38). Why? Because he’s about to teach the disciples something about being drowned by circumstances or trusting God. Again, that’s the point.

So, the disciples wake Jesus, pleading with him, to do something. And he does:

And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” (Mk 4:39-41, ESV)

Teaching: It’s become almost cliche now to see and/or read, “Faith over Fear,” on t-shirts, bumper stickers, etc. But that’s the issue here, and it’s such a powerful point. The disciples were focused on the storm, which was indeed very real. But what was also very real was the God over the storm–the One who was over that one, and the One who is over the storms you and I are perhaps in.

Encouragement: If I’m honest, there are times in my life when I minimize the truth about the sovereignty of God and elevate the powers of the storms. I see bad people do bad things, and if I’m not careful, I can write God out of the picture. It’s like saying, “God’s asleep in the back of the boat; there’s nothing he can do.” And if I thought like that, I’d be just like the disciples in Mark 4, who thought they were about to drown. I think we like to think we’re better than the men and women in Scripture. But the truth is, we’re not. We, too, underestimate God. We need to relearn to trust the God who’s over the storms.

Introduction: This morning after PT I completed another reading of the Gospel of Matthew. Of the four gospels, I think it’s perhaps become my favorite. Why? It is because I see in it the fulfillment of the Old Testament promises. The Messiah was promised again and again in the Old Testament. And Jesus came, just as promised, as the Messiah. He was despised and rejected, just as predicted. He was silent before his shearers, just as predicted. He was the Son of David, just as predicted. He was and is the great I AM, just as promised. He is the promised good shepherd. He is the light of world, just as predicted. He was pierced for our transgressions, just as predicted. He was crushed for our iniquities, just as predicted. He was the lamb led to the slaughter, just as predicted. He bore the sins of many, just as predicted. And he saves his people, just as predicted. And one of those people was a Roman centurion (Mt 27:54).

Text: And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!” (Mt 27:51-54, ESV)

Context, Context, Context: In the Gospel of Matthew, this is his description of the history of Jesus’s crucifxion and resurrection. In his gospel, we see the stony hearts of the Pharisees, Sadducees, most Jews, and the Roman officials who oversaw and carried out the crucifixion of the Christ.

And yet, Matthew focuses on this one man’s faith, a faith in Jesus as the Christ. And that faith saved that Roman centurion. No matter how many times I read the Bible, I am struck by nuggets of gold like this. What do I mean? Simply that it’s not a mass conversion we see here in Matthew. It’s one man, a Roman soldier, a centurion. And he believed. While the crowds mocked Jesus, stripped Jesus, spat upon Jesus, pierced Jesus, and eventually crucified Jesus between two robbers, this one man believed . . . and was saved.

And the same thing continues to happen today. Most mock, most jeer, most scoff at the holy–and yet some believe. One by one, God grows his church. And the true church continues to prevail via the truth of redemption and the proclamation of hope.

BLUF: The End of the Matter; Wisdom of a Clear End State

Text: “The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil” (Eccl 12:13-14, ESV).

Illustration: It’s been one of those mornings where it seems everything is urgent, and where one’s calendar suddenly fills up with things we didn’t plan for. I had a 0830 Military Funeral Honors (planned). But then I got a call asking for a MFH for a deceased Airman down in Peachtree City (and I was at GA National Cemetery in Canton). So, I reached out to my Air Force peers to see if they could cover down. For whatever reason, they said they couldn’t cover it. Then I reached out to another military chaplain and pastor to see if he could help me out. No answer.

Then I had an SSgt Airman brought to me for triage counseling. Then I had an S1/personnel matter that needed to be addressed via IPPSA, for which I had to link up with personnel. Then my boss wanted to meet with me for how she wanted me to design curricula for future chaplains. Then I had two more Military Funeral Honors come in from Ft. Benning for this coming Friday. I’m not complaining about those, because I love honoring our fallen veterans—regardless of branch of service. On and on it went. Next thing I knew, it was 1430, and I’d not even begun to work ‘my calendared events.’ I suppose we all have days like this—when life hits us at 100 MPH. That’s when it’s crucial to remember the goal, and why we do what we do.

Encouragement: For many years I have had a full-time military job, but it’s not really a ‘job’ to me. The reason is because it’s a calling to me, a vocation, in the truest sense of that term. I get to pastor Soldiers, Airmen, veterans, and Civilians. And I love it. It plays to my strengths of pastoral care and spiritual formation. Remembering always what Solomon calls “the end of the matter” is crucial. It’s the driving passion, the calling, to “nurture the living, care for the wounded, and honor the fallen.” What Scripture calls “every secret thing” speaks to the reality that God sees all that we do and/or not do in the faithful execution of our duties.