There are lots of perks to being a priest! You get to meet incredible people, you never have to worry about finding a seat in church, and the majority of my daily work is meaningful and directly tied to people’s lives. One of the secondary benefits of being a priest, especially serving as pastor, is that you learn lots of interesting, random things you probably wouldn’t otherwise know. As a naturally curious person, I find this wonderful! One of the things I’ve learned a lot about is boilers and my education is usually renewed around this time of year when we turn them on for the first time. Inevitably, what happens is that a room or two will be blazing hot because the thermostat controlling the radiator in that space loses its mind. I asked the repair tech why it always seems the failure causes an overheated room rather than having no heat at all. His response was that it is by design! Whenever there is a problem, whenever something isn’t quite right, the system is designed to fail OPEN, to error on the side of sending heat. I asked why this was. He replied that it is much cheaper and easier to open a window to cool down a hot room than to clean up a flood from a frozen pipe in a room that got too cold. I never would have thought about that but this failsafe made total sense. When in doubt, send heat!
A similar sort of failsafe is proposed in today’s gospel. Jesus had become incredibly popular at this point of his ministry, working miracles, attracting huge crowds, and some are even trying to make him king. James and John can sense the authority and power Jesus has and they want some of it for themselves. James and John ask Jesus for places of honor, one at his right and one at his left. But they want it for the wrong reasons. They want this power so they can be in charge and enjoy the worldly perks of prestige and rank. Jesus patiently reminds them that his followers must use any power and authority they receive as leverage to serve others. The failsafe for Christians is this: when in doubt, choose to serve rather than to be served. True greatness is using ourselves and our gifts to help others.
Leadership, of course, is essential. Power is necessary. Power makes decisions and gets things done. But all power eventually corrupts unless it is grounded in the teachings of Jesus Christ. And leaders include not just the high and mighty CEOs, but us: parents, principles, managers, teachers, board members, policemen, scoutmasters, pastors, doctors —- anyone who has authority or leads the lives of others. In the Christian life all such leaders, including you and me, are servants who are there “not to be served but to serve and to give their lives as a ransom for many.” That radical teaching - and it is outrageously radical if you think about it - is a deep spirituality to live by, a necessary and humble default a Christian must embrace. The more power I have, the more service I must render, the more aware of others I must be.
You and I are called to be servant-leaders of whatever power or authority has been given to us. What are some practical ways we can know if we are imitating Christ’s example? First, servant leaders pay attention to the rank-and-file people around them. No person, no matter what their education, influence, or occupation, is dismissed or looked down on. How about us? How do we treat the people who work the cash register, prepare our meal, repair our homes and vehicles, or pick up the trash? Are we kind, polite, and aware of them as individuals? Do we remember their name, learn about their lives and families, and sincerely ask how they are doing? When they answer, do we listen? Secondly, servant leaders learn to think communally, not selfishly. What goes into our decision-making? Is it only about profit, sales, career, getting ahead, or what benefits me? Are there considerations to the long-range impact on the family, the community, or the environment? Finally, servant leaders strive for that humility which enables them to ask if they're part of the problem. They’re not afraid to be accountable to others and accept constructive criticism, knowing they’re far from perfect. Are we someone people feel they can challenge and correct or are we unapproachable? I think this is the most difficult of the three to adopt and embrace. Very rarely does correction come from someone who is blameless or flawless. And sometimes 90% of what they are saying doesn’t apply. But with an open heart, we can grow from the 10% that does. We should never forget that without challenging feedback, any one of us can become a tyrant.
Let’s return to James and John who wanted the privilege, power, and position without the cross; they want his leadership without serving others. It must've been totally embarrassing when, at the end of the day, there were two lowly thieves, one at Jesus’ right and one at His left as he prepared to enter his heavenly kingdom. Not quite what they first imagined, but it made Jesus’ point.
We might wonder: did James and John and the others eventually get the message? Did they get to drink from the same chalice Jesus drank? I think so. About 12 years after Jesus' death, James was the first apostle to suffer martyrdom. Tradition adds that Andrew was tied to a cross, Bartholomew was skinned alive, Peter was crucified upside down in Rome, the other James was thrown from the Temple roof, Thomas was run through with a lance in the East Indies, Jude was pierced with arrows, Philip was hanged; only John escaped a gruesome death. Interestingly enough, he was the only apostle present during the crucifixion.
We probably won’t have to go so far as martyrdom, but we must recognize the gospel message clearly states that worldly power and position are on the other side of servant leadership: followers of Jesus do not sit and wait to be served. They stand in solidarity with the world's most famous foot-washer and they serve everyone regardless of social status. And they do so with clear intentions of God’s love and joy because that is where true greatness is found! Our failsafe must always be to serve! In putting others first, we achieve true greatness and everlasting power that cannot be lost!
