Where to Care

Read Mark 9:30-37.

Jesus starts by talking about the biggest topic: how he will be put to death before he rises again. The disciples can’t understand, and are too afraid to ask.

Do we have big issues that we can’t cope with? Are we afraid to face them? Often, we find something else to think about. There are plenty of little things to do. We can always keep busy. There are many things around us that demand our attention.

The disciples got busy. They were there together on the road. They talked about each other. Who was offering the most to the group? Who was performing best? Who added the most value? Who was the greatest?

These are questions that we hear in many workplaces. There are performance bonuses and excellence awards for people who offer the most value to the organisation. If the employer can’t offer more money, often they work on congratulations. A simple certificate at a staff meeting can give an employee high status in the group.

But Jesus doesn’t want us thinking along these lines.

We shouldn’t care about the scoreboard. We shouldn’t be looking for our name. We are children of God. We bear Christ’s name. And Jesus has a different story about how the truly great behave.

The disciples couldn’t bear to hear that story. The Son of Man would be betrayed and killed. Probably that’s as much as they took in before they tuned out. It didn’t sound like the story of a Messiah – one to rescue the people.

Jesus made the story concrete. He brought in a child, and held that child in his arms. This was where to care. That child wasn’t one of the disciples, and wouldn’t have had any say in the decisions of the group. Children had no power. Jesus basically said, ‘serve people like these’.

This is where to care. Not about who is rewarding you. Help people who need help. Then you’ll be doing what pleases God.

But don’t let this be a distraction, either. Being useful is important, but if we use the poor as a scorecard, we are victims of Satan again. We need to care about the whole human being. That’s why Jesus used the word, “welcome”.

Don’t be afraid to ask the hard questions. Focus your care on others. And respect the whole person. It’s not about you; it’s about how you can serve God through selflessly serving others.