Every four years, our country is thrown into political turmoil. Lately, the four years between presidential elections seem to become shorter and shorter. Ads might be playing already for the 2024 presidential election for all I know. These ads reach a fever pitch a few months before Election Day. The candidates constantly jockey for voters’ attention, making promises that even the best politicians would struggle to keep.
Left and right, politicians jockey for voters’ attention. Conservative and liberal, politicians jockey for voters’ attention. Democrat, Independent, Republican – politicians not only jockey for voters’ attention; they also jockey for position.
Of course, the reality in our country is that most politicians do not – and maybe cannot – keep their promises. That reality does not keep politicians from seeking political prestige: who will get the votes? Who will get the parade? Who will get the ceremony? Who will get the Oval Office?
This desire – or is it a need? – to win is nothing new. This desire – or is it a need? – to jockey for position is not a modern development in human psychology. We see the same desire – or is it a need? – in James and John. In today’s reading from Mark’s Gospel, James and John run a political campaign of sorts.
The first interesting thing I notice about this reading is the boldness James and John approach Jesus with. I know that we are told to approach Jesus with “boldness,” but this seems excessive: “Teacher, we want you to do whatever we ask of you.” No polite deference before the Messiah here! No; James and John “(come) forward to Jesus and (say) to him,” pay attention to us!
I wonder what Jesus looks like and sounds like as he hears James and John’s request. Is Jesus tired? Is he smiling? Is he exasperated by the disciples’ constant jockeying for position? No matter the look on Jesus’ face or the tone of his voice, Jesus replies with an honest question. “What is it you want me to do for you?” Jesus doesn’t scold the disciples for their bold request.
So, James and John’s political campaign continues. They know what they want: they want to get seats of glory in heaven. They want to get the parade. They want to get the ceremony. They want to get the Oval Office.
Jesus, ever the patient teacher, puts a check on James and John’s campaign. “Are you able,” Jesus asks, “are you able to drink the cup that I drink? Or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” Still eager to get the votes, James and John quickly reply, “We are able.” “We can handle it. No problem.” They say anything and make any promises, just to get Jesus’ vote.
Jesus remains that elusive thing: an undecided voter. Jesus says that James and John will, indeed, face Christ’s cup and baptism. But Jesus cannot commit to James and John that they will get the seats of honor in heaven.
We don’t know James and John’s reaction to Jesus’ answers, but we do know the other disciples’ reaction. They are “angry” with James and John. They are shocked by James and John’s boldness. But I also wonder if the other disciples are also tired of the ongoing jockeying for position in their little group of twelve. Maybe they’re like so many of us in our political frustration. How many robocalls can one household handle?
Whatever is at the root of the disciples’ “anger,” Jesus hears and responds. With a grace that only Jesus can muster, Jesus both calms and challenges the disciples in the same breath. “You see how the world around us behaves. You see how those Gentiles act. You see how they jockey for position.”
Here is the grace, “but it is not so with you.” You do not behave like the world around us. But, along with the grace comes challenge. “Whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant.” Although Jesus is not directly scolding James and John, I imagine some reddened, embarrassed faces among the twelve.
James and John think they’re the candidates. They think they want the votes, when, in fact, it is Jesus making promises. And these are promises that Jesus – and only Jesus – can keep. In the Jesus administration, Jesus says, “I will challenge everything you expect. I will challenge everything you think you know. I will challenge everything, even down to how you relate to each other. In the Jesus administration, Jesus says, “whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all.”
None of this jockeying for position. None of this making false promises. None of this puffing up to seem important. No; in the Jesus administration, everything is turned upside down. The first shall be last. The last shall be first. The greatest shall be slave. In the Jesus administration, nothing earthly will be recognizable. Servants will be great. Slaves will be first.
The Jesus administration will come into office, if you will, not through robocalls and mass mailings. No; the Jesus administration is ushered in by Christ’s self-sacrifice. The Jesus administration is filled with Jesus’ promises that are kept by his sacrifice on the cross as “a ransom for many.”
If we see ourselves in James and John’s campaign, let us be gentle with ourselves. Their campaign to have seats of honor is nothing new. Instead, let us receive Christ’s grace. Let us reply to Christ’s challenge. Let us throw off everything that keeps us jockeying for position. And let us place ourselves at Christ’s feet where we will become the servant of all. Amen.
