"Just say yes. No matter what I ask, just say yes." How many of us have used that technique on our parents or grandparents or friends? We already know the answer we want to hear. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could get them to agree to it, before they even knew what they were agreeing to? That’s just what James and John wanted to happen. They wanted Jesus to agree to give them whatever they asked, before they had even asked. They wanted Jesus to just say yes – no matter what.

Now there is a pattern that is going on in Mark’s gospel that I think can sometimes get lost when we chop it up into manageable pieces to be read over a series of Sundays. If we look at the gospel as a whole we see a definite pattern developing. Three times Jesus predicts that he will be handed over to the authorities, be killed, and rise from the dead. After each of his predictions one or more of the disciples say or do something that shows that either they weren’t listening to what Jesus was saying or they just plain don’t get it.

After the first time Jesus described what was going to happen to him, Peter took Jesus aside and tried to exorcise an evil spirit from him, thinking that Jesus must have been possessed to be talking about being killed and rising from the dead.

As soon as they got back on the road after the second time Jesus predicted what was going to happen to him, the disciples didn’t understand what he was talking about but were afraid to ask any questions. Then as they continue walking down the road, the disciples started arguing about who among them was the greatest – not realizing that greatness meant servitude. In light of what Jesus said was about to happen to him, the disciples start an argument about who is the best among them.

And then we come to the third and final time that Jesus tells his disciples about what is awaiting him in Jerusalem. No sooner had Jesus finished talking than John and James show they still don’t get it and ask to hold the places of most honor in Christ’s kingdom. Can you picture Jesus shaking his head just a little while he listens to James and John’s request? They still don’t understand that greatness in God’s kingdom isn’t about sitting at the head table but about serving others. It’s not about being waited upon but about waiting upon others. It’s not about being served but about serving.

It can be easy to look back at the disciples and shake our heads. They must have been really thick-headed not to understand what Jesus was talking about. "How can they still not understand?" we might exclaim. Jesus has said that he is about to make himself a sacrifice. He is about to drink the cup full of persecution and be baptized in blood. How can James and John so glibly say that they too can do what Jesus is about to do? They surely did not understand.

But before we get too down on the disciples…before we get too high and mighty, let take a look at ourselves. Do we get it? I mean, do we really understand what power and honored places mean in God’s kingdom?

Every year thousands of books are published regarding different aspects of understanding what it means to be a follower of Jesus. Thousands! Some begin with the Bible and go from there to apply what is written there to daily life. Some books promise that by living a "biblical life" you can become a more spiritual person – whatever living a "biblical life" means. There are diet books based upon different scripture passages. When I go to the store I can buy Ezekiel or Genesis bread.

But it doesn’t stop with books and bread. There are inspirational cds and seminars all about becoming closer to Christ. But don’t stop there, think about all the sermons written and preached. Why every year there are millions of sermons preached – in small churches, large churches, over the internet and radio! Millions! If understanding Christ’s message was that simple to understand and follow, do you think all that would be necessary? When it comes down to it, do we really understand any better than the disciples what Jesus was talking about when he said that the first will be last and the last will be first? Do we really understand what serving is about?

James and John thought that of course they could drink the cup that Jesus drank and be baptized with the baptism Jesus received. After all, they thought they were the greatest among his disciples. They wanted to be the ones in the box seats in the Kingdom of God. Little did they know that the places on Jesus’ left and right would belong not to two disciples but to two thieves suffering on their own crosses. I wonder, if James and john knew that was the scene, would they have changed their mind about their request?

Jesus calls his disciples to emulate him not by seeking places of honor and power but by serving others. We all probably like to be served. I enjoy going to restaurants where a person comes to my table, takes my order, and refills my drink for me. I enjoy going to a store and having someone ask me if they can help me find something. It is nice to be waited upon. It makes us feel special and valued.

When I was working a summer job at a drug store, part of our training was to try to greet everyone who came into the store. We were told how to make ourselves appear available to answer questions. If the customer wanted something we didn’t have or if we didn’t know the answer tot heir question, we were trained to do our best to find out the information or ask a manager for the answer. Under no circumstances were we to let the person think or feel as though we did not want to serve them. Even the title of my position spoke to this idea of service. I wasn’t just a "cashier" or "clerk." I was a "service associate."

So to James and John’s request about sitting in the places of honor, Jesus responds by telling them about what leadership and power and honor is in God’s kingdom. It isn’t like the examples that the disciples have experienced in the Roman authorities. Power in the kingdom of God is granted for weakness. Places of honor are given to those who serve and leadership is given to the one who offered his life to ransom our own.

This was probably a lot for the disciples to take in. After all, Jesus has essentially said the same thing three times already in the gospel. And now here almost at the gates into Jerusalem, Jesus repeats to his disciples that life in the kingdom of God isn’t about getting ahead at the expense of others but about willing to stay behind and help those who need it.

One year at the Special Olympics, it was time for the 100-yard dash. The runners were lined up in the blocks. They had trained hard for their event and the time had come for them to race for the gold. The starting gun was fired and the athletes launched themselves off the blocks. About half-way down the course, one of the athletes fell. The leader of the race noticed him and stopped running toward the finish line but instead ran back to the fallen competitor. The other runners noticed this and they too turned around and ran back. The former leader helped up the fallen runner, joined hands with him and the other athletes who had come back and as a group they all made it to the finish line together. No world records were set that day. No runner in that race got to hold their win over the others. But all the runners finished by serving each other.

Now perhaps you think that’s a touching story. Perhaps you can picture that race being used in a saccharine Hallmark movie. But maybe you’re also thinking that it was a little bit ridiculous for the leader of the race to turn around. He had a clear shot at the gold, why give that up. He had been training hard for the opportunity to compete, why sacrifice that? Couldn’t he have just finished the race and then gone back to help the runner who had fallen?

But ridiculous is just what power and honor is about in God’s kingdom. Of course we would see this kind act as ridiculous if we are looking through the eyes of a world that celebrate those who win and jeers at those who lose. Of course this looks ridiculous to a world that remembers the gold medals and not those who struggled just to finish. It’s ridiculous! How can we hope to get ahead if we keep going back to help those who just couldn’t cut it?

But ridiculous as it seems, this is what the kingdom of God is like. The kingdom of God is not about sitting at the head table so that everyone can see how wonderful and powerful you are. The kingdom of God is about waiting the tables and being willing to take out the garbage. The Kingdom of God is about honoring the spirit of God that lives within each person from the CEO to the garbage collector, from the waitress to the owner.

But when we are exposed so frequently to the messages of the world that having more is what matters, of course we can easily get sidetracked. We are constantly exposed to messages of buy this, you need that. These rare messages of honor through serving can easily get lost in the cacophony of voices calling for places of honor. Even among the thousands of books and millions of sermons, the siren’s call of wealth and honor as the world measures it can be very tempting. Perhaps we shouldn’t judge the disciples too harshly when they seem thick-headed. Last time I checked, I could be pretty think-headed too.

May God work to close our ears to the messages of power through might and open our eyes and ears to hear and see the many ways that God’s kingdom comes through powerless power. May we model our lives after the one who came not to be served but to serve. May Christ work within our lives pushing us to serve one another.