Do you consider yourself a competitive person? Or maybe I should ask, in what area are you most competitive? We’re all competitive, aren’t we? Maybe you’re competitive in getting the best grades in your class or the biggest paycheck at work. Maybe you compete to make the best pancakes in your family or tell the funniest joke. We humans are naturally competitive. After all, that’s what helps us survive in this very competitive world.
In our culture, we often base our identity and self-worth on whether or not we are the best. Many of us judge our value as human beings on how close we are to being number one. Of course, Jesus understands our need to compete. He even encourages us to be the best. “You must be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect,” we hear him teach us. Now, it’s important to realize that Jesus’ notion of perfection is different from this world’s notion of perfection. We’re all familiar with that famous line in the Wizard of Oz: “We’re not in Kansas anymore.” Following Jesus means we’re not just concerned about the things of this world anymore. Remember Jesus’ words in John’s gospel when he said that he has come to give us a more abundant life. He has come so that we might have life and have it to the full and that doesn’t come about in this life – in Kansas – but in the next – in heaven.
And that brings us to today’s gospel passage. Have you ever noticed how the gospels so often relate how Jesus, who has the infinite knowledge of God, asks questions. He doesn’t ask because he doesn’t know. Jesus asks questions to challenge his audience to be honest with themselves. Sometimes when you say something out loud, you realize how crazy or wrong it is. So Jesus asked his disciples, “What were you arguing about on the way?” Notice that they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest.” This was just after he had told them – for a second time – that he was going to be killed. So, he takes a child and places it in their midst. Here, it’s important to remember that, in Jesus’ day, a child had no status in society. They were not to be seen or heard until their bar mitzvah. By doing this, Jesus is making it clear to his disciples that they weren’t in Kansas anymore. The traditional rules about status and honor and greatness that mattered in their culture didn’t matter in the kingdom of God.
When we’re talking about getting to heaven, it doesn’t matter how our culture defines “greatness.” We need to redefine greatness according to Jesus. According to Jesus, the first rule for greatness is to go where The Greatest would go. Jesus is the Almighty God, the Great I AM, the Alpha and the Omega in the flesh.
And he gave all that up to be born into a poor family in a little backwater town, Bethlehem. He gave all that up to become a carpenter. He gave all that up to spend his time working with fishermen, and eating and drinking with sinners, and healing the sick and disabled. He gave all that up to suffer an unimaginably painful and humiliating death to save us from the penalty of our sins and restore us to God. Where would Jesus go for us? The real question is “Where wouldn’t he go for us?” He went from the glory of heaven to the agony of the cross to show us how much God loves us. If you really want to be the greatest, Jesus says, then go where The Greatest has gone. Give yourself up in love as I have done. Of course, this requires a new wisdom, a wisdom that, as we hear in today’s second reading, comes from above. It is a wisdom that is pure, peaceful, full of mercy and good fruits.
And the second rule of greatness is that greatness isn’t about us. It’s about God working through us. Read through the Bible from beginning to the end and look very carefully at who God used to do His work. God didn’t choose the strongest, the most powerful, the bravest, the smartest people to change the world. In fact, almost everyone God chose to use for His work would have been voted “least likely to succeed.” So how did they end up being the great leaders of the faith? They let God use them for His good works. So what would happen if you and I did the same thing?
As we come before God, it’s important for us to ask a question: “Why did God create us?” Was it to collect paychecks and promotions and first place in the pecking order? Or was it to bring God’s love and life into our world? Greatness, as defined by The Greatest One of All – Jesus Christ – consists of these two rules: Go where Jesus would go – to the least, the last, the lost and the lonely. And let God use you to serve those in need. Your life will have an eternal, immeasurable impact if you compete to be “the greatest” in the kingdom of God.
God though he was, Jesus was willing to be the “servant of all,” as we hear in today’s Gospel. Let us reflect on the great love that God has shown us through the example of his son and bring about God’s kingdom in our midst by caring for everyone we meet, especially those with the greatest needs. And, let us allow God to work through us so that we, humble servants of all, may join with the Greatest One of All in praising our God forever in heaven.