IT’S NOT ABOUT ME!
Text: Mark 10:35-45
Introduction
Some time ago, I came across a website with a spoof worship song called, “It’s All about Me” (click these links for audio, lyrics, or music). The title alone tells you that the song makes fun of the tendency in much of modern church music to focus more on ourselves and how we feel about God and less on proclaiming what Jesus Christ has done to rescue us from sin. It has been said that all good humor has an element of truth in it, and that is definitely the case with “It’s All about Me.” It’s a very funny song!
The tendency to let “faith” be all about ourselves is hardly a new phenomenon. It’s hardly a tendency only seen in worship. The Gospel for today reveals that way of thinking in two of Jesus’ own disciples. Church calendars set aside today, July 25, as a day to remember St. James the Elder, brother of the apostle John and one of Jesus’ three closest disciples. James was also the first of the twelve apostles to be martyred for his faith, as we heard in today’s Second Lesson (Acts 11:27-12:3). The fact that James went so far as to give up his life for his faith in Christ tells us that he must have matured substantially from the time that today’s Gospel took place. The Gospel records a familiar incident revealing the sinful shortcomings of James, who at this particular time thought that following Jesus was a way for personal glory—or to quote the song title, he acted as if “It’s All about Me!” But Jesus’ response teaches us, who need to mature in faith as much as James did, that when it comes to our Christian faith, it’s not about me.
Exposition
At the start of our reading, the brothers James and John seem to be operating with the assumption that following Jesus was about them. Believe it or not, Jesus had just wrapped up a discussion about his upcoming journey to the cross outside Jerusalem. He previewed his upcoming betrayal, abuse, and execution. And so what do James and John have to say in light of this sobering news? “James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. ‘Teacher,’ they said, ‘we want you to do for us whatever we ask.’ ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ he asked. They replied, ‘Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.’” And to top it off, we find out from Matthew 20:20-28 that the brothers actually made this request through their mother!
Such requests sound like James and John thought that discipleship was all about them. That self-focused thinking becomes even more apparent if we look carefully at their requests. First, they ask for a blank check from Jesus: “We want you to do for us whatever we ask.” Their “real” question reveals just how self-centered their thinking was. They had missed the whole point of Jesus’ kingdom. “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.” They were ready to ignore the cross moments after Jesus prepared them for his cross. They wanted a kingdom with outward, personal glory, rather than inward, Christ-centered faith. Read More…
Then there is Elijah in today’s First Lesson (
Imagine how the wife and mother who endured such requests must feel! How much more unappreciative could her family be? She’s not shown the respect that a loving wife and mother should receive; she’s being treated like a short order cook! And if she actually gave in to these requests, there goes the valuable — and even symbolic — family practice of sharing a meal together around the dinner table!
Jesus’ words about his followers denying themselves and carrying their crosses is a familiar statement to many Christians, but I’m so sure we always understand what Jesus means. The cross Jesus refers to is not just the problems we face in life. Believers and unbelievers have problems. Everyone gets sick; everyone has trials and challenges; everyone ultimately has to deal with death. But here is the difference: When Jesus talks about the cross, he is talking about the problems we face 
The roots of Trinity Sunday are much older. We have reports of Trinity Sunday being observed in England in the twelfth century. We also have reports of church leaders in the eleventh and twelfth centuries opposing the idea of Trinity Sunday because Christians acknowledged the Triune God every Sunday. In the early fourteenth century, Trinity Sunday became a universally celebrated day among Christians on the Sunday after Pentecost Day.



