We have all heard of the term “Best seat in the house.” In our text today, what James and John did not realize was that they were asking to be seated to the right and left side of Christ; but that means that they would truly be seated next to Christ in far more than just glorification. Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with” (verse 38)? What this really means is that they would have to give of themselves the same way that Christ does. Jesus does not tell them this, but it really would mean that they would have to be willing to go the cross the same way that Christ did and to be mocked beaten and ridiculed which hardly looks like a form of glorification. To sit next to Jesus truly, is a difficult road to travel, not an easy one filled with fun and fame.

 The disciples did not realize what they were actually asking. Jesus of course was completely aware of the meaning and of the providence to which he was to enter into and its inevitability as chosen by God. In this way, Jesus was chosen to serve the ultimate service which is the ransom for many, and to be the slave of the whole world. So, one may not want to take lightly seeking simple glory without understanding the sacrifice of Godly glory. All of us are here in this world as servants to others, although usually our sacrifice level is not the same as that of Christ. We, Christians seek to be as Christ-like as possible, but to sit at the right hand of Christ is a formidable undertaking. Good works cannot earn ultimate glory, or the best seat in the house. But, good works are always good to do. The fruits of being Christians are to do some acts of kindness, compassion, love and mercy on behalf of others. But earthly glory is not always part of the equation. Servanthood is following God faithfully without looking for any power or seat of honor here on earth.

In God’s kingdom a lot of things are turned upside down when measured by this world’s standard. What is the nature of real success? What does Christ say success would really mean? Something as simple as being a mother or father is a form of success. The point of all this is that service to others is what we are after in this world. Serving others is a stewardship question. When we welcome a new person to our community of faith through baptism or reception of a new member we say to that person, “We give thanks for all that God has already given you and we welcome you in Christian love. As members together with you in the body of Christ and in this congregation of the United Methodist Church, we renew our covenant faithfully to participate in the ministries of the church by our prayers, our presence, our gifts, and our service, that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ” (The United Methodist Hymnal. Book of the United Methodist Worship. The United Methodist Publishing House, Nashville, Tennessee. Page 38). We are saying that we are going to fully support that person through the ministries of the church. Ministry belongs to all. Young and old, men and women, “one-talent” or “five-talent” persons, we are all ministers called to serve. Ministry is not for the ordained pastors only. It is for you, the laity (like the youth leading worship today), and the clergy to do. We need to find ways to fit our talents to impact the lives of others in positive ways. This is the real glory. It may not earn you a gold medal, or a badge of honor. All of you who work hard every day for the sake of others, in any way, are already in glory.

We are the hands and feet of Christ in the world. We are the body parts of the spiritual body. All of us together with all of our talents and our impacts onto people form a beautiful collage of God’s own tapestry. We are all a piece of the harmony in the symphony of God’s kingdom here on earth. You may not think that your part is very important in this world. But God’s orchestra needs all the individual instruments to play together. It is so especially when we start our Stewardship Campaign next month. There is power if all body parts work and serve God together. If we learn to work and serve together we can accomplish great things for the glory of God. This is the beautiful music of God. The church cannot function without the leading of the Holy Spirit, and all of you who participates in the life and ministries of our church, especially the dedicated volunteers who work in the office during the week, and those who serve on the weekends. The Chicago Temple is truly blessed with amazing and committed leaders and your continued support for our church with your presence, time, service and money. Thank you to all of you!

Jesus is very straightforward in this text: That if one wishes to be a disciple and cannot follow it up one should not even consider it because it will not work. To follow Jesus means that a person making the commitment must be dedicated. Jesus said; “Whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve” (verses 43-45). To be a disciple is not easy. If we want to follow the Lord, our priorities in life must be in accordance to Jesus’ priorities. Our desires in life must be those things that Christ desires. We have to treat people the way Christ would. We have to see things the way Jesus would see them. We have to love and serve people the way Christ would love and serve them, and we have to speak and stand up for what is right. These are hard things to do, but the work is not always all ours 100 percent. God is in fact empowering us in both subtle and direct means. We are not alone in the work. God is with us to accomplish the task of servanthood. The more we do the more help we receive from God, to assist us to do more. Our talents get multiplied, even our talents that seem unimportant.

We are called to serve to where the needs are; like here in our own church, in the community where we live, or in our work place. Since the global financial crisis hit the world in 2007, homelessness, joblessness, poverty and hunger continue to rise. But many people give back to the community with their donation to the food bank and service for others. You can help alleviate the suffering of others by giving your service, make a financial contribution to the Chicago Crop Hunger Walk which is happening this afternoon, or join our team of more than 20 walkers. Every small and large gesture of compassion that we do for others will bring transformation into this needy world. Doing good things for others is not to earn our salvation. Our job is to point people to the light of Christ. Eternal life is a gift. We don’t have to work for it. It is pure grace from God. We have our own place in heaven because Jesus already did it for us by offering his life for our sake. And it was a ransom for all. Through our faithful service others will experience eternal life here on earth. We are all ministers of Jesus Christ blessed with many gifts to proclaim God’s reign and love here on earth. Let us go out into the world to share Christ, and be Jesus to someone this week. Amen.