Rochester, MN UCC - "Servant of All" - Mark 9:30-37

There is a thing that people who are good with kids often do: when a child tries to get their attention, they will stop what they are doing, turn to face the child, and stoop down to the child’s level, so that they are face to face. Instead of ignoring the child, or looking down on them from on high, they place themselves on the same level as the child and give them their undivided attention.

This act of accommodation for a small child is similar to the way that God relates to us. The utterly transcendent and ineffable God humbles Godself by taking on human form in Jesus Christ so that his love might infuse all of humanity. God chooses to come to our level, to be where we are, to give us undivided attention, and ultimately salvation.

In the 9th Chapter of Mark’s Gospel, Jesus is instructing his disciples on humility. After they had been arguing over which one of them was the greatest, Jesus tells them, “"Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all." To illustrate his point, Jesus lifts up a small child and holds him in his arms, saying, "Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me." Children are vulnerable and in constant need of help. We too are vulnerable and constantly in need of help from a God who sees us, who chooses to stoop to our level, and to save us. Our great and glorious God has shown greatness through service to the lowly. We, the lowly who experienced God’s gracious help, are called to show our gratitude by doing the same for others.

Pastor Andrew Greenhaw