Jesus has for the third time, told his disciples that he will be arrested, put to death, and then on the third day rise from the dead. Each time he has told this to his disciples, he has added more and more details of what is to come. And in Mark 10:32 we hear that “those who followed him were afraid.” And you cannot blame them. They are discovering that following this life-changing prophet can be dangerous.
And now as they draw closer to Jerusalem, two of the disciples who were a part of Jesus’ inner circle—James and John, the sons of Zebedee, —come to Jesus and ask him to give them whatever they want—no questions asked.
We have all heard requests like this from friends, or loved ones, or our children, “I want you to do me a favor.” “If you love me you will give me…” Jesus turns to them in love and says, “What is it you want me to do for you?”
James and John want Jesus to grant them power. They want to be Jesus’ right and left hand men. They want a special place at the table so that they can be first in line for the glory that is to come. They may also have wanted to be closer to Jesus, hoping that maybe this position will protect them from danger—keep them close and away from harm.
But Jesus says to them, you do not know what you are asking. Being close to me will not keep you safe—it will lead you into the world to stand alongside others. Being close to me will redefine what you call greatness—and that is being a servant, one who cares for all in God’s creation. And this is life-changing, transformative and sacrificial work.
We come to this place for a moment to rest in the goodness of God’s gifts to us. We listen to scripture and find its place in our hearts. We give glory and praise to God. We come together in fellowship. And then we are sent back into the world, strengthened to love and serve God and all of God’s creation.
Today we are offered a special gift. Today we celebrate the goodness that has come from another season of working in God’s garden that we call Gideon’s Garden. We will have the opportunity to give thanks for the good earth, the work of many hands, the bounty of produce that has come from this source, and the opportunity to love and serve God by carrying this good food to our neighbors. We will even get to sample some of the bounty. Please ask the children questions at fellowship hour to tell you more.
We also gather here today to celebrate alongside families in our community we have come to know and love through our work in this part of God’s kingdom. We will give thanks for the marriage of Raquel Rosas and Antonio Francisco; Antonio’s adoption of Diego; and the safe harbor that has been given after many years of work to Juan and Emily Cabrera and their children; and Miguel and Maria Arias and their family in this country. We have watched Diego, Micol, Estephania, Juan and Aleida grow up. Diego serves alongside Kyle Gangel, as our Assistant Youth Leader of Gideon’s Garden and Micol, Estephania, Juan and Aleida, have worked with Harley, Ian, Jayden, Olivia, Gabriel, Aidan, Fox, Ceyanne and Fisher to plant our gardens and care for the tiny seedlings that grow into a great harvest. And it has been in doing this good work that God has sent us into the world to do, that we have come into each other’s lives—become one family in Jesus Christ. Thanks be to God.
Jesus asks his followers, “What is it you want me to do for you?” He doesn’t give them the answer they were expecting. But he opens their hearts to a new form of power, the power that comes from Jesus’ sacrificial love. In this love, they and we are given all that we need to love and serve God and love and serve our neighbor. And in following Jesus we find–in place of power and safety–the grace and hope that allows us to walk alongside others into God’s dream for us.