Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost, October 20, 2024: Job 38:1-7, (34-41); Psalm 104:1-9, 25, 37b; Hebrews 5:1-10; Mark 10:35-45
We could call this week “clueless human” week, where we are repeatedly reminded of the gap between God and humans. But we are also reminded that even when we are clueless, God does not abandon us.
We start with Job: last week we heard him complain, and ask the Lord for an explanation of his fate. This week the Lord answers. “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?” he starts.
“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell me, if you have understanding.
Who determined its measurements—surely you know!
Or who stretched the line upon it?”
That “surely you know” is a bit snarky: the Lord is not happy with Job’s questioning of his fate. But what is important is that the Lord does answer: he dignifies Job’s complaint with a response, even if it’s not the one Job wanted. Job has demanded answers, but those are “words without knowledge”. And he is reminded that while he may have been virtuous, he is not the creator.
James and John are also clueless, though Jesus is kinder to them than you might expect. The start of their exchange–“will you do whatever we ask?”–is not propitious. Jesus is smart enough not to say yes, but instead asks what they want. And they want to be guaranteed places on his right and his left when he comes to his glory. We should not be surprised that Jesus answers with another question: are you able to drink the same cup I drink, and share in my baptism? Sure, they say: and then Jesus allows them to share his life, which we know is not a cushy one. But Jesus notes that he can’t decide where people sit in heaven; that’s not in his job description.
James and John seem clueless, but they have just heard Jesus tell his followers that he would soon be killed. They have been listening to Jesus’s hard teachings about divorce, about money, and about family, and Mark tells us that his followers were both amazed and afraid. James and John want some certainty. And so do the rest of the disciples: they are upset not because they think James and John asked something inappropriate, but they all want the promise that James and John have asked for. Why should James and John win that place?
So Jesus has to stop and again try to tell the disciples: God’s kingdom is not like the earthly kingdom. In God’s kingdom, the great are those who serve everyone, not those who are served. This is not the first time Jesus has explained this to them, but it’s a hard lesson for them, and for all of us humans.
I really appreciate the way Mark lets us see the failures of the disciples, because however clueless they are, Jesus stays with them and helps them. James and John’s desire for certainty about the future, their quest for security when afraid, is deeply human. We’ve all done it at one time or another, held on to something that we are sure will make us safe, whether a job, or a friendship, or a belief. Jesus does not offer the safety we seek in the world. He does not offer the best seats in the house, but reminds us that it is in service to others, not in ruling over them, that we enter the kingdom.
If we have all, at one time or another, wondered why we were called on to suffer, or sought false security, we have mostly also managed the other side. The psalmist proclaims, “O Lord my God, how excellent is your greatness!” Whether it is the wonder of great music, or seeing the northern lights, or the joy of connection, we have all at times been with the psalmist.
When we are afraid and seeking security, it is reassuring to remember that God does not give up on us. The Lord answers Job, and Jesus does not reject James and John and the others. Because of that, there will also be times when we too can proclaim, with certainty or maybe just faith,
O Lord, how manifold are your works! in wisdom you have made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures. Hallelujah!