"Whoever wants to be first..." (Mark 9:35)

Who doesn't want to be...?!  
    First in a race!
    First in line for (groceries, gas, on the highway,,,)
    First in your class!

I'm pretty sure that we've all wanted to be first, at least some of the time.
Yet Jesus tells us here in this Sunday's Gospel Reading, "Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all."
 
I love the story of a childrens' race around the track.  And one of the children was much slower than all the rest.  But as the rest of the children approached the finish line, they stopped, went back to where the slower child was, and arm-in-arm, they ALL went across the finish line TOGETHER!!
 
I wonder if that attitude and action is possible with the rest of humanity?  To NOT try to beat everyone else, but rather to walk together and "win together"?!
 
I know, many of us love a little competition.  As we follow our favorite teams, and want our favorite musicians and other skilled performers to do the best, to be #1!
 
But maybe it's possible that we've gone overboard in this contest to be the best, #1, to be most successful, to make the most money.  Now I'm not suggesting that we should not work hard to succeed.  Or that we should be lazy.  Or that competition isn't good sometimes.    But I certainly do think that we as a society have some priorities mixed up:  When we pay professional athletes and musicians more than we pay childcare and nursing home workers.  When we spent $4 trillion on the 2020 presidential campaign.  When we pay the elite minority millions, and allow children to die of starvation and lack of healthcare.  
 
The Scriptures for this Sunday lead us to focus not so much on our wants and desires, but rather on how to help others in their times of need.  And Jesus defines "greatness" not with prestige, power, and money.  But with servanthood!  "Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all."  (Mark 8:35)
 
I know:  this won't be easy.  And I'm just talking about convincing me to not try to get all I can, rather than helping others to receive the help they need.  And then we need to try to convince others to also be a servant to others, rather than to themselves.  
 
We need help!  And this Sunday's Psalm gives us the answer to this problem:  Prayer!  We need to go to the Lord in prayers and intercessions.  
 
"Hear my prayer, O God; give ear to the words of my mouth" (Psalm 54:2)
 
And may we pray for God to give us a servant's heart.  Pray for peace, gentleness, mercy, and impartiality toward others.  Pray for those in need.  And may our Savior and Lord answer our prayers through our words and actions, as the Body of Christ!

Blessings,
​Pastor Steve