Sermon for the 15th Sunday after Trinity
Sunday 20th September 2009
Jeremiah 11.18-20
James 3. 13 – 4. 3, 7-8a
Mark 9. 30-37
This past week in school, the Year 3 children have been
reading a story by Dick King-Smith called „The Hodgeheg‟.
As you might guess, it‟s a story about a hedgehog – a
young hedgehog named Max, who sets out to discover
why it is that humans can cross the road safely, when
hedgehogs so often can‟t!
Now, beginning a new story prompts much classroom
discussion.
“What do you know about hedgehogs?” asked the
teacher.
The hands shoot up.
“Miss! I had a hedgehog in my garden and it was sick and
we had to look after it”, said Aidan.
“Miss! We‟ve got five hedgehogs behind the shed in our
garden and they come out at night,” claimed Ellie.
Not to be outdone, little Jacob was the next to speak.
“Well, we‟ve got twelve hedgehogs in our garden!”
It seems that the claim to be the greatest is deeply
ingrained in our culture – and even in the youngest of
children!
It‟s often the case in our gospel stories that Jesus‟
disciples behaved like troublesome children. Look! Here
they are in today‟s story, arguing amongst themselves on
the road to Capernaum, about who is the greatest. And
what‟s worse, their petty squabble is taking place at the
very moment when Jesus is trying to explain to them, in
all seriousness, that he is about to be betrayed, and be
killed, and rise again.
As we heard last Sunday morning, the disciples were
completely unable to grasp what Jesus was saying. In this
morning‟s reading, Mark – the writer - actually explains to
us: “They did not understand what he was saying and
were afraid to ask him.”
In a way this isn‟t too surprising. The disciples, who
genuinely believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Saviour of
Israel, would naturally resist the idea that he was soon to
die. Do you remember Bishop Tom Wright‟s football
analogy, which Martin quoted last week?
“You might as well have had a football captain tell the
team that he was intending to let the opposition score ten
goals right away.”
Now, here‟s another one from the same source:
“You might as well expect a footballer, planning the
biggest game of the season, to explain to his friends that
he was going to play with his legs tied together!!”
The disciples were understandably stunned and
incredulous.
Our sympathy with the disciples might well extend, too, to
their argument about who is the greatest. It seems that
the obsession with status and prestige, which is so deeply
ingrained in our own culture today, was just as strong in
the culture of Jesus‟ time. And it‟s an obsession which, as
much then as today, is totally inappropriate for followers
of Jesus.
As he so often does, Jesus turns the popular thinking, the
received view of this world, on its head. In God‟s new
kingdom, status and prestige are irrelevant. The more
important attributes are humility and a readiness to serve
others.
Jesus chooses to use a child to illustrate his point.
It‟s worth taking a closer look at the occasions in the
gospels when Jesus uses children to make a point about
the kingdom of God. On this occasion, we‟re told that
Jesus „took a little child and put it among them; and taking
it in his arms, he said to them „Whoever welcomes one
such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever
welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent
me‟.”
A little later in Mark‟s Gospel there‟s another story:
“People were bringing little children to Jesus in order that
he might touch them; and the disciples spoke sternly to
them. But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said
to them, „Let the little children come to me; do not stop
them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God
belongs. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the
kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it‟.”
It‟s true that in the ancient world, although much loved
within their own families, children had little social value
and no legal status at all. So, at the simplest level, Jesus is
demonstrating that there is no place for worldly greatness
or material ambition in the kingdom of God. Instead,
there‟s a welcome for the lowly and the humble.
Children, who by nature are small and unassuming, have a
special value in the eyes of God.
But I think there‟s more to it than that.
Young children are by nature open and malleable. They
are eager to learn and to explore the world around them.
As followers of Jesus are we ready to be open-minded, to
listen when God speaks to us, and to adopt new ways of
understanding? To seek „the wisdom from above‟?
Young children are by nature trusting and loving in their
relationships with others. As followers of Jesus are we
ready to be trusting and loving in our relationship with
God and in our relationships with other people. To
relinquish „bitter envy and selfish ambition‟ and replace
them with peace, gentleness and mercy?
Young children are by nature weak and vulnerable. As
followers of Jesus are we ready to acknowledge that we
are weak and vulnerable too? Are we ready to submit
ourselves to God‟s protection, love and tenderness?
“Draw near to God” writes James in today‟s New
Testament reading, “and he will draw near to you.”
Writing in the first century AD, not many years after the
death of Jesus, James understands all too well that the
selfish cravings and desires of the human heart create
conflict and disorder in the community. Today, in the 21 st
century AD, not much has changed! Except, perhaps, that
modern technological advances, ease of communication,
and the growing influence of the media, encourage us all
the more to participate in a culture of celebrity, success,
fame and fortune. Our society is fiercely competitive,
greedy and acquisitive.
I came across a short poem recently in which the
unknown writer expresses his love for God in these words:
“Give me to be thy child and learn for ever at thy knee.
Give me to grow weak and grey-headed, since thou willst
it so.
Bid me lay aside
All the pleasures of my youth and pride,
Gladness as well,
Sweet ardours and bright hopes – I‟ll not rebel.
Only, I pray, keep me beside thee all the night and day,
Only, for all thou takest, give thyself, and past recall!
And when youth‟s gone,
As men count going, twixt us two alone
Still let me be
Thy little child, left learning at thy knee.”

But those who want to follow Jesus, those who seek a

place in the kingdom of God, must be prepared to leave
the rat-race behind. If we become like children –
unassuming, open-minded, trusting and submissive – not
jostling for position but making way for others - then we,
too can have a special value in the eyes of God.