Procrastination – displacement activity. It’s a wonderful way of avoiding doing what is necessary or important by – doing something else. I suspect most of us have done it, and know a good deal about how it feels. Mark (Mark 9:30-37) tells us that Jesus is trying to teach the disciples about (9.31) his betrayal, death and resurrection. But it is not going in. Instead, they talk about who is most important. Actually, they argue. I suppose it did have some importance – in a difficult situation, who would be the leader? (But the answer is Jesus).
Instead, this is surely what James was talking about. (You may read James 3:13-4:8 as an additional reading. This is 3.16: “Where there is jealousy and selfishness, there is also disorder and every kind of evil.” It is a case of fights and quarrels rather than good lives showing good deeds, humility and wisdom.
Jesus needs to make a point, and takes a child. Remember that in New Testament times children were not idolised, spoiled and pampered. They were unimportant. So Jesus teaches that the concern for status, rank and recognition has to go in those who would be his disciples. Their reaction is not recorded. Did they understand? Did they agree? It would be fascinating to know – and would distract us nicely from asking if we have understood, and agreed.
I wonder what you think is the greatest single problem faced by Christians today? Militant atheism, political marginalisation, too little money, too few clergy or too many buildings? I don’t think it is any of these things. I suggest that the greatest problem for Christians today is exactly what the disciples had difficulty with in that reading. Jesus was trying to teach them something important, but they couldn’t hear that, and found other things to argue about. We find it difficult to learn, we easily get distracted and make too much of personalities.
The Church has plenty of people, leaders, money, resources – it is the problem of using them to meet the needs (as God sees them, now). You may find it easier to hear from James, whose first readers may have been tempted to revolution as a means of being most important. James is clear that conflict driven by jealousy or a desire for “position” is out; good deeds and humility are the wise – and Godly – way. Or look again at Jesus, becoming a rather lonely figure as the gospel moves on. He will not be distracted from the road to Jerusalem and the Cross. Of course there are thousands of other things he could do – sort out the discples for a start. But he is clear what is important, he has heard, and will go humbly to do what is needed.
I’d like to do the same, but first . .