Reflections
WDJD...WHEN FACING EXPRESSIONS OF AMBITION?
By Harry Heintz
Text: Mark 10:35-45
Given the choice between two front row center seats for “Showboat” at Proctor’s Theatre and two seats with obstructed view in the farthest corner of the last balcony, I’ll take the two front row center seats. Given the choice between two box seats behind home plate at a baseball game and two seats at the farthest reaches of the bleachers, I’ll take the box seats behind home plate. Just to let you know the breadth of my cultural life, Rachel and I had seats for the Metropolitan Opera in New York City for a couple of years. They were choice seats in the highest of the many balconies-actually they were the cheapest seats. We had an unobstructed view of the stage, much like a weather satellite view of earth. For the first opera we brought binoculars. For the second one we brought a telescope. But the acoustics were great.
I like James and John. Can you relate to their ambition? I can. Ambition is the strong desire for rising in a field of endeavor and having influence. Whatever the seating arrangement is like in the kingdom of Jesus, I’d like a shot at the best seats. Who wants to be handed a set of high-powered binoculars and told Jesus is that one in the white robe way down there by the table?
I like James and John. When I have a seat that’s far away from the action and I see an empty seat close to the action, I start scheming to get into that good seat (often to the embarrassment of my friends). I like James and John. These two are real. Some people get to sit in the best seats-why not them, why not us! I’d like to have a courtside seat for a Knicks-Lakers game. I’d like a seat at the head table in the East Room of the White House for a state dinner-right next to the president. Ten years ago I sat next to George Beverly Shea on the platform for the Billy Graham Crusade in Albany-I’ll never forget that. To be seated next to Jesus in his glory, even if just for a moment, that would top anything I can imagine.
What did Jesus do when two of his friends expressed some pretty considerable ambition? First let’s look at what he didn’t do.
- He didn’t put them down for expressing such a desire.
- He didn’t promise them what he couldn’t deliver.
WDJD? What did Jesus do?
- He took their request seriously.
- He re-defined greatness so that their ambition could be rightly directed.
I struggle with ambition. Because I do doesn’t mean that you do, but we’re all touched by ambition and what it does to people. Either you struggle with ambition or you know someone who does. We all deal with it. Jesus certainly did. He knew that he had a personal mission like no one else-to be the Savior of the world-yet he lived in utter simplicity. He left the glory and riches of heaven to come live among us in poverty. He had to feel the struggle of ambition. Those around him certainly struggled with ambition. Did you notice that when the other ten disciples heard about this conversation they got angry with James and John? The assumption is that they were angry that James and John dared ask such a question. I wonder if some of them were upset that they didn’t have the courage to ask the question first. All of us struggle with ambition in our own lives or in the lives of people we know.
It would a terrible world without ambition. Think of all the inventions that enhance our lives, all the cures to diseases that are now available, all the expressions of beauty and art that lift our spirits-because people had ambition. But ambition also causes problems. Ambition to have power and wealth can distort people in ugly ways. Ambition to have fame can cause people to run over other people. Unbridled ambition can cause us never to be content and never to be at peace. The world needs rightly directed ambition. The Apostle Paul said in Romans 15:20, “I make it my ambition to proclaim the good news.” That same Paul wrote to some Christians, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves.” In the Old Testament Joseph had great ambition for God’s glory and God honored it to save his nation. Jacob had great ambition for God’s blessing and used it in devious ways that were not pleasing to God. Ambition can be rightly directed or wrongly directed.
Jesus made a simple comparison that put it all in perspective. He talked about the governmental rulers of that time, who served in a powerful and efficient but corrupt system. “You’ve observed how godless rulers throw their weight around and when people get a little power how quickly it goes to their heads.” (That’s from The Message.) Though we live under a much better governmental system, we know that abuses of governing power still take place. Those in high places-whether in government, business, entertainment, or religion-tend to build their self-serving hierarchies. Jesus rejected hierarchy; in fact he designed and lived lowerarchy. “It’s not going to be that way with you,” he said to his disciples. “Whoever wants to be great among you must become a servant.”
What is lowerarchy? Lowerarchy is the way Jesus leads and rules. Lowerarchy never uses titles to separate people. Lowerarchy never uses perks to impress people. Lowerarchy never assumes the one in a perceived position of power is better than anyone else. Lowerarchy never looks away from the need of another. Lowerarchy never looks down on serving others.
Jesus doesn’t put down the ambition to be great. He simply re-defines greatness. James and John, go for those best seats. If you’re going to be a cellist, go for first chair. If you’re going to be a basketball player, try to outdo Michael Jordan. Whatever you want to be and do, go for greatness. I see no reason to shoot for mediocrity. Of course, not everyone can be the first chair in her section, the best player on the team. But we can and should seek to be the best that we can be in whatever we do. That’s what 1 Corinthians 10:31 is about: “. . . whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.” Can anyone picture Jesus making a table in Joseph’s carpenter shop that was intentionally mediocre?
Greatness in the Kingdom of our Lord is different than anywhere else. This little quiz sharpens the point.
- After Bill Gates, name the next three of the wealthiest people in the world.
- Name any two of the last five college football Heisman Trophy winners.
- Name any three of the last five Miss America winners.
- Name any Academy Award winners for best actor and best actress over the last five years.
How did you do? Now try these:
- Name two teachers who helped you do your best in school.
- Name some friends who stood by you through a difficult time.
- Name someone who has made you feel appreciated.
- Name some people who are serving others in need and whose names are not nationally known.
For which list, the first or the second, did you have the easier time naming people? Greatness in the Kingdom of our Lord is different than anywhere else.
In my struggles with ambition I’ve had to ask the Lord to keep me focused so many times I could not begin to count them. Yet I never ask him to remove ambition from me, but to purify and direct my ambition for his glory and purposes. I expect that until my death I will not be finished with that prayer. If any of this sounds saintly and self-serving, I do not intend it so. I know all too well that my natural sense of ambition, apart from God’s grace, can be offensive to God and to others. I will take the risk of sharing some of my ambitions with you. My desire is to inspire others, not impress them. I want to be the best pastor/preacher/ servant-leader/visionary I can be by God’s grace and with God’s blessing. I want this congregation to grow in servanthood and in excellence in all that it does-to God’s glory alone. I want us to study the Bible, not to win Bible trivia games but so that we will do the word. I want us to reach more of our neighbors, friends, and co-workers with the Good News of Jesus and see them become vital, active Christians. I want us to make bold steps into our future-steps that will be costly financially and in other ways-so that we can continue to be a growing community of people being transformed by the good news of Jesus. I would like us to build a new worship and performing arts center that will be twice the size of our present sanctuary and will allow us to reach out and serve others even better, and that we will generously share with our wider community.
Jesus never said not to seek greatness. He re-defined greatness and said, go for it. The key word in that new definition is serve. “For the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many.” It is in serving that we touch greatness. At our Bible study at the Eddy last Wednesday I asked what two people would you nominate to have those two choice seats that James and John wanted at the sides of Jesus. Two answers came quickly and I wasn’t surprised-Mother Teresa and Billy Graham. Those are great answers. Both used their ambition in God-honoring ways and inspired millions of others. For Teresa and Billy, there are millions of others doing what they have done without their names ever becoming known to us.
This congregation has more than its share of people who are serving quietly in Jesus’ name. One of our members holds a high position in regional hospital. Every work day he goes in early and before he begins his deskwork, he quietly takes trays to patients who have no idea that he is the chief financial officer of the hospital and he feeds them breakfast and brightens their morning. He is just one. I see in the way our elders are eldering and in the way our deacons are deaconing. I see it in the way our staff members give. I see it in you in so many ways. Jesus said that in his kingdom, greatness is in serving. He re-defined greatness so that our ambition can be rightly directed. Go and be great for him.
Harry is pastor of Brunswick Presbyterian Church in Troy, NY.
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