"A Winning Ethic" - Mark 9:30-37 - September 24, 2000

The Olympic games are currently being held in Sydney. And I am sure that many of you have been watching them on television or at least reading the results in the newspaper. As the Olympics continue each day, we are constantly reminded of who is leading in the medal standings. We Americans have a lot of pride and people like to know that we are winning and acquiring more medals than anyone else.

I suppose there is nothing wrong with national pride. But, our obsession with ranking teams and comparing one athlete to another is very great. This past week ESPN was listing the potential MVP (Most Valuable Player) award winner and the teams that are in contention to make the baseball playoffs. That was the big story of the week.

But, its not just the sports world that bombards us with statistics, rankings and arguments about who is the greatest. It is happening in politics too. Each candidate is trying to convince the American public that they are the best person for the job of being president. To do that each is running ads to convince us that their opponent is inferior. And the media folks are constantly calling our attention to polls which show who is leading or who is losing in a variety of categories.

You may be totally uninterested in all of this but it is affecting you more than you think. The sports world, politicians, television programs are all trying to attract your loyalty so you can purchase products from their sponsors. It is really a control mechanism. The more you support an individual candidate, sport, or network the more successful they are.

I believe that this "winning ethic" influences us in the rest of our lives as well. Whether or not we like to admit it there is competition in our work places, our families and yes, even our relationships.

How often have you had a conversation that goes like this; the wife says, "What would you like to do this weekend, honey?" The husband responds, "I don’t know, what would you like to do?" What that really means is that she wants to go shopping and he wants to play golf. Next begins a discussion about what the possibilities are, a list that includes the weather, finances and list of their activities in previous weekends. Eventually someone will "win" and the other will lose.

In our gospel lesson we have a classic example as the disciples argued about who was the greatest. What were they really doing? I believe they were doing the same thing we do, posturing for first place, competing for privilege. The "winning ethic" had influenced them too.

How does Jesus respond? He doesn’t submit a list that ranks them. Nor does he fall into the trap of determining a winner. In fact, he confronts them with an ethic that is in total contrast to deciding who was the best. "If you want to be first, then you must be last."

Imagine the expression on their faces when Jesus said this. They must have felt pretty ridiculous after spending all that energy, arguing about who was the greatest. I’m sure it is similar to the arguments men and women have about how they are going to spend their free time together. Just think about all the stupid things we say and the petty things we do to one another, just to get our way.

To illustrate his point, Jesus holds a child in his arms and says, "Whoever welcomes one such child in my name, welcomes me." Children had no power. They had to depend on the adult world to get what they wanted. They were in last place with no resources to vie for a position at the top.

Jesus tells them to "welcome" them. In other words, we are to embrace powerlessness as an equal. To be first is to be a "servant", caring for others, rather than using others for our own personal gain. For Jesus, this is a "winning ethic." One that will stand the test of time, one that will enable us to inherit eternal life.

The problem we have with Jesus’ acceptance of children is that children in that time were treated quite differently than the children of our time. Then, children were non-persons. They did not hang out in synagogues or have any avenue to express themselves. They were basically invisible, social outcasts at best.

Who are the children of our day who fit this description? Virtually anyone who we consider powerless and unimportant. They may be children who are unruly and out of control. On the other hand, they may be adults who we deem inferior or people who don’t fit our image. They may even be our spouses.

In Dayton, Ohio this past week we heard that a man bludgeoned his ex wife to death, along with her boyfriend. In the process a young, 13 year old girl, was also killed. This was tragic and unfortunately not all that uncommon. It has to do with power and control. There was no way this man was going to let his ex wife have what he couldn’t have. He was simply not going to lose.

This of course is an extreme example. Most of the competition and tension in relationships is far more subtle. But, whenever we apply the "winning ethic" that the disciples sought and seek superiority over another human being we have missed the point.

Jesus advocates a "winning ethic" that makes relationships stronger rather than destroy them. By accepting another as a child we first hold them in high esteem, just as Jesus held the child in his arms. They receive priority with our affection, our devotion and our time. Relationships that have no quality time together, no privacy, or no intimacy are doomed to failure.

People in relationships who see the other as an opponent will suffer from conflict and disappointment. The need to score victories rather than be satisfied with being participants will result in feelings of inferiority or inadequacy which can only lead to bitterness and resentment.

The "winning ethic" of Jesus calls for teamwork, togetherness and inclusiveness. Everyone has a voice, everyone has a seat, everyone has value and worth. It was interesting to me that some of the gold medal winners in the Olympics were only 15 years of age. I happened to see a 15 year old girl from the US get first place in a swimming event. She managed to beat out other women who were much more experienced. And she wasn’t the favorite. It made me feel good to see an underdog win.

To bring about this balance of power and harmony in relationships Jesus uses the role of "servant" to propel us past the boundaries of competition. For a truly, successful relationship will be one where sacrifice and unconditional love are the name of the game.

Some of you are single with no significant other to share your life. And, some have good relationships where everything is shared and you treat each other as equals. How then does welcoming a child apply to you?

To welcome a child meant that Jesus had to cross the stereotypes and boundaries that have been created which keep people out who are different. Let’s be honest, we all have people we don’t like, who would never fit in to our circle. Rather than welcome them we shun them with words, by living as if they don’t exist or making it impossible for them to be included. They are the "losers" or the "black sheep" of society.

Jesus knows this is false. Everyone has worth, everyone is a child of God, therefore to be a person who ascribes to his "winning ethic" we are to accept those who seem different from us, making an intentional attempt to reach out and include them in our lives. To welcome a child calls for us to cross the boundaries we have created, moving away from our islands of anxious self concern and expand the community. To be persons of faith, to accept Christ, means to accept those among us who for whatever reason, have not achieved the level of greatness that we have achieved.

Jesus turns our understanding of winning and losing upside down. "To be first, is to be last." Life is not a destination, a prize, a trophy or contest. Life is a journey. It is not about winning, it is about being a community, being together, where everyone, even the "losers" are included.

Dr. Keith Wagner, St. Paul’s United Church of Christ, Sidney, Ohio