March 30, 2025 ~ Fourth Sunday in Lent
Rev. Beckie Sweet ~ Drink from the Fountain of Grace
IDENTITY. Our identities are sometimes complicated to define. As Jami mentioned a couple of months ago, when folks at any of our U.M. Conferences go to the microphone to speak, we are first supposed to identify ourselves. According to the prescribed procedures, I would say, “I am Rebekah Sweet, clergy, female, white, and no longer a young adult. I serve in Ithaca, NY at St. Paul’s UMC.” I have often wondered why, at these Conferences, we do not begin with, “ I am Rebekah Sweet, a disciple of Jesus Christ.” Or “I am Rebekah Sweet, a beloved and redeemed child of God.” I am sure that the ways in which we introduce ourselves depends on the setting and the people to whom we are speaking. How do others identify us?
When I served as pastor of the Central UMC in Honesdale, PA, I soon became acquainted with Betty Faliski, and I may have shared some of her story with you before. Betty was raising a daughter who was on the autism spectrum, she had a spouse who often traveled for work, and she was caring for her parents, one of whom had advanced dementia. AND, Betty had a heart for mission. When I mentioned that we had an extra room in the education building that could house a small food pantry, Betty made it happen. She even found someone who would donate a freezer so that we could keep meat and bread on hand. She was involved with VBS, collecting items needed by those struck by natural disasters, and organized a Welsh Cookie sale to support unanticipated needs.
But what surprised me the most was Betty’s response when, back in the early 2000’s, Betty heard about the number of high school students who would not go to their prom because they lacked proper attire. She immediately sent out an SOS, sought donations of gowns, shoes, accessories, seamstresses, and hairstylists for the girls, tuxes, shirts, shoes, and barbers for the boys. A couple of weeks prior to “prom season” we opened up the Wesley Room for highschoolers to come to select and try on attire. The seamstresses were on hand to do easy alterations on-site, and to care for measuring and pinning for more time consuming adjustments. When we didn’t have shoes to match a gown, Betty went begging at the local shoe stores. When we needed a tuxedo in a size we didn’t have, she put out a plea. Then, the morning of each school’s prom, students could pick up their attire, have their hair done, and even get a ride to the prom and home again. I remember weeks later introducing myself to someone in the community as the pastor at Central UM Church. Her response was, “Oh, that’s Mission Lady Betty’s church.” Exactly!! That was her identity ~ Mission Lady Betty!
In many cultures, even our own, great emphasis is placed on being the first, the greatest, or the best – whether that’s in terms of wealth, reputation, status, talent, etc… We hear about these folks on the news all the time. Yet Jesus emphasizes the importance of serving others, and humility, and Jesus essentially proclaims a reversal of this cultural message. For some, it can be difficult to listen and stay focused on Jesus’ message when the voices of the world and our culture so loudly tell us the opposite.
In our scripture text for today, we see the mother of the sons of Zebedee (James and John) make a plea on behalf of her children that reveals her concern for their wellbeing and eternal destiny. She wants to make sure they are successful and powerful in the way their culture (and ours) defines success and power. So, she asks Jesus to declare that they will sit at the right and left hand in Jesus’ eternal realm. In her mind, that would place her sons next in power and glory after Jesus.
Jesus responds with a statement and a question that show the kind of glory Jesus, and therefore his followers, will have, is not the same as the kind of glory the world values. But Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?” The CUP of which Jesus speaks will involve tremendous suffering as well as glory.
Is that what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ? The word disciple means both to be a student of someone and to be an adherent or follower of someone. It involves both learning AND relationship. To be a disciple of Jesus, therefore, means to share in the love and salvation of God AND in Jesus’ suffering and humility (what we call servant leadership). It means to learn from Jesus and to take on his entire way of being. Jesus’ response to the mother’s request is warning James and John that they may not realize what they are asking for – signing up to be a disciple means opening oneself to the same kind of persecution and suffering that Jesus himself will experience.
Even though Jesus says James and John WILL drink his cup, he does not promise they will be at his right and left hand, but defers that decision to God, the Creator. The rest of the disciples are angry with James and John, likely for trying to put themselves above the others. Jesus is offering teaching that challenges the world’s understanding of leadership, power and greatness. If the disciples want to follow Jesus, they must lead by serving others, just as Jesus does.
One way to look at this is that being first, best, greatest, or sitting at Jesus’ right hand, is NOT the goal of discipleship at all. Rather, just as the Trinity (Creator, Christ, and Holy Spirit) is interdependent and mutual, we too are created as relational beings. Out of our interdependence, we are called to care for one another and serve one another, not as if we are better than others, but in awareness that we need each other and belong to each other. That’s the love of the Spirit connecting us, empowering us to serve each other.
As we continue our Lenten journey with Jesus this year, by what will we be identified? Have we each found a way to tell or show others that we have chosen to follow Jesus and learn from him. Is it clear that being a disciple of Jesus is what motivates who we are and what we do? How often do we set aside our own comfort for the sake of others? What is in our proverbial cup that we are willing to share with others?
When we believe in Christ, when we follow Christ, when we worship Christ, we are invited to share in Christ’s cup and to be sent out into the world as Christ’s body. Being a part of the community or family of faith in Christ changes us. And by our participation, we change each other. What distinguishes or identifies this community of faith as one following Christ? Are we known as a servant church? Or are we, like the mother of James and John in this passage, desiring security and greatness? In what ways are we more like Jesus, serving others even if and when it involves hardship? What is Jesus really trying to teach us? Jesus knows how to live abundantly in God’s realm. Jesus knows what it looks like for a human to live in constant, loving communication and openness with God and others. Jesus lives his human life entirely rooted in the love of God.
What is discipleship to Jesus, then? It is to commit oneself to being WITH Jesus to learn FROM Jesus how to be LIKE Jesus in every aspect of one’s life. Discipleship to Jesus is learning to be at home in God’s love and to allow that love to radiate from our lives to everyone we encounter. Thus being a disciple of Jesus is not a matter of special religious activities, but an orientation and quality of one’s entire existence.