Using Power for Good

Using Power for Good

Luke 9.46-62
An argument arose among the disciples about which of them was the greatest. Aware of their deepest thoughts, Jesus took a little child and had the child stand beside him. Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever welcomes this child in my name welcomes me. Whoever welcomes me, welcomes the one who sent me. Whoever is least among you all is the greatest.”
John replied, “Master, we saw someone throwing demons out in your name, and we tried to stop him because he isn’t in our group of followers.”
But Jesus replied, “Don’t stop him, because whoever isn’t against you is for you.”
As the time approached when Jesus was to be taken up into heaven, he determined to go to Jerusalem. He sent messengers on ahead of him. Along the way, they entered a Samaritan village to prepare for his arrival, but the Samaritan villagers refused to welcome him because he was determined to go to Jerusalem. When the disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to consume them?” But Jesus turned and spoke sternly to them, and they went on to another village.
Just before this, the disciples have been given a measure of power and authority, and the assurance that they can do the things Jesus does. They’ve also seen how great that feels. But almost immediately, that power and authority starts to cause problems.

• They argue over which one is the absolute greatest
• They start putting up fences for who gets to have that sort of power
• They start offering to use their power to destroy people who are mean to them

So--they act a lot like Jesus' followers today might act.

Then Jesus introduces a child to their circle and tells them--unless you become as powerless as this child, you won't understand the ways of my world.
Will you welcome into your life and value giving up authority, power, celebrity, legacy, security, standing, all of it?
Because--Whoever is least among you all is the greatest
Jesus' work is all about—welcome, teach, heal
And the disciples try to use their power to exclude, stop, destroy
What do we need to learn from this?

• Whoever is least among you all is the greatest—means there is no greatest
• God decides who’s in and out
• We all have power somewhere. Do we bring welcome, teaching, and healing to those places were we have it?