Summary
Significance
Every human heart carries a longing for significance—the desire that our lives matter, that they count, that they leave an impact. The world around us measures such a life by accomplishments, titles, and accolades; when the obituary is read, the anchor leans back and says, "Now, there is a life well-lived." But how does God define a life well-lived? The answer Scripture gives runs directly against the grain of our instincts.
In Mark 9:33-34, Jesus enters a house in Capernaum and asks the Twelve what they had been arguing about on the road. Their silence betrays them. They had been disputing which of them was the greatest. The very entrance fee for such an argument is the assumption that all of them are great; the only question left is the ranking. For the disciples, significance was tied to greatness, and greatness was tied to being first. This was no isolated lapse. In Luke 22:24, at the Passover table where Jesus has just instituted the Lord's Supper and announced His betrayal and impending death, the disciples are at it again—still disputing which of them should be regarded as the greatest. The pull toward self-exaltation is stubborn and persistent.
Jesus answers with a paradox. Sitting down in the posture of a rabbi about to teach, He says, "Whoever wants to be first must be last of all, and servant of all" Mark 9:35. Scripture is full of such paradoxes—when I am weak, then I am strong; to die is gain; those who would save their life will lose it. A paradox is something that appears false but is in fact profoundly true. Here Jesus turns the world's measurement upside down: the way up is down. The way to greatness is the towel and the basin, as in John 13, where God in the flesh stoops to wash the stinking feet of His disciples.
This paradox describes Jesus Himself perfectly. He is the firstborn of all creation, preeminent over everything Colossians 1:15. Yet, "though he was in the form of God," He "emptied himself, taking the form of a slave" Philippians 2:6-7. The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many Matthew 20:28. On the cross, the One who is first becomes last, the Servant of all, bearing our sin—including the sin of every grasping search for significance—so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God 2 Corinthians 5:21. The empty tomb seals that redemption.
Then Jesus takes a child into His arms Mark 9:36-37. In the ancient world, owing to high mortality rates, a young child held no recognized social standing. By embracing this "insignificant" one and saying, "Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me," Jesus redefines the entire economy of importance. Significance is not found in the size of a paycheck, the corner office, the rung climbed on the social ladder. Significance is found in how far we are willing to stoop to serve—especially to serve those the world overlooks.
This is the heart of the matter explored in "Significance" 3-13-22: significance is not something attained but something given. In Holy Baptism, God claims us as His own and bestows on us the dignity of being His servants. He then empowers the very service He has called us to. A redeemed child of God, living as a servant of others—even if no one outside a small circle ever knows your name—that is a life that matters. That is a life of impact. That is a life well-lived.
Video citations
- "Significance" 3-13-22 — Would you open your Bibles, please, with me this morning to this portion of God's Word from Mark 9th chapter? You'll find that if you're using a few edition of Holy Scripture on page 39, Mark 9th…