Text: Mark 9:30-37
Theme:  3 – G.O.A.T – Humbled beyond measure
                  Series: “Beyond measure”

PART 1, “Astonished beyond measure”

Part 2, “Engaged beyond Measure”

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Intr – Do you know what the does the abbreviation (or initialism) G.O.A.T. mean? “Greatest of All Time”. It is well-known among sports fans. They like to discuss who is the Greatest Of All Time in soccer, football, hockey, etc…

The question today connected to this theme is: what are the criteria one can employ to decide that? Would it be the number of trophies? Or career stats? Or world fame? Or…?

Jesus disciples engaged in a similar discussion, as the Gospel for today reports. They were discussing about the G.O.A.D. – Greatest of all the Disciples.  That discussion presented a good occasion for Jesus to teach them something essential in the Kingdom of God

This is also a good occasion for us to wrap up our “beyond measure” Series. As we rediscovered amazement and astonishment in God’s regular ways of acting in our life; as we reflected on how this engages us beyond measure with a world that needs the Word; today we are reminded that this service is done in a different way of the World. As we serve Jesus, we are humbled beyond measure.

1 –  G.O.A.D

The disciples were discussing who was the G.O.A.D, the “Greatest of all disciples”. Now, one may wonder: which could have been the criteria they were taking into consideration for that purpose? Closeness to Jesus? Have being chosen to special occasions? The first ones to be called? Well, what I am 99,9% sure about it they were all human criteria.

Just like we are tempted to do in our life. We would maybe talk about number of Services attended, number of committees in which we serve, amount of our monthly offerings… The smartest, the tallest, the richest,…that’s how we give credit and honor humanly speaking. Sometimes it is ok (honor to whom honor is deserved). But many times this is the entry door to heavier personality drugs: pride, insensitivity, arrogance and despair.

2 – GOD

Jesus asks them about the topic they were discussing. The disciples were ashamed and then silence is heard in the room.  Finally, one of them gives an answer. This reply prompts Jesus to sit down and teach. He brings a core, fundamental teaching for the life inside the Kingdom of God.  Here is where our heart of faith is humbled beyond measure: If you want to be the first, be the last. Go and serve your neighbour. The first are the last.

Do you remember another place where you saw the same rule? I don’t think so, for that place doesn’t exist. Have you ever heard people chanting “We’re number 2!”? Let alone “We are the last!” But that is the chant of the people of God: “We are the Last!” In the humbleness beyond measure of God’s Kingdom, the G.O.A.D.s are the last.

At the same time that Jesus talks about the first being the last, the surprise here lies in the fact that Jesus does not condemn their ambition of pursuing to be the first. He actually encourages it. The difference is that the means are completely different from our human criteria. For example, having a humble and servant heart doesn’t mean:

_playing the victim
_Self-deprecation
_False humility.

A humble heart is not defined by the criteria we have, but by the standards of God’s Word. The criteria to be the G.O.A.D don’t come from the world, but from GOD: Serve, Sacrifice, Service, self-denial sometimes. First are last.

What is being fought against here? Pride. A man is quite incapable of learning humility in a position of superiority, if he did not refrain from acting proudly when he was in a position of subjection. It is very easy to get used to applause and compliments, therefore, Jesus’ warning is especially needed.

Also, we must notice that Jesus is not making this and individualistic contest. “Go and serve so one of you can be singled out as the G.O.A.D.” The very definition of serving in Christ implies other people around us. The First of us is the one who serves the congregation, the community, the world. People created by God and for which Jesus shed his blood. Individual action and community interaction here are not opposing, but complementing each other

We need to remember that Jesus is not talking about abstractions, but from experience. This is the way Jesus became the G.O.A.T., and forever will be – being the Humble Servant through Service and Suffering. Through LOVE.  He is the G.O.A.T and the LAMB.

3 – GOAL

As we have our faith into action and we are aiming to be the G.O.A.D, we follow Jesus’ criteria: to service. Jesus encourages you, “yes, be the first! Go into the world and strive to be the first by serving our neighbour and pointing to Him.”

Out of the many ways in which this can be done is what Jesus exemplifies: TO receive a child in His name. Yes, an actual child. This is not only an illustration about the “Children in faith”, people who are newcomers to the Church. Jesus took an actual Child in his lap. It was not a picture, or a video. It was a Child.

To understand better how it connects to being humbled beyond measure, historical context helps. Children in Jesus’ time were generally seen as having little social status or power. They were valued as part of the family, especially in the context of continuing the family line and as blessings from God, but they were not considered significant contributors to society until they reached adulthood.[1] A parallel here could be what someone gave as advice once: “Pay attention to how people treat the waiter and the janitor”. See how people treat those who cannot “give anything back” to them. We tend to treat well people who we think are “above” us and from whom we can profit something, and not people who are “below” us. As Christians we are committed to serve all people, including and especially children well, to provide for their needs. Inside the womb, outside the womb. Inside the family, outside the family. This is to be really and daily humbled beyond measure.

This applies to the office of the Ministry as well, one of the best spots for the devil to tempt men to think more about themselves than they should. The pastor must not think too highly of himself and must always remain aware of his own sins and weaknesses. Only by acknowledging his need for God’s grace can the pastor effectively lead others. Pride is too often today the glaring sin of those in ministry leadership. That’s why God makes great leaders and pastors imperfect so that they will see their sin, stay humble, and seek after God.  A pastor is not fit for leadership until he’s learned humility at some level. Part of preparing for ministry involves killing our craving for the praise of people (John 5:44).[2]

This is not easy. Humbleness hurt our self and our aspirations. We can’t deny it, for we like first prizes, first places and first calls. We don’t want to be #5 #10 or #last. This is why your Pastor is here, week in and week out, leading you back to the Word. We need God’s amazing, astonishing beyond measure Word and Sacraments to keep us connected to Him. We need God’s Holy Spirit engaging us beyond measure with the World guided by the Word. Then, we can walk in Service of Jesus, the G.O.A.T, who points us to GOD and to the GOAL of the his Kingdom. To Serve Gd and our neighbour, so that many can come to be G.O.A.D., excelling in service and love beyond measure.

Cc –   G.O.A.T – The Greatest of all time. Jesus.

GOD – He astonishes you beyond measure. HE engages you beyond measure with your world.

G.O.A.D – He encourages you to be the first, but

GOAL – he provides you with the GOAL: Serve God and people in His name.

Beyond measure.

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[1] Reasons Why Jesus’ Teachings About Children would have shocked people of His time:

1. Low Social Status of Children: Children were considered the “least” in society. They were dependent, vulnerable, and had no legal or social standing. Jesus’ culture often emphasized honor, hierarchy, and the roles of adults, particularly men, as the primary actors in both family and public life. When Jesus said, “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me” (Mark 9:37), He was turning the social order upside down by elevating the status of those who were considered insignificant.
2. Dependence and Humility: In ancient Jewish society, the expectation was that greatness came with power, wisdom, and influence—attributes that adults, not children, were supposed to embody. Children represented the opposite of this: dependence, humility, and a lack of power. Jesus pointed to children as examples of what it meant to be great in the Kingdom of God because they embody qualities like trust, humility, and openness—traits that adults often struggle to embrace.
3. Contradicting Cultural Expectations: By using children as an example, Jesus challenged the disciples’ preconceived notions about leadership, power, and status. The disciples had been arguing about who among them was the greatest, likely imagining some form of prominence or recognition. In contrast, Jesus presented a child as the model for kingdom greatness, thereby challenging their—and the broader society’s—concepts of honor and hierarchy. This was a radical shift that valued the least over the greatest, the servant over the served.
4. Inclusivity of the Kingdom: In a culture where religious leaders often set boundaries around who was considered worthy or unworthy, Jesus’ embrace of children symbolized the inclusivity of God’s Kingdom. By saying, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these” (Matthew 19:14), Jesus was asserting that everyone, regardless of their social status or age, has a place in God’s Kingdom. This was a significant departure from societal norms, which often excluded those who were seen as weak or insignificant.
5. Children as Models of Faith: Jesus used children to illustrate the kind of faith required to enter the Kingdom of God. In Mark 10:15, He says, “Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” This teaching would have been shocking because it implied that the disciples and others who considered themselves righteous needed to adopt the attitude of children—trusting, humble, and open-hearted. In a society that placed high value on knowledge, tradition, and ritual purity, being told to emulate children would have been countercultural.

[2] St Gregory, Pastoral Letter. In the final section, Gregory returns to the theme of humility, emphasizing that pastors must continually examine themselves and be aware of their own limitations. He warns that even good deeds can lead to pride, so pastors should remain vigilant against the subtleties of self-righteousness. Gregory also points out that pastoral work is demanding and often thankless, and that pastors must remain committed even in the face of adversity, knowing that their reward is in heaven.