They came to Capernaum.
When he was in the house, he asked them,
“What were you arguing about on the road?”
But they kept quiet because on the way
they had argued about who was the greatest.
Mark 9:33-34
We may have come a long way in the fields of medicine, technology, construction, transportation, and education, in the last 20 centuries, but one thing hasn’t changed much in 2000 years: human nature. We are still jockeying for position, wanting to be deemed the favorite, and desiring to be a little bit ahead( or a lot ahead) of the next guy. It’s not just high school girls today that play the popularity game.
Apparently there’s been no small amount of conversation and even arguing as the disciples walked along the road to Capernaum. This trip comes quickly on the heels of the Transfiguration where Peter, James, and John were invited to travel with Jesus to the top of the mountain while the other disciples remained behind. So that almost sets up a scenario for the others to feel a bit jealous or left out.
Can’t you just hear the questions: What happened up there on the mountain? What did Jesus say? What did you see? What did you do there?
And can’t you just see Peter welling up like a big toad and responding, “Well I’d like to tell you – – but Jesus made us promise to keep it all a secret.”
Everyone wants to be his favorite – to be the greatest.
Jesus, of course, knows what they were arguing about. They may have made an attempt to keep it from him, but this is Jesus! Of course he knows! And so he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?”
And of course they don’t want to answer. They are embarrassed, ashamed. His question makes them feel awkward.
Think back to an argument, disagreement, or difference of opinion you may have had this very week. Perhaps it was with your husband, your mother, or even a friend. Would you have felt embarrassed or ashamed to know that Jesus was listening in on your conversation?
How would it change even the way we fight if we were constantly aware of the presence of Jesus?
Some of you may be familiar with Brother Lawrence, who lived 1614 – 1691. After being converted at the age of 18, Brother Lawrence joined a monastery where he was assigned lowly tasks of cooking and cleaning. He began to develop a means of worshiping God by tying together his daily working tasks with service to God.
Work became worship.
The wisdom of brother Lawrence lives on today in his writing. His book —Practice of the Presence of God— is a timeless treasure for Christians down through the ages.
He says: “Men invent means and methods of coming at God’s love, they learn rules and set up devices to remind them of that love, and it seems like a world of trouble to bring oneself into the consciousness of God’s presence. Yet it might be so simple. Is it not quicker and easier just to do our common business wholly for the love of him?”
In what common business – – or common conversation – – do we need to practice the presence of God? As we remind ourselves of the presence of Jesus, common tasks become holy. Scrambling eggs…doing laundry…feeding a baby…changing the sheets….carpooling the kids…paying the bills….all can become holy tasks, when viewed as part of our call, our assignment, and when done to honor Jesus.
Where would an awareness that Jesus is an unseen but ever present witness change our attitudes, our thoughts, and our words?
The woman of God practices the presence of Jesus.
Photo attribution: www.wikipedia.com
