Not so with you
Readings: Luke 22. 24-30
Whenever we celebrate one of the Apostle’s it always feels to me like we’re celebrating a titan of the faith, someone great. But what is greatness? Who is great according to Jesus?
Bartholomew is a tricky Apostle. Normally on days like today, with Saints who appear in the Scriptures, we have a passage set with them involved, not so today. He’s notably absent. So why is that? Well, he certainly does pop up in the Gospels and in Acts, he’s there in the lists of the Apostle’s in Matthew, Mark, Luke & Acts, listed with the others, but that’s all we know about him. There are no actions or words of his recorded anywhere else in the Bible.
Some theorise that he’s the same person as Nathanael who appears in John’s Gospel, partly because Nathanael doesn’t appear in those lists in Matthew, Mark, Luke & Acts. It’s an interesting idea but how could they be the same person? Well Bartholomew literally means Bar, Hebrew for Son of, Tolmai. Son of Tolmai. So it may be he’s Nathanael Bar-Tolmai. A bit like Peter is sometimes referred to as Simon (his earlier name) son of Jonah, or approximately Simon Bar-Jonah in Hebrew. Likewise this may be one man called Nathanael Bar-Tolmai. We don’t know for certain, but it’s a pretty compelling theory.
But even if we do agree they’re the same man that doesn’t actually add much. He meets Jesus at the start of John’s Gospel in an encounter in chapter 1 where Philip first meets Jesus, thinks he’s the Messiah, and rushes to get Nathanael who is rather sceptical; ‘can anything good come from Nazareth’ but when he arrives Jesus calls him an ‘Israelite in whom there is no deceit’ and that he saw him under the fig tree before Philip called him. The conversation goes on with Nathanael being amazed and declaring Jesus as the Son of God and King of Israel, and Jesus responds that he will see even greater things than these. Quite the encounter, but then, he vanishes. He doesn’t appear again until John 21, right at the end where he’s listed among those with Peter out fishing, after Jesus has been raised from the dead, where there’s that second miraculous catch of fish, right before Peter is restored as an Apostle. That’s it. All that piecing together and we know literally nothing much about Bartholomew from Scripture.
So what have we got today for our Gospel? The disciples arguing about which of them is the greatest. If you know the Gospels well you may know this isn’t an isolated incident, this comes up a few times. But this is perhaps the most astonishing time it happens. Look when it’s happening. We’re at the Last Supper. Jesus has just shared bread and wine with them, speaking of his impending death, his death for them. And he’s just declared there’s a traitor in their midst, and they start arguing about who that might be. And perhaps the conversation goes on and suddenly, perhaps without them even realising it, the focus has shifted from who the betrayer is, to who the greatest of them is.
Imagine the scene. Jesus: I’m going to die, and soon, I your Lord and teacher am going to be betrayed and killed. It’s literally among the most poignant moments in the Gospels, and perhaps they pause with it for a moment. But then start trying to work out who the best among them is. Ok guys, who is the greatest, who gets to be second in command, if Jesus really does die who shall we have in charge next? In some ways a bit mad, in others though, perhaps all too natural.
The Bible doesn’t tell us who was arguing, it doesn’t tell us who the frontrunners were in that discussion. We may want to know but the Bible doesn’t indulge our curiosity, it has something more important to say, Jesus has something more important to say. ‘The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors’ Jesus describes how it is in the world around them, the world and the culture they’re immersed in. In some ways it’s little surprise they’re arguing over who the greatest is, everyone around them is jostling for position. The world around them recognises and rewards power and prominence. The verse is full of the language of domination and control ‘kings’, ‘lord it over’, ‘exercise authority’, ‘benefactors’. It’s all about the benefits of being in a position of power.
Benefactor meaning a person with power and position and means who celebrate themselves and are celebrated by others in the public square. It’s an epithet (a word or phrase attached to a name to describe a characteristic or quality) the Greek word behind Benefactor is among the half dozen most common epithets appearing on the monuments to rulers and leaders in the Eastern Roman Empire from the days of Jesus up until late antiquity. Benefactor. It’s a bit like the epithet ‘the great’. Alexander the Great, Peter the Great of Russia, Fredrick the Great of Prussia (although knowing my history we’d likely question their deserving of the title given their chequered and often violent histories). It’s a title you’d want, the great, who would say no to having it added to their name?
And the world around us continues very much in that vein doesn’t it. It recognises power and prominence, and rewards them with more of the same. Elon Musk gave us widely marketable electric cars, so now he’ll take us to Mars. Donald Trump made a name for himself in the business and show business worlds which gave him a platform to run for President. Rylan Clarke who competed in the X Factor, and got knocked out of the competition a few weeks before the finals but has made a pretty good success as a TV presenter.
Now I’m not commenting on any of the individuals I’ve just named, but merely pointing out that in 2000 years very little has changed. Make a name for yourself in one area and you’ll find doors opening in others. The world continues to recognise and reward power and prominence.
So what does Jesus make of all this? What does Jesus have to say in response to his disciples continuing down this same road. ‘Not so with you’. It couldn’t be more stark, more emphatic. Not so with you. And after a brief explanation of how this is to be reversed he points to himself. Who is greater? The one who sits at the table or the one serving them? The one reclining right? That’s why they have people serving them. And yet Jesus reminds them that he is there as one who serves. And we know from John’s Gospel that he rather dramatically makes this point in washing their feet.
Not so with you. We as Christians are to be marked by our humility, not by our ambition. It’s a theme Jesus comes to again and again. Our giving to charity and those in need to be done in secret. Our seeking of leadership to be marked by a desire to serve and be lower than others than to be in charge and have control over them. As a people we’re to be marked by our humility. As JC Ryle notes ‘Usefulness in the world and church, a humble readiness to do anything and put our hands to any good work, a cheerful willingness to fill any post, however lowly, and discharge any office, however unpleasant, if we can only promote happiness and holiness on earth – these are the true tests of Christian greatness’.
Whilst the world only recognises and rewards power and prominence, we are to be different. As individuals we’re to be marked by humility. And when looking for leaders the Church is not to be, marked by leaders chosen because of their status, their ability to draw a crowd or make a name for themselves. And we so often are tempted to do that, to elevate such people to leadership or gather around to listen to what they say.
But as the news coming out this week of Chris Brain, fast tracked for Ordination because of his wildly successful 9 o’clock service, an evening service more like a nightclub than anything we might have recognised at the time, and yet who abused members of his congregation, was overbearing and controlling, as such news reminds us, we must not do that. And he’s just one in a great list of clergy who sadly and lamentably fall into that same category.
Not so with you. It’s a lesson we need to desperately learn as a Church. Charisma, power, prominence, these aren’t to be what we look for in Spiritual leaders. And I’m not just talking about as a Church institution, I’m talking too about for us as individuals, as tempting as it might be, we’re not just to listen to people and go after them because they’re dynamic and exciting, well known, and seem to hold lots of power. What we are to look for is humility, faithfulness, a willingness to serve, people who can be told no and accept it. They might not be the most exciting, the most glamorous, but that’s not the point. In leaders, in spiritual guides what we are looking for is a love for Jesus, and a longing to serve him and others. People who point not to themselves, but to Jesus. Who care little for their own success, and just want to make Jesus and his saving death and resurrection known to more people, that they might know Jesus and his saving love for themselves.
Leaders who are in it for themselves will abuse their positions, whether to gain from those they are meant to be serving in whatever way they can, or will say whatever they need to to keep their position, even if it means leading people away from Jesus rather than towards him. Beware of people who seek to be leaders but who point only to themselves, and aren’t themselves sat at Jesus’ feet.
Bartholomew is perhaps the perfect example of this way of living and serving. We know very little about him, but he was there, chosen as one of Jesus’ apostle’s there with the rest of the 12 with Jesus through it all. Sent by Jesus out into the world after his resurrection as one of his witnesses, to proclaim the Gospel to the nations. If after you die all your words and deeds are forgotten in a few generations you are in good company.
And it doesn’t mean those words and actions didn’t matter. We may not know much about Bartholomew but here’s one thing we do know. He shared the Gospel with others, every tradition we have of his death has him dying as a martyr, dying because of his refusal to let go of Jesus, of the hope of the Gospel he had received. And in sharing his faith others came to that same hope of the Gospel, took Jesus’ hand. And they passed it on, and they passed it on. Who knows how many hundreds of thousands if not millions are now rejoicing on that heavenly shore in Jesus’ presence because of Bartholomew, who can trace their coming to faith back to him sharing his. Small faithful acts, even easily forgotten, can have lasting results.
So my brothers and sisters, let us not seek after greatness. And let us not be too hasty to flock around the voices of those who sound exciting, who have prominence and power. Le us rather seek to be, and seek to learn from, people who love Jesus above all else, who want to serve him and his people, seeking not our will but his. People marked by humility, faithfulness and hope.
Amen.