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Time after Pentecost - Lectionary 29
(B) “Front seat! Shotgun!” How many of you remember that phrase? Some years ago, many families had a method for determining which child got to sit in the front seat next to the window on their way to school or church or other destinations. Whenever any given family was about to go anywhere, especially with only one parent, the children would come running out the front door to the car, screaming at the top of their lungs, “Front seat, shotgun!” or just “Shotgun!” depending upon family custom. Usually the one who said it first would get the prize passenger seat in the front – and the others would have to sit in the back seat. The term “shotgun” comes from the old American West when stagecoaches were manned by a driver and a guard, usually armed with a shotgun, sitting next to him and scouting the landscape for threats. The guard’s “shotgun” position became glamorized in many Western movies and television shows. It was a position of great responsibility, but also one of great honor. Needless to say, many children of my generation liked to ride “shotgun” in the car – and have their brothers and sisters and friends ride in the back. It was much better to be up there in the front where we could see the road and perhaps scan the horizon for danger like the shotgun guards of old. Also, “shotgun” occupants had special access to the air conditioning and radio controls and the driver’s ear. In today’s gospel, James and John were calling “shotgun” – getting their request to Jesus for special positions in his kingdom before anyone else thought of it. “Grant us to sit,” they said to Jesus, “one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” Of course, this wasn’t anything new. For the past couple of chapters in Mark’s gospel, all of the disciples had been constantly jockeying for positions of greatness and honor – despite Jesus’ teachings to the contrary. Jesus kept on telling them that whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all. (Mk. 9:35) He had also been telling them that his destiny in Jerusalem was not greatness and glory, but rather humiliation and death. Indeed, he had explicitly told them this for the third time immediately before today’s gospel text. But the disciples simply didn’t get it. They were only thinking about their positions of privilege – arguing among themselves about who was the greatest; trying to stop a man who was not of their group from casting out demons in Jesus’ name (only they should be allowed to do that); trying to stop children from having access to Jesus (only they should have that kind of access); and last week – Peter was concerned about the reward that he and the others would receive for following Jesus (surely, they deserved special blessings as compared to everyone else). In many ways, they were constantly calling “Shotgun!” – wanting the best for themselves. But as Jesus said to James and John in today’s gospel; “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” Or in other words, “You don’t realize what “shotgun” really means. To be at my right hand and my left does not mean privilege and honor – it rather means sharing my suffering and the death that I am about to experience.” And indeed, that is what later literally happened. The next time that Mark writes about people being at Jesus’ right and left is when he is hanging on the cross – referring to the bandits who were being crucified with him (Mk 15:27) – one on his right and one on his left. Do we understand what is being said here? To ride “shotgun” with Jesus means giving up our pride and any desire for special privileges. To ride “shotgun” with Jesus means giving up the desire to have things our own way. To ride “shotgun” with Jesus means being willing to give up everything we have – even our lives if need be – for the sake of others. To ride “shotgun” with Jesus means understanding that the purpose of life is NOT about us and what we can get out of it. To ride “shotgun” with Jesus means understanding that greatness is not about our success or even about our own salvation – it is rather about helping and serving others even at the expense of ourselves. This is a very different view of “shotgun” from what the world stresses. In the world, “shotgun” means being in charge, being on top, being fulfilled, and having what we want. It means putting others in the back seat. But in Jesus’ kingdom, the back seat IS the preferred position. Because that is where our Lord is – helping and serving and even dying for others. And he invites us to join him there. As Jesus says at the end of today’s gospel: “Whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.” May this also be so for us as his disciples. “Back seat! Shotgun!” Amen! -------------------- Pastor George Karres 418 W. Main St. Sidney, MT 59270
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