“But they keep quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest.” (Mark 9:34 NIV)
Arguing with their spiritual brothers about Kingdom prominence was a ‘small ‘ sin in the eyes of the disciples, but Jesus didn’t see it in the same light. He immediately identified the discord in His students and inquired about the nature of their sharp words. But they all fell silent.
We tend to do this with our ‘small’ sins. We swallow them back and pretend they aren’t a deal. We forget, God is aware of every infraction. Our ‘small’ transgression hurts His heart. The origination of the disciples argument was not a mystery to Jesus, He knew the motives that lay beneath the surface. I suspect the cry of our heart condition is far louder to the Lord than our actual words and actions: because the heart is the headwaters of all matters of life.
Jesus asked, hoping His disciples would have the courage to confess their sin of competition, pride and jealousy. But instead they chose to bury it; falling silent before their Savior’s gentle inquiry. It seems the Jesus let them stew about it a bit on their own, but then brought them back together for further teaching.
“Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.” (Mark 9:35 NIV)
In a singular sentence He let them know He knew exactly what the argument was about and that they, in their flesh, had gotten it all wrong. What’s more, we realize that even ‘small’ sins have a great big affect on eternity. Something seemingly insignificant today is magnified over forever, the proverbial pea under many mattresses.
The disciples had lost sight of their purpose on earth: walking in right relationship with God and others. They were distracted by position and power – two appetites that continually vie for our attention. The sooner we can confess these tendencies, the sooner we can address them. We do so much better when we can volunteer our flesh struggle, when we can be honest with God about our arguments (internal and external alike). The fastest way to restore divine intimacy is and always will be confession.
Lord, help us refuse to hide from you. ‘Small’ sins are still sins, and the pride and jealousy that lie beneath them is the far larger issue. We want to share our struggles honestly and openly with You, so we can successfully address them together. Remind us that our actions today contribute greatly to eternity. Sanctify our heart and mind for Kingdom’s sake. Amen.