Finding freedom through love
Proper 21B | Mark 9:38-50
The last couple of weeks we’ve been talking about hubris and failure. I don’t think I actually used the word hubris either time, but I should’ve. It’s a good word. And it perfectly encapsulates the disciples’ problem.
The thing about hubris is that when we are full of it, we can’t see it.
So we think we’ve come up with the right answer. And maybe we have. But what then? We often think right answers lead to…good grades, maybe? Accolades? Scholarships? Acceptance into prestigious institutions of higher learning? And then what? You go to Harvard, you can write for the NY Times, clerk for Supreme Court Justices. Teach in any august institution where you can lift up the next generation of elite thinkers. Then run for senate. The sky is the limit.
And look at all of those dumb people you passed along the way.
When getting a right answer leads us to elevate ourselves above other people, we’re making a mistake. And when we are used to offering right answers, we tend to make that mistake a lot. …
The full text may be found here.
For a limited time, you may find the audio here.