Children’s Sermon

Mark 10:35-45

Being a Helper

 

By Dr. Dan Wuori

How many of you like to help your teachers at school? Sometimes being the special helper to someone important can make us feel important too.

When I was in 5th grade I had a teacher that I liked a lot. And one of the things I loved to do was doing special jobs for her in the classroom. I was always asking if I could help her hand out papers, or take messages to the school office. I think I must have asked her an awful lot – but it made me feel special to be her helper.

Then one day something happened that I still remember all these years later. Our class was doing some math problems and I finished doing mine much faster than most of the other kids. So as I often did I got up from my desk to go ask her if she had any special jobs I could her with.

Unfortunately, I picked a bad time to ask – because at the time she was actually crouched down next to the desk of another student helping him out. When I interrupted to ask if I could do a job for her she told me she was in the middle of helping my friend and that I needed to go sit down. But then as I was walking back to my chair she called my name and she told me that if I really wanted to help her that I should go and help another one of my classmates who was having trouble with his work.

And I learned something that day that changed the way I saw her. She was telling me that she didn’t NEED a helper – she WAS a helper. That was her job, to make sure that we each had what we needed. After that I understood that the best way to be her helper was to do the same thing she was: look for ways that I could be helpful to others.

I tell you this story because something very similar happens in today’s Gospel story. James and John come to Jesus and they tell him they want to be his special helpers. Jesus tells them that he doesn’t need helpers for himself – and that he was here to be a helper to others. And he tells them to do the same.

That’s an important lesson. See if you can find some chances to be a helper to others this week.

Let’s pray.

Dear God,

Your son Jesus set a good example for us all. Help us to find ways to help others this week.

Amen

Copyright 2009, Dr. Dan Wuori. Used by permission.