Attitude Adjustments

October 21, 2012

Job 38:1-7, 34-41 Hebrews 5:1-10 Mark 10:35-45

When I was attending Ohio Northern University, one of my roommates was Randy Crider. Many of us at school also knew his mother, whom we all referred to simply as Ma Crider. For those of us who knew her, Ma Crider was our Mom-away-from-home or maybe the big sister, or the cool aunt we never had. Ma liked to listen to heavy metal bands and especially liked Poison and Guns-n-Roses. Ma lived in Kenton, Ohio about 20 minutes from school and worked as a teachers aide. Those of us who didnt go home went to Mas apartment for New Years Eve and we were met at the door by ma holding a glass cookie jar where we were expected to deposit our car keys. No one could go home unless and until Ma determined that you were fit to drive. On one occasion when I was in town to visit Ma on a Friday, we found her, not at home but at a local tavern. When we asked why, she told us rather frankly, that by Friday a lot of the teachers get kind of cranky and have to readjust at the beginning of the weekend. In order to do that, they would meet at this particular tavern for an hour or two of attitude adjustment, which I should add, usually involved more talking, complaining and mutual support than drinking. If you follow country music, I am sure you know that Hank Williams, Jr. sings a song about attitude adjustments. If you are still not sure what I mean, an attitude adjustment is when someone who is upset, or stressed out, or behaving badly is taken aside by friends (and sometimes strangers) and shown the error of their ways. Sometimes this can be a gentle reminder of the blessings that they enjoy but can, occasionally, be a somewhat forceful, even violent, readjustment. Hank Williams, Jr. of course sings about the more violent kind. He sings it this way Now I met an old friend/In the bar the other night And he got a little drunk/And he wanted to fight And he jumped up/And challenged every man in the room And just about the time he got the words out/An ol' boy jumped up and closed his mouth And used his head for a mop/And his butt for a broom It was an attitude adjustment/I guess it was his first time An attitude adjustment/Now he understands just fine He got bent out of shape/Then he opened his mouth And just one appointment/Straightened him right out It was an attitude adjustment. Why do I mention all this on Sunday morning? Because there are a few occasions in scripture, usually not this violent, when folks have been out of line and find themselves on the receiving end of an attitude adjustment. Our first for this morning is found in Job 38:1-7, 34-41. You will remember that Job wanted to find God and state his case. Job was sure that if he could meet God, face-to-face, that he would be justified. Here, toward the end of Jobs story, God arrives and lets Job know that, despite his faithfulness, he has stepped over a line. Then the LORD spoke to Job out of the storm. He said:
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Who is this that obscures my plans with words without knowledge? 3 Brace yourself like a man; 1

I will question you, and you shall answer me.

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Where were you when I laid the earths foundation? Tell me, if you understand. 5 Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? 6 On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone 7 while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy? Can you raise your voice to the clouds and cover yourself with a flood of water? 35 Do you send the lightning bolts on their way? Do they report to you, Here we are? 36 Who gives the ibis wisdom or gives the rooster understanding? 37 Who has the wisdom to count the clouds? Who can tip over the water jars of the heavens 38 when the dust becomes hard and the clods of earth stick together?
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Do you hunt the prey for the lioness and satisfy the hunger of the lions 40 when they crouch in their dens or lie in wait in a thicket? 41 Who provides food for the raven when its young cry out to God and wander about for lack of food? Gods message to Job is that even though Job was a nice guy, even though Job was blameless and upright, even though Job had done nothing wrong, even though bad things had happened to Job at the hand of Satan himself, when Job declared that he would tell God to his face that this was an injustice, he has crossed a line and finds himself in need of an attitude adjustment. God speaks to Job out of the storm and asks who it is that is running off at the mouth without engaging his brain. God tells Job that it is God who asks the questions and not Job. God then proceeds to ask Job questions that only God could answer in the affirmative. Was it you who created the earth and set the stars in the heavens? Can you send the rain? Do you control the lightning? Can you feed the earth and all its creatures? Before God is done, Job is no longer feeling quite so full of himself or so proud of being right. His attitude has been fully adjusted. Job wasnt the only one in scripture to make a wrong turn while doing something right. Jonah ran from god and got a three day, underwater attitude adjustment. In Mark 10:35-45, two of Jesus disciples once again began to think in terms of Jesus being an earthly king and building an earthly kingdom. Even worse, they think enough of themselves that they not only look forward to being enriched by being the friends of the king; they desire to be first among those friends, first in line at the top of the heap.
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Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. Teacher, they said, we want you to do for us whatever we ask. 2

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What do you want me to do for you? he asked. They replied, Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.

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You dont know what you are asking, Jesus said. Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?
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We can, they answered.

Jesus said to them, You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, 40 but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.
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When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. 42 Jesus called them together and said, You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 43Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. James and John ask Jesus if they can be his top lieutenants, his highest ranking helpers, his right and left-hand men and Jesus tells them that they have no idea what they are asking for. Jesus says, Do even think that you can go where I am going and do the things that I have been called to do? and the two of them, full of themselves, say Of course we can. Not good. First of all, the other ten disciples are not at all pleased that these two think they are better than they are and deserve a better position than the rest of them but second, Jesus makes it very plain that his system, his organizational structure is not at all like the one used by the rest of the world. In the world, the rulers and the leaders are at the top of the heap, they make all the rules, they issue all of the orders, they have all of the authority and they reap all of the benefits. In Jesus system of organization, the one who is to be the greatest must be the servant of everyone. Jesus says that his mission was not to rule, but to serve and to give his life for others. While Jesus is often said to be our Lord and King, the hallmark of his mission is not one of lordship or kingship. As followers our calling is not to blind obedience. Instead, Jesus was called by God to become the servant of all and calls upon his servants, to be servants of others. It is a different way of leadership and it turns the traditional ways of the world upside down. Job and James and John were not on the receiving end of an attitude adjustment because they rocked the boat but because they allowed their egos to be infected by the world. All three of these men began to think a lot of themselves; that they deserved better, that they deserved to be better, that they were better and, in Gods system of accounting that is a wrong turn. Jesus says that our calling is not to think that we are better than others, to put others down or to put them in their place, but that we are called to serve others, to help others, and to lift them up. Jesus lived so that we might know the truth and he died so that we might live. Even now Jesus lives to be a gift to us. In Hebrews 5:1-10 we hear these words Every high priest is selected from among the people and is appointed to represent the people in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2 He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness. 3 This is why he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people. 4 And no one takes this honor on himself, but he receives it when called by God, just as Aaron was.
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In the same way, Christ did not take on himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to him, 3

You are my Son; today I have become your Father.

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And he says in another place,

You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.

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During the days of Jesus life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. 8 Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered 9 and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him 10 and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek. The human High Priest in the temple existed to make sacrifices for others but, because he himself was flawed and sinful, he had to also, continually, make sacrifices for his own sin. Jesus, because he was perfect and without sin, is the perfect High Priest who never has to make atonement for his own wrongdoing. Instead, he sits in the presence of God, day and night to intercede before God on our behalf. Melchizedek was a priest in the stories and fables of Israel for whom no death was ever recorded and so became known, at least figuratively, as an eternal priest. Jesus is said to therefore be a priest of the order of Melchizedek, our eternal High Priest, now no longer a priest of legend, but of reality and truth. Jesus lives forever so that he can serve his people. He deals with us gently because he understands what it is to be human, to hurt, to suffer and to be tempted. He lives so that he can call us to salvation, to rescue the lost, to help the helpless, and to lead home those who have gone astray. Whenever we begin to think too much of ourselves, whenever we begin to think that we deserve things that are better than what others have, whenever we begin to think that we deserve better than what we already have, and whenever we begin to think that we are better than others we are headed straight for an attitude adjustment because weve made a wrong turn and forgotten our mission. The kingdom of God is different than the world that we live in. Gods system of organization is upside down from everything we have learned to be normal. In the world, getting ahead means climbing over others to get to the top so you can look down on those you have left behind, but Gods system is different. In Gods system we are called to serve others and to get ahead, to be leaders and teachers, we must serve everyone. That idea is so radical, so different from everything we have ever known, that we must constantly remind ourselves that our calling is not to greatness, or leadership, or arrogance, or power, or authority but to servanthood and humility. When we forget that, we are headed straight for an attitude adjustment.

You have been reading a message presented at Trinity United Methodist Church on the date noted at the top of the first page. Rev. John Partridge is the pastor at Trinity of Perry heights in Massillon, Ohio. Duplication of this message is a part of our Media ministry, if you have received a blessing in this way, we would love to hear from you. Letters and donations in support of the Media ministry or any of our other projects may be sent to Trinity United Methodist Church, 3757 Lincoln Way E., Massillon, Ohio 44646. These messages are available to any interested persons regardless of membership. You may subscribe to these messages, in print or electronic formats, by writing to the address noted, or by contacting us at subscribe@trinityperryheights.org. If you have questions, you can ask them in our discussion forum on Facebook (search for Pastor John Online). These messages can also be found online at http://www.scribd.com/Pastor John Partridge. All Scripture references are from the New International Version unless otherwise noted.