At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” ~Matthew 18:1 

We all want to be the best. Whether it is in sports, at work, at school or in life, we want to excel. We want people to notice us. We want to leave a mark.

Last week I got to spend a few days with my grandfather-in-law, Earl Buckley, in Mankato, Kansas. If you have never heard of that town, I am not surprised. It doesn’t even make a blip on a radar screen. For those who know the TV show, The Andy Griffith Show and its town of Mayberry, Mankato isn’t that big, but life still runs about the same.

Earl has lived in Kansas almost all his life, except for the time he spent in the Navy during the Korean War. He is a man who has no worldly recognition, nor does he seek it. He has lived a pretty simple life compared to some, yet to be around him you know you are in the presence of a great man.

Earl has been involved in his church his entire life. He is a Gideon, and despite the fact that he has a hard time getting around, he spent Memorial Day weekend driving (with my wife and children) around to small country cemeteries decorating tombstones of family members and those for which no family remains.

But that doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface. Earl was a farmer. He planted and farmed his own land, and when that wasn’t enough to keep his family going, he went to harvesting other’s land; from southern Kansas all the way up to North Dakota. In addition, he began working in construction and has a book filled with pictures of all of the buildings he put up in his town and the surrounding area. He did a lot of this until just a few years ago when he was encouraged to take it easy.

It wasn’t just that Earl was getting older and shouldn’t be driving a combine anymore, although that was one of the reasons. It was not common for him to spend a week or two bringing in a crop and get paid in homemade pies or some other form of barter. And I am not talking about all-you-can-eat-for-a-year pie; just a pie or two. When questioned by his family he would say, “Well, they don’t have much and I have a combine just sittin’ here. So what else am I going to do?” For Earl, to help someone, even at the detriment to himself, is always more important. Even at 87 and having an increasingly difficult time hearing, seeing and keeping his balance, he is out in his community trying to help others. It is just who he is…or from another perspective, it is who Christ has made him.

When the disciples asked Jesus, “Who is the greatest in heaven?”, they were probably expecting to hear names like Moses, Elijah, King David, or maybe Sampson, Abraham or Debra. They were seeking to be on that list. James and John even go so far to ask Jesus if they can sit at his right and left hand in heaven, a place only reserved for the most honored of people. Yet this is not the answer that Jesus gives them. Jesus says to them, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.”

Children in Jesus’ time were not like children today. Parents didn’t schedule their lives around activities, they didn’t make play dates for them. Children were of little to no value; unless you were the oldest boy, who would be the heir to the house. For Jesus to make such a comment was to change the perspective on what it means to be great. Greatness was no longer something to aspire to, it wasn’t something that meant gaining an attribute or accolade in some way, but instead was something of a taking away. It was the removal of pride, the ousting of arrogance, it was the lowering of brow, the humbleness of heart and the innocent hunger of the child to please and serve. Jesus’ definition stands in opposition to the world’s.

You might think to yourself, “Sure, that’s what people are like in a small town” or “Earl is just from a different generation,” but is that it? I think not. When I sit with Earl I see someone who does his best to live out the gospel message. And the reality is, when his earthly journey is over, his death will go unnoticed by most of the world. But to those who know and love him, a gentle tear will appear on their hearts stitched up by the promise of eternal life through Christ. And I guarantee you that heaven will rejoice in his presence…

Beyond the Christian holidays of Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter and Pentecost, my favorite secular holiday is the Fourth of July. This probably stems back to my grandma’s love for this holiday. For us, the Fourth of July was not just a day to celebrate the founding of our Nation, nor was it only a day for a parade, fireworks, and parties (although we did all that too); this was a day to celebrate our family story and how we have intricately been woven together.

Every year my extended family would travel back to my Dad’s hometown to celebrate together. The town’s festivities included street dances, a huge firework display, a parade and a family picnic lunch. We didn’t miss one minute of it.

Our traditions stayed the same each year. My grandma would paint all the girls nails in red, white and blue. We would wear our new Fourth of July attire. My uncles and dad would head to the firework stand to get the best firework work display for our “at-home show.” We always gathered at the dads' childhood home for the fireworks and make sure we arrived extra early to get our spot for the parade. Our traditional food for the Fourth of July meal included: watermelon, grandma’s homemade rolls, fried chicken, potatoes, and spaghetti (from our favorite fried chicken place), and whatever Fourth of July themed dessert that my grandma made from the July cover of Better Homes and Gardens.

Each year I looked forward to our trip home for the Fourth, but as I have grown older I realize that while I love fireworks and seeing my extended family, what makes this weekend so special are not the things we do, but the memories we share. Every year, my aunts and uncles would tell stories of their childhood, my grandma and great-aunts and uncles would tell us about growing up “back then,” we celebrated the traditions that were passed down from generation to generation as we enjoyed spending time together. It was during this weekend that we remember how we belong together and how our stories intersected even though we all live all around the world.

This year as I have been reflecting on the upcoming week, I keep thinking about the Last Supper that the disciples celebrated with Jesus. A meal that ended with Jesus telling the disciples to “do this in remembrance of me.” Jesus wanted to give the disciples a physical act of remembering their story and reminding them in the midst of struggle, busyness and stress that this is where they belong. Jesus wanted to point them to the visible signs of Jesus’ grace that abounds around us.

When we take communion, it isn’t just a piece of bread and a sip of juice, it is the sign and symbol of who we really are—this is our story, this is where we belong. It is easy to forget with the overwhelming lives we live and yet it keeps coming back: this is who we are—Jesus says, You are my beloved. I love you and I am right here.

Even though my grandma passed away, grandchildren are grown, some have married, children have been born, loved ones have passed away; my family still goes back every other year to celebrate this wonderful holiday. The events have not changed nor has the famous Fourth of July meal. What has changed is who is telling the stories. Now as adults, grandchildren remember the stories of the past and continue to tell our stories that shape our family’s future.

Our individual stories are important; they tell about struggles, joys, tears, laughter and day-to-day life that shapes us. But what brings us back to our Christian story are the moments we return to experience the grace found in simple bread and cup, the people we share the meal with, and the story of Jesus that is living within us all.

Blessings to you this 4^th of July. May God be with you until we meet again at the Lord’s Table.