Who's on First?
By: Dr. Gregory S. Neal
When I was young I used to enjoy watching old TV shows, like Dobie Gillis, Gilligan’s Island, My Favorite Martin, the Patty Duke Show, Leave It To Beaver, Mr. Ed – “A horse is a horse, of course, of course....” – we all know that one. Among my favorite things to watch were comedy shorts taken from some of Abbott and Costello’s best vaudeville routines – some of the skits that made them famous. One of my favorite sketches was their classic baseball skit: “Who's on First.” Indeed, many of us will probably remember that one: Abbot is pretending to be the Manager and Coach of a Baseball team and Costello is asking the names of the various basemen:
Costello: Who is on first?
Abbott: Yes.
Costello: I mean the fellow’s name.
Abbott: Who.
Costello: The guy on first.
Abbott: Who.
Costello: The first baseman.
Abbott: Who!
Costello: The guy playing first base.
Abbott: Who is on first.
Costello: I’m asking you who’s on first!
Abbott: That’s the man’s name.
Costello: That’s whose name?
Abbott: Yeah.
Costello: Well, go ahead and tell me.
Abbott: That’s it.
Costello: That’s who?
Abbott: Yeah.
(Pause)
Costello: Look, you got a first baseman?
Abbott: Certainly.
Costello: Who’s playing first?
Abbott: That’s right.
But it gets better:
Costello: All I’m trying to find out is what’s the guy’s name on first base.
Abbott: No, what’s on second base.
Costello: I’m not asking who’s on second.
Abbott: Who is on first!
Costello: One base at a time!
Abbott: Well don’t change the players around!
Costello: I’m not changing nobody!
Abbott: Take it easy, buddy.
Costello: All I’m asking you, who’s the guy on first base?!
Abbott: That’s right.
Costello: Okay.
Abbott: Alright.
(Pause)
Costello: What’s the guy’s name on first base?!
Abbott: No, What is on second!
Costello: I’m not asking you who’s on second!
Abbott: Who’s on first.
Costello: I don’t know.
Abbott: Oh, he’s on third. We’re not talking about him. Now let’s get back to first.
Costello: Now how did I get on third base?
Abbott: Well you mentioned his name.
Costello: If I mentioned the third baseman’s name, who did I say’s playing third?
Abbott: No, Who’s playing first.
And it keeps going and going and going!
Who’s on First. What’s on Second. I don’t know is on Third. Why is Left Field. Because is Center Field. Pitcher is Tomorrow. Catcher is Today. And Shortstop is “I don’t Care!”
It’s a hilarious mess. Today, we find out that the disciples had been in a roundabout argument that was just as silly, just as meaningless, just as useless as that argument between Abbott and Costello. And yes, the Disciples were arguing about who’s going to be “On first” in the Kingdom of God:
Who’s the greatest among them? That’s what they were discussing: they were arguing among themselves as to who would be First Base in the kingdom that that Jesus was establishing. And this comes in the midst of failing to understand what Jesus had been teaching them.
Jesus’ teaching, here, didn’t make any sense to them. Everybody knows that Messiahs don’t die! Messiahs are victorious! Messiahs lead armies, defeat, and toss out the armies of the Roman occupation of Judea. Messiahs set up kingdoms, they re-establish the kingdom of David, they re-establish right worship and religious behavior, they re-establish justice and righteousness in the land. And Messiahs most certainly don’t die! This is what they had been taught – for many decades, this was the Jewish expectation for the Messiah – and that’s why what Jesus was preaching no longer made any sense to them.
“They did not understand what he was saying and were afraid to ask him.”
Of course they were afraid! The last person who questioned Jesus about it, who tried to correct Jesus’ obviously flawed theology on the function and duties and of a Messiah – Peter – had been rebuked and called “Satan.” Jesus said to him in response: “Get behind me, Satan!”
Also, I’m sure that they just didn’t want to hear anything negative. They wanted to continue in the fantasy that they were in on the ground floor of something huge. Who would get to be the first – who would get to have the greatest power in this new kingdom? Peter, James, John, Andrew, Matthew, Thomas, Judas, Bartholomew …who was going to be the “greatest” among them? In another gospel James and John Zebedee even sent their mom to ask Jesus to give that honor to her sons!
That’s what they were arguing about while traveling on the road; rather than listening, thinking about, and considering what Jesus was saying about dying and being raised, they were squabbling about power and position! That other stuff was just too hard; they were ideas that ran contrary to everything that they had ever been taught about Messiahs. Dying just isn’t part of a Messiah’s job description!
Well, Jesus is changing that job description … and he's changing even more about God’s Kingdom. Unlike the world's expectation, true greatness is not about power, position, riches, education, breeding or family identity; being part of the Kingdom of God is about being innocently and entirely open to God.
With these simple words, Jesus overturns the entire social order of existence … both then and now. This is a game changer like few others. It’s as much a game changer as saying that the Messiah wins, is victorious, by dying on a cross! Indeed, it is so different that the church still hasn’t gotten it nearly two thousand years later.
We still don’t get it. We’re still arguing about who has the power. We’re still arguing about rules and regulations, Books of Discipline, mandates of position, power and authority, rather than listening to Jesus and welcoming all, including the outcast and the excluded, the powerless and the oppressed – yes, a little child – in Jesus’ name. Who do we welcome into the Family of Faith? Do we welcome the least of our society? In the ancient world you couldn’t get more powerless than a child; do we welcome the last, the least, and the lost in the name of Jesus? Do we welcome those who have been shoved outside, ignored, denied, rejected, and vilified? Do we dare to welcome – gasp – sinners? People who don’t measure up to the standards of behavior that some believe are required for participation in the Church?
Churches are often far too busy arguing about who’s on first, what’s on second, and we don’t ever seem to know who’s on third … and, wow, that starts another argument! Rather than listening to Jesus, we’re arguing about what we think. Rather than welcoming the children, we’re arguing about whom to exclude. Rather than living in this amazing family that God has for us, we’re arguing about who to let in. That’s the Church, today. We’re no different than the Disciples: we’re just as lost, just as unwilling to hear what Jesus is saying to us, and just as unwilling to do it.
Jesus calls us to be open to God’s love. Jesus proclaims and lives that love to, for, and with us through his every word and deed: by teaching and preaching, healing and forgiving, serving and feeding, dying and rising for us, Jesus demonstrated how much God loves us. For our part, we’re called to welcome all of God’s children into the circle of faith, embracing them with God’s amazing grace. Are we going to welcome all through those doors and into this life? I hope we will! I believe we will! I know we will!
Well, then, my siblings, we're called to welcome them and not fight over who’s on first, what’s on second, and I don't know who’s on third. Instead, we’re called to remember that Jesus is always pitching God’s grace to us, and by God’s grace may hit it out of the park by sharing it with others.
© 2021 Dr. Gregory S. Neal
All Rights Reserved
Abbott: Yes.
Costello: I mean the fellow’s name.
Abbott: Who.
Costello: The guy on first.
Abbott: Who.
Costello: The first baseman.
Abbott: Who!
Costello: The guy playing first base.
Abbott: Who is on first.
Costello: I’m asking you who’s on first!
Abbott: That’s the man’s name.
Costello: That’s whose name?
Abbott: Yeah.
Costello: Well, go ahead and tell me.
Abbott: That’s it.
Costello: That’s who?
Abbott: Yeah.
(Pause)
Costello: Look, you got a first baseman?
Abbott: Certainly.
Costello: Who’s playing first?
Abbott: That’s right.
But it gets better:
Costello: All I’m trying to find out is what’s the guy’s name on first base.
Abbott: No, what’s on second base.
Costello: I’m not asking who’s on second.
Abbott: Who is on first!
Costello: One base at a time!
Abbott: Well don’t change the players around!
Costello: I’m not changing nobody!
Abbott: Take it easy, buddy.
Costello: All I’m asking you, who’s the guy on first base?!
Abbott: That’s right.
Costello: Okay.
Abbott: Alright.
(Pause)
Costello: What’s the guy’s name on first base?!
Abbott: No, What is on second!
Costello: I’m not asking you who’s on second!
Abbott: Who’s on first.
Costello: I don’t know.
Abbott: Oh, he’s on third. We’re not talking about him. Now let’s get back to first.
Costello: Now how did I get on third base?
Abbott: Well you mentioned his name.
Costello: If I mentioned the third baseman’s name, who did I say’s playing third?
Abbott: No, Who’s playing first.
And it keeps going and going and going!
Who’s on First. What’s on Second. I don’t know is on Third. Why is Left Field. Because is Center Field. Pitcher is Tomorrow. Catcher is Today. And Shortstop is “I don’t Care!”
It’s a hilarious mess. Today, we find out that the disciples had been in a roundabout argument that was just as silly, just as meaningless, just as useless as that argument between Abbott and Costello. And yes, the Disciples were arguing about who’s going to be “On first” in the Kingdom of God:
"Then they came to Capernaum; and when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the way?” But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another who was the greatest." (Mark 9:33-34)
Who’s the greatest among them? That’s what they were discussing: they were arguing among themselves as to who would be First Base in the kingdom that that Jesus was establishing. And this comes in the midst of failing to understand what Jesus had been teaching them.
“The Son of Man is to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill him, and three days after being killed, he will rise again.” But they did not understand what he was saying and were afraid to ask him. (Mark 9:31-32)
Jesus’ teaching, here, didn’t make any sense to them. Everybody knows that Messiahs don’t die! Messiahs are victorious! Messiahs lead armies, defeat, and toss out the armies of the Roman occupation of Judea. Messiahs set up kingdoms, they re-establish the kingdom of David, they re-establish right worship and religious behavior, they re-establish justice and righteousness in the land. And Messiahs most certainly don’t die! This is what they had been taught – for many decades, this was the Jewish expectation for the Messiah – and that’s why what Jesus was preaching no longer made any sense to them.
“They did not understand what he was saying and were afraid to ask him.”
Of course they were afraid! The last person who questioned Jesus about it, who tried to correct Jesus’ obviously flawed theology on the function and duties and of a Messiah – Peter – had been rebuked and called “Satan.” Jesus said to him in response: “Get behind me, Satan!”
Also, I’m sure that they just didn’t want to hear anything negative. They wanted to continue in the fantasy that they were in on the ground floor of something huge. Who would get to be the first – who would get to have the greatest power in this new kingdom? Peter, James, John, Andrew, Matthew, Thomas, Judas, Bartholomew …who was going to be the “greatest” among them? In another gospel James and John Zebedee even sent their mom to ask Jesus to give that honor to her sons!
That’s what they were arguing about while traveling on the road; rather than listening, thinking about, and considering what Jesus was saying about dying and being raised, they were squabbling about power and position! That other stuff was just too hard; they were ideas that ran contrary to everything that they had ever been taught about Messiahs. Dying just isn’t part of a Messiah’s job description!
Well, Jesus is changing that job description … and he's changing even more about God’s Kingdom. Unlike the world's expectation, true greatness is not about power, position, riches, education, breeding or family identity; being part of the Kingdom of God is about being innocently and entirely open to God.
"[Jesus] sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.” Then he took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.” (Mark 9:35-37)
With these simple words, Jesus overturns the entire social order of existence … both then and now. This is a game changer like few others. It’s as much a game changer as saying that the Messiah wins, is victorious, by dying on a cross! Indeed, it is so different that the church still hasn’t gotten it nearly two thousand years later.
We still don’t get it. We’re still arguing about who has the power. We’re still arguing about rules and regulations, Books of Discipline, mandates of position, power and authority, rather than listening to Jesus and welcoming all, including the outcast and the excluded, the powerless and the oppressed – yes, a little child – in Jesus’ name. Who do we welcome into the Family of Faith? Do we welcome the least of our society? In the ancient world you couldn’t get more powerless than a child; do we welcome the last, the least, and the lost in the name of Jesus? Do we welcome those who have been shoved outside, ignored, denied, rejected, and vilified? Do we dare to welcome – gasp – sinners? People who don’t measure up to the standards of behavior that some believe are required for participation in the Church?
Churches are often far too busy arguing about who’s on first, what’s on second, and we don’t ever seem to know who’s on third … and, wow, that starts another argument! Rather than listening to Jesus, we’re arguing about what we think. Rather than welcoming the children, we’re arguing about whom to exclude. Rather than living in this amazing family that God has for us, we’re arguing about who to let in. That’s the Church, today. We’re no different than the Disciples: we’re just as lost, just as unwilling to hear what Jesus is saying to us, and just as unwilling to do it.
Jesus calls us to be open to God’s love. Jesus proclaims and lives that love to, for, and with us through his every word and deed: by teaching and preaching, healing and forgiving, serving and feeding, dying and rising for us, Jesus demonstrated how much God loves us. For our part, we’re called to welcome all of God’s children into the circle of faith, embracing them with God’s amazing grace. Are we going to welcome all through those doors and into this life? I hope we will! I believe we will! I know we will!
Well, then, my siblings, we're called to welcome them and not fight over who’s on first, what’s on second, and I don't know who’s on third. Instead, we’re called to remember that Jesus is always pitching God’s grace to us, and by God’s grace may hit it out of the park by sharing it with others.
© 2021 Dr. Gregory S. Neal
All Rights Reserved
The Reverend Dr. Gregory S. Neal is the Senior Pastor of Grace United Methodist Church in Des Moines, Iowa, and an ordained Elder of the North Texas Conference of The United Methodist Church. A graduate of Southern Methodist University, Duke University, and Trinity College, Dr. Neal is a scholar of Systematic Theology, New Testament origins, and Biblical Languages. His areas of specialization include the theology of the sacraments, in which he did his doctoral dissertation, and the formation and early transmission of the New Testament. Trained as a Christian educator, he has taught classes in these and related fields while also serving for more than 30 years as the pastor of United Methodist churches in North Texas.
As a popular teacher, preacher, and retreat leader, Dr. Neal is known for his ability to translate complex theological concepts into common, everyday terms. HIs preaching and teaching ministry is in demand around the world, and much of his work can be found on this website. He is the author of several books, including Grace Upon Grace: Sacramental Theology and the Christian Life, which is in its second edition, and Seeking the Shepherd's Arms: Reflections from the Pastoral Side of Life, a work of devotional literature. Both of these books are currently available from Amazon.com.
As a popular teacher, preacher, and retreat leader, Dr. Neal is known for his ability to translate complex theological concepts into common, everyday terms. HIs preaching and teaching ministry is in demand around the world, and much of his work can be found on this website. He is the author of several books, including Grace Upon Grace: Sacramental Theology and the Christian Life, which is in its second edition, and Seeking the Shepherd's Arms: Reflections from the Pastoral Side of Life, a work of devotional literature. Both of these books are currently available from Amazon.com.