Momentum

Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.” “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.” “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said. “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?” “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, 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.” When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. 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. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. 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.” Mark 10.35-45 NIV

Many would say that the spirit of our age and the driving force of much of what happens is “What’s in it for ME?” Imagine the scene in the context of verses 32-34! Jesus and his disciples are on the way to Jerusalem and there is fear in Jesus’ followers as to what will happen to them. Jesus then tells them that He is going to be betrayed, abused and put to death. The general atmosphere must have been very heavy with fear and sadness.

But in the minds of James and John (and their Mother as mentioned in Matthew 20.20) possibly two thoughts came to mind: 1. That Jesus is going to die and return to his Father’s side (they, at least, had learnt something from Jesus’ teaching); 2. What is in it for us, what can we get out of it?

Without wasting any time they made their move in a very guarded way because there had already been discussions about ambition amongst the disciples (9.33-37 and further teaching by Jesus in 10.31). James and John asked for a “blank cheque” but Jesus knew all about their thoughts and asked some very pointed questions to which they answered in the affirmative – just like the rich young ruler in 10.17-20. But just like him James and John had a lesson to learn that if they want to become great they must be both servant and slave.

Jesus is telling them, and us, that in Him there is no distinction of persons, that our “ambition” must be to be like Him remembering His example when he took the towel and washed the disciples feet. John the Baptist points the way when he states in John 3.30 – He must become greater; I must become less.

An old chorus goes like this:
​Be like Jesus this my song,
In the home and in the throng,
Be like Jesus all day long,
I would be like Jesus!

32 And they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. And they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. And taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him, 33 saying, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles. 34 And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And after three days he will rise.”

Mark 10:32-34 (ESV)

So there was the bunch of unruly kids who turned up that the disciples wisely sent away so they wouldn’t distract people from the important teaching that’s going on – and Jesus called them back and talked about how the kingdom of God belongs to the little ones.

And then there was a really promising meeting with a rich young ruler – exactly the sort of guy it’d be useful to have onside – and  Jesus sent him away with instructions to sell everything and then talked about how hard it is for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.

The journey continues – the disciples scared/impressed by this unpredictable and complex character who’s leading them: striding out ahead of the group, talking about the end of the journey where he’s going to be betrayed, mocked, spat on, flogged and killed, before rising three days later.

What do you do with that kind of statement?  It’s practically impossible to relate to – and while we’ve had two thousand years and hundreds of eyewitnesses to help us process both Jesus’ words and the events themselves, the disciples only had the words of a leader they knew a bit and understood very little.

It’s far too easy to sit back in our armchairs and rain smug disapproval on the foolish disciples who ought to have known better, all the while fearing the future of faith in Britain.  The foolish disciples show us how hard it can be to understand the events we live through – even when explained clearly – without hindsight.

And yet the events they lived through show us there’s nothing left to fear.  The last enemy, death, has been defeated and Christ has risen.  We may not understand the pathway or the circumstances – and the journey of faith is fraught with danger – but we are safe, because we have been saved by the one who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.

As he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.” And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, “Then who can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” Peter began to say to him, “See, we have left everything and followed you.” Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

(Mark 10:17-31 ESV)

This doesn’t mean that we should all sell up and dessert our families to go and serve Jesus elsewhere. The cost of faith will be different for each of us – it may be giving up material possessions to help the poor; going somewhere for Jesus; or staying put and giving up on your dreams of far-flung travel or a new amazing house so that you can serve him better where you are today. If you are setting your hopes on the dream rather than on Jesus, you won’t be able to follow him here and now, as there will always be that distraction.

For the rich young man, the cost of following Jesus was his possessions, but for you it could be something else – maybe it’s your preferences, your plan, your lifestyle or something else. The rich young man Jesus was speaking to counted the cost as too great and went away sad to live with his possessions and miss out on the rewards of following Jesus. I pray that you don’t make the same decision, counting the cost too hight and missing out everything Jesus has in store for you. It will be hard and it will be a costly sacrifice but in comparison to Jesus and all he offers and provides us, it will pale into insignificance.

What is the cost of following Jesus for you?

What would it take to help you follow Jesus more easily/effectively?

Mark 10:13-16

But at the beginning of creation God made them male and female. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one flesh.

Mark 10.6-8 NIV

The heading given in the NIV Bible for verses 1-12 of Mark chapter 10 is “Divorce”. In this context could it be that, at least, part of the problem is a lack of understanding of what is meant by “becoming one flesh”.

Is our understanding of these words related entirely to the act of physical/sexual union? No doubt this is part of the meaning and a very important part seeing how “God made them male and female” and “God richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment” 1 Tim.6.17. This union is also essential to the continuation of the human race.

But that is not all! When we take a look at Ephesians 5.21-33 we see that Paul directs our thoughts and, therefore, our actions in a more direct and spiritual application. Paul tells us that love is necessary for a true union and that that love has an objective in that it should be as intense as “Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” Ephesians 5.25. Space here does not allow us to list all the ways that Christ demonstrated his love for the church but one particularly comes to mind – Matthew 11.29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls (and peace and fulfilment in being one flesh – words in italics are mine).

I close with a quotation taken from a declaration which is sometimes used at the beginning of a marriage service. “It was instituted for the lifelong companionship and devotion of husband and wife, for the mutual fulfilment and satisfaction of their natural affections, for the procreation of children and their Godly upbringing, and for the stability of society to which regard for the sanctity and discipline of marriage makes an essential contribution. “The Reformed Book of Common Order”.

May God bless you and keep you.

Roy

Mark 9:1-32

9:1 And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.”

The Transfiguration

2 And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, 3 and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one [1] on earth could bleach them. 4 And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. 5 And Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, [2] it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 6 For he did not know what to say, for they were terrified.7 And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; [3] listen to him.” 8 And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only.

9 And as they were coming down the mountain, he charged them to tell no one what they had seen, until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. 10 So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what this rising from the dead might mean. 11 And they asked him, “Why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?” 12 And he said to them, “Elijah does come first to restore all things. And how is it written of the Son of Man that he should suffer many things and be treated with contempt? 13 But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written of him.”

Jesus Heals a Boy with an Unclean Spirit

14 And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them. 15 And immediately all the crowd, when they saw him, were greatly amazed and ran up to him and greeted him. 16 And he asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?” 17 And someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute. 18 And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able.” 19 And he answered them, “O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me.”20 And they brought the boy to him. And when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. 21 And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. 22 And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” 23 And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” 24 Immediately the father of the child cried out [4] and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” 25 And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” 26 And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, “He is dead.” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. 28 And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” 29 And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.” [5]

Jesus Again Foretells Death, Resurrection

30 They went on from there and passed through Galilee. And he did not want anyone to know, 31 for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise.” 32 But they did not understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him.

Exodus 34:33-35

33 And when Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face.

34 Whenever Moses went in before the Lord to speak with him, he would remove the veil, until he came out. And when he came out and told the people of Israel what he was commanded, 35 the people of Israel would see the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face was shining. And Moses would put the veil over his face again, until he went in to speak with him. (ESV)

Footnotes

[1] 9:3 Greek no cloth refiner
[2] 9:5 Rabbi means my teacher, or my master
[3] 9:7 Or my Son, my (or the) Beloved
[4] 9:24 Some manuscripts add with tears
[5] 9:29 Some manuscripts add and fasting

Do you believe everything that is told to you wholeheartedly? Do you doubt or are unsure whether to believe something that is told to you? Let’s admit it, we all have doubts about one thing or another, whether it be an answer to a question that you’ve asked or if somebody is keeping something from you.

We come to Jesus healing a boy with an unclean spirit. His father explains that the boy suffers from an evil spirit that ‘makes him mute’ (v17) and ‘throws him into fire and water’ (v22). The man asks the disciples to heal the boy as in an earlier chapter of Mark (Mark ch6), he gave them ‘authority over impure spirits’ (Mark 6v7) but they are unable to.

When Jesus is told this, he says “O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me.” He is saying that they have not enough faith. Jesus healed the boy and when the disciples ask why they could not heal the boy, he says “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.” (v29).