Are You Sure You Want That?

Posted on March 18, 2016 by Don Merritt

Mark 10:32-45

Parallel Texts: Matthew 20:17-28; Luke 18:31-34

This interesting passage begins with Jesus predicting what his fate would be again, and then takes an odd shift when James and John ask for something they don’t understand. In the end, Jesus sort of grants their wish and then tells them what they’ve chosen…

Can’t you just picture the procession as they all marched towards Jerusalem? Jesus is in the lead, followed by the disciples, who in turn were followed by crowds of people. The disciples were astonished at where they were headed, while the people were afraid… but what did they fear? It would seem that the plotting of the Pharisees was not a well-kept secret.

At some point along the way, Jesus takes the disciples aside and tells them what is going to happen again; did they understand it this time?

This is where James and John enter the picture, asking Jesus to grant them a wish. They wanted to be seated at Jesus’ right and left in the Kingdom. Apparently, they thought they were going into Jerusalem where Jesus would perform a miracle, kick the Romans out, put the Pharisees in their place and move into the palace to be an earthly king, and they wanted the seats of honor for themselves.

I must conclude they didn’t understand what Jesus was telling them.

Oh yes, of course they can drink the cup and have the baptism that Jesus would have, yeah, sign me up!

Well, they got a part of their wish, but not really the good part; they would be persecuted, abused and killed. But the seating arrangements were something else again.  Now the other 10 are ticked off because James and John are trying to get the good seats ahead of the others, when Jesus explains how things will work in the Kingdom:

“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 10:42b-45

Unlike an earthly, human kingdom, the Kingdom of Heaven is not run by big shots. If you want to be honored in this Kingdom, you must be the slave of all!  If you read the previous post, you will recall that it all came down to setting self aside for the sake of the gospel. Here, Jesus is teaching the same thing again, and do they get it this time?

I doubt it.

We might wonder how they could be so dense, how they could fail to see what Jesus was telling them, but let’s not forget that they did not yet see how the story ends, and we have seen it, so it’s only natural that we should have no problem seeing their mistake. That however, brings up another question: Why is it that most Christians don’t comprehend what Jesus was teaching them?

Oh sure, we can all give the correct Sunday school answers, most of us can quote the verses… and we still want to be first, we still want to be recognized, honored and fussed over. We want to follow Jesus when it suits us, and to do our own thing when we want to… and we love to point fingers at others when they mess up.

So… we know the disciples got it eventually, so the question is more for our time than for theirs:

When will most of us finally get the picture?

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Jesus Teaches Many Things

Posted on March 17, 2016 by Don Merritt

Mark 10:1-31

Parallel Texts: Matthew 19:1 – 20:16; Luke 18:15-30

Jesus has now left Galilee behind and crossed into Judea, and the crowds are large. In the first part of this passage, the Pharisees attempt to trap Him with a question about divorce. Surely they are aware of His teaching on the subject in the Sermon on the Mount, in which Jesus took a tough stand on the subject, saying that divorce is not permissible except for “unfaithfulness”. Pleas recall that “unfaithfulness” is a covenant term, and not always a sexual term.  Apparently, the Pharisees hoped to catch Jesus in a legal trap, since divorce was permitted under the Law of Moses, but as you might expect, they were no match for Him.

Then there is the incident of the little children being kept away from Jesus by His disciples, and Jesus’ displeased reaction much as we have seen before. Then Jesus has a visit from a rich guy, a visit that brings the first two incidents into sharp focus.

It seems that this rich guy was quite a righteous man, and Jesus had an interesting reaction:

Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.

Mark 10:21-22

The man told Jesus that he had kept the commandments since he was a boy, and Jesus looked at him and loved him. I highly doubt that Jesus loved the man because the man had somehow “purchased” His love by keeping commandments; clearly the man had a good heart and desired to follow God. Yet in the end, he goes away sad, for he was very wealthy. Before we continue, I must point out that the text does not say that the man didn’t do as Jesus asked, it only says that he was sad.

In verses 23-26, we see the reaction of the disciples to all of this, and Jesus’ teaching on the subject. The disciples were surprised that it is difficult for the rich to enter the Kingdom, Jesus underscores the point with a little bit of hyperbole:  “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” I can’t tell you how many times I have heard people cite this and claim the rich are all going to hell, but that is foolish talk, and more about modern-day politics than Jesus’ teaching… this is hyperbole to make a point: It’s hard! The disciples ask how anyone can be saved, and Jesus gives the answer that sums up this section:

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”

Mark 10:27

Neither you nor I can force our way into heaven, but with God we can get there. We are imperfect, we mess up, we stumble around and struggle with rule books and traditions and the things of this world, but God makes all things possible through Christ. This rich guy had a great deal of earthly wealth, and that is hard to walk away from, and the same is true today. If a person is homeless, with nothing to their name but the shirt on their back, they have nothing to lose in following Christ, but someone with a great deal…? They have a great deal to lose. Yet for each one of us, there is more in following Jesus than leaving money or wealth behind, for these are only physical things; we are called to leave self behind, and that is hard for any one of us to do, no matter what our balance sheet may say.

But with God, all things are possible!

Then Peter spoke up, “We have left everything to follow you!”

 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

Mark 10:28-31

The disciples had left their livelihoods and careers behind to follow Jesus, many will be called to do that, and others may need to leave their families behind, but all will receive much more both in this life and in eternity, and when we are willing to follow Jesus and leave all of the old ways behind, our God is ever-faithful to keep His promises. It is true that many will say we’re crazy, for setting self aside for this is not the way of this world, but it is God’s way; it is the line that separates those who are in Christ from those who refuse to follow Him.

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Teaching the Disciples

Posted on March 17, 2016 by Don Merritt

Mark 9:30-50

Parallel Texts: Matthew 17:22-23; 18:1-14; Luke 9:43-50

Jesus and the disciples are on the road heading for home. As they walk along, Jesus tells them a second time that He must die and rise again. Of course, the disciples aren’t really sure what all of that means, so they don’t speak much, for this discussion scares them. Later on, they began to argue among themselves.

When they arrive, Jesus asked them what they had been arguing about. They don’t want to tell Him, because they had been arguing about which would be the greatest. As you might expect, they really didn’t need to tell Him; He already knew.

Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.”

He took a little child whom he placed among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.”

Mark 9:35-37

They were arguing about which would be the greatest, and Jesus tells them clearly that if you want to be great in the Kingdom, you must be the servant of all! Well, I can just imagine how this struck them; probably it struck them much the same way it strikes us. To be great I need to become a servant? This wouldn’t seem to reflect the way we normally think. Yet the Kingdom doesn’t operate the way the world does, does it? Whoever welcomes a little child, welcomes Jesus, and if you welcome Jesus, you welcome His Father, for it would seem that God Himself isn’t one to lord it over anyone.

Very revealing.

Another subject comes up: The disciples were irritated that someone else was driving out demons in Jesus’ name; Jesus was cool with it. This person, whoever it was, was acting in Jesus’ name, and if that is so, he isn’t opposing Him: Anyone who isn’t against Him is for Him.  I hope that we can all spare a few moments to reflect on that statement, for it is profound indeed, especially in a Kingdom context.

Our passage ends with Jesus teaching the disciples about things that cause a person to stumble in their faith. It is important for us to recognize that Jesus is using hyperbole here; no He is not commanding that we disfigure or dismember ourselves. What He is teaching is a priority system of putting God first, putting His kingdom first, and always serving the Kingdom and our Lord in humility, lest we should fall away and come to a desperate situation. Anyone who causes another person to be thus damaged will regret their actions.

With that said, I hope we don’t lose sight of the fact that amidst all of this hyperbole, there is a positive teaching, one of love and brotherhood, one of hope and eternal life. Purpose, always purpose, and not condemnation. We are the salt of the earth, and salt is a preservative. It is also a flavor enhancer, bringing out all of the flavors within a food, just as we can bring out all of the nuance and flavor of God in us in a world that is starving for light and goodness. Yet salt is a funny thing: Too little and everything is bland and unappealing. Too much can be lethal, but just right brings out the best of everything.

We might want to reflect on this, too.

 

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Photo of the Week: March 16, 2016

Posted on March 16, 2016 by Don Merritt

CB2014 016

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Everything is Possible

Posted on March 16, 2016 by Don Merritt

Mark 9:14-29

Parallel Texts:  Matthew 17:14-20; Luke 9:37-43

When Jesus, Peter, James and John returned to the other disciples after the transfiguration, there was a dispute in progress; the teachers of the Law were arguing with the disciples. The people in the crowd see Jesus and come running to Him. “What are you arguing about” He asks, but before they could answer a man steps up and begs Jesus to help his son who was possessed by an impure spirit. Mark does not record for us what the argument was about.

The man goes into a fair amount of detail regarding his poor son’s plight, and tells Jesus that His disciples on the scene were unable to drive the demon out of the boy, and asks Jesus to do it. Jesus’ answer is puzzling:

“You unbelieving generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.”

Mark 9:19

Mark doesn’t elaborate on what Jesus was referring to here. When the spirit saw Jesus, it went wild within the boy.

Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?”

“From childhood,” he answered. “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”

“‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.”

Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

Mark 9:21-24

The demon is going crazy in the boy, people are watching, nobody has answered his previous question, and yet Jesus seems as cool as a cucumber. That poor father tells Jesus of the horrors of the boy’s life, can you imagine what that must have been like? Then the man says something perfectly reasonable, but Jesus doesn’t seem to think so. “If you can do something.” Nobody else had been able, but Jesus isn’t just anybody else!

“‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.” Everything is possible? Really? Do you believe that? Why am I so often told so much about what can’t be done?

Well the man made a snap decision: He was going to believe; he even realized that he might need help moving forward, but he was going to start believing right then and there.

Jesus drove out the demon right then and there.

As I read this, I see that we have come face-to-face with one of those moments when we need to ask ourselves if we really believe that what we believe is really real.

Well, do we?

The disciples ask Jesus why they had been unable to drive this spirit out of the boy, and Jesus seems to give an almost nonchalant answer: “This kind can come out only by prayer.” What did Jesus mean by this remark?

The text doesn’t say.

I’ve read commentaries in which the author professes to know exactly what Jesus meant by that, and while confidence is all well and good, the truth is that we can only speculate and wonder.

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Transfiguration

Posted on March 16, 2016 by Don Merritt

Mark 9:2-13

Parallel Texts: Matthew 17:1-13; Luke 9:28-36

Six days go by, and then Jesus takes Peter, James and John with him up a nearby mountain. When they arrive, the three disciples are treated to an awesome and shocking sight; the transfiguration. Suddenly, Jesus is transformed to a heavenly state, His clothing shines brightly, and He is joined by Moses and Elijah; they are speaking together. The disciples are terrified, and who can blame them?

Peter blurts out that they should build three shrines, but suddenly they are joined by another presence, a presence within a descending cloud, and then a voice speaks:

“This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!” (v. 7)

Think about that sight, these events so far…

Jesus, Moses and Elijah speaking together: Jesus, the Law and the Prophets speaking together. From the Jewish point of view, life is wrapped up in the Law (Moses) and the Prophets (Elijah). Then the voice of God tells them to listen to Jesus! The voice tells them that Jesus is the One He loves. Hold on a minute; what about the Law and the Prophets?

Poof! They are gone!

Jesus would shortly fulfill the Law and the Prophets; their day had come and would shortly be gone, leaving only Jesus.

Jesus asked them to keep this to themselves until He had risen from the dead, and they are confused about this rising from the dead part, because even now they are thinking from an earthly point of view,

And they asked him, “Why do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?”

Jesus replied, “To be sure, Elijah does come first, and restores all things. Why then is it written that the Son of Man must suffer much and be rejected? But I tell you, Elijah has come, and they have done to him everything they wished, just as it is written about him.”

Mark 9:11-13

There are many theories on this text, and as usual, I will let others speculate on the fine points, while I simply point out the obvious ones.  Why was it said that Elijah would come first? Because he would come first, and he had come first. The people so entirely misunderstood the prophecies concerning Elijah, that they killed him. Now they were with Messiah, and the people so completely misunderstood the prophecies about Jesus, that they would soon kill Him also. Many at the time believed that Elijah would return to restore all things, but they were being a bit too literal, for as we now know, the One who will restore all things is Jesus, who in fact has already done just that, having restored Man to God though the forgiveness of sins and with the gift of eternal life.

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A Bright Future

Posted on March 15, 2016 by Don Merritt

In the last post on Mark, “Peter Gets it Wrong.”  we saw some interesting things. We saw Peter get it wrong, after being so right on the money only a short time earlier. Remember how he was the first to state out loud who Jesus was: The Messiah, the Son of the living God? Then, as Jesus predicts His own death and resurrection, Peter takes Jesus aside to straighten Him out; no Lord, you mustn’t die… and how Jesus rebukes Peter for his lack of understanding. And then, you might recall how Jesus taught that we must not be concerned with things that are merely of the earthly life, and with earthly views, but rather how we must learn to set all of that aside to follow Him. Yes, we saw many things!

There was one more thing that Jesus told them on that occasion, one more thing that would tie everything else together, a wonderful thing…

And he said to them, “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see that the kingdom of God has come with power.”

Mark 9:1

On the Kingdom Tour, Jesus has been teaching that the Kingdom was at hand, and all along the way, He has been doing and saying things that illustrate what the Kingdom would be like, and I have pointed those out to you as we’ve gone along the way. Things like how He was preaching righteousness, healing the sick and lame, driving out demons, forgiving sins, and even raising someone from the dead. The Kingdom would be like that, for it would remove the penalty for sin through forgiveness, and ultimately it would restore Mankind to the relationship with God that had been lost when Adam and Eve sinned in the garden. Those afflictions like sickness, blindness and the loss of limbs were consequences of that rebellion, as was oppression by evil spirits and even death itself.

It is one thing to say that this Kingdom was at hand, but it was quite another to say that some of you here will see its coming with power.

As we know, He told them the truth, for after His death and resurrection from the dead, the Kingdom came with power at Pentecost, and that Kingdom is here even now. But!! That Kingdom is not of this world. It is manifested on this earth in the church, which is supposed to be a place of healing, love and grace. Of course, we still get sick and die physically, for we are still in this world. Yet we must also remember that we are not of this world, for we are citizens of a heavenly Kingdom. We must not forget that just as Jesus rose bodily from the grave, so will we, for we have received the gift of eternal life and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Finally, we must also keep in mind that the day will come when everything of this world will come to an end.

As it worked out, most of the Jews rejected this whole thing, for they were looking for a different king and a different Kingdom. Amazingly, a great number of Christians today are making the same mistake, looking for an earthly Kingdom that is still to come: There is no earthly Kingdom to come, there is eternity to come.

So many arguments come from this, so many tangled interpretations in which the presupposition is more important than the Scriptures, robbing so many of the awesome harmony of the Scriptures and creating so much confusion and discord. And the saddest thing of all? So many miss the amazing power of what we have within us right now.

When the Kingdom came with power on that Pentecost so long ago, the world we live in opposed it with everything they could muster. The religious authorities twisted and connived to discredit it, the culture opposed it economically and socially, the civil authorities banned it and persecuted it, demons attacked it, and in the background, Satan himself was pulling the strings… yet they were overcome by the power of weakness and meekness, and so the battle continues today. It is so very different from at first, and yet so very much the same, just as Scriptures predicted.

What will be the outcome of this conflict? Victory, glory and eternity with Christ!

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Peter Gets it Wrong

Posted on March 15, 2016 by Don Merritt

He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.

But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”

Mark 8:31-33

Parallel Texts: Matthew 16:21-28; Luke 9:22-27

Let’s get the timing right: Jesus asks the disciples who people say that He is, and they mention some of the buzz going around. Then He asks them who they say He is and Peter boldly announces that He is the Messiah, the Son of the living God. Jesus asks them to keep that to themselves and then proceeds to tell them He must be rejected suffer and die… and that He will rise from the grave on the third day, whereupon Peter takes Him aside to rebuke Him!

That’s right dear reader, only moments after acknowledging that Jesus is the Son of the living God, Peter is taking Him aside to straighten Him out! I can be pretty bold myself, but I’ve got nothing on old Peter!

“Get thee behind me Satan!”  How many times have you heard someone repeat this famous line? Maybe you’ve used it yourself a time or two… as I have.  Commentators write page after page about the finer points of meaning that they draw from this statement, preachers preach sermons on it…

That statement is not the point. Speculations about Satan are not the point. How many times do we quote His next remark? “You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”

Merely human concerns; yep, the stuff we almost  always think about. Jesus explains this further:

Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”

Mark 8:34-38

Most of the time, this is in a different sermon, but it is Jesus’ reply to Peter telling Him He must allow Himself to be killed; it is the explanation of “Get thee behind me Satan,” Jesus is on the earth for a reason, to accomplish a mission, to do His Father’s bidding, not to live long and prosper; so are you and me. How much time we waste being concerned about our own comfort, how much time we waste being entertained! Is that all there is to life?

In our time, the idea of denying oneself is entirely foreign, counter-cultural and counter-intuitive. Do people make money selling books about self-denial? Do politicians get elected to office by promising that the government will stop handing out money and benefits?

No, not as a rule.

A person who loses his life for Christ and the gospel is a person who puts the interests of others ahead of his own. He or she is someone who serves God by serving others in a way that advances God’s purpose; such a person finds life.  A person who chases after the pleasures of this world loses their soul in the end, for they have not followed the example of Jesus Christ. Oh yes, maybe it’s been quite the ride, but when it’s over, it’s over.

Ask yourself this question: Where would we be if Jesus had taken Peter’s advice? Where would God’s purpose have been if He had listened?

If you are concerned merely with human concerns, who will take the gospel to your neighbors, friends, coworkers… That’s right, what will become of them? Will we act as though we are ashamed of Jesus in the face of opposition in this life? How will Jesus respond to that?

Hint: The answer is in our text!

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Peter Gets it Right

Posted on March 14, 2016 by Don Merritt

Mark 8:27-30

Parallel Texts: Matthew 16:13-20; Luke 9:18-21

After Jesus restores sight to a blind man in 8:22-26, Mark cuts to a new scene.  Jesus and the disciples are walking toward  Caesarea Philippi, and along the way Jesus asks them who people say that He is.’ They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.”’ (v. 28) Then Jesus drops the big question:

“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.”

Mark 8:29

Matthew has it this way:

Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

Matthew 16:16

Some refer to this as “The Great Confession” for it is upon this confession that the church stands.  As Matthew makes clear in 16:17-20, not only does the church stand upon this foundation, but also our hope of overcoming death itself rests here, for it is only through the belief that Jesus is indeed the Messiah, the Son of the Living God that that anyone will receive eternal life.

Sadly, there is much controversy on this passage, but I must remind myself that we are studying Mark, not Matthew! Suffice it say that the rock is the acknowledgement of the truth of Jesus’ identity  and not the poor vessel who first stated it, for in the very next section, Peter will demonstrate his lack of understanding of the totality of what he has said!

Mark finishes this part of the scene by simply stating that Jesus warned the disciples not to tell anyone about this. He does not give a reason for this warning. Maybe we should wait and see if anything will shed light on this as Mark continues.

You might be detecting a subtle shift in Mark’s tone, for while his presentation remains choppy with short scenes moving quickly along, from this point, the tone of Mark’s writing will become more and more serious. He has already begun to provide us with more details more often, and that trend will continue, and though he never provides the amount of in-depth coverage that Matthew and John will provide in parallel texts, Mark will be filling in more details from here on out than he has previously about certain things.

Well, Peter has attained a spiritual high in this text, being the first to say who Jesus is, let’s see if he can stay on that high plane in the next section.

 

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Pharisees, Politicians and Yeast

Posted on March 14, 2016 by Don Merritt

Mark 8:14-21

Parallel Text: Matthew 16:5-12

Remember the last post in which we saw the encounter Jesus had with some Pharisees; they demanded a sign and Jesus refused to give them one, and went back to the boat. In this passage, they are out in the boat when Jesus who, apparently out of the blue, tells them to beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Herod. (Matthew recalls it as “Pharisees and Sadducees”)

The disciples have no idea what He is talking about, and assume He is referring to the fact that they only had one loaf of bread.  Jesus reminds them of the fact that He can make that one loaf into thousands if He wants to and seems incredulous at their lack of understanding. By now, you should see that there is a pattern here: Jesus has an entirely different point of view than everybody else. He isn’t concerned about the merely physical, about the things of this world. The disciples, on the other hand, see things the way everybody else sees them; physical, practical, earthly, here and now.  They don’t understand where Jesus is coming from most of the time, and frankly who can blame them?

Don’t most Christians think the same way the disciples were thinking?

“Of course Jesus is at the center of my life, yes I am following Him wherever He leads, absolutely I would do anything to help build His Kingdom… but right now I’m too busy.” “Well, I don’t think He means I should have to do that!”

No, they didn’t understand what He was talking about.

Matthew tells us that Jesus was referring to the teachings of the Pharisees and Sadducees in 16:12.

The disciples might have stopped to think about what yeast represents in Scripture: SIN!

But Mark mentions Herod, was Herod a teacher? In a way he was, just like President Obama is in a sense a teacher. He was their political leader, and held great influence with many people, as does President Obama (or whoever might hold office). We have already seen how the Pharisees and Herod viewed Jesus as a threat to their positions, and the Sadducees would be right there with them… this guy needs to go away!

Think about the conversation Jesus has just had: After feeding the 4,000 by a miracle, the Pharisees wanted a sign. That demand was itself a sign, for it announced in a clear and unambiguous way that they were going to oppose Jesus and the Kingdom everywhere they encountered it.  They would use their influence, along with that of Herod (strange bedfellows indeed) to stop Jesus at all costs. Beware the yeast of the Pharisees and Herod!

It’s time to get a clue boys!

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