Mark 10:35-52

Mark 10:35-52

If you want to be great in God's Kingdom you may already be on the wrong track. Greatness in the kingdom is the byproduct not the objective. Being great is contrary to the path of discipleship, so much so, that the ones who are truly great are unaware that they are great. Any disciple whose objective is to be great and will use service as a means to that end will soon become distracted by his true objective. Nowhere in Scripture do we see Jesus in anyway pursuing greatness; rather, He seeks service. The way of the disciple is not up, but down.

We don’t know if James and John were less pious than the other disciples. They may have just had more initiative. We do know they were men of faith. They fully believed Jesus would have a Kingdom and they wanted to be all in. For all their failures, at least they did have a high confidence in Jesus's kingship.

This passage is filled with irony. To be at the right and left of Christ at the moment victory was finally won was given to two bandits on their crosses. Also, at the last supper it appears that Judas the traitor and John the youngest were the ones who ate next to Jesus. There's also the last irony that the Son of Man (see Daniel 7:13-14) did not come to receive, but rather to give service.

If a disciple should not seek position of power neither should a disciple keep people from the Lord. The healing of blind Bartimaeus is a practical example of the wrong thinking of the disciples about greatness. They actively try to keep an unimportant person away from Jesus. What could Bartimaeus possibly do for Jesus? The disciples were keenly aware that the coming Kingdom would involve struggles. They wanted to make sure those who got access to Jesus had something useful to bring to the cause. While we ought to try to be like Bartimaeus and his faith, there is another lesson here for us also. Do not be like the disciples who used their power to be an impediment to those who would find Christ.

"Lord, help me forgetful of position but very mindful of service. AMEN"

Mark 10:17-34

Mark 10:17-34

Whatever he had it was not enough. The one we call the rich young ruler came to Jesus because he hoped that this teacher from God would fill in the missing pieces of his life. This young man of privileged life had every advantage available on Earth, including a religious upbringing. The piety of his religion was real. He would be a most desirable addition to the disciple band. He was exactly what we most want in our church members, young, wealthy, pious, sincere, and deeply earnest. Running and kneeling are behaviors reserved for servants and slaves; this public display indicates the desperation he felt.

Jesus comes to the point of the “one thing”. We all have that “one thing” with which we struggle. His “one thing” was money, but everyone has “one thing” that is the last, single, great obstacle to being a disciple. He was so close, so honest and so excited. Jesus has a special rush of love for this man. Jesus loves everyone, but in reaction to our zeal for Him He responds with specific affection. Jesus moves to the core issue of this young man's heart. When you love someone you don't ignore the “one thing” that will ruin him or her.

When confronted by the “one thing” it was too much for the young man. This is the only case we see in Scripture where someone left Jesus with the emotion of sadness. Wealth produces a special difficulty in being a disciple; not worse just different. The one who has wealth can deceive himself into thinking he has no need. To come to the Savior we must begin by understanding that we are in great need.

Verse 24 repeats verse 23 and then expands it. Entrance into the kingdom is impossible apart from grace, but the wealthy have a unique difficulty in recognizing their need for grace. Peter begins to blow his own horn. Maybe he disliked or had a prejudice against the wealthy, many of us do. Jesus explains that the trade-off of being a disciple is a really good deal, both here and hereafter. But lest the disciples become impressed with their own sacrifice Jesus uses this moment to point for the sacrifice He will make. He who for our sake became poor may demand that we do the same for His sake.

"Lord, help me see the 'one thing' that might get in the way of my following You, and give me the grace to let it go. AMEN"

Mark 10:1-16

Mark 10:1-16

Everyone had a trick question by which they wanted to trap Jesus. For some it was paying taxes to Caesar. For others it was marriage and the resurrection. Here, for the Pharisees, it is marriage and divorce. And part of the trap of this question appears to be an apparent contradiction in the law. Jesus begins by getting them to show that they knew what the Word said. He then points out that the hardness of heart and not marriage is a problem. Divorce is a concession to the evil of man to prevent man from propagating a greater evil. Divorce is an evil, but it is not the worst evil that can happen. For example, polygamy was an evil permitted to prevent greater evil.

The disciples’ questioning of Jesus indicates that this was more than a passing comment. The call to the highest level of holy living was a challenge to them. The call to holy living is no stranger to us, but it nevertheless is still a challenge. What is not a challenge is for the child to trust in the one they love.

The Kingdom belongs to people like little children. There is a lot about little children that is not likeable. Ask any mom with a child in the “terrible twos” or the “tantrum threes” But they have this, those they love they trust. The child with the one they love is completely confident that the one they love will take care of everything. They have no fear or doubt. That is why the Kingdom is theirs. Without doubt the one who loves God receives the Kingdom because they are willing to ask for it. The lack of Kingdom living reveals the presence of fear and doubt. It is a reflection of a lack of trust which in turn reflects a lack of love.

"Lord help me to love You more deeply and in that trust You for fully. AMEN"