Mark 10:(32-34) 35-45 - ESV
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.”
35 And
James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to him and said to him,
“Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” 36 And he said to
them, “What do you want me to do for you?” 37 And they said
to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your
left, in your glory.” 38 Jesus said to
them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the
cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am
baptized?” 39 And they said to him, “We are able.” And
Jesus said to them, “The cup that I
drink you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am
baptized, you will be baptized, 40 but to
sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for
those for whom it has been prepared.” 41 And when the
ten heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John. 42 And
Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You
know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over
them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 43 But it
shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your
servant, 44 and whoever would be first
among you must be slave of all. 45 For even
the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his
life as a ransom for many.”
A Misunderstanding
How do we misunderstand Jesus? We
misunderstand Jesus’ mission and path to the cross. Sometimes my human sin
causes me to think that Jesus’ trip to that cross revolves around me. Sometimes
I think that this trip to Jerusalem, this trip to the cross, revolves around my
need, my salvation, my wants, my desires. This trip to Jerusalem, this trip to
the cross, revolves around Jesus. What does this trip mean for you, for me, for
the disciples following Jesus? My misunderstanding is about what this trip
means to me.
In this passage of Gospel text; Jesus IS
courageous. Jesus knows his destination of suffering and death coming into
Jerusalem. Yet, he leads on. Jesus leads his followers, his disciples, on to
Jerusalem. Jesus leads the way, as we follow. Here, Jesus is the ultimate
demonstration of love in laying down his life for ALL. Jesus lays down his life,
not just for his followers, not just for his disciples, but, for all the world.
Jesus went to extremes, in this journey to Jerusalem, this journey to the
cross.
Will we go to extremes, with him? Will we
go out into danger in love for our neighbor? Will we go into danger for the
lost? Will we walk into the storm for the addicted? Will we venture into prison
for those confined for a time or for life? Will we be exiled with the sick and the
suffering? Or…
Will we stop just shy of the border? Will
we run away to our own comforts? Will we stop following Jesus just this side of
the cross?
Jesus walks ahead of us. If we are
serious about our belief… we follow. But, will we follow in the delusion of our
own journey to Power and Prestige, just because we have chosen to follow Jesus?
Because we want Jesus to do our will, and give us what we desire? Will we
follow Jesus because we want “MY will” to be done? Will we follow Jesus because
we want Jesus to make ME great?
These are difficult, soul-searching
questions. Questions that go to the core of our sinful nature. Questions that
convict us of our self-centered ways of living. Pause and think about your own
misunderstanding of this mission of Jesus. This is a mission, a walk, a
journey, not about you or me, or what we get. No! This is a mission of God and
God’s love for ALL the world.
Look at the words above. As the people
followed Jesus to Jerusalem, they were amazed and afraid. Likely emotions upon
following your Leader to a place of danger, a place of death… OR maybe a place
to conquer and win over all the world and defeat the oppressive rulers of the
day and become powerful and famous.
Jesus accepts the cup of his suffering
and death FOR ALL the world. Will I, will we, entertain small, petty, thoughts
of self, when big things are happening in the realm of God?
Remember just a few Sundays ago? Peter
didn’t “get” Jesus telling of his suffering and death and resurrection? Now,
James and John don’t get it. We all fall into the trap of thinking something
different about what Jesus is about to do here. We all fall into the trap of thinking
something different and selfish about the Kingdom that Jesus is establishing. We,
along with James, John, Peter, you and I, want a promise of greatness. We want
a promise of prestige and power, because we have chosen to follow Jesus. It’s
human! We certainly don’t want a call to servanthood, at such a time as this!
We are on a journey to Jerusalem. Jesus
is leading us to the cross…
In this journey we discover that life
does not swirl around our aches and pains. No! There is a new center in our
life, here, and now. And that center is Jesus!
But… Do we really want to go to the right
or left of Jesus? Do we really want to hang to the right or left of Jesus on
that cross? Really? Or… do we turn it all upon ourself again. Perhaps what we
really want is to be at the right or left of Jesus as He is in the Glory of Heaven.
What lay between Jesus and glory?
Suffering, death and yes, resurrection!
Greatness in the Kingdom of God does not
spin around me or my desires. In the Lord’s Prayer, we are taught to pray, “Thy
kingdom come.” The kingdom of God comes indeed by itself, without our prayer,
but we pray in this petition that it may also come to us. How? God’s kingdom
comes when our heavenly Father gives us his Holy Spirit, so that by his grace
we believe his holy Word and live a godly life now and in eternity. (Luther’s
Explanation to the Second Petition of the Lord’s Prayer).
Notice… by His Grace… we believe. No, the
kingdom of God does not spin around me or you or any of us. The kingdom of God
comes through Jesus. The kingdom of God requires the mark of Jesus’ own blood. The
kingdom of God requires the piercings of Jesus hands, feet and side. The
kingdom of God requires Jesus to die.
Look what happens, in this passage of
scripture! The reaction is so human! The group of disciples join in on their jealous
desires for personal greatness in the kingdom of God. The disease of sin,
spreads. Help us, Lord!
Can, you, too, offer your life? There is
a cost to following Jesus. We must feel the pain. We must know the pain. We
must see evil! As we follow Jesus to Jerusalem, to the cross; it’s time to
forget the lilies for now. At this moment in our following of Jesus, in the
disciples following of Jesus’ it’s time to face sin, death and evil.
This is tuff stuff! Can you too, die?
As followers, perhaps, we misunderstand.
Jesus purpose on this journey to Jerusalem, this journey to the cross, was not
a journey to pride, ambition or conquest, no, Jesus’ way was of service.
Our words say we will follow. But,
instead, we flee from the cross. We say we are able to drink from Jesus’ cup…
But, How?
The only way we can drink from Jesus’ cup
is in the power of God. I can’t drink from this cup from my own power, works or
righteousness. No! I need the power of God in me to be able to drink from this
cup.
In the kingdom of God, true greatness
pours out of service. Greatness in the kingdom of God, flows forth in service
to God and to our neighbor. As we follow Jesus to the cross, Jesus demonstrates
who is the greatest. The greatest is the one who gives himself up to God and to
neighbor to serve and to love. Jesus IS the perfect pattern.
Jesus, we plead, show us how to serve you
and all those God gives to us in our lives here and now and forever more. As we
follow you to that cross, teach us over and over. Jesus, make us naked again as
we serve you and you alone!
Jesus demonstrates servanthood for ALL.
Jesus shows how to serve and give. Jesus saves ALL those God gives, from evil.
How? By substituting himself for US.
Lord God, through Jesus, move us from
passive to active, as we follow Jesus. Move us from being served to serving.
Move us from being loved to loving. Move all your people from being ministered
to, to being ministers. Take away our selfish desired to be followed, to
following. Who? Jesus!
Lord this week, as I have meditated on
your Word, I have realized that in Jesus, I can follow the source of eternal salvation.
I can hear your Word from that cross… “Forgive them.” I can hear from you… “Today
you will be with me in Paradise.”
Move me from my desire to strive for
selfish praise, and my desire of power. Move me to accept the cup of death to
self and to live to serve God and all those God gives to me each and every day
of my life. May I empty myself. For power is in emptying myself for others.
Romans 3:20-24 - ESV
20 For by
works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight,
since through the law comes knowledge of sin.
21 But now the
righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law,
although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the
righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who
believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all
have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and
are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is
in Christ Jesus,
Yes! I will follow! Help me, I pray, to serve and love God,
and to serve and love all those You choose to give to me… today… tomorrow… and
forever. --- Amen
I leave you with this Chris Tomlin song from YouTube…
May God bless you always!
Bill
No comments:
Post a Comment