Gospel According to Mark, Talk 10 (Mark 10): 5/3/12 INTRODUCTION Paint outline Who then can be saved? by The Rev d Adam Lowe What an incredibly exciting chapter. We re now embarking upon the journey with Jesus to Jerusalem. In fact, chapter 10, acts as a hinge between Jesus Galilean ministry (all of that which we ve explored in Chapters 1 through 9) and the events that will unfold in Jerusalem (which begins with his triumphal entry in Chapter 11). So here in the middle, Chapter 10, as Jesus enters Judea on the road to Jerusalem, we get this smorgasbord of encounters between Jesus and a whole range of people. We re talking about a diverse bunch of people: pharisees, a rich young man, the disciples, and of course the children and blind Bartimaeus. And whilst there s lots of content that we could dig into today - the huge one of course being divorce - I m not going to do that. If you want to know my thoughts about that, please read the Bible notes from this week. This morning, I want us to look at the whole chapter and ask three key questions of the people who encountered Jesus here. So, the three questions are: {S} 1. How did they receive Jesus? 2. What was in their hearts? 3. Who then can be saved? A) QUESTIONS 1 & 2 So let s look at the first one, how did they receive Jesus? You know, we welcome people in our lives in all sorts of ways, and of course to various extents. If you were ever to be welcomed by someone who is royal like the Queen, then they ll actually welcome you in their reception room. They have a special room to receive visitors. And, we do a similar thing in our own homes. We have private spaces and public areas of the home in which we might gather with guests. And you know we can do the same with God. The extent to which we receive, let him into lives can vary. We might not want him to even come in the door. Or we might decide that some rooms, some parts of our lives, we want them to be off-limits to God. So as we look at how these people receive Jesus (Pharisees, Rich Young Man, Disciples, and Children and Bartimaeus), I want us to think about how we receive Jesus as he stands on our doorstep. Pharisees: How did they receive Jesus? Test So Pharisees, how did they receive Jesus? They tested him, or more to the point, they tried to trick him into treason. {S} It s a politically sensitive scenario (vv.1-12). Remember that Jesus is now back in the territory where John the Baptist used to operate and John was beheaded in part for criticising Herod Antipas for marrying his brother s wife. We know it relates to the situation with Herod, because of the clue in verses 10-12 when Jesus talks with the disciples in private. He not only talks about the possibility of men divorcing women, but the also that of women divorcing men. That s not normally how it happened. That s why verse 4 talks about men writing a certificate of divorce. But you know which woman divorced her husband? Herodias - Herod s wife. The Rev d Adam Lowe 1 The Rev d Adam Lowe 2
So when the Pharisees ask that question: is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife? (v.2), they re trying to receive Jesus on a technical basis - in a very calculated way that will trap him. Pharisees: What was in their hearts? Ego I wonder if we ever do that with God? We go to God and try to get him on a technicality?! It seems like a really rational approach. But actually, if we consider the second question What was in their hearts I think it highlights to us, that this is less about cognitive objections and more about hardness of hearts. We keep coming back to the fact, that if you want to know Jesus, if you want to experience a life-changing relationship with God, it s not going to happen until you have a change of heart. The Pharisees are actually completely full of themselves and their own way. Now - I ve got a confession, I don t actually know what was in their hearts, but I think we can take a pretty good guess. It was their ego. {S} They re not even remotely open to the possibility that they could be wrong and Jesus could be right. In fact, their so centred on their own way, their own power, that they re trying to trick Jesus into getting into a lot of trouble so that the threat of Jesus is removed. I don t think it s a coincidence, that Jesus explains the reason why Moses allowed certificates of divorce to be written, had nothing to do with it being right or wrong, but everything to do with the hardness of hearts. An allowance had to be made, because humanity couldn t meet the standards and original intention of God. So the Pharisees were so hard in their heart, that they not only wouldn t let Jesus into their lives, but they actually wanted him to go away permanently. Rich Young Man: How did he receive Jesus? Turndown {S} Compare that with the Rich Young Man who turns Jesus down. He s obviously pretty keen. Look at verse 17: As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. Good teacher, he asked, what must I do to inherit eternal life? He actually must, at some level, recognise who Jesus is, or at least see the authority that he commands. The man think he s pretty good, his upheld all the laws, but he can t see that even he has fallen short. Just because he s done all the right things, it doesn t make him inherently good. How does Jesus prove that, by looking at him and lovingly saying (v.21) 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. This isn t a mean response by Jesus - it s loving. He loves the man, and he wants him to have eternal life. For the rich young man, his wealth had become a stumbling block. That doesn t mean money is a stumbling block for everyone, but it doesn t preclude the possibility either. Unable, or unwilling, to respond to Jesus and put God first, the rich young man turns Jesus down. Rich Young Man: What was in his heart? Money {S} The thing in his heart, that he treasured most, was his money. Can you see the way, that even though that this man seems to have a soft heart, the junk in the way prevents him from receiving Jesus. Friends, if anything in your life is a stumbling block to you receiving Jesus, do something about it. Don t let false riches rob you of the true richness of eternal life with God. If you re a bit like the rich man, you want to let Jesus into your life but you re scared that you will have to give something up, here s my advice: Take the plunge. Because I m telling you - whatever you thought was so The Rev d Adam Lowe 3 The Rev d Adam Lowe 4
important that it has to come before God - once you ve put it aside and God first, you ll never look back. Disciples: How did he receive Jesus? Twist {S} How about the disciples, how did they go? They twist Jesus words! You ve got to wonder sometimes if they re walking around with their fingers in their ears. They seem to have this ability to take Jesus words, and twist them to their own purposes. Ultimately, they seem to only want to accept Jesus on their own terms. Despite all of Jesus hints that his trip to Jerusalem is going to culminate with his suffering and death upon the cross, the disciples are still hoping that Jesus will overturn the Romans and be sitting on a throne. So James and John (10:35-45) request of Jesus that they might sit at Jesus right and left side. It s pretty puzzling that they re asking such a question because it wasn t long ago in chapter 8 (vv.33-37) that the disciples were caught out arguing about who is the greatest. They re basically trying to negotiate a deal with Jesus. Friends, this too isn t the way to receive Jesus. Disciples: What was in their hearts? Power {S} What was in their hearts? The desire for power. Jesus constantly tells us, including here, that when it comes to power, it s all turned upside down in the Kingdom of God. It s not like in this world. 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, 44 and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. 45 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. (vv.42b-45) So despite the poor reception of Jesus by the Pharisees, the Rich Young Man, and even the Disciples, we can learn so much about how we should receive Jesus by looking at the children and the blind man. There s one word to describe how how the Children and Bartimaeus receive Jesus - with complete TRUST. Trust (Children & Bartimaeus) {S} When we re sitting on the floor, one of the games our nephew loves playing is to run towards us at full pace, leap through the air, with us to catch him. This requires a complete and utter trust that we ll catch him. He seems completely uninhibited by the realities of gravity. I can t help but get a similar image as the parents and the children come before Jesus. It s a similar scenario with Bartimaeus. There s something in Bartimaeus that recognises who Jesus is. In fact, despite being physically Blind, Bartimaeus is the one who sees Jesus for who is he really is. The Messiah. That s what the title means as he calls out Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me. He has complete trust that Jesus can do something about his circumstance. In both instances, the Children and Bartimaeus are thought by others to be a waste of Jesus time. They re just kids. He s just a blind beggar. What could they possibly have to offer Jesus? They re of no importance. They ve got no money. They ve got no power. But you know what they do have: the only thing that matters. Hearts in the right place. Trying to receive Jesus, to get our own way, as some sort of power-play, is not the right approach. The Rev d Adam Lowe 5 The Rev d Adam Lowe 6
Helplessness and Love (Children & Bartimaeus) {S} They ve got hearts that recognise Jesus for who he is, and accordingly are flung wide open. They know they re helpless without God, and there s nothing in the way to prevent their love for Jesus shining. We know that this is the type of response that Jesus wants us to emulate. Not that their response is good, but their response is the pattern for us to follow. In verse 15, Jesus says: I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it. C) WHO THEN CAN BE SAVED? How about like the Rich Young Man - is it those who trust in money? No, because we know the wealth of this world fades. We know how easily money can become the substitute for God in our lives. {S} How about like the Disciples? Is it those who trust in themselves? No, because we re ultimately powerless to change our own eternity by our own efforts. {S} The answer of course to the question Who then can be saved? is, those who trust in Jesus as Messiah, the Son of God. {S} Those who receive Jesus like the children and Bartimaeus - throwing away the inhibition, opening up their hearts, cleaning out the obstacles, and receiving Jesus with all that we have! What s impossible with man, is possible with God (v.27). God defeated sin and death on the cross, and rose victorious in resurrection. Jesus give his life as a ransom for many (v.45). Question is raised by the rich man s predicament... Friends, it s pretty obvious to me, that if we re going to read this chapter we have to be confronted with the question of our eternity. Jesus makes example of receiving the kingdom of God like children. The question which is top of mind for the rich young man is what must I do to inherit eternal life (v.17). And when Jesus talks about how much of a stumbling block wealth is, the disciples respond with a critical question for us all: who then can be saved? What can we rely on? Well what do we see in the encounters today? If the contrasting characteristic between the children and Bartimaeus and all the others (i.e., the Pharisees, the Rich Young Man, and the Disciples) is trust, then in what can we trust to be saved? {S} Like the Pharisees, is it those who trust in the Law? No, because the Law is only intended to help us live in harmony with God. And we know can t keep it. {S}. CONCLUSION Jesus is just alright with me. See I reckon most of us think that Jesus is okay. I mean, we re not comfortable with some of his more challenging sayings, but actually having a bit of Jesus in your life - at least the safe version we concoct - can be pretty nice. A bit Jesus-flavoured. But friends, that isn t enough. See I think a lot of the problem is we get things the wrong way around. We can be tricked to think that we just add a bit of Jesus, incorporate Jesus, into our lives. But it s meant to be much more than that. We re the ones being incorporated into him. I want you to think for a moment. You ve got a guest knocking at your door. He s names Jesus. How do you receive him? The Rev d Adam Lowe 7 The Rev d Adam Lowe 8
With a few curly and tricky questions, in order to get rid of him. By plain out turning him down, because he seems to ask too much of you. By trying to negotiate with him, in order to feed your own agenda. Or do you run out as he comes up the street with your arms and hearts flung wide upon to receive him. When we welcome Jesus - it means we welcome what he has done for us. We welcome that our sins died on that cross. We welcome that death has been defeated. We welcome that as he rose, we too will rise. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. (Rev 3:20) The Rev d Adam Lowe 9