Tawa Baptist

Jesus’ Insight

Scripture: Mark 12:38-44

Video Link: https://youtu.be/Jl2L_Egupx4

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Jesus’ insight
  • The widow’s worship
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

Bob Dylan once said, ‘What looks large from a distance, up close ain’t never that big’.

Great line. Who knows what Dylan had in mind when he wrote that, but to me it has several layers of meaning. On one level, it says, “Don’t believe the hype. Things are not always as they appear at first”.

Or, if we look at it from another angle, “Don’t make a mountain out of a molehill. Most problems seem bigger from a distance. But when you get close enough to break it down, the problem is more manageable than you first thought”. In other words, don’t worry too much about the future.

Today we continue our series in Mark’s gospel, following the lectionary readings. In this week’s passage, Jesus shows his disciples that, ‘what looks large from a distance, up close ain’t never that big’.  From Mark chapter 12, verses 38-44 we read… 

38 As he taught, Jesus said, “Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, 39 and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honour at banquets. 40 They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely.” 41 Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. 42 But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents. 43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.

This morning’s message has two points of focus. Jesus’ insight and the widow’s worship. Let’s begin with Jesus’ insight.

Jesus’ insight:

Some of you will be familiar with the Yohari window. The Yohari window is a graph of four quadrants, depicting self-awareness.

Some things about you are in the public arena, they are known to you and to everyone else. Other things are known to you but not to others, those private thoughts and motivations you keep hidden behind a façade.

Then there are the things other people know about you, but you yourself are unaware of. Those things in your blind spot or your shadow. The things you deny or don’t want to face.

There are things too which are unknown to you and unknown to others. These things are known only to God. 

With some people what you see is what you get. They are the same on the inside as they are on the outside. They are not pretending.

But then there are those who hide their true self. How they appear in the public arena is quite different from how they actually are in private. Insight sees behind the façade. Insight recognizes reality. What looks large from a distance, up close ain’t never that big.

In verse 38, Jesus warned people against the teachers of the law. These were the religious experts or Bible scholars of Jesus’ day. It might be difficult to imagine, but being a Bible expert was very cool in first century Israel.

Studying the Law of Moses (the Torah) was Israel’s national sport. The Jews of 2000 years ago put the teachers of the law on a pedestal. The teachers of the law were like the All Blacks of Israel, they were honoured.

In contrast, being a Bible scholar is not really valued these days. Bible teachers in wider NZ society are largely ignored or misunderstood. If you want to be popular, then join a sports team or become a rock star. Don’t become a preacher.

In the public arena the religious leaders seemed like paragons of virtue.

Jesus had the insight to see that, when it came to the teachers of the law of his day, what looks large from a distance up close ain’t never that big. Don’t believe the hype. Don’t be too impressed by them.

Many of these teachers of the law (probably not all, but many) did not put God first. Their worship was false, a show to make themselves look good. God hates it when people use religion to hide evil. To do this is to take the Lord’s name in vain. It is hypocrisy.  

If it wasn’t bad enough that these religious leaders sought honour for themselves, some also devoured widows’ houses. They inveigled their way into the lives of vulnerable women and took advantage of them financially.

Jesus sees a day of reckoning coming for these men. They won’t get away with it.

In Mark 12, verses 28-34, last week’s lectionary reading, Jesus had a good conversation with a teacher of the law. This shows us that not all the religious leaders of Jesus’ day were the same. 

This religious expert had correctly discerned that love for God and love for your neighbour is more important than ritual sacrifice. In response, Jesus says to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God”, meaning you are close but not yet in God’s kingdom.

This may have been a bit unsettling for the teacher of the law, who probably thought he was already in, given he was Jewish and one of the religious elite.

The religious leaders were trusting in their heritage and their traditions.

Perhaps Jesus was hinting at the fact that being Jewish and knowing about God’s law in your head is not enough. For even when we know God’s law, we are not always able to keep it, not perfectly.

We must put our faith in the one who fulfils God’s law of love on our behalf, that is: Jesus. Putting our faith in Jesus’ righteousness requires us to abandon all pretence of our own righteousness.

Many of the religious leaders of Jesus’ time were pretending to be righteous when they were not. Some may have done this cynically and others may have been quite unaware of how bad they really were.

Jesus had to shine the light of his insight on the unknown so people wouldn’t be deceived. What looks large from a distance, up close ain’t never that big.

The widow’s worship: 

In contrast to the religious leaders who steal from the vulnerable and say long prayers to cover their tracks, Jesus holds up the example of a poor widow who says nothing and gives everything she has in devotion to God.

The widow in this reading from Mark’s gospel shows us what true worship looks like. Faith expressing itself in love. She worships God with a pure heart.   

William White retells an old Jewish folktale… [1]

Once there was a rich man who never gave donations to the poor. People in his small village never called him by name, they simply referred to him as the Miser.

One day a beggar came to the door of the Miser. ‘Where do you come from?’ he asked. ‘I live in the village’, answered the beggar. ‘Nonsense’, cried the Miser. ‘Everyone in this village knows I do not support beggars’.

In the same village there lived a poor shoemaker. He was a generous man who responded to every person in need that was brought to his attention. No one was ever turned away empty handed from his door.

One day the Miser died. The village leaders decided to bury him at the edge of the cemetery. No one mourned his passing; no one followed the funeral procession to the place of burial.

As the days passed the village rabbi heard disturbing news regarding the shoemaker. ‘He no longer gives alms to the poor’, complained one man.

‘He has refused every charity that has approached him’, declared another.

‘Has anyone asked about his change?’ inquired the rabbi. ‘Yes’, replied the first man. ‘He says he no longer has money to give away’.

Soon the rabbi called on the shoemaker. ‘Why have you suddenly stopped giving money to worthy causes?’ Slowly the shoemaker began to speak.

‘Many years ago, the man you called the Miser came to me with a huge sum of money and asked me to distribute it to those in need. He made me promise that I would not reveal the source of the money until after he died.

Once every month he would visit me secretly and give me additional money to distribute. I became known as a great benefactor even though I never spent a penny of my own money.

I am surprised that no one questioned me earlier. How could anyone who earned the wages of a shoemaker give away as much money as I have all these years?’

The rabbi called all the villagers together and told them the story.

‘The miser has lived the Scriptures, worshipping God with a pure heart by keeping his giving a secret.’

Things are not always as they appear at first. What looked like meanness from a distance, was actually generosity up close. The widow in Mark 12 shows us what it means to worship God with a pure heart.

There are three things, about widowhood, we should be aware of…

Firstly, to be a widow is to experience loss and the pain of grief which goes with that loss. Grief is the price we pay for love. The more you love someone, the deeper the grief you feel when you lose them.

Secondly, widowhood often involves the experience of loneliness. Yes, you can have friends but it’s not the same as your husband or wife. You can get involved in the church and community. But even when the community is warm and kind, a single person might still feel out of place around married couples.

Thirdly, for the woman in Mark 12, being a widow involved financial hardship. There weren’t many employment opportunities for women in those days.

And no government welfare system to pay out a widow’s benefit. Without a man on the scene to provide for her, options for this widow were limited.

Life was extremely difficult for the widow in Mark 12. If anyone had reason to be angry with God, it was this woman. She had suffered much and it probably felt (at times) like no one was on her side. And yet she is not angry with God. She loves God with a pure heart, without there being anything in it for her.

Although the widow gives her offering publicly, no one could accuse her of doing this to make herself look good. If anything, she probably looked relatively bad in the eyes of others, like a miser.

Many rich people dropped in a lot of money, but she dropped in just two thin copper coins. Compared to their great gifts her offering must have seemed very stingy indeed, but not to Jesus. Jesus looks with insight. Jesus sees beyond appearances to what is hidden in the heart.  

After witnessing the widow’s act of worship, Jesus calls his disciples together and says to them, 43 “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”

Jesus’ measure is different to ours. Jesus doesn’t just look at the amount given. He measures the proportion given and the cost to the giver. The widow’s offering, which looks small from a distance, up close is really quite big.

The widow gave 100%, whereas the rich gave maybe 5% or 10%? Their 5% or 10% may have equated to hundreds of dollars while her 100% amounted to only a few cents. But the personal cost to her was much greater. The rich did not miss what they gave but the widow faced hunger.      

Now, in saying this we must note that Jesus is not criticising the wealthy here. This is a freewill offering, over and above the minimum required by the law. And the wealthy in this passage give generously. They are not like the religious leaders who are ripping people off. Their giving still counts with God. 

The point is Jesus’ measure is different to ours. We measure the amount. Jesus measures the cost to us personally. We measure quantifiable outcomes, results and bottom lines. Jesus measures the immeasurable, our motivations and heart attitude.

Some witty soul once quipped, ‘the last part of a person to be converted is their wallet’. If that is true, then by giving all the money she possessed, this widow demonstrated her faith was whole and her conversion was complete. She trusted God totally with her life. She genuinely did love God with all her heart and with all her strength. This is challenging stuff.

When I was a boy, we went on holiday somewhere and attended a theme park where they had a wishing well. The idea was to throw your coins into the water and the money would then be given to charity.

I was about to throw my 10 cents in when an older lady said to me, ‘Keep your money son. Don’t throw it away like that.’ She went on to explain that the money wouldn’t go to a good cause. It would be pocketed by the owners of the establishment. She was trying to protect me.

We might think Jesus would do the same for the poor widow. ‘Don’t throw your money away luv, it will just be pocketed by the religious leaders’.

Jesus knows the religious establishment are mostly corrupt. And he knows the widow can’t afford it. Surely it would be a kindness to save her throwing good money after bad. But Jesus doesn’t stop her. To the contrary, Jesus celebrates the widow’s giving.

We are not as radical as Jesus or the widow. We prefer a more common-sense approach.

If anyone here was to give all their money to the church, so they had nothing to live on, most of us would be horrified. No one wants you to be under financial hardship. Be generous to the extent you can afford it but please, take care of yourself as well.    

So why does Jesus not prevent this widow from giving away her last penny?

Well, Jesus sees this woman with spiritual insight.

Firstly, the widow’s giving was an act of worship for God. Her primary motivation wasn’t practical. She wasn’t giving to support the priests or to maintain the running of the temple. Nor was she giving out of a misplaced hope that God would make her rich if she gave up everything.  

Her primary motivation was spiritual. The widow was giving to express her love and devotion to God. And Jesus honours the widow for this. He honours her by respecting the choice she makes and he honours her by ensuring her story is passed on by his disciples.

Worship is like breathing. It is something we must do all the time in order to live. Just as it is not good to hold your breath for too long, so too it is not good for the human soul to hold on to excess cash for too long. Accumulating material wealth for its own sake will weaken your faith. Giving will strengthen your faith and refresh your soul.    

This is not to imply some sort of cargo cult or prosperity doctrine. I’m not suggesting that generous financial giving will make you wealthy. It probably won’t. But it will free you to love God and live lighter.

Another thing we notice here is that Jesus is not anxious for this widow, because he knows the character of God.  In Matthew 6, Jesus says to his disciples…

“Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?”  

Again, parts of Jesus’ teaching seem to go against the grain of our survival instinct. To be clear we still need to work and plan for the future, but not at the expense of our perspective. Often those worries which look large from a distance, up close ain’t never that big.

Of course, by pointing out this woman had given away her last coin, Jesus is making the widow’s need known to the wider network of his disciples so they can do something practical to help her. If the men didn’t take the hint to help this widow, then the women travelling with Jesus surely would have. 

Isn’t it interesting, despite his power to turn stones into bread, Jesus does nothing miraculous here. Rather Jesus points to the miracle of the widow’s love and devotion, and he invites others to share the responsibility for her care.  

Jesus is not anxious for this woman because her faith is strong and her soul is in good shape. She embodies a number of the beatitudes in Matthew 5…

Blessed are the poor for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.

Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted. 

Conclusion:

We must not miss the bigger picture. Soon Jesus would go to the cross and pour out his life, totally, for us. The widow who gave everything points to Jesus who gave everything. Like Jesus, her sacrifice of love held nothing back.  

If you are not ready to love God as totally as this poor widow did (and as Jesus does) then don’t be discouraged and don’t give up. Simply love God as much as you can. God in his grace is able to meet us where we are at.

But understand that God will probably call you to greater love and faith, providing all you need in the process.

May the Lord bless you richly and make you a blessing to others, for his glory. Amen.

Questions for discussion or reflection:

  1. What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?
  2. Discuss / reflect on the Bob Dylan quote: ‘What looks large from a distance, up close ain’t never that big’. What does this mean to you?
  3. Thinking of the Yohari window, how might we grow in our self-awareness? Can you think of a time when you learned something new about yourself? What happened? How did you feel? 
  4. Why did Jesus point out the religious leaders’ hypocrisy?
  5. Put yourself in the shoes of the widow in Mark 12. What do you imagine life was like for her? How do you feel thinking about this widow and what she did? Why do you feel this way?
  6. Why does Jesus highlight the widow’s offering? What can we learn from the widow’s example. In what way(s) does the widow point to Jesus?
  7. Make some time this week (either on your own or with your partner in marriage) to calculate what you give financially to God. E.g. donations to the church and mission or to the poor. Consider both the dollar amount and the proportion of income this represents. What does your level of giving say about your love for God and for others? Does anything need to change?   

[1] William White, ‘Stories for Telling’, page 101-102.

Tawa Baptist

A Good Question

Scripture: Mark 12:28-34

Video Link: https://youtu.be/nSDaWrGlAWE

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • The most important
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

If you want to get to know someone better, then you need to ask good questions. A good question has a number of characteristics…

For example, a good question is simple and concise, not so long and complicated that the other person gets lost or has to ask you to repeat yourself.

A good question has an honest purpose. By that I mean, you have a good reason for asking the question. You’re not trying to trick or embarrass anyone. You are genuinely interested in learning what the other person thinks. 

A good question is also open-ended, one that invites more than a yes / no answer. A question that engages the other person in conversation and maybe even reveals new insights.

Today we continue our series in the gospel of Mark. This morning’s lectionary reading is Mark 12, verses 28-34. To set the scene, Jesus has arrived in Jerusalem and is now teaching in the temple courts. Hope is running high.  

Up till this point various Jewish groups have been asking Jesus bad questions. Questions designed to catch him out and embarrass him. Long, complicated questions with a dishonest purpose. Questions intended to shut Jesus down.   

But in today’s lectionary reading, an expert in the law asks Jesus a good question. From Mark 12, verse 28 we read…

28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” 29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’There is no commandment greater than these.” 32 “Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. 33 To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbour as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34 When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.

The most important:

What is the most important part of a building? Is it the roof maybe? Without a roof you would get wet. But then without walls, you wouldn’t be able to put the roof on. So are the walls the most important part?

Well, the walls and the roof are important (certainly more important than the TV or the furnishings) but I reckon the foundation is the most important part.

If the foundation isn’t right, the walls and roof are likely to fall. 

How about a yacht? What’s the most important part of a yacht? Is it the sail? Without the sail the yacht isn’t going anywhere. Or is it the rudder? Without a rudder the yacht could end up on the rocks.

Well, the sail and the rudder are important, but I reckon the yacht’s buoyancy is the most important thing. If the hull takes in water the boat will sink.

What about marriage? What’s the most important aspect of a marriage relationship? Is it having things in common? Is it sex or romance? Is it communication? Well, all those things are helpful to a healthy marriage but, in my view, the most important thing is commitment. In particular, a commitment to one another’s wellbeing.   

Circumstances change and people change throughout the course of a lifetime. Commitment to one another’s wellbeing enables the relationship to function and to flourish through those changes. Commitment is the foundation of marriage. Commitment is the buoyancy keeping a marriage afloat through the storms of life.

In verse 28 we read how one of the teachers of the law heard Jesus give some good answers to some bad questions. Unlike the Herodians and Sadducees, who were out to trap Jesus, this teacher of the law asks Jesus a good question: Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”

This question is simple and concise, it has an honest purpose and it is open-ended.

There are 613 written commandments in the law of Moses, not to mention all the other regulations added by the scribes and Pharisees. With so many rules it would be difficult to see the wood for the trees.

Did one commandment stand out from the rest? Is there one law which serves as a key for interpreting all the other laws? Yes, there is.  

Jesus refers to Deuteronomy 6, verses 4-5, as the most important commandment. These verses are known as the Shema…

4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.  5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

The Shema begins with a command to hear or to listen. The first duty of love is to listen. We can’t obey God unless we know what he wants. Loving God starts with listening to God. 

Interestingly the Shema (the most important, most foundational) commandment includes some theological statements about God…

Firstly, the Lord (Yahweh) is our God. This speaks to Israel’s special covenant relationship with Yahweh. In Jewish and Christian thinking, God is not some impersonal force. God is not ‘the universe’. God is a conscious being, capable of personal relationship.

The idea here is that God is committed to Israel’s wellbeing and indeed to the wellbeing of all his creation. To put it more plainly, the command to love God is prefaced by the reminder that God loves us.    

The Shema also affirms that the Lord (Yahweh) is one. This speaks to the theological belief that there is only one true God, not lots of gods. The Lord God does not have any rivals. He is not fighting to stay on top. The Lord God is all-powerful, almighty. Nothing poses any kind of threat to Israel’s God. Therefore, we can trust the Lord God. We can find security in him.

But wait there’s another layer of theological meaning here. The phrasing,

“The Lord is one”, indicates that God has integrity. God is whole, complete, not divided within himself. There is a harmony within God. The Lord is one.

For example, God’s justice is not at odds with his mercy. God’s justice is one with his mercy. When God destroys evil that is both an act of justice and mercy at the same time.  

The substance of the Shema (the most important command) is to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

The Greek word for love here is agapao (or agape). Often when we (English speakers) think of love, we imagine a pleasant warm fuzzy feeling, like falling in love. However, agape love is not always accompanied by a nice feeling.

Agape love is primarily an attitude of the mind and a decision of the will.

To love someone with agape love is to make a conscious choice to act in a way that is good for that person’s wellbeing, irrespective of how we feel.

You see, feelings cannot be commanded. We don’t have much control over whether we like someone or not. Jesus isn’t telling us what we must feel. Rather Jesus is telling us how to behave in relation to God.

Sometimes agape love requires us to go against the grain of our feelings. Thinking about thisin the context of our relationship with God, agape love says, I will remain loyal to God and obey him, even when it feels like God has abandoned me or let me down.   

The Shema says, lovethe Lord your God with all your heart. In general terms the heart, in the Old Testament, represents a person’s inner life, the core of your being where loyalty resides, where desire comes from, and decisions are made. The heart speaks to what you value and where your commitment lies.

To love God with all your heart therefore is to value God above all else.

It means not splitting your loyalty between God and any other thing.

Loving God with all your heart means remaining committed to the Lord God through thick and thin, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer.

Your soul probably refers to your life force, the spark of life. Your soul is that unseen energy which animates your body. Your personality (your true self) comes from your soul. To love God with all your soul is to love God with all the energy and creativity and personality you possess.

This means being yourself with God. Not trying to be something you’re not. Accepting the way God has made you, being honest with him and enjoying him. Your soul is unique, like your fingerprints. No one can love God in quite the same way you can. No one can give God joy like you can.

Eric Liddell the Olympic sprinter said, “I believe God made me for a purpose – but He also made me fast. And when I run, I feel His pleasure”. For Eric Liddell, running was an expression of his soul. When Eric Liddell ran, he was loving God and this gave God pleasure, a pleasure that Eric could feel in his spirit. 

When do you feel God’s pleasure? Do you feel it when you are singing or when you are baking or when you play an instrument or work in the garden or paint a masterpiece or hang out with your grandkids?

We can’t always be doing the things we love. But whenever we can, we should spend time in our own soul, doing the things that God made us to do, the things that give God pleasure.  

The soul and the body go together. You can’t really have one without the other. A body without a soul is like a guitar without strings or a computer without software. It’s dead. Likewise, a soul without a body is like a surgeon with no hands or a pianist with no piano. The soul needs the body to express itself.

And so loving God with all your soul goes hand in hand with loving God with all your strength. On one level your strength is your physical power and stamina. But it’s more than that. Your strength is your skill and your aptitude as well.

Are you good with your hands? How might you use your practical skills to love God? Maybe by doing odd jobs for the those who are in need? 

Are you good with children? How might you use your aptitude with children to love God? Maybe by volunteering to help in Kids’ Church?

Your strength extends to the resources you possess too. Your strength might include things like your time, your money and your social connections. Therefore, to love God with all your strength means being a good steward of the time and money God has given you. Being generous with God and the poor.

Loving God then, is not just something we do on Sundays or special occasions like Christmas or Easter. Loving God is something we do everyday.

One thing we notice is that Jesus adds in loving God with all your mind as well. The original Shema doesn’t explicitly mention loving God with your mind, but it is surely implied by the terms heart, soul and strength.

Perhaps Jesus adds in loving God with your mind because he is talking with an educated man. For the teacher of the law, the mind (or one’s understanding) had special significance.

The point seems to be that God’s law is not something that can be blindly followed without thinking about it. Figuring out how to apply God’s law of love in a messy unstable world requires mental effort. It requires us to slow down and think through the implications, not just for ourselves but also for God and our neighbour.   

We probably shouldn’t make too much of the distinction between heart, soul, mind and strength. While each of these words adds an interesting layer of meaning, there’s also quite a bit of overlap between them, like a Venn diagram.

The main point here is to love God with your whole being. Love God with all that you are and all that you have. That is the first and most important commandment according to Jesus. That is the key to understanding all the other commandments.

In verse 31 of Mark 12, Jesus goes on to say: “The second is this: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’There is no commandment greater than these.”

Loving your neighbour as yourself is another way of saying, ‘do unto others as you would have them do unto you’. Or treat others the way you would like to be treated. Of course, loving your neighbour as yourself implies that you take good care of yourself too, as Murray emphasised four weeks ago. 

The Greek word Jesus uses here for loving your neighbour is agape, the same word he uses for loving God. As I mentioned earlier, agape is an attitude of the mind and a decision of the will.

The Jews of the first century would have understood their neighbour to be a fellow Jew. But as Ewan reminded us, three weeks ago, Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan demonstrates that your neighbour could be anyone you meet.

Whether you know your neighbour or not, whether you like your neighbour or not, God’s command of agape love requires you to act for their wellbeing, to the extent you can. Of course, each of us comes with our own limitations. It is not always in our power to help our neighbour as much as we might want to. 

Leviticus 19 lists various practical examples of loving your neighbour…

‘Do not steal. Do not deceive one another. Do not pervert justice. Do not spread slander. Do not hate your brother in your heart. Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge… but love your neighbour as yourself.’   

The teacher of the Law asks Jesus a good question: ‘What is the most important commandment?’ Jesus’ reply weaves together two commandments as one. Love God with your whole being and love your neighbour as yourself.

Jesus is making the point that love for God cannot be separated from love for your neighbour. And love for your neighbour cannot be separated from love for yourself.

It’s like the apostle John says in his first letter to the early church…  

19 We love because God first loved us. 20 If we say we love God, but hate others, we are liars. For we cannot love God, whom we have not seen, if we do not love others, whom we have seen. 21 The command that Christ has given us is this: whoever loves God must love others also.

God is one. Human beings are made in the image of God and therefore to love God is to love people. These all go together.

In verse 32 of Mark 12, the teacher of the law responds positively to Jesus.

The lawyer asked a good question and he found common ground with Jesus.

Normally Jesus is at odds with the religious leaders. But Jesus does not prejudge this man by his experience of other religious experts. Jesus takes each person as he finds them.

More than this, Jesus leaves room for the teacher of the law to add his own insight. And what an insight it is. To love God and to love your neighbour as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.

This might seem ho hum to us, but it was a huge admission from an expert in the law. This religious leader was implying that the temple system with all its rituals and sacrifices wasn’t all that important, compared to love.

If loving God and neighbour is the foundation and framework of the building, then ritual sacrifice is like the furnishings. Just as the carpet and curtains make no difference to the structural integrity of the building, so too ritual sacrifice makes no difference to our relationship with God. Love is what really matters.

And Jesus couldn’t agree more. In fact, Jesus’ once for all sacrifice on the cross fulfills the law in this regard, doing away with the need for a temple building and ritual sacrifice. This teacher of the law is quite progressive for his time. Jesus commends the man saying, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” 

Conclusion:

One of my favourite love stories would have to be Matthew’s account of how Jesus’ parents, Mary and Joseph, got together. Jesus’ stepfather, Joseph, shows us what it means to love God and love your neighbour as yourself.

Mary was engaged to Joseph when Joseph found out Mary was pregnant.

Joseph did not know who the father was. It appeared as though Mary had committed adultery and the letter of the Law stipulated that Mary should be put to death for her crime.

Joseph had every right to feel angry, but he did not let his feelings get the better of him. Joseph took some time to love God with his mind. He considered the situation before deciding what he would do.

If Mary had cheated on him, then his love for God meant he could not marry her, for God does not condone adultery. Also, Joseph’s love for himself prevented him from marrying a woman who (it seemed) did not care for him.

But Joseph’s love for his neighbour meant he could not insist on Mary’s execution. If Mary was killed, her unborn child would die also. That would be taking an innocent life, that would be unfair. 

Because Joseph was a righteous man, he decided to divorce Mary quietly and save her from public disgrace. This would leave Mary free to marry the man who got her pregnant and two lives would be saved. In this way, Joseph obeyed God’s law of love.     

As it turned out, God let Joseph in on the secret that Mary had conceived by the Holy Spirit. Mary had been faithful after all. So Joseph went ahead and married Mary. The rest is history.

Let us pray. Gracious God, forgive us for the times we lose sight of what is most important. Help us to love you with understanding. Help us to live in our own soul and to feel your pleasure. Help us to support the wellbeing of those around us and so glorify you. Through Jesus we pray. Amen. 

Questions for discussion or reflection:

  1. What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?
  2. If you had the opportunity to ask one question of Jesus, what would it be?
  3. Discuss / reflect on the theological meaning(s) inherent in the statement, “The Lord our God, the Lord is one.” What does this tell us about God?
  4. What is agape love? How is agape love different from romantic love? Can you think of a time in your own life when you gave or received agape love? What happened?
  5. When do you feel God’s pleasure? How do you (personally) spend time in your own soul? Why is this important?
  6. What strengths, skills or resources do you possess? How might you best use these to love God and your neighbour?
  7. Why does Jesus hold together loving God with loving your neighbour as yourself? Why can’t these commands be separated?
  8. What is significant about the teacher of the law’s response to Jesus in Mark 12:32-33? 
Tawa Baptist

Bart’s Story

Scripture: Mark 10:46-52

Reimagining Jesus’ healing of Bartimaeus:

Many years ago, in a city far, far away, there lived a man who could not see. The man’s name was Bart. Not the Bart of Simpson’s fame. Another Bart from another time.

Bart lived in the city of Jericho. Yes, the same Jericho you learned about in Sunday school. The Jericho whose walls collapsed after a seven-day siege. The Jericho whose only survivors were a prostitute named Rahab and her household.

Jericho wasn’t supposed to exist anymore, but Herod the Great rebuilt the city as a monument to his own ego. The new and improved Jericho was beautiful to look at. But that was no use to Bart, he couldn’t see any of it.

Jericho was not like Wellington. The weather was warmer and dryer for one thing. More than that, there was no safety net for people who were blind. There was no Ministry for Social Development, no disability allowance, and almost no Human Rights.  

This meant Bart was forced to beg for a living, alongside all the other people with disabilities. Bart was part of that 5% of the population at the bottom of the heap. Invisible. Expendable. Excluded.

Not being able to see and not being able to work, Bart had time to listen and think. He learned who to approach for bread by the tone in their voice. Bart took in the smells of the marketplace, like a seeing person took in light. He sensed when rain was coming.

He heard the laughter of children, the constant haggling of shop keepers, the laboured breathing of camels after a long journey,

the footsteps of women, heavy with jars of water from the well.

The chatter of a thousand mundane lives.  

Bart also heard the silence of those who ignored his presence. He couldn’t see them, but he understood their choice not to face him.

It was just too hard for many people. They had enough of their own worries without being confronted with his.

Refusal to acknowledge human need breeds its own kind of blindness. Look away often enough and you will stop seeing your neighbour.

Worse than that, you will forget who you are and why you are.

As a professional beggar, Bart was well aware of people’s reasons for not giving. Afterall, Bart had not always been blind. He could see it from both sides now, like that Joni Mitchell song.

Many people simply could not afford to give. Some wouldn’t give because they felt it encouraged laziness, as if being blind was a lifestyle choice. And others simply didn’t care.

For some, the blind and the lame were being punished by God. These fearful souls believed in karma, a lazy belief system. Their idea of God left no room for grace. No room for mystery.     

Bart also understood people’s reasons for choosing to give. Some were quietly appeasing their conscience for sins both real and imagined. While others gave loudly to make themselves look good.

But people are not all bad. There were a few in each day who gave with genuine compassion. And it was their compassion which helped keep Bart’s faith alive. A winsome touch often came when he least expected it. Compassion helped Bart to imagine what God looked like.

Some of his colleagues on the begging circuit were cynical when it came to God. Years of disappointment had corroded their capacity for trust. 

But that wasn’t Bart. His father had always warned him against self-pity. “You can’t change the past, but you can sometimes learn from it”, his dad used to say. “Don’t focus on what’s wrong with the world. Imagine God putting things right”.  

So that’s what Bart did. When one of his friends who couldn’t walk was trampled to death in a street riot, he imagined his friend walking tall in heaven.

Or when tax collectors stole from hard working families on the bread line, Bart imagined authorities who only collected what was fair. In this way, he saved himself the burden of resentment.   

From a young age Bart had heard the ancient predictions of a king who would come to the rescue of his people. This Messiah would be like king David of old, who had conquered his enemies and established peace. This king would be God’s answer, God’s way of putting things right.

Living on the fringes of Jericho as he did, where many travelers passed through, Bart was in a good position to hear news from all over the region.

For about three years now he had been over-hearing reports of a miracle worker. A man who caused the mute to speak, the lame to walk and the deaf to hear. This man had even been known to raise people from the dead.

He spoke with authority and without fear of the religious establishment. And although he had never taken up arms against the Romans, the power of his words and deeds was conquering all manner of evil.

He had become a hero to the people and, much like king David, he travelled with a band of unlikely misfits. His name was Jesus.

Bart thought about that name. Jesus. In Hebrew, Jeshua. Which translates into English as Joshua. It means, ‘the Lord is salvation’ or more simply, ‘God saves’. Hmm. God saves.   

The Joshua of Old Testament times had been instrumental in the destruction of the first Jericho. What would Jesus, the second Joshua, do?

One day, Bart heard a noise in the distance. Bart was a bit like Radar from MASH in that way, hearing the choppers carrying wounded before anyone else. But this wasn’t the sound of choppers. This was more like a wedding procession.

Bart could hear the excitement in people’s voices and sensed the crowd growing as it went along. He asked those standing near what was happening and they told him, ‘Jesus of Nazareth is passing by’.

Nazareth, a small town in the region of Galilee. Nazareth was not unlike Tawa in some ways. To those who live outside of Wellington, Tawa is the butt of a joke, made famous by a comedian who never lived in Tawa. But to those who do live here, Tawa is a real community.

Nazareth was similar, misunderstood. To those who lived in Jerusalem (just 15 miles from Jericho) Nazareth was a despised place, the butt of a joke. ‘Does anything good come from Nazareth?’ is what people used to say.

Jesus came from the wrong side of the tracks which, in a strange way, made him more trustworthy in Bart’s mind.

Bart knew the Kairos moment had come. Like witnessing a comet that only came round once in a lifetime, Bart had to act before the window of opportunity closed.

But how to get Jesus’ attention? He would have to use a click baity headline. Bart called out loudly, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me’.

To call Jesus ‘son of David’ raised the stakes. No one had given Jesus the title ‘Son of David’ publicly before. Bart was essentially naming Jesus as the Messiah. God’s special king, chosen to lead and deliver his people.

It was revolutionary talk, bordering on treason.

The Roman empire was a dictatorship. Caesar didn’t take kindly to political rivals. Not that Jesus had any political aspirations. Far from it. But perception is reality and the empire needs to manage perception.   

Bart’s cry risked a riot.   

Many in the crowd tried to silence Bart. Perhaps they were afraid of the possibility of tear gas and water cannons. Or maybe they found Bart’s presence embarrassing. Beggars are a bad look. They bring property prices down and they make respectable people feel uncomfortable.

But the more they told Bart to keep quiet, the more Bart shouted,

‘Son of David, have mercy on me’. Bart would not be ignored.

If you had heard Bart that day, you would have been reminded of that Chumbawamba song, ‘I get knocked down, but I get up again. You’re never gonna keep me down’.

Years of insult, years of rejection, years of grieving and hoping beyond hope. Years of sheer frustration at his own powerlessness were finding expression in his heart’s cry: ‘Son of David, have mercy on me’.

And through the heat and the sweat and the dust and the cacophony of voices, Jesus did hear him.

Jesus didn’t especially like being called ‘Son of David’. It was true alright. He was the Son of David. He was the Messiah. But it was a truth prone to misunderstanding. The title ‘Son of David’, was a fuse waiting to be lit.

Jesus did not come as a warrior king, like David. Nor was he interested in compromising his loyalty to God in order to keep the peace like Solomon. Jesus was not like any king the world had ever known.

Jesus was unique, one of a kind, the real deal. 

In that moment, Jesus remembered something he had said in a sermon once. ‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God’. To be pure in heart is to will one thing. This man, blind as he was, possessed an insight that those with 20/20 vision just didn’t have.

The man was asking for mercy. Not for power or prestige. Not for justice or revenge. Jesus knew that God, his father, did not ignore passionate, persistent prayer like this and so neither could he.

Jesus also knew that in responding to the man he was publicly accepting the title of Messiah. And he knew that pretty much everyone would misunderstand what that meant. But in a week or so it wouldn’t matter anyway.

Stopping traffic on the motorway, Jesus said to those standing near,

‘Call him’. The crowd grew still. What would Jesus do?

Like a radio finding the right frequency, the same voices that had just been trying to silence Bart, were now encouraging him. ‘Cheer up. On your feet. He’s calling you’.

Bart didn’t need to be told twice. Throwing his cloak aside he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus. Bart’s cloak was his most valuable possession. It kept him warm at night and he spread it on the ground during the day for people to drop their coins on. Bart’s coat kept him alive.

Bart was prepared to leave everything to meet Jesus. It’s like Bob Dylan said, ‘When you’ve got nothing, you’ve got nothing to lose’. Bart had nothing to lose. Blessed are the poor for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.   

Jesus looked at Bart and saw in his face that the years had not been kind to him. Jesus saw him and understood his pain, his loneliness, the weariness of absorbing other people’s prejudice. And Jesus loved him. 

Jesus spoke to Bart saying, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’

How many times had Jesus uttered those words?

Just a day earlier Jesus had asked the same question of two of his disciples, James and John. They had wanted positions of power and prestige in his kingdom. They had come from privilege and didn’t know to ask for mercy.

Nevertheless, Jesus liked asking people that question. ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ The answer reveals so much.

Bart felt the weight of Jesus’ words, even though they were spoken softly. Bart was used to people tossing him a few coins or a piece of bread when he called for mercy. It often felt like they were paying him to be quiet.

But Jesus was different. Jesus made no assumptions about what Bart wanted. Nor did Jesus try to silence him. Instead, Jesus kept the conversation going, moving from the general to the specific.

Jesus was cutting straight to the heart of the matter. Challenging Bart to reveal his most intimate and sacred desire in front of hundreds of people. It takes real faith to be vulnerable like that.

Bart knew what he wanted. He would take the risk and ask for something big. Something for himself. Something that would last. Something that would set him free. Something that scared him. Something that would completely transform his life…

‘Rabbi, (Master, Teacher), I want to see’.

In asking for his sight, Bart knew he could never go back to his old life of begging. Bart knew he would need to start afresh, learn new skills, get a job, take responsibility and contribute.

He also knew that not everything he saw would be pleasant. Yes, there is beauty in the world, but there is also violence. Nevertheless, he was prepared to accept the challenge of living a more abundant life.

And Jesus, understanding the courage in Bart’s request, agreed to give him what he asked for. ‘Go, your faith has healed you’.

Faith is the conduit for life. We live by faith. If life is blood, then faith is the artery carrying the blood. If life is an electrical current, then faith is the cable carrying the power. If life is an underground stream, then faith is the well finding the water. If life is a piece of bread, then faith is eating the bread.  

Jesus is the source of life. The source of healing, forgiveness and intimacy with God. Find Jesus and you find life. Put your faith in Jesus, trust him in the core of your being, and you will tap into the source of eternal life.

As soon as Jesus spoke, Bart received his sight. He could see again.

And the first image to fill his mind was love, in the face of God’s Son.

As Bart looked into Jesus’ eyes, he saw what God intended for humanity.  

Although Jesus had released him from any obligation by saying, ‘Go’, Bart could not help but follow Jesus along the road to Jerusalem.

There was something attractive about Jesus. Something that drew people to him. ‘Something that has to be believed to be seen’. [1]

From the gospel of Mark, chapter 10, verses 46-52, we read…

46 Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means “son of Timaeus”), was sitting by the roadside begging. 

47 When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

48 Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

49 Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” 50 Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.

51 “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him.

The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.”

52 “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” 

Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.

Let us pray…

Father God, we thank you for Jesus, through whom we have life and friendship with you. Open our eyes to see Jesus at work in our lives and our neighbourhood. Help us to walk with the Spirit of Jesus, in humility and faith. Amen.

Questions for discussion or reflection:

  1. What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?
  2. What would Bartimaeus’ life have been like as a blind man living in the first century? How would your life be different if you were blind?
  3. What does the name ‘Jesus’ mean? In what ways does Jesus fulfil the meaning of his name for Bartimaeus? In what ways does Jesus fulfil the meaning of his name for you?  
  4. In what ways does blind Bartimaeus show greater spiritual insight / vision than most of the seeing people around him? Who is Jesus to you? What is your perception / expectation of Jesus?
  5. Why does Bartimaeus call Jesus, ‘Son of David’? What does this title mean? How would the Jews of the first century have (mis)understood this title?
  6. Compare and contrast Bartimaeus’ request with the request of James and John (in Mark 10:37). Why does Jesus give Bartimaeus what he asked for?
  7. What do you want Jesus to do for you? What do you think Jesus might say or do in response to your request? How would your life be different?

[1] This sentence was inspired by a line in a song by U2. 

Tawa Baptist

Blind Ambition

Scripture: Mark 10:35-45

Video Link: https://youtu.be/zEJ2DkZTFQQ

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Jesus’ humility (v. the disciples’ ambition)
  • Jesus’ vision (v. the disciples’ blindness)
  • Jesus’ redemption (v. the disciples’ anger)
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

It’s October, which means some students will be sitting exams soon.

One method for exam revision is the 1-2-3-7 technique. That is, after your first read through, revise what you want to remember the very next day and then the day after that and then again on the seventh day.

Some people say you should re-read again 21 days after the first read, but if you are sitting exams two weeks from now you, you won’t have time. The point is you cannot expect to remember something you’ve only read once. Repetition is key to learning.    

Today we continue our series in the gospel of Mark based on the lectionary readings. This Sunday’s Scripture is Mark chapter 10, verses 35-45. If you have been following this series, then some of what you are about to hear will sound familiar. This is because it’s the third time that Jesus has said it.

Jesus’ disciples didn’t understand what he was saying the first time, so he kept repeating himself. But, with each repetition, Jesus adds a little more information and so this sermon is not a repeat. From Mark 10, verse 35, we read…

35 Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.” 36 “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked. 37 They replied, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.” 38 “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?” 39 “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, 40 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.” 41 When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. 42 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. 43 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.”

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.

In this passage we see the contrast between Jesus and his disciples.

Jesus’ humility stands apart from the disciples’ ambition.

Jesus’ vision sees beyond the disciples’ blindness.

And Jesus’ redemption shines like a star against the darkness of the disciples’ anger. First, let’s consider the contrast between Jesus’ humility and the disciples’ ambition.

Jesus’ humility (v. the disciples’ ambition)

Thomas Merton, the 20th Century Trappist monk, once wrote…

When ambition ends, happiness begins.

Merton is saying that when we let go of our relentless drive for success and achievement, we can find true contentment and fulfilment.

Ambition is the desire and determination to achieve something. Wanting to achieve something is not necessarily bad in itself, unless it comes at the expense of our well-being and relationships. If ambition is left unchecked, it tends to lead to things like envy and arrogance, anger and greed. Ambition is a hunger that is never satisfied.    

The brothers James and John had ambitions. James and John were the sons of Zebedee, a local fisherman. From what we can piece together it appears James and John came from a moderately wealthy family who were well-connected.

Their father Zebedee owned several fishing boats and employed servants.

Also, James and John may have had a family connection with the household of the high priest.

For James and John to walk away from a successful family business to follow a travelling rabbi, who often criticized the religious establishment, was no small thing. James and John had given up a lot to become disciples of Jesus.

Maybe this was in the back of their mind when they said to Jesus, ‘we want you to do for us whatever we ask’.

This request is the opposite of winsome. This request is a bit insensitive in fact, given how it follows hard on the heels of Jesus’ third passion prediction. Jesus had just been telling his disciples (in verses 32-34) how he will be mocked, spat on, flogged and killed before rising three days later.

Somehow this doesn’t register with James and John. Jesus is their teacher.

He is their boss, and he is soon to suffer terribly, yet they want to tell Jesus what to do. That is ambition speaking. 

But listen to the way Jesus handles their request. There is a grace and humility in Jesus’ response that is truly beautiful. Jesus does not get angry with James and John. He doesn’t yell at them or cast them into outer darkness. Jesus takes the posture of a servant. He listens.

‘What do you want me to do for you’, Jesus asks. That’s a listening question. That’s something a servant says. 

And James and John reply…

“Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.”

There it is. Naked ambition. James and John know that Jesus is a king. To sit at the right and left of a king is to occupy positions of power and prestige. It’s like saying, we want to be second and third in charge of your kingdom.

Although James and John’s ambition (to be in charge) looks quite ugly in many respects, we should not judge them too harshly. Each of us has a bit of James and John in us. None of us are immune from selfish ambition.

Looking at James and John in a more positive light, we note the strength of their faith and hope in Jesus. As I said before, James and John gave up a lot to follow Jesus. Their ambition may have been misguided but they have a confidence in Jesus which is quite inspiring.  

Jesus had just been describing how he would be rejected, mocked and killed. To the disciples this might have sounded like Jesus was a bit discouraged or plagued with self-doubt. Perhaps James and John’s request was their way of saying to Jesus, ‘we believe in you, even if you don’t quite believe in yourself’.  

But Jesus is not plagued with self-doubt. Jesus sees what the disciples can’t see. Jesus sees the cross before him.

Jesus came as a humble servant, but he is primarily a servant of the living God, the Lord Almighty, God of heaven and earth. Jesus does not take his orders from James and John or any other human being. Jesus takes his orders from God the Father. Jesus’ sole ambition is to love and obey God.

Humility does not mean saying ‘yes’ to every request. Humility is about having your feet on the ground. To be humble is to maintain an accurate estimation of yourself, remembering who you are and who you serve. Not being carried away by ambition but holding on to yourself. 

Jesus’ vision (vs. the disciples’ blindness)

Jesus has the humility to know that it’s not his call who gets to sit on his left or right, much less James and John’s call. Jesus will not usurp God’s authority. And so, Jesus declines their request saying…

38 “You don’t know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?”

James and John answer with confidence saying, “We can”.

Their ambition has blinded them. Jesus has just said, “You don’t know what you are asking…”, but James and John are not listening, they act as if they know better than Jesus.

You have probably seen the drawing of the old woman which, depending on how you look at it, is also a drawing of a young woman. Some people can only see the old woman and some can only see the young woman. Then there are those who can see both.

When Jesus asks James and John if they can drink the cup he is about to drink and be baptized with the baptism he is about to be baptized with, James and John misunderstand Jesus’ meaning. They can only see the young woman.

In the Old Testament, the cup had two meanings. Sometimes the cup referred to joy and abundance of good things, like in the 23rd Psalm where we read…

You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life…

Other times though, the cup is a symbol of God’s judgement and wrath, like in the book of Jeremiah where the Lord says…

Take from my hand this cup filled with the wine of wrath and make all the nations to whom I send you drink…

When James and John hear Jesus talking about drinking from his cup, they probably think Psalm 23, joy and abundance, dining at the king’s table.

But this is not what Jesus has in mind. Jesus is thinking about the cup of God’s wrath that he will drink in going to the cross.

Likewise, the image of baptism had two meanings in the first century.

When Jesus talks about baptism in Mark 10, he is not referring to the ritual of baptism that we are familiar with.

Baptism in this context is a metaphor for being overwhelmed or submerged under water, like with Noah’s flood or when the Egyptian army were drowned in the Red Sea or when the Psalmist in distress says, Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me…

For first century Jews though, baptism was also an image of cleansing and renewal. So, when James and John hear Jesus talking about his baptism, they probably think Jesus is referring to God’s destruction of their enemies and the renewal of Israel. They want some of that.

But Jesus has a different understanding of baptism in mind here. Jesus is contemplating the overwhelming suffering he will soon experience in going to the cross.     

Jesus can see the blindness of James and John, but he doesn’t humiliate them. Jesus’ vision sees beyond the disciples’ blindness. The Lord goes on to tell James and John…   

“You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with…”

In fact, James and John were witnesses to Jesus’ suffering, death and resurrection. More than that, James was among the first of the apostles to be killed for his testimony about Jesus. In Acts 12, we read how Herod had James put to death by the sword.

John was not murdered, as far as we know, but he did suffer in his witness for Jesus. John survived a series of state-sponsored persecutions of the early church and was eventually sent into exile on the island of Patmos.

The disciples’ experience speaks to our experience. When we first become believers, we don’t know what lies ahead for us in our journey of faith. We are blind, feeling our way like newborn puppies.

There is often an initial joy when we first accept Jesus. But there are also times of desolation along the way, when we feel alone and abandoned by God.

To follow Jesus is to drink from his cup and share in his baptism.

Sometimes, like the first disciples, we will get it wrong. We will misunderstand, we will fail and wonder how we might move forward. But Jesus understands. Jesus forgives and Jesus provides a way for us. Despite the disciples’ misplaced ambition and initial blindness, Jesus was still able to use them, and he is still able to use us.

Although James and John did indeed share in Christ’s sufferings, that did not automatically entitle them to call dibs on the best seats in God’s kingdom.

As Jesus said: ‘To sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.’  

If Jesus had in mind the cross, then the ‘places’ in view here were allotted to two criminals. One was crucified on Jesus’ left and the other on his right. Ambition had blinded James and John, so they did not know what they were asking.

We have heard about Jesus’ humility in contrast to the disciples’ ambition.

And we’ve heard how Jesus’ vision sees beyond the disciples’ blindness.

Now let’s consider Jesus’ redemption in the face of the disciples’ anger.  

Jesus’ redemption (v. the disciples’ anger)

There are basically two main ways to define greatness. Top down or bottom up. The top-down definition of greatness asks, how many people can I get to serve me? While the bottom-up definition asks, how many people can I serve?

William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army, once said, “The greatness of a man’s power is the measure of his surrender”.

I believe it is true for women as well. Perhaps what Booth meant here was the more a person surrenders their life to God’s purpose, the more people they will help. William Booth thought of greatness in terms of obedience to God and service to others.

James and John’s ambition, their drive for success and achievement, threatened their relationships with the other disciples. In verse 41, we read how the 10 became indignant with James and John.

The word indignant means angry, but it’s a particular kind of angry. The other 10 disciples were angry with James and John because they felt James and John had behaved in a way that was unworthy or unfair.

By asking for top positions in Jesus’ administration, James and John were implicitly saying to the other 10 disciples, ‘we are better than you’. The other 10 disciples didn’t share James and John’s opinion. The other disciples’ indignation reveals they thought James and John were not worthy of sitting at Jesus’ left and right.

No one, it seems, was too bothered about how Jesus might be feeling, even though Jesus had just described in detail how he was going to suffer.       

Jesus is not indignant. Jesus does not take umbrage. Jesus sees a teachable moment, an opportunity for redeeming the disciples’ relationships. Jesus sets the disciples’ free from their ambition and their anger, saying…

“You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.  43 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.

This is the part that sounds familiar. Most people in the first century defined greatness in terms of how many people I can get to serve me. Jesus flips this on its head. Jesus redefines greatness as how many people I can serve.

Jesus goes on to use himself as an example saying, in verse 45…

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.

In the Jewish imagination, the Son of Man was a great figure, one of the greatest. But the thing that makes the Son of Man great is his service to others.

Jesus is the Son of Man. Jesus is trying to tell his disciples that he came to die in order that others might live. That is one of the main ways Jesus continues to serve humanity.

Much ink has been spilt over what Jesus meant by giving his life as a ransom.

In the first century, if you wanted to set someone free from slavery or prison, you did so by paying a large amount of money. The ransom payment redeemed the person’s life, allowing them to go free and start afresh.

Some people over the centuries have asked the question, “If Jesus’ life was the cost of the ransom, then who was paid?” Well, that sort of question misses the point. No one was paid. Jesus is speaking metaphorically here.

Like when someone says, ‘grief is the price we pay for love’. No one receives a payment. Grief isn’t like money. The expression simply means, love costs you. Our redemption cost Jesus his life. Our freedom cost God his Son.

Conclusion:

Let me finish with a story. This is a true story. On Sunday, 16 August 1987, Northwest Airlines flight 225 crashed shortly after taking off from Detroit Airport, killing 154 people on board and two people on the ground. Only one passenger survived, a four-year old girl named Cecelia.

Cecelia survived because, as the plane was falling, Cecelia’s mother, Paula, unbuckled her own seatbelt, got down on her knees in front of her daughter and shielded Cecelia with her body. Paula gave her life as a ransom for her daughter. She saved Cecelia.

Nothing could separate Cecelia from her mother’s love – not tragedy or disaster, not the fall or the flames, not height nor depth, nor life nor death. Such is Jesus’ love for us. He left heaven, became a servant for us and covered us with the sacrifice of his own body that we might live. [1]

Jesus’ sacrifice calls for a response from us. What will you do with the freedom Jesus bought you?

Let us pray…

Loving God, we thank you for Jesus who redeems our life and shows us the way. Set us free from misplaced ambition, blindness and anger. Help us to walk humbly with you. Through Jesus we pray. Amen.

Questions for discussion or reflection:

  1. What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?
  2. Why does Jesus keep repeating the same message to his disciples? (That is, about his suffering, death and resurrection and about service.) What faith lessons keep being repeated in your life?
  3. Discuss / reflect on Thomas Merton’s words, “When ambition ends, happiness begins”. What does Merton mean by this? Do you agree? When is ambition good? When does ambition become harmful? What was Jesus’ ambition? What is your ambition?
  4. What did Jesus mean when he talked about the cup and baptism, in verse 38? How did James and John (mis)understand Jesus’ words? What realities has God opened your eyes to, since becoming a Christian?   
  5. How does Jesus define greatness? How do you define greatness? Who serves you? Who do you serve? 
  6. Why did the other 10 disciples become indignant (angry) with James and John? What does their anger reveal about them? What makes you feel indignant?
  7. What did Jesus mean when he said, the Son of Man came to give his life as a ransom for many? What freedoms do you enjoy because of Jesus? What will you do with the freedom Jesus bought you?

[1] Refer J. John and Mark Stibbe’s book, ‘A Box of Delights’, page 173.

Tawa Baptist

God’s Law – by Ewan Stewart

Scriptures: Luke 10:25-37, Genesis 12:1-3, Micah 6:6-8, Jer 31:31-34, Mark 12:28-33

Sermon Outline:

The coming of law

Abraham’s call – whole world to be blessed

The laws of Moses – focused on the Nation of Israel, yet often broken

Jesus and the greatest commandment

Jesus’ call on other commandments

Who is my neighbour?

The significance of the Samaritan

Who is YOUR neighbour?

Introduction:

At the time of Jesus, Jewish religious authorities were pre-occupied with enforcing “the law” as written in their scriptures.  As far as they were concerned, these laws were God’s law and any who failed to obey their interpretation of those laws were sinners.  They were not particularly concerned about those who were not Jews as long as they did not interfere with Jewish religious customs.  The nation was inward focused. 

Jesus had quite a bit to say about their ideas and attitudes to the law.  Are their interpretations and the underlying laws important to us?  Should we seek to obey those laws, as Christians?  What is important about the law anyway?

The coming of the law:

We are all familiar today with the idea of a legal code, the law.  However, prior to about 2000BC we don’t know of any written legal code in the world.  The law then was anything the powerful said and could change at any time. 

How then should we regard the law today? 

What is God’s law for us?

The oldest detailed legal code we know of was that of Hammurabi who ruled Babylon from about 1792 to 1750 BC, which is believed to have been shortly after the time of Abraham. Hammurabi’s law was inscribed on a stela in Babylon’s temple of Marduk and can be read today. Hammurabi’s Code was once considered the oldest written law in human history, though older, shorter law collections have since been found.

Those man-made laws were important steps for humankind and allowed people to know what the authorities expected of them.  However, God wants us to apply His law to our everyday lives.  We need to recognise the difference between God’s law and human law.

Mankind has always found it difficult to be obedient to any law, and the idea of God’s law makes it no easier.  Our bible tells the story of how God gave his law to humankind and made it possible for Him to forgive us when his law is broken.  This story begins with Abraham.

Abraham’s call – whole world to be blessed:

When God chose Abraham, when he was still named Abram, he told him (Genesis 12:1-3):

12 The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.

2     “I will make you into a great nation

and I will bless you;

I will make your name great,

and you will be a blessing.

3     I will bless those who bless you,

and whoever curses you I will curse;

and all peoples on earth

will be blessed through you.”

This promise was made on the condition that Abram left his native country and followed God’s advice.  Through it, God intended Abram would be renamed Abraham and be the source of blessing to all peoples on earth.  When the descendants of Abraham, the nation of Israel, later came into being, it was not to be an exclusive privileged nation.  It was to bring blessings to all peoples on earth. 

The laws of Moses – focused on the Nation of Israel, yet often broken:

In Egypt, those descendants of Abraham became the nation of Israel, and were led out of Egypt by Moses.  God gave the nation a detailed legal code through Moses, and this became the base for Jewish law at the time of Jesus.  A part of that legal code is directly attributed to God, through what we know as the ten commandments. 

The laws established by Moses were to:

1.        Establish God as the leader, guide and ruler of the nation of Israel

2.        Make them a separate nation from the rest of the world

3.        Make them an example the world could look up to as promised when God called Abraham

4.        Organise Israel as a nation

5.        Define codes of behaviour that would help Israel live in harmony

Israel gave only patchy obedience to their law over the centuries, and God punished the nation many times for its lapses.  They rarely ever considered that they were God’s example for the world or that through them, God would bless all peoples of the earth. 

By Jesus’ day, Israel had been reduced to Judah, and we know them as Jews.

God used the prophets to try and get Israel to obey the law.  Long before Jesus, the prophet Micah (around 700BC) gave one of the clearest expressions of God’s feelings about Israel’s failings.  This is what he said:

Micah 6:6-8

6     With what shall I come before the Lord

and bow down before the exalted God?

Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,

with calves a year old?

7     Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,

with ten thousand rivers of oil?

Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression,

the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

8     He has showed you, O man, what is good.

And what does the Lord require of you?

To act justly and to love mercy

and to walk humbly with your God.

Then, about 100 years after Micah, Jeremiah gave God’s solution to Israel’s weaknesses, which we have seen fulfilled in the coming of Jesus.

Jeremiah 31:31-34

31         “The time is coming,” declares the Lord,

“when I will make a new covenant

with the house of Israel

and with the house of Judah.

32   It will not be like the covenant

I made with their forefathers

when I took them by the hand

to lead them out of Egypt,

because they broke my covenant,

though I was a husband to them,”

declares the Lord.

33   “This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel

after that time,” declares the Lord.

“I will put my law in their minds

and write it on their hearts.

I will be their God,

and they will be my people.

34   No longer will a man teach his neighbor,

or a man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’

because they will all know me,

from the least of them to the greatest,”

declares the Lord.

“For I will forgive their wickedness

and will remember their sins no more.”

Jesus and the greatest commandment (Jesus’ call on other commandments)

We understand that Jesus was the source of this new covenant, and that this covenant was for all who believe, not just Israel.  With the coming of Jesus, the need for an inflexible written form of God’s law as expressed by Jewish legal experts was over.  Laws intended to distinguish Israel from the rest of mankind would cease to be relevant when God sought to bring all humankind to himself. 

God’s law would be written on the hearts of His followers, and the promise made to Abraham could be fulfilled.  All peoples on earth would then be blessed through Abraham.  God’s law written on the hearts of His followers would keep their spirit in harmony with Him.  The time of a physical nation of God was past, and his law had a new focus:

1.        Establish God as the leader, guide and ruler of God’s people

2.        Define codes of behaviour that would help God’s people live in harmony

Clearly this meant the old written Jewish law was superseded through this new covenant. 

In his teaching, Jesus made a number of comments that gave examples of where the old written code was no longer relevant.  Mark 7 records Jesus saying that all food is spiritually clean, and in Mark 2, he commented that the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.  This implied that laws that were over interpreted could defeat their own purpose.

More specifically, Jesus took an opportunity to summarise God’s law.  In Mark 12, we find the following incident:

28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”

29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

32 “Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. 33 To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

The response to these two commandments was interesting because although the command to “love God” was clearly the foundation of Israel’s relationship with God, “love your neighbour” is only found once in the law given through Moses (Leviticus 19:18).  Yet another Jewish teacher has agreed with Jesus about its significance.  God’s law can be seen as the law of love.

Who is my neighbour? (The significance of the Samaritan)

A very similar incident was described by Luke (in Luke 10), that took this a step further, where its significance is made more obvious.  This is the familiar story of the “good Samaritan”.

25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

27 He answered: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

In this version of the story, we have one of the most important questions in the New Testament – “who is my neighbour?”.  We under-estimate the impact of this story today, yet it is pivotal to our relationship to God. 

In Jesus’ day, the Samaritans were the most extreme of all groups possible for Jesus to use for his illustration.  They claimed descent from Abraham and practiced a form of religion that in some regards was closer to the Jewish ideal than the Jews practiced themselves.  The Jews hated the Samaritans more than any other group.  Yet the story had a Samaritan hero.  This must have been hard to swallow.  In Jesus’ day, Jews would only have looked to other Jews as neighbours.

If we wish to consider “who is my neighbour” in modern terms, we tend to under-estimate the significance of Jesus’ illustration.  Today, here in New Zealand, we do not have any group that society could look on as the equivalent of the Samaritans.  Perhaps we might consider bikie gangs, or Islamists, but fortunately we do not have any group that is so universally hated as the Jews hated the Samaritans in Jesus’ day.  Elsewhere in the world we see groups who do not consider themselves neighbours.  The classic illustration, particularly today, is Israel and the Palestinians.

Even the church has demonstrated an inability to recognise neighbours over the centuries, ranging from the crusades to modern day sects that refuse to associate with other groups.

Jesus however was being consistent, and other Jewish teachers of his day agreed with him, at least in theory.  Their only problem was the question of “who is my neighbour”. 

In the sermon on the mount recorded by Matthew, Jesus took the idea even further, when he taught that we should “love our enemies” (Matt 5:43).  Even your enemy could be a neighbour.

Then, if we were to look at the laws of Moses in our bible again, we can see that “love God” and “love your neighbour as yourself” covers all of them.  When we accept Jesus into our heart, God writes his law of love in our heart.  With those commandments to love written on our hearts, we do not need the detailed list of things we should not do.

In our modern world, even our traffic laws can be recognised as helping us show love to our neighbour.  After all, driving on the wrong side of the road hardly shows love for our neighbour!

Who is YOUR neighbour?

With Jesus’ teaching in mind, I ask myself: Who is my neighbour?  Jesus tells me that anyone who is in need is my neighbour, even someone I hate, even my enemy.  Can I love my neighbour that much?  Do I follow the law written on my heart?  Even with God’s law written on our hearts, we still find it hard to obey it.

It is comforting to read Paul’s comment on the law.  He looked at how we should deal with the results of failing to keep the law.  He expressed the difficulty of obeying the law very clearly, in his letter to the Romans (Rom 3:23) when he said, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”. 

This highlights the impossibility of full compliance with God’s law.  However, our failings do not exempt us from a requirement to try, even if we sometimes fail to keep God’s law.  Paul went on to say that we are justified by the grace of God through the redemption that came by Jesus, so we do have a path to God beyond failure to keep his law. 

Jesus is God’s answer to the limitation of human nature.  Through Jesus, God’s spirit can be in our heart and teach us the law of love.  If we fail to obey that law, God is gracious and loving, and is able to forgive our failures because Jesus, his son, died that we might be forgiven.

Loving your neighbour is not easy, but through Jesus, with God’s spirit in our hearts, we have God’s help and God’s forgiveness for when we are weak. 

Who is YOUR neighbour?  Is there someone you could help but find it hard to be a neighbour to?

Let us pray:

Our Father, you have written your law of love on our hearts.  We know you require us to love you and love our neighbour.  We find it hard to obey your law, and we want to limit our understanding of neighbour to people we are comfortable with.  Please help us to recognise that our neighbour is anyone we encounter who is in need.  Thank you for the love that sent your Son to us so that you are able to forgive us when we cannot keep your law. Amen.

Tawa Baptist

Self Care – by Murray Lucas

Scripture: Mark 12:30-31

Sermon by Murray Lucas on Self Care

When asked, what is the greatest life commandment, Jesus said in the Gospel of Mark…

‘So love the Lord God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence and energy’. And ‘Love others as well as you love yourself’. There is no other commandment that ranks with these.

There are three requests Jesus made that are contained in this commandment.  The first is Love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. The second is love others and the third is love yourself.  These three injunctions cannot be separated but each must be viewed in the light of the other two requests. For example, you cannot love God and others effectively if you do not love yourself.

In this message I will be focusing on the third request to love yourself. It is about self-care and this means to value myself as my heavenly Father values me. Self-care honours God through nurturing the body, mind and spirit with their limits and desires. As Will mentioned a fortnight ago it means being honest with yourself.

For some of us, myself included, loving ourselves seemed unbiblical. There is an acronym , JOY that went like this: Jesus first, others second and yourself last. There is some truth in this saying but it can easily be changed into a twisted theology about human worthlessness. 

Human beings are never worthless. To quote Adele Calhoun, God gave his dearest and only Son to love human beings, beings he treasures and adores. One of the greatest treasures we have next to Jesus is our own selves. We are gifts of God. His Spirit lives in us.  We are invited to receive the divine love that takes residence in our bodies. We are to take it in and let it form us into a place of prayer.

The Psalmist wrote “Thank-you High God – you’re breathtaking! Body and soul, I am marvelously made! I worship in adoration – What a creation!” The apostle Paul wrote to the people of Corinth “You realize don’t you, that you are the temple of God, and God himself is present in you”.

God’s love within us gives birth to more love: love of God, love of others and love of ourselves. Love is a quality of God that grows within us, enlarging our hearts and increasing our capacity. Self-love is not about self-centeredness. It is about caring for the body the Holy Spirit inhabits.

Paul reminds us in Romans 12 to present our bodies as an act of spiritual worship.

A Quaker writer Parker Palmer writes “Self-care is never a selfish act – it is simply good stewardship of the only gift I have, the gift I was put on earth to offer others.

The products of self-care are that we value ourselves as Jesus values us. We have a proper view of ourselves and are comfortable in our own skin. We live within limits without burnout and we practice self-awareness rather than self-absorption. We should have a deepening awareness of God’s love for us and ultimately have freedom from addictions that can destroy our health and relationships.

Having defined self-care and outlined some of the fruit of self-care I want to examine how we practice self-care.

There are some obvious practical practices such as exercising and eating sensibly. This responsible attention to health in living will be examined more fully in an inspiring example I will share later.

Another practice is encouraging rather than neglecting yourself. If we are to encourage ourselves it is important we understand the value of realistic, positive self-talk. Sadly, I have met a number of good people who unfairly judge themselves more harshly than others, talk negatively to themselves and set up a spiral of gloom that is difficult to escape from. As humans we all make mistakes but it is very helpful for yourself to recall at such times some of the ways you have brought joy to yourself, your family, God, and to others. This should be spoken or written in a spirit of gratitude. This could be scaffolded as a playlist that you can recall when you go through a season of self-doubt and disappointment. Also, when you come down hard on yourself, remember that you can begin again.

Listening is another important practice. Again as Will shared a fortnight ago from this pulpit we should listen to the Spirit, Listen to the other person and listen to ourselves . Prayer is listening God and if we keep working at it prayer can be positively transformational.

A prayer by Joyce Rupp sums it up well…

Prayer is not only about entering into a relationship with God.

It is also about being changed. Healthy prayer strengthens our bond

With the creator and also transforms us.

Each encounter with God provides the opportunity to grow spiritually.

Prayer makes a difference in our life because it nudges and persuades us

To develop Christlike qualities in our attitude and actions.

Through prayer we become more loving, compassionate and justice oriented human beings.

When this happens, we are altered in a positive way and the world we touch is also changed for the better.

To practice self-care we need to observe appropriate boundaries. This can be particularly challenging if you are a perfectionist. For me, a propensity to try and improve everything can keep me working far past safe and healthy limits. In my job I came to realise that I cannot do everything to my very best. I have to pick and choose what gets done best and what just gets done so I can rest. At times I have to say “Good enough is good enough”. There is nothing wrong with aspiring for excellence and doing my best.  But when the quest for excellence drives my body beyond its limits, I have left the realm of appropriate self-care and I am trying to prove something to someone even if it is me.

Another key practice for appropriate self-care is to be able to give and receive love. It is perhaps easier for people to give love but many of us often struggle to receive love.

I love the allegory of the two seas in Palestine. One is the Dead Sea and the other is the Sea of Galilee. The Sea of Galilee gives, receives, lives and flourishes. The Dead Sea however has no outlet. It keeps everything, shares nothing, it neither gives nor receives and it is dead. A question to reflect on: what sea best represents you and your life?

Discernment is another practice that allows us to respect and care for ourselves. Discernment opens us up to listen and recognize the voice and protection in our lives. The Message translation of Philippians 1:9-10 captures the relationship between love and discernment. “So this is my prayer that your love will flourish and that you will not only love much but well. Learn to love appropriately. You need to use your head and test your feelings so that your love is sincere and intelligent, not sentimental gush. It is important to engage both your mind and heart to use reason and attend to your hearts when arriving at a decision.

To conclude I would like to share with you a story of a young man who showed self-care in an incredibly challenging situation. Since lock-down in 2020, I was made aware of a church minister who demonstrated self-care, love of others and love of God.

His name was the Reverend William Mompesson. In 1664 he was appointed Minister of the Anglican Church of Eyam a town in the Peak District of England close to Sheffield and Manchester.

One year later the Great Plague arrived at his village. Late in 1665 a flea-infested bundle of cloth arrived from London for the local tailor, Alexander Hadfield. Within a week the assistant, George Viccars, noticed the bundle was damp and opened it up and heated it by the fire. This activated the fleas and not long after he was dead and more began dying in his household soon after.

As the disease spread the villagers turned for their leadership to their rector, the Reverend Mompesson. In response Mompesson showed that, “Self-care is never a selfish act – it is simply good stewardship of the only gift he had, the gift he was put on earth to offer others”.

He did three things. He realized he could not lead alone so he turned to an ejected Puritan minister, Thomas Stanley, who still had solid support in the town and in a show of unity these two men persuaded the entire town to adopt a number of self-care health precautions to slow the spread of the illness from May 1666.

In this aspect Mompesson showed real discernment as he realized that Stanley’s gifts and talents were complementary to his. They also took the brave step of isolating themselves from neighbouring towns and cities to stop the spread of the Plague.

These measures included the arrangement that families were to bury their own dead and relocating Church services outside to a natural amphitheatre allowing villagers to separate themselves, social distancing 17th century style, and so reducing the risk of infection.

Perhaps the best known decision was to quarantine the entire village to prevent further spread of the disease (love of others). Merchants from surrounding villages sent supplies that they would leave on marked rocks; the villagers then made holes there which they would fill with vinegar to disinfect the money left as payment. There were many, many further practical examples of self-care.

The plague ran its course over 14 months and one account states that it killed at least 260 villagers with about 480 surviving out of a population of 800.

What was remarkable was that the villager’s actions prevented the disease from moving into surrounding areas. Major neighbouring towns such as Sheffield were spared as a result of the self-care but selfless actions of the township of Eyam superbly led by Reverends Mompesson and Stanley. This is a great example of loving others as you love yourselves. If the villagers had neglected these self-care measures the disease would surely have spread to Sheffield and other neighbouring towns.

Let us all love God with our heart, strength, mind and soul. Let us all love others but also let us have a healthy respect for our self and love ourselves by having appropriate self-care. When you do come down hard on yourself remember that you can begin again. Confess your harsh self-treatment and ask God for grace to receive who you are. The Christian message is about new beginnings.

Tawa Baptist

Salt & Pepper

Scripture: Mark 9:38-50

Video Link: https://youtu.be/UozKwTQBBWY

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • The exorcist
  • Crime and punishment
  • Salty sayings
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

Most dining tables have salt and pepper shakers on them. Salt and pepper add flavour and spice to the meal. The purpose of salt and pepper is to make the food taste better, but if you try eating salt and pepper on their own, you are in for a nasty surprise. 

Today we continue our series in the gospel of Mark, based on the lectionary readings. Last week we heard how Jesus defines greatness. The way up is down.

This week’s lectionary reading is a salt and pepper passage. By itself it tastes bitter and unpleasant. But mix a little salt and pepper in with Jesus’ goodness and grace, and it improves the quality of your relationships. From Mark 9, verse 38 we read…

38 “Teacher,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.” 39 “Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, 40 for whoever is not against us is for us. 41 Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward. 42 “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea. 43 If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. 45 And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. 47 And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, 48 where “‘the worms that eat them do not die, and the fire is not quenched.’ 49 Everyone will be salted with fire. 50 “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt among yourselves and be at peace with each other.”

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.

There’s an advert on TV which shows two toasters making toast. Each of the toasters is powered by electricity from different power companies. One of the power companies charges more for their electricity than the other company but, despite the difference in price, the toast comes out exactly the same.

There are any number of power companies, but electricity is electricity. It cooks toast the same, regardless of what power company you use. No power company has a monopoly on electricity.

In verse 38 of Mark 9, the disciple John reports how they saw someone driving out demons in the name of Jesus and told him to stop.

This is interesting. Earlier, in Mark chapter 9, the disciples had been unable to cast out a demon. Now we find someone who is not one of the twelve, but who believes in Jesus and is successful at performing exorcisms.

Why do the disciples think they have the right to instruct someone more competent than them? That’s like any one of us trying to tell Lydia Ko how to play golf.

Well, John told the unknown exorcist to stop because he was not one of them, he wasn’t in their club. The disciples think they are better than this unknown exorcist, even though the exorcist is more effective than they are.

Jesus had just been teaching his disciples about humility and service.

The unknown exorcist is serving the least and he is serving Jesus, but the disciples can’t see it. Jesus’ words haven’t sunk in yet. They don’t understand.  

You get the feeling John thinks he has done something good. Maybe he hopes to be commended by Jesus? Maybe he is wanting to climb the honour ladder and advance himself? But Jesus is not impressed.

In verse 39 Jesus corrects his disciples saying, ‘Do not stop him. For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, 40 for whoever is not against us is for us.’  

To do something in Jesus’ name means to be a bona-fide representative of Jesus. And to be a bona-fide representative, you need to stand in right relationship with Jesus, you need to trust him. It’s more than simply adding Jesus’ name to the end of your prayer, as important as that is.

The unknown exorcist wasn’t using Jesus’ name like a magic spell.

The unknown exorcist stood in right relationship with Jesus. He trusted in Jesus and was able to cast out demons by the power of the Holy Spirit.  

There are any number of power companies, but electricity is electricity.

It cooks toast the same, regardless of what power company you use.

No power company has a monopoly on electricity.

There are any number of Christians, but the Holy Spirit is the Holy Spirit.

The Spirit is free to work through any believer who stands in right relationship with Jesus. No disciple, no church, no denomination has a monopoly on overcoming evil by the power of the Spirit.  

If another Christian is doing good at school or at work, or if another church is doing good in the hood, then don’t knock them. Encourage them. We are on the same side.

In verse 41 Jesus goes on to say: Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward.

Don’t you love how Jesus keeps it real. Not many of us are going to perform miracles in this life. But any Christian believer can give a cup of water in Jesus’ name.

Any representative of Christ can show kindness. It’s like Mother Teresa said, “Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.”     

The greatest power is love.

Crime and punishment:

I started this sermon talking about salt and pepper. Verses 42-50 contain the salt and pepper of the gospel in concentrated form. Taken by themselves these verses taste bitter and unpleasant. They were never meant to be read in isolation from the rest of the Bible. So, as you hear them, remember God’s love for you. Remember too, the grace of Jesus. From verse 42 we read…

“If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea…”

Jesus is talking about crime and punishment here.

Who are these little ones, that Jesus mentions?

In verse 37 Jesus took a small child in his arms and said, ‘whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name, welcomes me…’ So, these little ones might be young children generally. Don’t do anything to harm children or lead them into sin because God is just. He will hold you to account.  

However, these little ones might also be adults, like the unknown exorcist in verse 38, who believe in Jesus. Don’t do anything to cause a fellow believer to fall or lose faith because God is just. He will hold you to account.

The point here is that we have a responsibility to set a good example for others in the faith, especially those who are looking up to us. To trip up one who enjoys a close relationship with Jesus is a terrible crime and merits a terrible punishment.

I don’t often tell jokes in my sermons, partly because I’m not a funny person but also because many of you don’t share my sense of humour. That said, I’m going to take a risk and tell you a joke now…

A little girl was talking to a man on the train about whales. The man said it was physically impossible for a whale to swallow a human being because even though whales are very large, their throats are very small.

The little girl said that Jonah was swallowed by a whale. The man became visibly irritated saying again, in a stern voice, ‘It is physically impossible for a whale to swallow a human person’.

The little girl said, ‘When I get to heaven, I will ask Jonah’. 

The man retorted, ‘What if Jonah goes to hell?’ 

To which the girl replied, ‘Then you ask him’.

In verses 43-48, Jesus talks about hell and how to avoid going there.

43 If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out.

Ditto that for your feet and your eyes.

In the first century, people were punished by having limbs lopped off.

The punishment for stealing was having your left hand cut off.

The punishment for a runaway slave was having one foot chopped off.

And sometimes people had an eye put out for various other crimes.

These sorts of punishments marked the offender for life, so everyone knew what they had done. And it made practical tasks a lot more difficult for the culprit themselves. 

That said, Jesus is not talking literally here. Jesus is not advocating self-harm. Jesus is speaking metaphorically. He is taking an image his listeners would be familiar with and using it to warn people not to go down the wrong path.

The hand is a metaphor for the sorts of things one might do that could lead them into sin. The foot is a metaphor for the sorts of places one might go that could lead them into sin. And the eye is a metaphor for the sorts of things one might look at that could lead them into sin.   

For example. If alcohol is a problem for you, then you need to be ruthless in cutting yourself off from alcohol. That doesn’t mean cutting off your hand so you can’t pick up a bottle.

That means not having any alcohol in the house. It means not going to the pub and not hanging out with friends who like to drink. And if there are lots of bottle stores between where you work and where you live, then it might mean taking an alternative route home to avoid temptation.

Now, I’m not picking on alcoholics here. You could substitute alcohol abuse for any other harmful behaviour, like gossip or sexual immorality or greed or pride or power or gambling or self-centredness or whatever. The point is to cut ourselves off from sin. Nip it in the bud.

That means we need to be thinking a few steps ahead. Where is this decision taking me? Where is this night out or this drink or this text message or this website or this friendship or this swipe right going to lead?  

Of course, we don’t always know where our first steps might take us. The thing about your hands and your feet and your eyes is that they are not inherently bad, they are useful and good in fact. Sometimes what seems innocent enough at first can be misleading. We need to be totally honest with ourselves.

Three times in three verses we come across the word hell. No one in the Bible talks about hell more than Jesus. The actual word translated as ‘hell’ is Gehenna, also known (in the Old Testament) as the Valley of Hinnom, that is, the Valley of Wailing. Gehenna is located on the south side of old Jerusalem.

Centuries before Mark wrote his gospel, the Israelites had sacrificed their children to pagan gods in the Valley of Hinnom. God hated this evil practice. After that, Gehenna became a rubbish dump, where maggots fed off animal carcasses and rubbish was always smouldering.

Given the stench and the filth and the continual burning, Gehenna became a metaphor for hell. Jesus was using an image his listeners were familiar with to describe what happens to the enemies of God in the afterlife. Jesus uses the term hell to describe the way God’s justice will deal with evil.

Those who are committed to doing evil are destroyed and thrown out like rubbish, 48 where “‘the worms that eat them do not die, and the fire is not quenched.’ Hell, therefore, is God’s righteous judgement on evil.

Verse 48 is a reference to the last verse in the book of Isaiah. It contains a message of judgment and hope. In Isaiah 66 we read…

23 From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath to another, all humankind will come and bow down before me,” says the Lord. 

24 “And they will go out and look on the dead bodies of those who rebelled against me; the worms that eat them will not die, the fire that burns them will not be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all humankind.”  

All this talk about hell is scary. It’s horrifying. Questions rise in our minds about what hell is like. What’s the temperature? Who will be there? Is it a place of conscious suffering? Or is it a place of annihilation? We simply don’t know the answers to those sorts of questions and we shouldn’t speculate.

What we can say is that God is good. He is just and merciful, gracious and true. God is love. The Lord of love is our judge and he will do what is right by each one.

The present reality is that this world is a war zone, spiritually speaking.

For the kingdom of God to be realised on earth, the kingdom of evil must be destroyed. Hell is the destruction of the kingdom of evil and that, ultimately, is good news for humanity.

In the same breath that Jesus talks about hell, he also talks about entering life and the kingdom of God. The point seems to be, participation in the kingdom of God is worth any sacrifice. It is better to be limited in what you do in this world, if that means enjoying eternal life.

Salty sayings:

Some of you may have played the word association game. With this game, you start with a word and then someone else says another word that is related in some way and you keep going like that until a word gets repeated or you can’t make an association.

For example, you might start with the word cow, then milk, cereal, breakfast, dinner, steak, salt, fire and so on. Now some of you may be thinking, I can see the connection between most of those words, but what’s the connection between salt and fire? Well, the thing that salt and fire have in common is they both purify things.  

In verses 49-50 of Mark 9, Jesus gives us three salty sayings. We don’t know whether Jesus said these sayings all on the same occasion or whether the gospel writer, Mark, simply collected the salty sayings of Jesus in one place to make them easier to recall.

What we do see here is a certain word association. Verse 48 talks about the fire that is not quenched and in verse 49 we get the saying, ‘everyone will be salted with fire’.

In the ancient world, salt was associated with purity because it came from the two most pure things known at the time. The sea and the sun. Likewise, fire was associated with purification because precious metals (like silver) were refined by fire.

Therefore, the phrase, everyone will be salted with fire, probably means everyone will be purified. This is not saying everyone will go through hell or purgatory. Being salted with fire is a metaphor for the process of purification we go through in this life.

Jesus’ second salty saying reads: Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again?

Salt is a preservative. Salt fights corruption. Unless the Christian resists corruption and evil, bad things will flourish unchecked in the world.

Followers of Jesus are to live a pure life, a life of moral integrity.  

But wait, there’s more. In the Law of Moses, grain offerings needed to be seasoned with salt before being burned. In Leviticus chapter 2, we read…

13 Season all your grain offerings with salt. Do not leave the salt of the covenant of your God out of your grain offerings; add salt to all your offerings.

As well as being a preservative and a purifying agent, salt is also a symbol of a covenant commitment with God. To lose one’s saltiness is to lose one’s commitment to God. Mark 9, verse 50, is a warning against apostacy. Jesus is saying, don’t turn back on your commitment to God. Keep the faith.

Jesus’ third salty saying goes like this: Have salt among yourselves and be at peace with each other.

Salt brings out the best in food. Salt makes things taste more like themselves.

For example, if you put salt on an egg, it makes the egg taste more like an egg. Without salt, the egg tastes a bit like rubber.

To have salt among yourselves, therefore, is to bring out the best in each other. To help those around us to be the best version of themselves. Having salt among yourselves is the opposite of tripping others up or causing them to fall.

William Barclay explains Jesus’ meaning well. Have within yourselves the purifying influence of the Spirit of Christ. Be purified from selfishness and self-seeking, from bitterness and anger and grudge-bearing. Then you will be able to live in peace with those around you.[1]

Last week, we heard how the disciples had been arguing about who was the greatest. This kind of thinking does not bring out the best in people. It brings out the worst. Jesus wants his disciples to preserve their relationships together and to bring out the best in each other. This requires a covenant of salt, a commitment to serving one another’s wellbeing. 

Conclusion:

Each of us (if we are honest with ourselves) is a mixture of good and evil.

We are not pure and we cannot purify ourselves. So where does that leave us?

Well, God does not want to send you to hell. The Lord does not want anyone to perish, he wants everyone to come to repentance and be saved. Your soul is precious to God. So precious in fact, that God sent his own dear Son, Jesus, to redeem your life.

We are made right with God through faith in Jesus. Learning to trust and obey Jesus is our purification process. Sometimes it hurts. We are made salty again as we submit to the work of God’s Spirit in our lives.

May the Lord guide us in the way of purity and peace. Amen.    

Questions for discussion or reflection:

  1. What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?
  2. How do Jesus’ words in Mark 9:38-50 make you feel? Why do you feel this way?
  3. Why does John tell the unknown exorcist to stop driving out demons? Why does Jesus correct John?
  4. What does it mean to do something in the name of Jesus?
  5. Discuss / reflect on Mark 9:42-48. How are we to interpret these verses? Who are “these little ones”? What is hell? What notes of hope do you see?
  6. Is there anything in your life that you need to cut off? (E.g. a habit, a pattern of thought, a relationship, etc.) How might you do this? 
  7. Discuss / reflect on the three salty sayings of Jesus in Mark 9:49-50. What is the connection between salt and fire? What does it mean to lose one’s saltiness? How might we bring out the best in one another and be at peace?      

[1] William Barclay, Commentary on Mark’s gospel, page 244. (My paraphrase of WB’s words.)

Tawa Baptist

The Way Up Is Down

Scripture: Mark 9:30-37

Video Link: https://youtu.be/nnSSPJcgP10

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • The way up is down
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

If you watch Country Calendar then you will know how important soil is for farming. Soil filters the water we drink, it grows the food we eat and it captures carbon dioxide which would otherwise impact climate change.

We might not think dirt is worth much but taking care of the soil under our feet is an essential part of taking care of ourselves and the environment. When it comes to growing great crops, the way up is down, down in the dirt.

Today we continue our series in the gospel of Mark, based on the lectionary readings. Last week, in Mark 8, we heard how Jesus predicted his death and resurrection.

This week, we skip forward to the end of chapter 9, where Jesus talks about greatness. When it comes to greatness, the way up is down. From Mark chapter 9, verse 30, we read…   

30 They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were, 31 because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise.”  32 But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it. 33 They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” 34 But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest. 35 Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.” 36 He took a little child whom he placed among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, 37 “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.”

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.

The way up is down:

Tomato plants grow a lot of branches and leaves. At least once a week you need to go through your tomato plants and break off all the laterals. This thins the foliage out, so more energy goes into producing the fruit. If you let the tomato plant grow wild, without pruning, you’ll get smaller fruit.

When it comes to growing tomatoes, the way up is down. You get bigger fruit and more of it, when you thin the foliage.

In verse 30, we read how Jesus didn’t want anyone to know he was passing through Galilee because he was teaching his disciples. Jesus was popular with the crowds, but that popularity was like excess lateral growth. It took away from the fruit.

When it comes to growing the kingdom of God, the way up is down. To grow a kingdom that would last, Jesus needed to bypass the crowds and give priority to teaching his disciples. He needed to go deep with a few committed souls.

R.A. Cole observes that Jesus had a ‘quiet purposeful selectiveness’ in the way he went about his work.[1] Jesus didn’t try to do everything. Jesus embraced the limitations of his humanity, carefully focusing on what God would have him do.

Sometimes our lives are characterized by a fevered rush to pack as much as possible into the day. While a certain amount of busy-ness and stress is unavoidable, we need to ask ourselves, what are God’s priorities for my time and energy? As Jesus said to Martha, ‘you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed’.

Verse 31 tells us Jesus wanted to talk with his disciples about his betrayal, death and resurrection. This is the second or third time Jesus has mentioned his passion. The way up is down. For Jesus, the way to resurrection and eternal life is by being betrayed and crucified.

Jesus refers to himself as the Son of Man. Jesus is probably drawing a connection with the Son of Man figure in Daniel 7 who endures great trial and suffering, but who emerges victorious in the end. This concept of suffering first, then glory later, is the picture Jesus wants his disciples to see.

But the disciples did not understand what Jesus meant and were afraid to ask him about it. The disciples are in denial; too afraid to face the truth.

They have hopes and plans for Jesus and for themselves too. They imagine Jesus to be a warrior king like David. The thought of Jesus being killed makes no sense to the disciples. How can you win by losing? How can you save us from our enemies and give us a place of power and prestige if you are dead?

And what’s this about Jesus being betrayed? If the disciples had found the courage to think it through, they would have realised Jesus was talking about them being disloyal to him. No one wants to believe they are capable of betrayal, even though we all are.

If you cut your hand while working in the garden or on a building site, you don’t just carry on as if nothing happened. You seek medical attention. You find someone who knows what they are doing to clean the wound, stitch it up and dress it so the cut doesn’t become infected.

It’s similar with our relationships. If you have a bad argument with someone and end up saying things that cut each other, then you need to clean and dress the wound, so your relationship doesn’t turn septic.

When they reach Capernaum and are in the house, away from the public, Jesus asks the disciples what they were arguing about on the road.

We see the grace and wisdom of Jesus here. It’s not that Jesus doesn’t know what they were arguing about. He knows alright. Jesus is asking because he wants to bring healing and reconciliation. If Jesus doesn’t clean and dress the wound properly, the argument will turn their relationships septic.

Notice the way Jesus does not confront the disciples while they are on the road having the argument. The way up is down. If you want to raise understanding in a relationship, then best to wait until tempers go down. Jesus waits until the heat has gone out of the argument and the disciples are calmer.

There is wisdom and grace too in the setting Jesus chooses for this restorative process. Jesus has the conversation in private, away from the crowds. Jesus only includes those who were involved in the argument. He doesn’t complain about the disciples’ behaviour to some third party.

Only after the disciples have calmed down and are all together in a relatively private setting, does Jesus seek to cleanse and dress the wound. Jesus does this by giving the disciples an opportunity to talk about what was troubling them.

But the disciples are silent, too embarrassed to admit they were arguing about who was the greatest. The disciples think the way up is up. They don’t yet understand the way up is down. In order to improve the quality of their relationships they need to humble themselves and confess the truth.

We shouldn’t look down on the disciples here. Better for us to stand alongside them, in solidarity.

At the beginning of Mark chapter 9, Jesus took three disciples up a mountain with him, where he was transfigured. Peter, James and John saw Jesus in his glory, talking with Moses and Elijah and they heard a voice from heaven saying of Jesus, ‘This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him’.

The other nine missed out on this experience. Given how insecure and self-centred we human beings are, this was bound to make the disciples wonder what the pecking order was.

Probably also the disciples were thinking about how Jesus could benefit them. They believed Jesus was a great king and as king he might want them in his cabinet. The disciples’ argument probably came about from their illusions of grandeur.

They were right about Jesus being a great king. They just didn’t understand the path to greatness went through the valley of humble service. The way up is down.     

In verse 35 we read that Jesus sat down. In our culture, teachers normally stand up the front when they are teaching. But in first century Palestine, Rabbis sat down when they had something important to say. 

It soon becomes apparent that Jesus knew all along what the disciples had been arguing about. No one had the courage or humility to admit it, so Jesus shines his light on the situation saying: ‘Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.’ The way up is down.

The society in which Jesus’ disciples lived was an honour shame culture.

There was an honour ladder and most people tried their best to climb it.

The disciples wanted to climb the ladder. They wanted to piggy-back off Jesus’ power to gain prestige for themselves.

Jesus knew this and sought to correct their thinking. Greatness is not found by climbing the honour ladder or the social ladder or the career ladder or any other ladder. The path to greatness is humble service. The one who holds the ladder for others is greater than the one who climbs the ladder.

New Zealand society (generally speaking) is not an honour shame culture. We suffer from tall poppy syndrome. If someone rises above the rest or does well, we don’t normally honour them, at least not for long. More often, they become a target for criticism and getting mowed down.

Tall poppy syndrome is not a good thing. It comes from a spirit of insecurity and individualism. Tall poppy syndrome is the product of a false humility.

True greatness does not tear others down. A great person is not threatened by someone else’s success. A great person is a secure person. Great people are happy when others do well. True greatness lifts others up. And to lift others up you must have your feet on the ground, you must be humble.

By the same token, true greatness does not mean putting yourself down.

When we say the way up is down, we are not talking about being falsely self-deprecating or hiding your light under a bushel.

Do you remember the fable of the hare and the tortoise? The tortoise knew she wasn’t as fast as the hare, but she also knew she had stamina to go the distance. The tortoise did not diminish her own strengths. The tortoise was honest with herself in relation to others.

True greatness means being honest with yourself. Not entertaining illusions of grandeur. Not thinking it’s all about me or that it all depends on me. At the same time, a great person does not deny their strengths. Truly great people believe God, in his grace, has given them something to offer.

True greatness asks, how can I best serve this person? Not how can I use this person to advance myself?

For example, when your spouse or flatmate gets home after a long hard day, you think about what they need? Maybe a listening ear. Maybe for you to cook the dinner while they have a hot bath.  

Or when someone criticises you or your faith, you think about how best to embody the grace and truth of Jesus for them. That usually involves seeking to understand where they are coming from, without letting go of what you believe. It’s not easy.       

In the sermon on the mount, Jesus teaches us to do our good deeds on the quiet and not for show. That’s my paraphrase. If you help someone to make yourself look good, then you will probably end up humiliating them. That’s ugly in the sight of God.

Our church offering system is confidential. I don’t know what people give.

I don’t know who is generous and who is stingy. And I don’t want to know.

A confidential offering system sets us free from honour and shame. It allows us to worship God with a pure heart.

Now, in talking about motive, we need to acknowledge that sometimes serving others makes us feel good and sometimes it doesn’t. On those occasions when serving others does fill you with a warm glow, that’s okay, so long as you don’t make feeling good your primary reason for serving people. Our service needs to be motivated by what is best for the other person’s wellbeing.

Jesus aligns greatness with humility and unselfish service to others.

A few words of common sense here. Before you rush in to serve, stop and listen. Listen to what the Spirit might be saying in this situation. Listen to what the other person needs. And listen to what your own body and soul are telling you. Greatness does not mean making yourself a doormat for others. It is okay to say ‘no’ sometimes.

It’s okay to say ‘no’ if you are being asked to do something that you sense God does not want you to do. As I mentioned earlier, there were times in Jesus’ ministry when he intentionally avoided the crowds in order to spend time teaching his disciples or to be alone with God in prayer.

It’s okay to say ‘no’ if the person doesn’t really need your help. If someone is able to do something for themselves, let them. Allowing someone to discover they can do this or that for themselves might be the greatest service you can offer. A wise person empowers others.   

It’s also okay to say ‘no’ if it is not in our power to help someone in need.

I’m not a doctor so I can’t offer medical advice. It’s not in my power to do that. If someone looks like they need a doctor urgently, then I call an ambulance.

In a similar vein, it’s okay to say ‘no’ if saying ‘yes’ would put yourself or others in harm’s way. For example, if you are not a strong swimmer, then it’s not in your power to dive into the ocean to save someone who is drowning.

If you are not the right person to help, then try to find the right person.

We should remember too that not everyone wants our help. We need to listen to what the other person is telling us and not just assume. If someone refuses our service, then we need to respect that. Much of Jesus’ service was rejected. Offering yourself is a vulnerable thing to do.

To make his point about service and greatness Jesus took a little child in his arms, and said to the disciples, 37 “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me…”

In the culture of first century Palestine, children were somewhere near the bottom of the social ladder. It is significant then that Jesus stands in solidarity with those at the bottom. The way up is down. But there’s more going on here.

There are several places in the gospel where Jesus uses children to illustrate his point. Sometimes Jesus says, you need to be like little children. But this is not one of those times. Jesus is not saying here that children are great. Rather, those who serve people unselfishly are great.  

You see, a child cannot do much to help you to get ahead in this life.

If anything, it’s the other way around. Children need our help.

Children are a labour of love. Children cost money, they rob you of sleep, they cause you worry, they need to be clothed and washed and fed and transported everywhere. Taking care of children is hard work, physically and emotionally.

Sometimes children make you feel good about yourself, but they can also make you feel stink. Children have a way of showing you your character flaws.

Kids are like sandpaper to your vanity.

Small children are, for the most part, ego centric. They think the world revolves around them. If they don’t get what they want, there’s a good chance they will throw a tantrum. That doesn’t make you a bad parent. They are simply being a child. They can’t help it. It’s hard wired into them. Hopefully, by God’s grace and your example, they will grow out of it one day, but it takes time.

If you become a parent, you are committed to a lifetime of humble service.

If you become a parent, you will often have to put what you want on hold, while you support your children in what they need. They will come first, and you will go last. On the bright side, you will grow closer to Christ. 

Jesus is saying, when you welcome people who (like little children) cannot do anything to advance you in this life, you are welcoming me.

When you serve people who (like little children) cannot repay you, you are serving me.

When you love people who (like little children) do not always make you feel good about yourself, you are loving me.

As Jesus says elsewhere in the gospels …whatever you do for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you do for me.’

And whatever you do for me, you do for the one who sent me, that is God the Father.

Conclusion:

The way up is down. The path to greatness is humble service.     

In some ways I’m preaching to the choir. I believe many of you are living a life of humble service. May you feel affirmed and encouraged to continue serving till that day when you hear the words, well done good and faithful servant.   

But perhaps there are some here who feel guilty. Deep down you know your attitude has been wrong. Perhaps you are mainly interested in how others can serve your interests. Is the sting in your conscience a prompt to be less self-serving and more outward looking, more thoughtful of others?

Whatever you are feeling, remember this. It is only by God’s grace that we can serve. Grace must come first. Humble service is the product of grace.

Before we can give to others, we must receive from God. The way up is down.

May God bless you with a deeper awareness of his love. Amen. 

Questions for discussion or reflection:

  1. What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?
  2. Why did Jesus not want anyone to know he was passing through Galilee? How busy and stressed are you? Is your life over full? What are God’s priorities for you at this time?
  3. Why do the disciples avoid Jesus’ comments about his betrayal, death and resurrection? What parts of the gospel message do you tend to avoid and why?
  4. How does Jesus handle the disciples’ argument about who was the greatest? What can we learn from Jesus’ restorative approach?
  5. Discuss / reflect on what makes a person truly great.
  6. Why is it important to stop and listen before rushing in to serve? When is it okay to say ‘no’? When is it right to say ‘yes’?
  7. What does Jesus mean when he takes a little child in his arms and says, “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me…”?  How does this make you feel?      

[1] R.A. Cole, Tyndale Commentary on Mark, page 149.

Tawa Baptist

Hinge

Scripture: Mark 8:27-38

Video Link: https://youtu.be/D8Rd-gYujQI

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Identity
  • Paradox
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

Today we start with a crossword. The word we are looking for has five letters. And to make it easy for you, I have provided several clues: elbow, depend, joint, pivot, axis and connect. Any guesses? [Wait]

Yes, that’s right. The answer is hinge.

A hinge is a pivot point. Movement and change hangs on the hinge. Hinges allow doors to open. From time to time, we face hinge moments in our lives. Times of decision when it feels like we are about to break through some barrier or turn a corner. Hinge moments are often accompanied by an epiphany, an ‘aha’ moment, when the penny drops and a connection is made in our minds.

This Sunday’s lectionary reading focuses on Mark 8, verses 27-38. Chapter 8 is a hinge passage in Mark’s gospel. It comes in the centre of the book of Mark and describes a significant turning point in Jesus’ ministry.

It is also a hinge moment for Peter and the other disciples as they become aware of who Jesus is, what he came to do and what it means for them.

From Mark 8, verse 27 we read…

27 Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, “Who do people say I am?” 28 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” 29 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.” 30 Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him. 31 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. 32 He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33 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.” 34 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. 35 For whoever wants to save their lifewill lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? 37 Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? 38 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.”

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.

Identity:

Time for another crossword. This word has 8 letters. Here’s a few other words to serve as clues: name, signature, self, family, whakapapa and fingerprint. What do you reckon? [Wait] That’s right, identity.

At the core of Mark’s gospel, we read about Jesus’ true identity. The revelation of Jesus’ identity is a hinge moment for the disciples. Understandably, it proves too much for them to take in all at once.

In verse 27 of Mark 8 we read that Jesus and his disciples went to the villages near the city of Caesarea Philippi. This was north of the Sea of Galilee, near the source of the Jordan River.

At the time of Jesus, Caesarea Philippi was a centre of emperor worship.

Before that the city had been a centre of worship for Pan, the Greek god of nature. And before that it had been a site of Baal worship. [1]

Now you would think this was a most unlikely location for Jesus to reveal his true identity, like hearing God speak to you at a Metallica concert, or in a shopping mall. Totally unexpected. But that is why Jesus came. To topple the idols in our hearts.

Whales communicate by a technique called echo-location. They can’t see all that well under water, so they make high pitched sounds measuring how long it takes for the sound to bounce back to them. The longer it takes for the sound to come back the further away the object.  

Jesus uses a bit of echo-location with the disciples on this occasion. Jesus doesn’t come straight out with it saying, “Guess what guys – I’m the Messiah”. No, he gently questions the disciples to sound out how far they are from understanding who he really is.

In an area which is renowned for its worship of false gods Jesus says to his followers, “Who do people say I am?” And they reply, “Some say you are John the Baptist, others say that you are Elijah, while others say that you are one of the prophets.”

This tells us most people didn’t yet perceive who Jesus really was. Yes, they had a vague idea that Jesus was a messenger from God but their vision of Jesus was still blurry. Most people thought of Jesus as a forerunner to the Messiah.

So Jesus asks his disciples another echo-location question. “What about you? Who do you say I am? This is more specific, more personal. Peter replies, “You are the Messiah”

The word ‘Messiah’ is a Hebrew word which literally means ‘anointed one’.

The Greek equivalent is ‘Christ’. Messiah and Christ mean the same thing.

In Old Testament times, when God wanted to identify someone to be king he would have one of his prophets anoint the chosen one by pouring oil on his head.

The words ‘Messiah’ and ‘Christ’ are not surnames for Jesus; they are titles.

To call Jesus, ‘Messiah’, was like calling him King, a rival to Caesar. This title was politically explosive, a treasonable offence.  

Verse 30 tells us that Jesus ordered his disciples not to tell anyone about him. The Jews thought the Messiah would be a military leader (like king David) who would destroy Israel’s enemies. If word got out that Jesus was a king like David, violence might follow. So Jesus orders his disciples to remain silent about his true identity. Jesus didn’t come to take life; he came to give life.  

In the verses just before today’s reading, Jesus heals a man who was blind. First Jesus takes the man outside the village, away from the crowd. Then he put spit on the man’s eyes, laid his hands on him and asked, ‘Do you see anything?’

The man looked up and said, ‘I see people; they look like trees walking around’. The man had some sight, but the healing wasn’t complete. So Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes once more and this time his sight was fully restored so he could see everything clearly.

This miracle of sight came in stages. It serves as an acted-out parable for the disciples and for us. Jesus wants to open the eyes of his disciples so they will see who he is and what he came to do. But, like the blind man, they don’t see fully or clearly at first. Their vision of Jesus comes into focus in stages.

Peter had correctly confessed that Jesus is the Messiah. That was true but there was more to it than Peter imagined. Peter could only see the crescent.

He couldn’t see the whole of the moon.

The disciples (for whom Peter was the spokesman) were under the common misconception that the Messiah would spill their enemies’ blood. But Jesus’ blood was the only blood to be spilled.

From verse 31 we read how Jesus began to teach his disciples 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.

There’s quite a bit going on here. Firstly, Jesus refers to himself as the Son of Man. This is Jesus’ preferred title. Son of Man can simply mean, an ordinary human being. But, in this context, it more likely refers to a vision the prophet Daniel had centuries before, during the Babylonian exile.

In Daniel chapter 7 we read…

13 “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. 14 He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.

The Son of Man figure in Daniel 7 is one who endures great trial and suffering, but who emerges victorious in the end. This concept of suffering first, then glory later, is the picture Jesus wants his disciples to see.

The thought of a dead Messiah is anathema to Peter and the other disciples. They cannot imagine such a thing. How can you win by losing? How can you save us from our enemies if you are killed? How can you be from God if the religious leaders reject you? It doesn’t make sense.

But Jesus insists it must happen this way. This is part of God’s plan. There is no plan B. With the benefit of hindsight, we can see how passages from the Old Testament, like Isaiah 53, were plainly talking about the suffering and vindication of God’s servant, the Messiah.

But the disciples (in Mark 8) didn’t have the benefit of hindsight. They only saw the crescent. Jesus saw the whole of the moon. Jesus’ picture of a suffering Messiah destroys Israel’s hopes. And without hope, what do they have? Well, false hope is no hope at all. It is kinder in the long run for Jesus to be truthful.

And yet there is hope in these verses. For beyond suffering and death there is resurrection. Did the disciples catch that part? Maybe not. 

When Peter takes Jesus aside to rebuke him, Jesus rebukes Peter saying…

“Get behind me Satan. You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”

Ouch! That must have stung. What’s happening here? Well, the devil is using Peter to create a moment of temptation for Jesus. But this is not Jesus’ first rodeo. He sees through it.   

Mark’s gospel highlights three times when Jesus was sorely tempted. The first is at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. Immediately after his baptism the Spirit sends Jesus into the wilderness where he is tempted by Satan.

The second is in today’s reading when Satan tempts Jesus through a friend.

And the third instance comes near the end, when Jesus wrestles in prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane. Father, not my will, but your will be done.

The temptation to avoid the cross was very real for Jesus, which is why he rebukes Peter as strongly as he does. Jesus cannot afford to allow his disciples (or anyone else) to define Messiahship. It is for God to define the identity of the Messiah. Jesus must stick to the straight and narrow way God has chosen. 

Although Peter wears the brunt of the rebuke, he was only saying what everyone else was thinking. Jesus may have been talking to Peter, but he was looking at the other disciples as he spoke. They (and we) have all had our thinking distorted by the devil.

We must not miss Jesus’ grace though. Jesus is not telling Peter to get lost. Jesus is not rejecting Peter outright. Rather, Jesus is telling Peter, ‘Follow me’. Stop trying to lead me. Stop trying to manage me. Stop trying to set the agenda for me. Get behind me as my disciple. I need your support not your opposition.

Paradox:

One more crossword. You might find this a bit harder. This word has seven letters and the clues are: contradiction, puzzle, mystery, catch-22 and conflict. What do you think? [Wait] That’s right: paradox.

A paradox is a contradictory statement that proves to be true. For example, you have to leave home to find home. When I am weak, then I am strong. Less is more. Go slow and you’ll finish sooner. There’s no success like failure. And infinite possibility leaves you with no choice.

Perhaps the greatest paradox is life itself. As Jesus says in John 12…

Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.

In verse 34 of Mark 8, near the centre of the gospel, Jesus says… 

“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me…”

Again, we don’t really appreciate how shocking this would have been for people in Jesus’ day. For Jesus’ first century audience, carrying your cross wasn’t a metaphor for putting up with a difficult person or living with a chronic illness. Carrying your cross meant being treated like an outlaw, a criminal of the worst kind.

Carrying your cross was like digging your own grave. To carry your cross was to go to your own execution in the most humiliating and painful way imaginable.

It involves looking like the bad guy in the eyes of others, even though you have done the right thing.

To deny yourself does not mean pretending to be something you are not.

Self-denial, in this context, means putting aside what you want in order to do what Jesus asks of you. Denial of self involves the obedience of faith.

Being a disciple of Jesus means following Jesus’ example. We see Jesus’ integrity here. Jesus does not ask us to do anything he has not already done himself.  

In verse 35, Jesus gives us the paradox of salvation in a nutshell…

For whoever wants to save their lifewill lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.

The word translated as life, in verse 35, is psyche in the original Greek, from which we get the word psychology. Psyche is the Greek word for soul.

Your soul is your life force but it’s also your mind and personality. Your soul is the essence of who you are, deep down. It’s your true identity. 

Perhaps, among other things, Jesus is saying: you can only find your true self in me. You won’t find your self by pursuing a high-flying career or becoming the world’s best at something. You won’t find your self through fame or fortune or pleasure or good deeds or anything else this world might offer. We are defined by God and so we find our soul (our true self) in and through Christ.

With these words of Jesus, we find ourselves on the cusp of mystery.

The meaning is elusive. The paradox of life (and salvation) is like a rainbow.

A rainbow is meant to be enjoyed from a distance. If you try to understand a rainbow by getting close, it will keep evading you.

The full meaning of Jesus’ words cannot be grasped this side of eternity.

What we do know is there is no rainbow without the rain. There is no glory without suffering. There is no hope without waiting.    

We see the paradox of salvation worked out in the events of Easter. Jesus died on the cross in obedience to God’s will and God raised Jesus to eternal life on the third day. Through Jesus’ death and resurrection millions are saved and find eternal life. This is a wonder, beyond our comprehension.

In verses 36 and 37, Jesus says:  36 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? 37 Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?

The word translated as soul is psyche in the original Greek, the same word translated as life in verse 35. You are not just a collection of chemicals. By God’s grace you are a living soul. There is a value to your life and soul which cannot be measured. You are priceless.

Today’s lectionary reading finishes with Jesus saying: “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.”

Jesus is calling for loyalty here. Mark’s gospel was written for the early church and the early church was a persecuted church. Christians were being brought before the authorities and faced with a brutal choice. Renounce Jesus or die.

Jesus is saying it is better in the long run to remain loyal to him, even if that means being killed. If we share in Jesus’ suffering, we will also share in his glory. Some Christians around the world today still suffer violence for their faith. I imagine these words of Jesus carry real weight for them.

Although the church in New Zealand is not persecuted like the church of the first century, Christianity generally has fallen out of favour in this country.

We have witnessed a gradual erosion of trust between church and society.

Also an erosion of basic Biblical knowledge. Wisdom is called for.

We want to live in respectful relationship with others in our society, without compromising our loyalty to Christ. We need to conduct ourselves in a way that honours the name of Jesus.

We must face the reality that some people will respect our faith and others will view us with contempt, irrespective of what we do. We cannot control what other people think or feel. But, with the Spirit’s help, we can follow Jesus’ example of being gracious and true.

Conclusion:

Jesus’ words in our reading today are incredibly challenging. The spiritual equivalent of trying to climb K2. We cannot follow Jesus in our own strength. Peter tried and ended up denying Jesus three times. But the Lord restored Peter and Peter went on to remain loyal to Jesus, even unto death.

How you finish matters more than how you start, but you still need to start.

If you are feeling inadequate to accept the call of Christ, then you are not alone. Take courage. God has a way of giving you what you need when you need it. We walk by faith, not by sight. If you fall or fail, do not give up.

Take a breath, seek forgiveness and carry on. Your soul is more valuable than you think. God’s grace is sufficient for you.

May goodness and mercy follow you all the days of your life and may you dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Amen. 

Questions for discussion or reflection:

  1. What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?
  2. Can you think of a hinge moment in your life and faith? What happened? How did you feel?
  3. Why did Jesus prefer the title ‘Son of Man’, rather than ‘Messiah’? What is the difference?
  4. Why does Jesus rebuke Peter saying, ‘Get behind me Satan’?
  5. Discuss / reflect on verses 34-38 of Mark 8. How would people in the first century have understood Jesus’ words? How do you understand these verses? What are the implications for us today?
  6. Who do you say Jesus is?

[1] Ben Witherington, ‘The Gospel of Mark’, page 240.

Tawa Baptist

Streets

Scripture: Mark 7:24-37

Video Link: https://youtu.be/CPGMpA-D7v0

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Leaving home
  • Finding faith
  • Sighing deeply
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

Some of you may remember a TV show from the 60’s called The Addams Family, more recently made into a movie. One of the members of the Addams Family was a hand that walked around like a spider, separate from a body.

The hand was simply called ‘Thing’.

A hand by itself looks weird and a bit creepy. For a hand to make sense it really needs to be connected to the rest of the body. The Bible is like a body, it has different parts to it. But none of those parts makes sense or looks right if read in isolation from the other parts.

If you read Bible verses out of context you often end up with an interpretation that is weird and creepy. Scripture interprets Scripture.  

Last week we started a new series following the lectionary readings.

This morning’s lectionary reading focuses on the gospel of Mark, chapter 7, verses 24-37. This passage doesn’t make a lot of sense if taken in isolation from the verses around it. In fact, if you read Mark 7:24-37 by itself, Jesus appears like ‘Thing’ from the Addams Family.

As you listen to these verses then, keep in mind last week’s reading where Jesus talked about what makes a person clean (or right) before God. And if you can’t remember last week’s message, don’t worry. I will remind you as we work through the passage. From verse 24 of Mark 7 we read…      

24 Jesus left that place and went to the vicinity of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it; yet he could not keep his presence secret.

25 In fact, as soon as she heard about him, a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an impure spirit came and fell at his feet. 26 The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter. 27 “First let the children eat all they want,” he told her, “for it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.” 28 “Lord,” she replied, “even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” 29 Then he told her, “For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter.” 30 She went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon gone. 31 Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis. 32 There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged Jesus to place his hand on him. 33 After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then he spit and touched the man’s tongue. 34 He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, “Ephphatha!” (which means “Be opened!”). 35 At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly. 36 Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it. 37 People were overwhelmed with amazement. “He has done everything well,” they said. “He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.

Leaving home:

In 1987, the rock band U2 released an album called The Joshua Tree.

The opening track on that album is called Where the Streets Have No Name. Some of the lyrics read like this…

I want to run, I want to hide,
I wanna tear down the walls that hold me inside…
I wanna take shelter from the poison rain
Where the streets have no name…

Bono wrote these words in response to the idea that, in Belfast, you can identify a person’s religion and income based on the street they live on.

In other words, the name of your street determines other people’s perception of you. There is a wall between people on Old Kent Rd and people on Mayfair. 

Bono wrote the lyrics while in Ethiopia, which is a long way Belfast, Ireland. When you go to a foreign place, the street names don’t carry the same baggage of being rich or poor, protestant or catholic or whatever. 

Bono said: “The guy in the song… thinks about a world where there aren’t such divisions, a place where the streets have no name. …Maybe that’s the dream of all art: to break down the barriers and the divisions between people and touch upon the things that matter the most to us all.”

Perhaps you can identify with the feeling Bono is sketching here. It’s the feeling you get when you leave home for a place you don’t know, a place where the streets have no name (no reputation, no prejudice, no barriers). A place where no one really knows you, so you can transcend the baggage of the past.

Where the streets have no name feels like freedom. It feels like a fresh start.

Last week (in verses 1-23 of Mark 7) Jesus talked about what makes a person unclean before God. The Pharisees were convinced the problem was with those dirty Gentiles and the solution was ceremonial washing, to avoid spiritual contamination and maintain holiness.

Jesus was also concerned about holiness, but he made it clear that the Pharisees had the wrong end of the stick. The problem is not external.

The problem is internal.

What you eat and who you come in contact with does not defile you or make you unholy before God. Rather, it is what comes out of a person’s heart that defiles them: evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, and so on.

It is with this conversation fresh in our minds that Jesus (and his disciples) walk 80 kilometres north into the region of Tyre. In doing this they leave the land of Israel behind and cross over into the land of the Gentiles.  

In the Old Testament, Tyre and Sidon were renowned as places of evil. Places the Jewish people expected God to destroy, like Sodom and Gomorrah. Tyre and Sidon were the historical enemies of Israel and considered by most Jews to be unholy places. The streets of Tyre and Sidon had a bad name.

For Jesus though, Tyre and Sidon were no more unclean than Galilee or Jerusalem. Because it’s not a person’s race or postal code that makes them unclean. It is what comes out of their heart. 

Verse 24 shows us a different side to Jesus. We are used to reading about an extroverted Jesus. A Jesus who is out in the world mixing with people, speaking truth to power, healing the sick and going to parties. Rock on. 

But what we see here is a more introverted Jesus. A Jesus who wants to remain anonymous. A Jesus who wants to keep his presence on the down low. This is not a short-term mission trip. This is more like a retreat.  

Jesus wants to run and hide. He wants to take shelter from the poison rain. He wants to go where the streets have no name. A place where he could be anonymous and transcend all the politics and divisions of his homeland.

Who could blame him. The religious leaders were actively opposing him.

The crowds wanted to use him for the all the wrong reasons. His own family doubted him and his disciples didn’t really understand him. No wonder Jesus wanted to get away from it all. But he is out of luck.

Finding faith:

As soon as Jesus arrived in town, a mother came to him asking for a favour. Unfortunately, she had three strikes against her. She was a woman. She was a Gentile. And her daughter was possessed by an unclean spirit. You cannot get much worse than that, if you are a Jewish man.

The woman knows what the Jews think of her. She understands full well the prejudice she is up against. I imagine at that moment she wishes she could go where the streets have no name. But she can’t escape the fact that the street she comes from has the worst name, the worst reputation.

It says something about her courage and character that she is willing to approach one of her enemies for help. Or maybe it is an indication of her desperation. ‘A mother is only as happy as her unhappiest child.’

The daughter is described as little. This might mean she was young but (in the original Greek) little can also mean beloved. This mother loves her daughter very much. 

The mother falls at Jesus’ feet. Again, there is a double meaning here. To fall at someone’s feet in this context can mean to humble oneself and show respect. But it can also be a sign of overwhelming grief and distress. Falling at Jesus’ feet is both an act of lament and petition.  

The daughter has an impure spirit, a demon in other words. Jesus had said previously (in verse 21) that evil comes out of the human heart. If you think of the heart as the well spring of the soul, that place deep within you where life and vitality spring from, then a demon poisons the well so that every thought, motivation and desire is contaminated, making your spirit sick.

The fact that the daughter has an impure spirit shows us that the human heart is not the only source of evil. There are other malicious non-human forces at work in the world which cause all sorts of harm and chaos.    

In verse 26 we read that the woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia, roughly where Lebanon is today. This tells us the woman was not a worshipper of Yahweh. She was a pagan. She worshipped idols.

When the woman begged Jesus to deliver her daughter from the demon, Jesus does something a 21st Century audience find offensive. He says to her, “First let the children eat all they want, for it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”

The children, in Jesus’ parable here, are the people of Israel. And their food is the healing and life that Jesus brings. Jesus is the bread of life. Dogs is a reference to Gentiles generally. In ancient Jewish culture a dog was considered unclean. Dogs were despised.

So, what is going on here? Because it sounds like a racial slur, an insult, against this mother and her daughter. Well, Jesus is not being racist.

Jesus’ main point is that his mission is first and foremost to the people of Israel. Jesus cannot afford to take on the Gentile world just yet. Jesus’ outreach to the Gentiles will happen in due course (as we see in the book of Acts). But for now, Jesus must focus on Israel and going to the cross.

Jesus’ second point (by implication) is that the Gentile woman before him is unclean. This is not a racial slur. Jesus is making a theological statement.[1]

Drawing on what Jesus had said earlier in Mark 7, verse 21, (that we are defiled by what comes out of our heart) the woman is not unclean because she is a Gentile. She is unclean because she has worshipped idols and done the immoral things that go with that.  

You see, Jesus wants to cleanse the daughter from the demon and the mother from her idolatry. That meant getting the mother to face the truth about herself. Two for the price of one.

At this point the mother has a choice. She can take offence and walk away, insisting on the illusion of her own innocence. Or she can accept the truth that she is not right before God. 

To her credit, the mother responds with humility and insight saying, “Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.”  

The mother accepts Jesus’ point that she is like a dog, unclean, unholy, not right before God. No argument there. But what she won’t accept is that God does not have enough mercy and grace for her.

She is not asking Jesus to deviate from his mission to Israel. She just wants a few crumbs for her daughter. This woman has the faith to believe that God’s goodness and grace is greater than anything she has done wrong.

And for that response of faith, Jesus grants her request, healing her daughter from a distance. The woman returns home to find her daughter on the bed and the demon gone.   

Before we move on, let’s pause for a moment and make some observations.

Although this woman came from a pagan background, she was not all bad.

In fact, Jesus found considerable goodness in her heart.

The woman was genuinely humble, she was honest with herself. She was tenacious, she wouldn’t give up. She was motivated by love for her daughter, and she had great faith, she trusted Jesus.

The essence of her faith was this: she believed God was generous enough to extend grace to pagans. She believed God’s mercy was greater than her sin.

Her spiritual dirt was no match for Jesus’ soap. She put no limits on God.

Last week we heard how evil comes from the human heart. This week we see that goodness also comes from the heart. We are complex creatures, fearfully and wonderfully made.

We may think Jesus was a bit rough or rude in the way he spoke to this woman, but Jesus’ approach brought the best out of her.

The woman rose to a place where the streets have no name. She transcended the prejudice, politics and divisions that get in the way of right relationship. She was in touch with the things that matter most to us all.

Sighing deeply:

After this Jesus went further north to Sidon before heading back down the eastern side of the sea of Galilee into the region of the Decapolis. This journey would have taken weeks, if not months. What happened during that time? We are not told.

The Decapolis was mainly occupied by Gentiles. So, it was similar in some ways to Tyre and Sidon, despised by the Jewish establishment.

While in the region of the Decapolis some people brought a man to Jesus who was deaf and could hardly talk. They begged Jesus to place his hand on the man (to heal him).

The laying on of hands was a Jewish thing, so these people are most likely Jewish. They were interceding for the man, similar to the way the mother interceded for her daughter. Neither the man who was deaf nor the daughter who was possessed were able to ask for help themselves.

Is there someone you know who can’t pray for themselves? Who needs you to intercede for them? 

As we imagine this man, who was deaf and could hardly talk, standing in the presence of Jesus, we are reminded of some verses in Isaiah 35, which read…

Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy…

Isaiah 35 is a message of hope to the Jews in exile. It’s about God redeeming and restoring his people.

Mark is showing us that Jesus is more than a wandering miracle worker. Jesus is not a creepy hand walking around in isolation from the rest of the body. Jesus’ ministry is connected to God’s bigger plan of salvation. Jesus is the Messiah who fulfils the prophecy of Isaiah 35. 

Being deaf in a hearing world is isolating. If you can’t communicate well, you tend to be misunderstood more than usual. Life can be very lonely. Jesus’ experience was similar in some ways to this man’s experience. Much of what Jesus said was misunderstood. Jesus knew what it was to be alone in a crowd.

In verses 33-35 we read how Jesus heals the man. There is something quite winsome and personal in Jesus’ approach here. Jesus heals the man in private, away from the crowds. He doesn’t make a spectacle of the man or the miracle.

Jesus communicates with the man using sign language. By putting his fingers into the man’s ears and touching his tongue with spit, Jesus was showing the man what he was about to do. By looking up to heaven Jesus was indicating that the power to perform this healing comes from God.

And with a deep sigh [Jesus]said to him, Ephphatha!” (which means “Be opened!”). And the man was healed.

What is the sigh about?

A sigh is when we exhale loudly. A sigh is an emotional response to something we feel deep inside. When we sigh it’s like we are releasing a feeling. Usually, it is a feeling of frustration or sadness. A feeling that things are not right. We sigh when no words will do justice to the feeling. Deep calls to deep.

I am reminded of Paul’s words in Romans 8, where he writes…

Likewise, the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.      

It’s not that Jesus didn’t know how to pray in this situation. Rather, he was praying in the Spirit. He was interceding with sighs too deep for words.

The sigh indicates the level of Jesus’ emotional engagement. This healing (like every healing) cost Jesus something.

What is it that makes you sigh?

There is more than one way to be deaf. When Jesus commanded the people not to tell anyone, they kept talking about it. Apparently, the people did not hear Jesus or weren’t listening. Did they see the connection with Isaiah 35?

Or was this just entertainment for them?

It wasn’t entertainment for the man who was healed, it was freedom and a fresh start.

Conclusion:

Today we have heard how Jesus performed two miracles. Although Jesus’ approach in each case was quite different, both signs show us a God of creative power and love. Both signs show us what God intends for his creation. They give us a glimpse of the kingdom of heaven.

Can you imagine a place where the streets have no name? Jesus wants to lift us above the parochial concerns and prejudices that divide us. Will we go there with him?

Questions for discussion or reflection:

  1. What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?
  2. What does it mean to go where the streets have no name? What is this song describing?
  3. Why did Jesus refer to the woman and her daughter as dogs? What made them unclean?
  4. What does the woman’s response, in verse 28, show us? What can we learn from her?
  5. Is there someone you know who can’t pray for themselves? Who needs you to intercede for them? 
  6. Discuss / reflect on the way Jesus heals the man in verses 33-34. How is Jesus’ approach similar / different from the miracle in vv. 24-30? What does this show us about Jesus?
  7. What is it that makes you sigh?  

[1] Refer Tim Keller’s comment in a sermon he preached, December 1996.