Tawa Baptist

A New Heart

Scripture: Mark 13:14-27

Video Link: https://youtu.be/mOK3ojB1xyU

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • A new heart
  • A new security
  • A new King
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

New Zealand law stipulates that church buildings with an occupancy of 100 people or more must have a fire evacuation scheme approved by Fire and Emergency New Zealand. This auditorium has an occupancy rating of 200. Therefore, we have an approved scheme.

Part of the scheme requires us to provide fire warden training on a six-monthly basis, which we do. The door stewards, sound and projector operators, pastors, deacons, kids’ church leaders and service leaders all have specific areas of responsibility to help the congregation safely exit the building in case of a fire.

If you hear the fire alarm ringing, then you need to leave immediately by the nearest safe exit and report to the assembly point on the corner of Lincoln Ave and the Main Rd. Don’t go back to get your purse or your phone, just get out before the smoke and fire overwhelms you. Following the emergency evacuation scheme will save your life.

Today we continue our series in the gospel of Mark. Last Sunday we heard how Jesus predicted the destruction of the Jerusalem temple. In today’s reading Jesus outlines the emergency evacuation scheme for the people of Jerusalem. Jesus tells his disciples what warning sign to look out for and what they should do when they hear the alarm bells ringing. From Mark 13, verse 14 we read…

14 “When you see ‘the abomination that causes desolation’standing where itdoes not belong—let the reader understand—then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 15 Let no one on the housetop go down or enter the house to take anything out. 16 Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. 17 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 18 Pray that this will not take place in winter, 19 because those will be days of distress unequalled from the beginning, when God created the world, until now—and never to be equalled again. 20 “If the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect, whom he has chosen, he has shortened them. 21 At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it. 22 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 23 So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time. 24 “But in those days, following that distress, “‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; 25 the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’  26 “Then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. 27 And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.

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

If today’s reading sounds a bit scary, that’s because it is. We need to keep in mind that Jesus was speaking about the fall of Jerusalem which took place in AD 70. So, from our perspective, the events described by Jesus have already happened. They are in the past. But, from the disciples’ perspective, these events were still to happen, 40 years in the future.     

That said, history has a habit of repeating itself. Some say the judgement that fell on the temple in the first century is a foretaste of the judgement that will one day fall on the whole world.

Where then is the good news? Well bigger picture, God is making all things new. He is giving the world a new heart, a new security and a new King. Let’s begin by considering God’s gift of a new heart.

A new heart:

The heart of a car is the engine. Without an engine, the car cannot fulfil its purpose of taking you from one place to another.

The heart of a chocolate cake is cocoa. Without cocoa powder in the mix, it’s not a chocolate cake.  

The heart of an apple is its core, where the seeds are found. Without the seeds, we wouldn’t be able to grow more apple trees and the fruit would be lost forever. 

The heart of a marriage is commitment. Without commitment to one another’s wellbeing the marriage won’t last.

The heart of worship is love for God. Without love, all our singing and giving and talking is just white noise.

The heart of ancient Israel was the temple building. The temple was the engine of Jewish values and identity. The temple was the cocoa powder in Israel’s chocolate cake. The temple was the center of Israel’s worship. The temple carried the seeds of Israel’s faith and covenant commitment with Yahweh.

Sadly, as we heard last week, the Jerusalem temple had become corrupt and so the nation of Israel was rotten at its core.

God’s remedy was to give Israel a new heart. As the Lord says through the prophet in Ezekiel 36…

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.     

From our individualistic 21st Century cultural context, we tend to read these words as applying to us personally, individually. And that’s okay. The Scripture is spacious enough to accommodate that sort of interpretation.

But if we think more collectively, if we think in terms of we rather than me, we understand that the Lord is probably talking about giving his people, the nation of Israel, a new heart. That is, replacing their temple of stone with a temple of living flesh.

I believe Ezekiel is talking about Jesus here. Jesus is the new heart of flesh who replaces the old stone temple building. Jesus is the engine driving, not just Israel’s values and identity, but the values and identity of all humanity.     

Jesus is the cocoa powder in the world’s chocolate cake. Jesus is the center of our worship. Jesus carries the seeds of humanity’s faith and covenant commitment with God Almighty.

The question is: where is our heart? Who or what is driving the engine of our values and identity. Where does our loyalty and commitment lie?

A new security:

God is making all things new. He is giving the world a new heart, and a new security. Jesus is the new heart and Jesus offers a new kind of security. But there’s a catch; the security Jesus offers doesn’t feel that safe at first. Jesus’ security feels like a risk.

Human development experts tell us that small children have a need for enclosure. By creating boundaries and building enclosures, children start to feel a sense of control over their environment which leads to a sense of security and comfort.  

This need for enclosure often finds expression in children’s play. A child might, for example, build forts out of cardboard boxes or huts out of furniture and blankets. Or they might wrap up their dolls or toys. Playing hide and seek also helps a child to meet their need for enclosure. 

The need for enclosure often remains with us into adulthood. We have an unfortunate but understandable tendency to insulate ourselves against fear and disappointment. We might surround ourselves with small empty comforts, taking refuge behind a wall of cardboard box confidence.    

Enclosure and the sense of security it brings was a deeply felt need for many Jews during the first century. In verse 2 of Mark 13, Jesus predicted the complete destruction of the temple building in Jerusalem. And in verse 4, Jesus’ disciples ask him when this will happen and what will be the sign?

It’s not until verse 14 that Jesus answers their question. After telling his disciples to keep calm and carry on, Jesus says, “When you see the abomination that causes desolation standing where it does not belong – let the reader understand – then let those in Judea flee to the mountains.”      

Verse 14 summarises Jesus’ emergency evacuation plan for Jerusalem.

The abomination that causes desolation is their fire alarm. It is a clear signal that they are in mortal danger and need to get as far away from Jerusalem as quickly as possible.

So, what was this abomination that causes desolation?

Well, an abomination is something that is highly offensive, loathsome or detestable. And desolation is emptiness, isolation, ruin and misery.    

The experts can’t agree on what historical event Jesus was referring to here. Some say Jesus is talking about the Roman legions surrounding the city during the siege of Jerusalem. The idolatry displayed on the Roman standards would be an abomination to the Jews, while the army itself caused desolation.

Others say Jesus was referring to the time shortly before the siege of Jerusalem when the zealots took over the temple building and murders were committed in the temple itself. Which was highly offensive and detestable. 

Whatever the case, the Jews of the first century understood what Jesus meant. God had left the temple building desolate, empty and unprotected, so the Romans could destroy the city. Jesus’ advice was to run for the hills, get away from Jerusalem.

In many ways Jesus’ advice was counter intuitive. The enclosure of the city walls made the people feel safe. Jews flocked to Jerusalem seeking security but also out of a misplaced sense of nationalism. They didn’t realise they would be safer in the wide-open spaces away from the city walls.

Staying in Jerusalem was like remaining in a burning building. History tells how 1.1 million people died in the siege of Jerusalem in the first century. Most were taken by starvation. Thousands were put to the sword or crucified. It was a disaster made more tragic by the fact it did not need to happen. If people had listened to Jesus, there would have been no siege in the first place.

Sadly, for many, Jesus’ voice was largely ignored. In verses 21-22 Jesus warns against false Messiahs and false prophets offering false hope. These false Messiahs were telling people to resist the Roman Empire and God would come to their rescue. Which I suppose is what the people wanted to hear.

Josephus, a first Century Jewish historian, tells how during the siege of Jerusalem several rival groups, with leaders claiming to be sent by God, struggled with one another for control within the city. [1]

Jesus warns against getting involved with these rival factions. Indeed, have nothing to do with the war, for God will not defend the city. This is like the time of Jeremiah when the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem, only worse.     

All of this goes to prove that true security is found through faith in Jesus.

It is by trusting and obeying Jesus’ word that we are saved, even when that word seems counter intuitive. We need the Holy Spirit to help us discern the voice of Jesus and give us courage to obey.

The question is, where do we find our security? Do we find it in the good opinion of others? Or behind a healthy economy and favourable trade agreements? Do we find it by aligning ourselves with a strong military force? Well, those realities are not unimportant. They can be helpful.

But real security, real peace and wellbeing, is the product of a just society.

We pray for leaders to govern with wisdom and fairness that we may live in respectful relationship with those around us.  

A new King:       

God is making all things new. He is giving the world a new heart, a new security and a new King. Jesus is the new heart. Jesus offers a new security. And Jesus is a King like no other.

For a long time, people thought the sun revolved around the earth. It wasn’t until 1543, when Copernicus published his theory, ‘On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres’, that people’s thinking started to change. Prior to Copernicus everyone thought the earth was the centre of the universe.

Often when we read the Bible, we think it revolves around us. And while the Bible certainly is relevant to us, it’s not primarily about us. The Bible is first and foremost about Jesus.

Jesus is the King at the heart of the universe, both the physical universe and the spiritual universe. Jesus is the centre. Everything in heaven and earth revolves around him. As we read in Colossians 1, verse 17: ‘He is before all things and in him all things hold together’.         

In verses 24-26 of Mark 13, Jesus says…

24 “But in those days, following that distress, “‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; 25 the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’ 26 “Then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.

Some people assume that Jesus is talking about the end of the world in these verses. We human beings naturally think it’s all about us. But, as verse 26 makes clear, these words are primarily about Jesus, the Son of Man. 

It is unlikely that Jesus is talking about the end of the world here. If he was, what would be the point of his earlier advice to flee to the mountains? [2] Furthermore, we know he wasn’t talking literally because the physical sun, moon and stars are still above us today.

In verses 24-25 Jesus is quoting from the prophet Isaiah.[3] In the context of Isaiah, the sun being darkened and the stars falling from the sky is a metaphor to describe the end of the Babylonian empire. (The Babylonians being the great world power back in the day.) It’s a poetic way of describing political chaos.

Jesus is borrowing Isaiah’s metaphor, which his disciples were familiar with, and using it to describe the end of the temple system. As we have heard, the temple was the heart of the Jewish nation and religion. Everything revolved around the temple. To lose the temple was like losing the sun, moon and stars.

Jesus’ point seems to be that just as God passed judgement on the evil city of Babylon, so too he will pass judgement on the Jerusalem temple, which had become corrupt. This is a shocking reversal. [4]

Incidentally, in AD 69 four Roman emperors came and went in quick and violent succession: Nero, Otho, Vitellius and Vespasian. These men were like falling stars. So, the metaphor might also refer to chaos in the Roman empire as well as chaos in the nation of Israel.    

Verse 26, which talks about the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory, is a reference to Daniel 7, where the Son of Man comes to God in great triumph and after great suffering.

The term Son of Man, in the book of Daniel, is a metaphor for the faithful people of Israel (the saints of the Most High).[5] Jesus uses the term Son of Man to refer to himself. Jesus is the true embodiment of God’s faithful people.

Jesus is saying those in the heavenly realm will see him come in glory.

People on earth, during the first century, wouldn’t see this because we human beings can’t see what’s happening in heaven.

Jesus is making the audacious claim that he will be enthroned as Son of Man, that is, King in heaven. This means the people of God will no longer be defined exclusively as ethnic Israel. With Jesus’ enthronement in heaven, the people of God are now defined as those who are in Christ, regardless of their ethnicity.

Okay, so Jesus is the new King of the universe. But he is not like any other earthly king we might know. Jesus is a Shepherd King. Jesus has compassion for his people. He weeps over the coming destruction of Jerusalem and he gives his life to redeem God’s creation.

Being the good shepherd King that he is, Jesus gathers all those who belong to him from wherever they are scattered. Verse 27 reads…

And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.

There is more than one way to interpret this verse. Some say, verse 27 is talking about the rapture, when Jesus will return for those who believe in him. Others think verse 27 is talking about the spread of the gospel.

The word translated as angels literally means messengers. An angel is a messenger. The angels in view here don’t necessarily have wings.

They may also be human messengers (apostles or missionaries) preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ to the four corners of the earth.

This interpretation fits the historical context. With the fall of Jerusalem, the Jewish Christians were scattered to the four winds and spread the seeds of the gospel wherever they went.

Whether verse 27 is talking about the rapture or the spread of the gospel or both, it’s primarily about Jesus. Jesus is the shepherd King who will not leave anyone behind, who believes in him.

The question is: who (or what) is the centre of our universe? Who (or what) do our lives revolve around?  Is Jesus our King? Do we obey his commands?

Conclusion:

Let us pray…

Lord Jesus, you are God’s heart for this world. In you we find security. You are the King of heaven and earth. Help us to trust and obey you, always. 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 function or purpose did the Jerusalem temple serve in ancient Israel? How does Jesus fulfil the function and purpose of the Jerusalem temple?
  3. Where is your heart? Who or what is driving the engine of your values and identity. Where does your loyalty and commitment lie?
  4. Why do human beings feel a need for enclosure? What makes you feel secure and in control of your environment?
  5. What security does Jesus offer? How do we find the security Jesus offers?
  6. Discuss / reflect on the meaning of Mark 13:24-26. How would Christians in the first century have understood these words of Jesus? What do these verses show us about Jesus?
  7. In what ways is Jesus different from any other king? Who (or what) is the centre of your universe? Who (or what) does your life revolve around? Does anything need to change?  

[1] Refer Larry Hurtado’s commentary on Mark, page 217.

[2] Refer Tom Wright’s commentary, ‘Mark for Everyone’, page 183.

[3] Refer Isaiah 13:10 & 34:4 in relation to Mark 13:24-25.

[4] RT France, NICNT Matthew, page 922.

[5] Daniel 7:13 & 18

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

Jesus – Son of Man

Scripture: Matthew 20:17-28

Title: Jesus – Son of Man

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Glorious King
  • Suffering Servant
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

I have here a New Zealand half penny

–         On one side is the image of a tiki and on the other side the image of a young Queen Elizabeth the Second

–         Two quite different images – one coin

–         ‘Two sides of the same coin’, is an expression which means two things are related even though they seem quite different

–         The tiki and the queen are both icons of New Zealand

 

Glory & suffering are two sides of the same coin.

–         Although they are quite different experiences they are closely related – we can’t have glory without suffering

–         Just like we can’t have reward without sacrifice,

–         Or light without shadows, or love without pain, or hope without loss, or privilege without responsibility

All these are examples of what we mean by two sides of the same coin – things that are so closely related they can’t be separated and yet they seem quite different

 

Today we continue our series on the Titles of Jesus, this morning focusing on the Son of Man, Jesus’ favourite way of referring to himself

–         The Greek word translated as ‘man’ is a gender inclusive word, so it is more accurately ‘son of humankind’, but we will stick with the term son of man because that’s familiar

–         Son of Man is like the proverbial coin with two sides

–         It speaks of both the humanity and divinity of Jesus

–         It implies both sacrifice and reward, service and authority, the cross and the crown, glorious king and suffering servant

 

Glorious King:

To get an idea of what one side of the Son of Man coin looks like we need to go back to the time of the Jewish exile, when the prophet Daniel was serving in Babylon. From Daniel 7, verses 13-14 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.

To understand these verses we need to look at the context

–         In Daniel 7 the prophet Daniel is describing a vision

–         First Daniel sees four beasts or four monsters – which are representative of successive kingdoms of the ancient world, each one more frightening and inhumane than the one before

–         These monsters, or kingdoms, stand in opposition to the Kingdom of God

–         In verses 13 & 14 Daniel sees, not a monster, but one like a son of man

–         A human being – someone made in the image of God – someone who behaves, not as a monster, but as God intended

–         This son of man figure is representative of Israel – the people of God

The Ancient of Days is a poetic way of referring to God Almighty

–         The Son of Man is closely related to God Almighty

–         The Lord God gives the son of man authority, glory and sovereign power over all the nations of the earth

This then is one side of the Son of Man coin – the glory side

 

The Book of Daniel comes from the Hebrew Bible, what we call the Old Testament, so when Jesus refers to himself as the Son of Man his Jewish disciples naturally think in terms of the figure described in Daniel 7 – someone powerful and glorious, with God given authority

–         And this certainly is one side of the coin as Jesus affirms in various parts of the gospel, like Matthew 19:28, for example where he says…

28 …“Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

The allusion to Daniel 7 is pretty obvious here

–         By calling himself the Son of Man, and saying his disciples will rule over the twelve tribes, Jesus is implying that he is representative of the new Israel – that he embodies the Kingdom of God

Jesus also talks about his glory as the Son of Man in Matthew 24 where he speaks about his second coming at the end of the age…

“Soon after the trouble of those days, the sun will grow dark, the moon will no longer shine, the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers in space will be driven from their courses. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky; and all the peoples of earth will weep as they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. The great trumpet will sound, and he will send out his angels to the four corners of the earth, and they will gather his chosen people from one end of the world to the other.

Again, the connection with Daniel’s vision is unmistakable

 

Suffering Servant:

Jesus, the glorious king, is only one side of the Son of Man coin – the other side is Jesus the suffering servant

–         Please turn with me to Matthew chapter 20, verse 17 – page 29 toward the back of your pew Bibles

–         Before Jesus comes with the clouds and is crowned with honour and glory, he must first eat dirt and suffer the cross

–         I suppose if Jesus did have a coin in his kingdom (and I don’t think he does but if he did) it might have the picture of an empty tomb on one side and a cross on the other. From Matthew 20, verses 17 to 28 we read…

17 As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside and spoke to them privately, as they walked along. 18 “Listen,” he told them, “we are going up to Jerusalem, where the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the teachers of the Law. They will condemn him to death 19 and then hand him over to the Gentiles, who will make fun of him, whip him, and crucify him; but three days later he will be raised to life.”

20 Then the wife of Zebedee came to Jesus with her two sons, bowed before him, and asked him for a favour.

21 “What do you want?” Jesus asked her.

She answered, “Promise me that these two sons of mine will sit at your right and your left when you are King.”

22 “You don’t know what you are asking for,” Jesus answered the sons. “Can you drink the cup of suffering that I am about to drink?”

“We can,” they answered.

23 “You will indeed drink from my cup,” Jesus told them, “but I do not have the right to choose who will sit at my right and my left. These places belong to those for whom my Father has prepared them.”

24 When the other ten disciples heard about this, they became angry with the two brothers. 25 So Jesus called them all together and said, “You know that the rulers of the heathen have power over them, and the leaders have complete authority. 26 This, however, is not the way it shall be among you. If one of you wants to be great, you must be the servant of the rest; 27 and if one of you wants to be first, you must be the slave of the others— 28 like the Son of Man, who did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life to redeem many people.”

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate this reading for us

 

At Christmas time, and sometimes birthdays, a box of Roses chocolates normally appear

–         Roses chocolates come in an assortment of flavours – they are not all the same. Yes, they are made in the same factory with the same chocolate, but they have different centres

–         We all have our favourite flavours and also the flavours we won’t touch

–         It seems none of the women in our family like the mint Roses, because they always get left. Sometimes I open the box to find four mint chocolates and nothing else, which suits me because I quite enjoy mint

–         Robyn likes the coffee flavour whereas coffee chocolates make me gag

In NZ the mint flavoured Roses come in a green wrapper – which makes perfect sense. But in the UK the coffee flavoured Roses come in a green wrapper, which is just a cruel joke if you ask me – first world problems

 

In Matthew 20, the Scripture passage we just read, Jesus shows his disciples the other side of the Son of Man coin

–         They know all about the glorious king who will come riding on the clouds and they love that flavour of the Son of Man

–         But they don’t seem to want to know anything about the suffering servant, that’s a flavour that gets left in the box

Verses 17-19 are the third time, in Matthew, that Jesus has predicted his own death and with this third prediction comes the most detail

–         Jesus is going to Jerusalem knowing he will be betrayed, condemned to death and handed over to the Gentiles, who will mock him, whip him and crucify him

–         This is basically the opposite of what Daniel had described – in Daniel’s vision the Gentiles worship the Son of Man, they don’t mock and kill him

–         Saying the Son of Man would suffer in this way was completely foreign to the disciples, like a green wrapper on a coffee flavoured chocolate, it just doesn’t make sense

–         But it’s not all doom and gloom – after the suffering comes the glory, after death comes resurrection – Jesus rises on the third day

 

The disciples aren’t ready yet to face what Jesus is saying about sacrifice – they are still thinking about the reward Jesus had mentioned in Matthew 19, of sitting on thrones to rule the 12 tribes of Israel

–         Straight after Jesus’ passion prediction the mother of James & John approaches Jesus with great reverence for a favour…

–         ‘Promise me that these two sons of mine will sit at your right and your left when you are King’     

–         On the one hand this shows strong faith in who Jesus is – the disciples, of whom the wife of Zebedee appears to be one, are fully committed to the belief that Jesus is the Son of Man spoken of by the prophet Daniel

–         But on the other hand the request reveals misplaced ambition and an ignorance of the other side of the coin

–         Jesus is a suffering servant as well as a glorious king and somehow his suffering redeems people, so his sacrifice is not in vain, it has purpose

 

When we think of the brothers’ request in light of Jesus’ crucifixion we remember the places to Jesus’ right and left were occupied by criminals, condemned to die – James & John don’t know what they are asking

Jesus says to James & John, “Can you drink the cup of suffering that I am about to drink?”

–         “We can”, they answer – and indeed they would

–         The book of Acts tells us James was killed by king Herod, while tradition tells us John was exiled to the island of Patmos

–         Both brothers sacrificed and suffered in quite different ways for Jesus

 

The other disciples are not happy with the brothers so Jesus acts as a peace maker – he gets them together to prevent any bad feeling from turning septic

–         Interesting how Jesus has the wisdom and grace to transform something that could have been quite destructive into a teachable moment

–         Conflict often drives people apart but Jesus is able to use conflict to bring people together – amazing

Jesus explains that things operate differently under his reign

–         In the kingdoms of this world (as represented by the monsters in Daniel’s vision) greatness is characterised by pushing people around

–         But in God’s Kingdom, as represented by the Son of Man, greatness is characterised by service to others

–         The values of God’s kingdom are, in many respects, the opposite of the values of this world

–         For this reason God’s kingdom is sometimes called the ‘upside down kingdom’

Now for those familiar with the Netflix series, Stranger Things, ‘the upside down’ is a dark and toxic place, filled with horror and monsters (Poor Barb)

–         It would be more accurate to think of the world we live in as ‘the upside down’ and the kingdom of heaven as the way things are supposed to be

–         We only think this world is normal because we don’t know anything else

 

Jesus’ idea that greatness is measured in service to others is a complete paradigm shift – it requires us to retrain our minds & change our behaviour

 

Last week, Elissa & Hannah spoke about their trip to Nepal and the work of the Leprosy Mission there

–         They told us about a leading edge surgery where the doctors take the tendon attached to the middle finger and splice it, connecting it to the other fingers. This surgery restores movement to the whole hand

–         Surgery by itself isn’t enough though – people who have had the surgery need to retrain their brain to move their fingers, because the tendon of the middle finger is now connected to the thumb and ring finger

 

Or to use another illustration:

–         Backing a trailer requires the driver to move the steering wheel in the opposite direction than they would backing without a trailer

–         Backing a trailer is counter intuitive – you have to do everything the other way around

Jesus’ idea that greatness is measured in service to others is counter intuitive at first, requiring us to retrain our minds & change our behaviour

 

Now when we talk about service to others we mean service without ulterior motives

–         If someone gives a lot of money away to charity with the intention of getting a knighthood then that’s not really service to others, that’s service to oneself

–         But if someone gives money away out of love for people, in a way that doesn’t make themselves look big or others look small, then that’s true service

 

True service requires us to die to ourselves and what we want – it often involves the crucifixion of things like our ego, our reputation and our ambition

–         Jesus suffered massive indignity and humiliation in going to the cross

–         He didn’t do it for the glory – he did it out of love for God the Father and love for us – glory was simply the consequence of suffering love

 

Contemporary New Zealand culture is different, in some ways, from the ancient Middle Eastern culture of Jesus’ day

–         It would have been quite shocking for Jesus’ disciples to hear that the slave (the person on the lowest rung of society) was the greatest in God’s kingdom – but that’s not shocking to us

–         Despite the growing gap between rich & poor in this country we still like to think of ourselves as egalitarian

–         Generally speaking we like the underdog (at least in our imagination)

–         And we are quite ready to criticise and dishonour those in positions of power and leadership – it’s the New Zealand way

–         But focusing on someone’s social position misses the point

–         It’s not about position or status, it’s about service, and one can serve the interests of others from any social position, high or low

–         Jesus is not saying, ‘Down with the man’

–         He is not saying politicians and those in authority are bad

–         We still need leaders, and good ones, but leadership is just a function

–         Service to others is the true measure of greatness

Jesus is a leader – a very powerful leader, with God given authority, and yet he doesn’t abuse his power for his own advantage

–         Jesus uses his power to save others, at great cost to himself

 

Mother Teresa modelled the kind of service Jesus was talking about

–         Although she didn’t hold any political office or command any military power, she had a certain authority or mana or influence which came from her service to the poor

Father Damien De Veuster also modelled the greatness of service to others

–         During the 19th Century, Father Damien served as a priest to the people of Molokai Island – a medical quarantine for people with leprosy

–         Father Damien taught the Christian faith to the people and also cared for the patients himself

–         He established leadership within the community to build houses, schools, roads, hospitals, and churches.

–         He dressed residents’ ulcers, built a reservoir, made coffins, dug graves and shared food, providing both medical and emotional support.

–         If you want to be great become the servant of all

 

Most of us are unlikely to do the sorts of things Mother Teresa and Father Damien did but we can still serve others where we are, with what we have

The word ‘deacon’ means servant

–         To be a deacon of Tawa Baptist is to serve this congregation and that’s what each of our deacons do – they serve Christ by serving you

–         There’s a tremendous amount of work in being a deacon these days – it’s not just a pretty title

–         And in addition to their deacons’ responsibilities each one is involved in hands on service to the church, whether that’s painting or fundraising for 24-7 or helping in Club Intermed or leading all-age services and so on

 

It’s not just the deacons though – we have some very able musicians in this church who could easily play to a larger audience if they chose to but they don’t, because it’s not about them. They are committed to serving God and serving you, here in this place

In many ways I’m preaching to the choir – because I know that pretty much all of you here are serving others, either in the life of this church or through your work, in the community or at home, so I don’t need to labour the point

 

Conclusion:

Today is the first Sunday in Lent. Lent is a time when we prepare for Easter

–         It is a time of self-examination – a time for realigning ourselves with the values of God’s kingdom and the attitude of Christ

–         We need to do that because we live in the upside down, we live in relative darkness, with monsters, and so it is easy to lose sight of God’s kingdom

–         We need to remember there are two sides to the coin

Jesus Christ is the Son of Man – He is both glorious king and suffering servant

–         We don’t want to be so focused on the glory to come that we forget others and start serving our own ambition

–         But nor do we want to become so immersed in our service to others that we despair of this life and forget the glory of heaven

–         We need to keep both sides of the coin in view

 

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 comes to your mind when you hear the term ‘Son of Man’?

–         How is this similar to or different from the disciples’ understanding?

3.)    Reflect on / discuss the continuity between Daniel’s vision of the Son of Man and Jesus’ use of the term (e.g. Daniel 7:13-14, Matthew 19:28 & 24:29-31)

4.)    What is your favourite Roses chocolate? Is there any flavour you won’t eat?

–         Which side of the Son of Man coin do you prefer – glorious king or suffering servant?

–         Why is that do you think?

–         How might we keep both sides of the coin in view?

5.)    How does Jesus act as a peacemaker in Matthew 20:24-28?

–         How might we act as peacemakers in similar situations?

6.)    What might ‘service to others’ look like for you?

–         What does it mean to die to oneself?