Christ’s Power Over Every Need The Gospel of Mark Sermon Series “What Must I Do to Inherit Eternal Life?” Mark 10:17-31
Christ’s Power Over Every Need
The Gospel of Mark Sermon Series
“What Must I Do to Inherit Eternal Life?”
Mark 10:17-31
Introduction
After striking a large deposit of gold, two miners in the Klondike gold rush were so excited about unearthing more and more gold each day that they neglected to store up provisions for the winter. Then came the first blizzard. Nearly frozen, one of the miners scribbled a note explaining their foolishness. Then he lay down to die, having come to his senses too late. Months later, a prospecting party discovered the note and the miners’ frozen bodies lying on top of a huge pile of gold.
Obsessed with their treasure, these men hadn’t taken into account that the fair weather wouldn’t last and winter was coming. Hypnotized by their wealth, they failed to prepare for the imminent future. The gold that seemed such a blessing proved to be a deadly curse.[1]
Prayer
The False Path to Eternal Life (vv. 17-22)
“And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” 20 And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.” 21 And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”[2] 22 Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
The man who ran up to Jesus calls him “Good Teacher.” The Greek word he used is agathos, meaning, “intrinsically good.” The word was no used lightly nor or every good thing. We will see in verse 22, that his passion outweighed his commitment.”[3]
Jesus responds by saying, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.” Jesus is saying, “Before you address me with such a title, you had better think soberly about what the implications are, and especially what they are for you.”[4]
(v. 17) He then asks, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Brooks notes, “most Jews would have no doubts about what to do; observe the law. Probably the man had heard about Jesus’ teaching that mere obedience to the law was not enough.”[5]
“indicating that he was thinking in terms of Jewish works of righteousness. He wanted to do something to merit eternal life, whereas Jesus taught that eternal life (the kingdom of God) is a gift to be received (v. 15).[6] The disciples also were in this same mind set, because they are astonished at Jesus’ answer.
(v. 19) Jesus then moves to the 10 Commandments, where the man says, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.” – This passage really summarizes why Jesus (God with skin on) came to earth; there are people who want to have eternal life, they are working so hard at trying to be good people, but in the end that’s not enough. And in that struggle, Jesus’ heart breaks.
“This is a sample of Pharisaic training which nullifies the very effect that God intends that the law should produce, namely, contrite knowledge of sin and the terrors conscientiae.”[7] The man, even though he has kept the law from his youth, there is still something missing. He is dissatisfied with being self-righteous.
This is a real danger for churches – people who a seeking to be good people, upright citizens, but have never gone on to be genuine followers of Christ. They hold on to something in this world that keeps them from having eternal life. There was a time in Webster’s dictionary that defined Christian as “a decent, civilized, or presentable person.”[8]
(v. 21) The man was sincere in his desire to follow God and keep the commandments, “And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him”
There are few people that truly see us – in spite of what Jesus saw, he loved him anyway. Then He spoke to him, showing him where he fell short of his goal of inheriting eternal life. “Jesus saw people with a double eye. He saw what they were, and he saw what they might be.” Jesus saw Peter as a fisherman, and a fisher of men.[9]
The thing that Jesus commands the man to do is rooted in his love for him, and his desire for him to have eternal life. But, no matter how much we are loved by God, he will not override our choices.[10] God gives mankind the dignity of choice.
“The one thing that prevented this young man from having eternal life was the security of his wealth.”[11] Jesus highlights this by giving him the instructions to sell all his stuff, give them money to the poor, and “come, follow me.” (with nothing, just him). “the call is not to poverty, but to discipleship.”[12]
The act of selling all his stuff is not something that earns him eternal life – Jesus is prescribing for this man a way for him to rid himself of something that is preventing him from having eternal life. “You lack one thing,” Jesus does not tell him exactly what that one thing is, but he tells him what is necessary for the one thing to become a reality. “What you have” stands between you and what you are seeking (eternal life).”[13]
“The thing he lacks begins with this discovery, with the realization that all his work-righteousness is in vain, that what he needs is a complete inward change.”[14]
But don’t think, “I’m not rich, so this does not apply to me.” The one thing that this man lacks “is the self-sacrificing devotion which characterizes every true follower of Jesus.”[15]
“Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful” – “The man is conscience of his defect, an important point in his spiritual condition.”[16] To obey Jesus was too great a risk for him to take, the security of his wealth, outweighed the security of the gospel. He said to himself, “I can’t follow Jesus if it means giving up my wealth.” Disobedience to God always brings sorrow.
This is the only verse in Mark where someone being called to discipleship but refusing.
The Costly Path of Eternal Life (vv. 23-27)
23 And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” 24 And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, “Then who can be saved?” 27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.”
(v. 23) Jesus says, ““How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” Jesus never questions the man’s ability to keep the law (even from his youth), but “this action demonstrated how easy it was to become so attached to wealth that even an earnest man forgets what is infinitely more important.”[17]
This also follows Mark 9:43 “And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire.” This is a call to radical action to remove that which would keep a person from heaven.
(v. 24) The disciples were “amazed,” and then again in (v. 26) “they were exceedingly astonished” at Jesus’ words, because the Jewish people “regarded wealth as a token of God’s favor.”[18] “If this were true, then how would they – poor fishermen – gain entrance? The disciples asked if the best could not be saved, who could?”
(v. 25) The type of needle referenced is a sewing needle, and the camel is a regular camel. Jesus’ point is that it is impossible to put a camel through such a small opening as the eye of a needle. It is impossible for a man to be saved, in his own effort.[19] Jesus is saying that it is impossible for a rich man, who trusts in riches, to go into the kingdom. He must learn to trust in Jesus alone.
The disciples ask the question, “Then who can be saved?” – we also use the word, saved. But what is it that the disciples are referring to; what does a person need to be saved from?
Jesus tells us that salvation is completely a work of God. “apart from the grace of God, it is impossible for any man – especially a rich man – to enter God’s kingdom.”[20]
“Saved,” “salvation,” “eternal life,” “kingdom of God” are all used synonymously, meaning a right relationship with God. “This verse probably is the key to understanding the entire passage.
Inheriting eternal life, entering the kingdom, and being saved are impossible for any human being, but not for God, who is good and desires the salvation of all. Therefore, all must depend entirely upon God. Such absolute trust in God makes possible a life of faithful discipleship.”[21] We come to God empty handed.
The Promise of Eternal Life (vv. 28-31)
28 Peter began to say to him, “See, we have left everything and followed you.” 29 Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, 30 who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
(v. 28) Peter is responding to the rich man’s response to Jesus’ command to give up his material possessions and “come follow me.” This is almost identical to Jesus’ call of the disciples, specifically where Peter leaves his father and their family business in Mark 1:18 “And immediately they left their nets and followed him.”
(v. 29) Jesus gives a threefold answer to Peter, and he begins by making a promise “Truly, I say to you” – If there is a person who has “left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel,”
(1) receive a hundredfold what he has lost – when a person leaves his biological family he gains his church family. Often times, the brotherhood among Christians is stronger than biological sibling ties.[22]
True fellowship within a church should be so genuine that we can see it as a good substitute for what has been left behind for the sake of the gospel. “Is fellowship just a beautiful word, with an attractive, but faraway, NT aroma about it, rather than a realized ideal?”[23]
(2) suffer persecutions – Mark alone emphasizes persecution. This is the utter honesty of Jesus. He never offered an easy way. To be a Christian will cost you something. Barkley says, “Jesus never used a bribe to make men follow him. He used a challenge.”[24]
(3) have eternal life in the age to come. God does not take anything from us without restoring it to him in a new and glorious form.
Jesus promises a full, though difficult, life here and now, and eternal life in the “age to come.” This entire section focuses on that riches make being a disciple difficult but the rewards of discipleship are worth more than material possessions.
Jesus is not teaching that being rich is evil, nor is being poor better than being rich. He is not teaching that only the poor can be saved. Jesus is saying that “God takes nothing away from a man without restoring it to him in a new and glorious from.”[25]
Gregg Easterbrook wrote about this in a 2003 book called The Progress Paradox. Easterbrook’s subtitle was How Life Gets Better While People Feel Worse. He describes how affluent we have become—better food, better healthcare, better education, better communication, better climate control, better entertainment, better transportation—all of that.
Yet, when sociologists do their surveys, and people in America indicate where they fall on the satisfaction scale, they are only “slightly satisfied.” Easterbrook has many explanations for this paradox—a condition some have termed affluenza—but the fundamental problem is that this fallen world cannot satisfy anyone.
What we really need, and what we are really looking for, whether we know it or not, is a relationship with the living God. David expressed it well when he said, My soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. (Ps. 63:1)[26]
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[1] https://thepastorsworkshop.com/sermon-illustrations-2/sermon-illustrations-wealth/
[2] Lane 375. “Scribal legislation prohibited the giving away of all one’s possessions precisely because it would reduce a man to poverty.”
[3] Cooper, 167.
[4] Gaebelain, 715.
[5] Rodney L. Cooper, Holman New Testament Commentary, Mark (Nashville, Tennessee; Holman Reference, 2000) 166.
[6] Frank E. Gaebelein, General Editor, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 8 (Grand Rapids, Michigan; Zondervan Publishing, 1984) 715.
[7] R. C. Lenski, The Interpretation of St. Mark’s Gospel (Minneapolis, Minnesota; Augsburg Publishing House, 1964) 435.
[8] George Arthur Buttrick, Commentary Editor, The Interpreter’s Bible, Volume 7 (Nashville, Tennessee; Abingdon Press, 1953) 803.
[9] “A primrose by a river’s brim, A yellow primrose was to him, And it was nothing more.” William Wordsworth
[10] Cooper, 168.
[11] Gaebelain, 715.
[12] James A. Brooks, The New American Commentary, Mark (Nashville, Tennessee; Broadman Press, 1991) 163.
[13] Clifton Allen, General Editor, The Broadman Bible Commentary, Volume 8 (Nashville, Tennessee; Broadman Press, 1969) 349.
[14] Lenski, 436.
[15] William L. Lane, The New International Commentary on The New Testament, The Gospel According to Mark (Grand Rapids, Michigan; William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. 1974) 367.
[16] W. Robertson Nicoll, The Expositor’s Greek Testament, Volume 1 (Grand Rapids, Michigan; WM. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1967) 411.
[17] Lane, 369.
[18] Archibald Thomas Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament, Volume 1 (Nashville, Tennessee; Broadman Press, 1932) 352.
[19] There is no evidence for a special gate in the city wall, called “The Eye of the Needle,” nor is there is any evidence that “needle” should be translated as “rope.”
[20] Gaebelain, 716.
[21] Brooks, 165.
[22] See Mark 3:31-35
[23] Buttrick, 809.
[24] Cooper, 169.
[25] Lane, 372.
[26] https://thepastorsworkshop.com/sermon-illustrations-2/sermon-illustrations-wealth/
Christ’s Power Over Every Need The Gospel of Mark Sermon Series “Marriage & Children” Mark 10:1-16
Christ’s Power Over Every Need
The Gospel of Mark Sermon Series
“Marriage & Children”
Mark 10:1-16
Introduction
In 2005, the Guinness Book of World Records said that Percy and Florence Arrowsmith held two records—the longest marriage of a living couple (80 years) and having the largest married couple’s aggregate age (205 years).
Both Mr. and Mrs. Arrowsmith have since died, but they left good advice for those who want to have a lasting marriage. Florence said, “You must never go to sleep bad friends. If you’ve had a quarrel, you make it up. Never be afraid to say, ‘sorry’.”
Percy had slightly more humorous advice. He said the secret to his long marriage was just two words, “Yes, dear.”[1]
Prayer
In Intention of Marriage (vv. 1-12)
“And he left there and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan, and crowds gathered to him again. And again, as was his custom, he taught them. 2 And Pharisees came up and in order to test him asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” 3 He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” 4 They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away.”5 And Jesus said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment.
When we close chapter nine we have six months until the cross, and when we get to the opening verses of chapter 10 we are only weeks away. There are caravans and multitudes of people traveling to Jerusalem.[2] So, as they are moving and traveling, Jesus is teaching them.
(v. 1) “went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan” – “The fact that Jesus was in Perea, Herod Antipas’s territory, may be significant. Antipas had put John the Baptist to death because John had denounced Antipas’s marriage and divorce. The Pharisees are hoping that Jesus would get himself into trouble with Antipas and would suffer the same cruel fate as John (head on a platter).”[3] John the Baptist died because he took a stand on this subject.
Also, “Herod took John the Baptist’s criticism of his marriage as potential incitement to revolt, and it is likely that the political situation in Galilee best explains the original reason for which Jesus was questioned about his views on divorce.”[4]
Mark tells us these religious leaders, the Pharisees, are up to no good, and trying to trip Jesus up, when he says, “in order to test him.”
Jesus references Deuteronomy 24:1 when he says, “What did Moses command you?” and the Pharisees quote their source of authority, Moses, “When a man takes a wife and marries her, if then she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some indecency in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out of his house, and she departs out of his house,” Apparently, before Moses’ day, a man could divorce his wife with just a word.
The Pharisees are saying Moses permitted divorce providing a certificate of divorce was given to the wife.[5] Of course they had rules relating to the certificate (it had to be written on durable material, permanent ink, something that wouldn’t fade, etc.) – But they are not having the discussion of God’s intention behind marriage, only the loop holes, the short cuts, and the way out.
“On the question of the lawfulness of divorce, there was general unanimity among the Jews: divorce was allowed. The real difference of opinion centered on the grounds for divorce. . . In Duet. 24:1 the crucial words are “something indecent.”[6] There were two schools that one typically fell into.
“The school of Shammai, the stricter of the schools, understood these words to mean something morally indecent, in particular, adultery. But remember that “the penalty for adultery was not divorce, under the Mosaic code, but death.”[7]
The school of Hillel interpreted the words much more freely. Just about anything in a wife that a husband did not find to his liking was suitable grounds for divorce. Even if she burned food.”[8] Where Jesus stood between these two schools, and to get him to say something that could be used against him was their goal.
Remember that the book of Mark was not written to the Jewish people, but to the Roman believers; so there would be little interest in the rabbinical teachings on the law, their focus would have been “in Jesus’ teaching about God’s will.”[9]
Jesus does not question the law. But he reaches back to first principles. God’s design for a man and woman was that marriage should be an unbroken lifelong union. Jesus is pointing out that because man’s hearts are rebellious, he gives provisions that are intended to slow down the effects of sin upon society. The rabbis mistook God’s gracious provision in allowing divorce as his approval of it.”
(v. 5) “And Jesus said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment.” – The law was an attempt to promote some order and restraint in the society to which it was first given. The reason for the law was the people’s “hardness of heart.” The people were set on doing what they thought and desired; they were blind and unteachable as far as God’s will for them was concerned.[10]
When Jesus comments on Moses’ statement in that it is not a reflection of the will of God but instead reflects the stubbornness of the Israelites (v. 5) – this would have been unique and striking.[11] The men were throwing their wives to the side for the most insignificant of reasons.
6 But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ 7 ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, 8 and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. 9 What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”
Jesus moves the discussion from “is it lawful?” to the purpose of God for marriage. Jesus turns to the beginning of creation; It is God’s purpose for mankind, male and female, to be joined together by God – a holy union. God joined the man and woman together. Man should not separate what God put together. “Mere formal divorce does not annul the actual marriage consummated by the physical union. Breaking that bond does annul it.”[12]
Since marriage is a lifelong union between a man and a woman, its’ claims take precedence over ties to father and mother (v.7). “So they are no longer two but one flesh” – they are one unit.
(v. 9) “therefore God has joined together” – means literally “yoked together” It graphically stresses the importance of husband and wife working together as a team of oxen yoked together. God has put a man and woman together to work for the glory of God, with their family.
In Genesis 1:27 “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” “In this passage men and women are presented on equal ground. Both are to be respected, and they are equal partners. “In the social and economic context of ancient Palestine, the absolute right of the husband to divorce often meant great hardship for divorced wives, who might be given one lump-sum economic settlement if they were not accused of unchastity.
This sum, however would be no more than the woman’s dowry given at marriage, and that might be very small if the woman had poor parents.”[13] Jesus is rejecting the idea of women being property and the wife has rights in the context of marriage, based upon the creation account.
“Jesus defines marriage as a relationship in which both husband and wife are responsible both to each other and to God for maintaining its sanctity.”[14]
10 And in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. 11 And he said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her, 12 and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”
Mark does not tell us how the Pharisees respond to Jesus’ comment. Instead, we go immediately into house again for a private conversation.
“In rabbinic Judaism a woman by infidelity could commit adultery against her husband; and a man, by having sexual relations with another man’s wife, could commit adultery against him. But a man could never commit adultery against his wife, no matter what he did.”[15]
(v. 11) By Jesus saying, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her” – is putting the man under the same moral obligation as the wife, thereby raising the status and dignity of women. Whatever the reason for a divorce someone’s heart along the way was hardened toward God, and this was reflected in the marriage. Jesus is directly targeting men who are being cruel in how they are divorcing their wives, and against their perverse disregard of the purpose of the Creator when he formed man from the dust and joined husband and wife together.
The Innocence of Children (vv. 13-15)
“And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. 14 But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. 15 Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” 16 And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.”
It was a custom for parents to bring their children to great men and have them blessed.[16] Here we then see parents bringing their children to Jesus, and he was blessing them. Parents are wanting a better future for their children, a blessed future.
This is the point of a godly household and parents, to bring their children to Jesus. Ephesians 6:4 “bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”
But the disciples are rebuking them. Why did the disciples want to keep parents and children away from Jesus? They were keeping parents and children from experiencing Jesus. The disciples tried to stop the anonymous exorcist (Mark 9:38-41) from casting out demons, and “Jesus said, “Do not stop him,” Here the disciples are again, trying to stop people.
The disciples haven’t captured the spirit of Jesus. We ask, how can they have been with Jesus so long, and heard all that He said, and still miss the things that Jesus really cared about. They still seem calloused toward people (ex. hungry people, those outside the twelve).
“he was indignant” – “It was a strong word of deep emotion (from agan and acthomai, to feel pain).”[17] “The disciples attempt to turn the children aside because they were unimportant, is one more instance of a persistent tendency to think in wholly human, fallen categories which Jesus had rebuked on earlier occasions (Mark 8:33; 9:33-37). The kingdom of God is made up of “childlike” earthly unimportant people.
(v. 14) “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them,” – hinder is an active, conscience, intentional blocking or obstruction. “for to such belongs the kingdom of God. 15 Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter.”
“The kingdom is that which God gives and that which man receives. Essential to the comparison developed in verse 15 is the objective littleness and helplessness of the child, which is presupposed in verse 14 as well. The kingdom may be entered only by one who knows he is helpless and small, without claim or merit.”[18]
(v. 16) “And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.” – “A papyrus dated Alexandria, June 17, 1 B.C. contains a letter of instruction from a husband to his expectant wife, who he supposes may have had her child: “if it was a male child, let it live; if it was a female, cast it out.” Jesus shows his love for all children, which is freely given to all who would receive it.
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[1] https://ministry127.com/resources/illustration/the-secret-to-a-lasting-marriage
[2] Archibald Thomas Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament, Volume 1 (Nashville, Tennessee; Broadman Press, 1930) 348.
[3] Frank E. Gaebelein, General Editor, The Expositor’s Bible Dictionary, Volume 8 (Grand Rapids, Michigan; Zondervan Publishing, 1984) 710.
[4] Larry Hurtado, New International Biblical Commentary, Mark (Peabody Massachusetts; Hendrickson Publishing, 2001) 160.
[5] An example of an eleventh-century Jewish divorce certificate, “On . . .[date], I . . .[name], son of . . . and of . . .. of my own free will and purpose and without an coercion whatsoever, do divorce, set free, and repudiate you, . . . [name], so that you are now free and in full possession of your own person, with the right to go and be married to whmever you choose. . .” Buttrick, 796.
[6] Gaebelein, 710.
[7] George Arthur Buttrick, The Interpreter’s Bible, Volume 7 (Nashville, Tennessee; Abingdon Press, 1953) 795. See also, John 8:2-11 The woman caught in adultery.
[8] Gaebelein, 710.
[9] Clifton J. Allen, The Broadman Bible Commentary, Volume 8 (Nashville, Tennessee; Broadman Press, 1969) 346.
[10] Allen, 346.
[11] Hurtado, 160.
[12] Robertson, 349.
[13] Hurtado, 160.
[14] Hurtado, 161.
[15] Gaebelein, 712.
[16] Genesis 48:13-20.
[17] Robertson, 350.
[18] William L. Lane, The New International Commentary on the New Testament, The Gospel of Mark (Grand Rapids, Michigan; William B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1974) 361.
Christ’s Power Over Every Need The Gospel of Mark Sermon Series “The Road to Greatness Is Covered With Salt” Mark 9:30-50
Christ’s Power Over Every Need
The Gospel of Mark Sermon Series
“The Road to Greatness Is Covered With Salt”
Mark 9:30-50
Introduction
If you google “how to be successful” you will get thousands of quotes form people telling you their way and idea of success. Here are a few quotes. Jesus tells us that if we want to be successful in this life, then we need to listen and follow Him. But his way to success and how he defines success if radically different than the world. This morning we will look at how to be successful according to Jesus.
Prayer
The Arguing Evangelists (vv. 30-37)
30 They went on from there and passed through Galilee. And he did not want anyone to know, 31 for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise.” 32 But they did not understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him.
“And he did not want anyone to know” – Jesus’ public ministry in Galilee is officially finished, and at this point he wants to focus on preparing and teaching the disciples. Jesus is preparing the disciples to carry on His mission of the way of salvation for humanity. Salvation of the world.
This is the second time Jesus introduces that He is going to die, and here when it says, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered” the idea of betrayal is added. The verb “is going to be betrayed,” is a betrayal that will happen in the future, but the verb usage also means it is happening right now. Jesus is telling them that right now, there is someone who is betraying Him, into the hands of men – which will lead to his death – but he will rise again in three days.
The last time they had discussed this topic, Jesus ended up calling Peter Satan, and telling him to get behind him (Mark 8:31,33). [1] So no one wants to be called Satan, and rebuked so no one asks Him anything.
33 And they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” 34 But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. 35 And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” 36 And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, 37 “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.”
Jesus then asks them, what they were discussing along the way – it was not Jesus being delivered into the hands of men, who was betraying him, or His death, or even his eventual resurrection from the dead. Instead of discussing these things, “they had argued with one another about who was the greatest.” They had been disputing “the relative rank of each of them in the political kingdom which they were expecting him to establish.”[2]
“The implication is that all of the twelve will be great, yet some will be “greater’ than others”[3] and as the disciples conceived it as being filled with earthly glory and grandeur with Jesus as the earthly king.[4]
“And he sat down and called the twelve.” – Jesus waits until he gets inside the house to deal with their issue of pride, envy, jealousy, and their unwillingness to expand the circle of the twelve – This is a formal way of sitting, where Jesus would have crossed his legs in front of him, and would have indicated that he was about to teach or pass on important instructions.[5]
(v. 35) “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all” This principle is so important that it is repeated again and again (Mark 10:31, 43-44, Matthew 23:8-11; Luke 22:24-27). There is a rule for greatness in the kingdom of God. There is an order, a ranking. Jesus does not even persuade people from seeking to be great in the kingdom.
Jesus has already defined service as Mark 8:34-35 “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.” Therefore, to serve, or to be a servant is a denial of self, and sacrifice for the sake of the gospel. The one who wishes to be the greatest, to lead the others, must be a servant of all and deny themselves.
(v. 36) “To illustrate the principle in v. 35, Jesus took a child, and stood him by his side, and as Jesus is talking hugs the child. “And he took a child and put him in the midst of them” “The child is set before the Twelve as an example of discipleship, . . .the disciples are to identify themselves with children and become “the little ones” who have no basis for pretension and greatness.”[6] But also the child is an object of kind treatment, and when Jesus hugs the child, shows how all that the child represents should be treated.[7]
“To welcome one of these little children means, in context, to treat honorably other disciples, taking the role of servant toward them. It’s all about how you treat the child.”[8]
The Anonymous Exorcist (vv. 38-41)
38 John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.”[9] 39 But Jesus said, “Do not stop him, for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. 40 For the one who is not against us is for us. 41 For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward.
John[10] changes the subject, (talking about service, let me tell you what we did) “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name” “So he told about a case of extra zeal on his part expecting praise from Jesus.”[11]
“What irked the disciples was that, though he was not one of them, he was being successful at it!”[12] While Mark is not given in a chronological order, this event does fall after Mark’s description of the disciples not being able to cast out a demon (Mark 9:18). They felt threatened as Jesus’ disciples (the inner 12), so they tried to shut down the other person’s work. They told him to stop and he didn’t.
A similar thing happened in Numbers 11:26-29 “Now two men remained in the camp, one named Eldad, and the other named Medad, and the Spirit rested on them. They were among those registered, but they had not gone out to the tent, and so they prophesied in the camp. 27 And a young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.” 28 And Joshua the son of Nun, the assistant of Moses from his youth, said, “My lord Moses, stop them.” 29 But Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the LORD’s people were prophets, that the LORD would put his Spirit on them!” 30 And Moses and the elders of Israel returned to the camp.”
“The anonymous exorcist grasped that an essential dimension of Jesus’ ministry was the confrontation and defeat of Satan. The use of Jesus’ name (i.e. “I command you to come out in Jesus’ name!”) shows an awareness that it was Jesus who ordered the action, which is accomplished by his sovereign will.[13] The fact that the demon left shows that the man was a believer.
(v. 38) Jesus’ response is to say, “Do not stop him” – Don’t slow him down, hinder him, etc. from serving in Jesus’ name. As the gospel begins to go forth, people begin to minister in Jesus’ name, and they may be better at it than you! God’s power was not limited just to the twelve. “For the one who is not against us is for us.”— This new believer is out there doing ministry in Jesus’ name.
The Examples of Atrocities (vv. 42-50)
Causing Others to Sin
42 “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.
Whoever is a reference to a person causing another person to sin (by stopping them, or hindering them in their childlike faith of serving God). Skandalizo can mean to miss the mark, fall short, where we get the word sin from, but it can also mean to pull someone away from following another – which seems to be the context here. It means “causing someone to fall into unbelief, serious sin, or false teaching.”[14]
“Here the designation “the little ones” is extended to other followers whose allegiance to Jesus is no less exemplified in their own spheres of labor (exorcism, hospitality) than is true of the Twelve.”[15] The little ones were people who had just begin to put their faith in Jesus, “babes in the faith.”
(v. 42) “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin” The little ones is not a reference to the child Jesus has brought into the circle earlier. He is directly referencing the followers of Jesus who begin to try and minister in Jesus’ name. So, Jesus brings the discussion back to service – The apostles are called to serve, to continue the mission of Jesus when He is gone, but they must do it in humility, and holiness, and they should not hinder anyone else from serving as well.[16]
And if you do stand in the way, and cause someone to stop serving, thereby sin, “it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.” [17] This is very serious because by doing that, you have stopped their spiritual growth, and you have stopped any work they may have accomplished moving forward.
Things Causing You to Sin (Parts of Yourself)
43[18] And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. 45 And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell. 47 And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, 48 ‘where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’ 49 For everyone will be salted with fire. 50 Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”[19]
Then Jesus transitions into a teaching on things that would cause this sin (hand, foot, eye) – “It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell.” Both heaven and hell are described as actual places. Gehenna is regarded as a place “where” the damned are; and their torment goes on and on in a fire that is never quenched.
There is a link between the body part and the resulting sin done by that body part – and how that one body part effects the entire body. “The parts of the body mentioned here are really symbols for various types of activity, for example, the hand that grasps for things it should not, the foot that goes where it ought not, or the eye that desires what it ought not.”[20] It is better to get rid of the foot, than for the entire body to be destroyed.
Both pulling a “little one” away from faithful service, and you allowing on part of sin to pull you away from God – Jesus is saying drastic action is requi Radical obedience is demanded. Whatever part of you that is not sold out to following Jesus needs to be done away with.
“The Valley of Hinnom had been desecrated by the sacrifice of children to Moloch so that as an accursed place it was used for the city garbage where worms gnawed and fires burned. It is thus a vivid picture of eternal punishment.”[21]
(v. 48) Jesus quotes directly from Isaiah 66:24 “And they shall go out and look on the dead bodies of the men who have rebelled against me. For their worm shall not die, their fire shall not be quenched, and they shall be an abhorrence to all flesh.” “The worm is internal, “the fire” is external, thus the entire suffering of the person.
(v. 49) “For everyone will be salted with fire” – “everyone must be salted somehow, either with the unquenchable fire of Gehenna, or with the fire of severe self-discipline.”[22] Fire is painful, self-discipline is painful, you have to deny what your flesh desires.
Our entry into “the kingdom of God” or to Gehenna Hell – is a choice. We choose what we take off and put on. We choose what our priorities will be, we choose what we allow to control us. We choose who our God will be.
(v. 50) “Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again?” – “Jesus is warning the disciples not to lose that characteristic in them that brings life to the world and prevents decay.”[23] As a believer, we should stand out (like salt gives food a better taste). But, salt can lose its’ flavor. So too, a follower of Jesus can become so like the world, that there is no discernable difference, and thereby a worthless witness.
This is why our regular study and obedience to God’s Word is so important. If we are to be freed from the world’s corruption and influence, we must be preserved (like salt) by the Word, and refined (as by fire) by the Word of God.
“Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another” – Instead of arguing with one another about how they are serving (casting out demons without your permission), focus on you adding flavor to the world (self-discipline and self-denial), and be at peace with other believers. Jesus also wants believers to “take extremely seriously their responsibility to avoid acts that would drive away other disciples from the circle of discipleship.”[24]
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[1] Mark 8:31 “Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again.”
[2] Archibald Thomas Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament, Volume 1 (Nashville, Tennessee; Broadman Press, 1932) 345.
[3] “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.” George Orwell, Animal Farm.
[4] R. C. H. Lenski, The interpretation of St. Mark’s Gospel (Minneapolis, Minnesota; Augsburg Publishing, 1964) 390.
[5] Lenski, 391.
[6] William L. Lane, The New International Commentary on the New Testament, The Gospel According to Mark (Grand Rapids, Michigan; W.B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1974) 341.
[7] Alexander Balmain Bruce, The Expositor’s Greek Testament, Volume 1 (Grand Rapids, Michigan; WM B Eerdsman Co., 1967) 405.
[8] Bruce, 153.
[9] “It is striking, however, that after each of the three major prophecies of the passion the evangelist inserts the response of one of the three disciples who were closest to Jesus; Peter (Mk. 8:32f.), John (Mk. 9:38), and James, with John (Mk. 10:35-37). Mark shows in this way that even the most privileged of the disciples failed to understand what the passion signified for their life and mission.” Lane, 342.
[10] This is the only time Mark mentions John alone.
[11] Robertson, 346.
[12] Frank E. Gaebelein, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 8 (Grand Rapids, Michigan; Zondervan Publishing, 1984) 707.
[13] Lane, 343. See Also, Acts 19:13-16.
[14] Bruce, 156.
[15] Lane, 345.
[16] Click the link for further discussion on the Didache and the apostles desire to control “authenticity of faith and consistency in practice” https://drewboswell.com/determining-curriculum-part-one/
[17] Acts 5:37 speaks of a rebellion against the Romans in Galilee under the leadership of a Zealot named Judas the Galilean. A punishment for some of the rebellion’s leadership was a millstone tied around their neck and being cast into the sea. Lane 346. Jesus’ disciples would have been familiar with this historical event.
[18] vv. 44 and 46 are not included – The oldest and best manuscripts do not give these two verses.
[19] Matthew 5:13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.”
[20] Larry W. Hurtado, New International Biblical Commentary, Mark (Peabody, Massachusetts; Hendrickson Publishers, 2001) 156.
[21] Jer. 2:23; 7:31, 32; II Chron. 28:3; 33:6, II Kings 23:10
[22] Bruce, 407.
[23] Gaebelein, 709.
[24] Hurtado, 156.
Christ’s Power Over Every Need The Gospel of Mark Sermon Series “Lord Help My Unbelief” Mark 9:14-29
Christ’s Power Over Every Need
The Gospel of Mark Sermon Series
“Lord Help My Unbelief”
Mark 9:14-29
Introduction
Cell phone and charging cable.
Prayer
The Lack of Power by Jesus’ Pupils (vv. 14-18)
And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them. 15 And immediately all the crowd, when they saw him, were greatly amazed[1] and ran up to him and greeted him. 16 And he asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?” 17 And someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute. 18 And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able.”
The disciples have been on the mountain top with a transfigured Jesus, they have seen Moses and Elijah, and they heard the voice of God – it was a truly “mountain top” experience. But at some point, you have to come down from the mountain – so they are almost immediately encounter evil (demon possession) and unbelief.
The dispute between scribes and nine disciples, that the three disciples and Jesus walk into, seems to be over the disciples’ inability to heal the man’s son. Whatever the disciples would normally do to heal was not working this time – and the scribes jumped on the opportunity to make them, and thereby Jesus, look bad. So, an argument developed.
The father describes the condition of the spirit possessed boy. He is mute, he is thrown around because of convulsions, foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, get rigid, and there is an idea of withering. The evil of the demon is on keeping the child from saying what is wrong (mute), he can’t hear the truth of Jesus, the gospel, his father’s loving voice telling him we are going to get some help (deaf), and the demon seeks to cripple him, scar him, and ultimately destroy him. Evil’s goal with everyone he can get his claws into is destruction.
And the disciples did not have (ischus) the strength to handle this case, “they were not able” to cast it out. Why?
The Potential of Power (vv. 19-24)
19 And he answered them, “O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me.” 20 And they brought the boy to him. And when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. 21 And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. 22 And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” 23 And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” 24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!”
“This is not just another miracle story or another example of Jesus’ power over demons; it is also intended to instruct mark’s readers (the church) about their task of continuing the work of Jesus.”[2] It is also the work that we are to be about.
(v. 19) “how long am I to be with you?” – Jesus knows his time is limited and that there will come a time, very soon, when the disciples will have to continue on with the mission given to them from Jesus, in faith.
(v. 22a) “to destroy him” – the possessing spirit has tried and tried again to make him convulse and thrown himself into water and into fire, for the purpose of destroying the boy. Satan’s goal through tempting people to doubt and have unbelief is to ultimately lead them into destruction (both here on this earth, and in eternity).
Also, “the purpose of demonic possession is to distort and destroy the image of God in man.”[3] The purpose of Jesus’ mission is to restore man back to be able to accurately bear the image of God.
Satan seeks to destroy; Jesus restores.
(v. 22b) “But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us” – This man’s response to Jesus is based on his earlier interaction with Jesus’ disciples. The father’s understanding of Jesus’ ability is influenced by the disciple’s ability.
(v. 23) “And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” – Jesus is challenging the man’s faith. “What is to be tested in the arena of experience is not Jesus’ ability, but the father’s refusal to set limits to what can be accomplished through the power of God.”[4] The father doesn’t have faith in Jesus, he is just willing to try anything to help his son.
Jesus asks how long has this been going on? “from childhood” but he is still described as a child. But this has been going on for some time. Time and stress takes it toll on what we envision for the future. What do you think this man envisioned for his future?
This man’s eyes are closed to the possibility that life could be radically different than how is right then. Life can be a little better, but not fully healed son Difficulty, pain of our loved ones, life’s twists and turns that don’t go our way – it is easy to begin to believe that something better is not possible in our lives. I’m not talking about health and wealth, I’m talking about the peace that passes all understanding, the releasing of weight of guilt that comes from the forgiveness of sin from our Creator. I’m talking about a faith in Jesus Christ that opens up a world of possibilities.
“All things are possible,” “does not convey that believing will magically produce anything one might desire but rather means that Jesus’ power is available by faith to meet any need that arises in the course of ministering in his name.”[5]
(v. 24) “I believe; help my unbelief!” – The man had some faith, but wants more. He had faith to bring his son to the disciples in the first place, he had some hope in Jesus, or he would have already left to go back home. He wanted to go from where he was, to get to where ever he needed to be so that his child could be healed.
“He asks Jesus to heal him – the father—first. ‘Whatever is in me, Lord, that does not believe or want to believe, heal that first.’ Like removing the log from your own eye, this request was not only appropriate but life-giving.” [6]
He says that he believes and does not believe at the same time. He is asking Jesus (in faith) to help him overcome his unbelief (lack of faith). He has some faith, but not what he desires to have. So the father is asking for two healings – his own lack of faith, and his son’s condition.
2 Kings 6:15-17 “When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. And the servant said, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” 16 He said, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 17 Then Elisha prayed and said, “O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.” This should be all of our prayers, “Lord help my unbelief.”
The Power of Prayer (vv. 25-29)
25 And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” 26 And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, “He is dead.” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. 28 And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” 29 And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.”[7]
There seems to be two crowds developing – one crowd (v. 15) was with the father and gathered when they saw Jesus arrive. They came and welcomed Him and were there for the conversation. With this first crowd around, Jesus is asking questions, “how long has this been going on, etc.”
It was not until the father cries out, “I believe, help my unbelief” that the second crowd began to run toward the child, the father, and Jesus. The nine disciples had failed, would Jesus be successful? The crowd was running to see the difference. The second crowd were not concerned about the boy, the father, etc. – they wanted to see a show.
So Jesus moved quickly before they get there. Also, notice the crowd’s response to Jesus casting out the demon – they say, “He is dead.” Even though they ran to see the miracle performed by Jesus, there is no sign that anyone in the crowd, other than the father, placed their faith in Christ. “The crowd was not made any more believing by this astounding exorcism, which must have been even more impressive after the disciple’s failure; they remain an unbelieving generation.”[8]
Jesus addresses the spirit directly, and not the boy, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” There are some who would say, the accounts of demons or evil working spirits in the Bible are simply diagnosed medical conditions today (Tourette Syndrome, schizophrenia, epilepsy, bruxism). But because Jesus specifically addresses the spirit, where are as when he heals a person he does not do this.
“A few things can be said in response to this. (1) All sickness is not demon possession. (2) The deafness here is of demonic origin; however, not all instances of deafness are attributed to demons. (3) The seizures were the work of an unclean spirit.”[9]
But the demon did as much harm as it could on its way out, “after crying out and convulsing him terribly” – They are resisting because they are being dethroned. Satan has to submit to the authority and rule of Jesus in this boy’s life. Whenever a person receives Christ by faith, there is a dethroning that takes place – Satan has to step down and Jesus sits on the throne of the person’s life.
(v. 28) Again, we see that the disciples have direct access to Jesus to ask Him questions, and to ask about why things happened as they did, “And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?”
“They had been given authority over evil spirits (6:7) and had successfully cast out many demons before the incident (6:13). Why the failure now? They began to take for granted the power given them or had come to believe that it was inherent in themselves.
So they no longer depended upon prayerfully on God for it, and their failure showed their lack of prayer.”[10] They began to think that it was them, in their own strength, talents, personality, even their position as apostles that the demons would run before them.
Holding a position does not mean you automatically mean you have the power needed to be affective – everyone who is seeking to serve Christ and His kingdom, must be empowered by prayer.
“The disciples had been tempted to believe that the gift they had received from Jesus (Mark 6:7) was in their control and could be exercised at their disposal. This was a subtle form of unbelief, for it encouraged them to trust in themselves rather than in God.”[11] The disciples are linked by their gift to the Lord, and it is based on an ongoing relationship.
We have each been given at least one spiritual gift; Romans 12:6-8 “Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; 7 if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; 8 the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.” And it is God’s desire that you use these gifts within in the body of Christ, for His glory, and to see the kingdom expanded.
But because there are some things that just come so natural for you, it is easy to begin to think it’s all about you. You may even be able to go a while on your own strength and talents – but there will come a moment, and obstacle, where in order to accomplish it, you must have the power of God.
You have a gift, and it is powered by a reliance upon God, through prayer. You can also put your efforts toward what you know you can alone accomplish, or go about God sized tasks. “Spiritual power is not something which once possessed will always be available. It must be maintained and renewed.”[12]
(v. 29) “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.” “They were powerless because they were prayerless.”[13] Earlier when Jesus says, “All things are possible for one who believes” – power is available to accomplish what needs to be accomplished, and it is accessed through prayer.
Success is not found in you trying harder, not in your personality, and not in your brilliant intellect. Mountains are moved by the power of God, working though His people. When God’s people forget this, the power stops flowing, and we become ineffective in our attempts to do good in His name.
__________________
[1] Utterly amazed Mark 9:15 (the returned Master), 14:33 (agony in the garden), 16:5 (appearance of the angel at the resurrection).
[2] Larry W. Hurtado, New International Biblical Commentary, Mark (Peabody Massachusetts; Hendrickson, Publishers, 1989) 147.
[3] William L. Lane, The New Testament Commentary on The New Testament, The Gospel According to Mark (Grand Rapids, Michigan; W. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1974) 331.
[4] Lane, 333.
[5] Hurtado, 150.
[6] Anders, 149.
[7] Matthew 17:20
[8] Rudolf Schnackenburg, The Gospel According to St. Mark, Volume 2 (New York, New York; Crossroad Publishing Co., 1981) 27.
[9] Max Anders, Holman New Testament Commentary, Mark (Nashville, Tennessee; Holman Reference, 2000) 149.
[10] Frank E. Gaebelein, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 8 (Grand Rapids, Michigan; Zondervan Publishing House, 1984) 704.
[11] Lane, 335.
[12] James Brooks, The New American Commentary, Mark (Nashville, Tennessee; Broadman Press, 1991) 147.
[13] Archibald Thomas Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament, Volume 1 (Nashville, Tennessee; Broadman Press, 1932) 343.
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