February 26, 2014
Jesus, the King
Mark 11:1-26
I What a Welcome 11:1-11
II Jesus Takes Charge 11:12-26
Teaching Using Fig Tree
Cleansing the Temple
(Kent Hughes, pastor of College Church, in Wheaton, Illinois, remembers being miserably hot, as he sat on a 747 jet, at Manila’s international airport, in the Philippines, for over an hour, with the air conditioning turned off-----while the whole plane waited to disembark, as the Philippine president, Ferdinand Marcos and his wife, gave a state welcome, to the visiting prime minister of Sri Lanka.
Since he couldn’t do anything but watch, he said that he took careful note of what he saw---knowing it would turn into a sermon illustration, sometime in the future.
He says, that alongside the president and his wife, stood a platoon of navy-clad honor guards wearing shining gold pith helmets, And next to them was another platoon dressed in forest green, with white gloves and hats. Standing to the side, he could see the crimson and gold uniformed, marching band. And beyond them, was a naval platoon, resplendent in solid white. Add to the scene, swaying Philippino dancers, in chartreuse and purple, a baby elephant clad in scarlet, a long red carpet, a Philippine jet, with the epigram on the side, reading “Hurrah for Hollywood”, a 21 gun salute, several gleaming black limousines, a temperature of 100 degrees. Dr. Hughes says that the scene was unbelievable. There were a few words spoken, some rousing band music played, some vigourous hand shaking, and then everybody dispersed, except for the workmen, who were rolling up the carpet and sweeping up the asphalt….
He says, as he sat, gazing through the mirage-like-heat-waves, rising from the runway, he thought to himself, “This is the best the world has to offer in honor and material pomp and circumstance, and it is so transitory!”
And history has proved him right------we all have read about the Marcoses’ incredibly obsessive materialism: and about how Mrs. Marcos owned over 3000 pairs of shoes and hundreds upon hundreds of designer dresses. On one occasion she spent 1 million dollars in one day, on a shopping spree. The excess was obscene. And then, suddenly, it was all gone! The reign, the shopping sprees, the shoes, the palace----when they fell from power, it was all gone. The Marcoses tried their very best to make it last forever, but obviously they couldn’t.
And that’s how it is, with the rulers of the earth----their reign eventually will come to an end. But the King of Kings--- was a different kind of king, He operated from a different kind of principle----when we see His example, we see what a good king He is, and we see the beauty, of what it means for us to be His servants, with Him as our King.
Before we discuss the lesson, we need to catch a glimpse, of some of the flavor, of that 1st Palm Sunday…To begin with, Jesus was at the end of the journey that had started some 3 years before…and for the last 9 months of it, He had ministered in at least 35 different localities…timing the journey, so that He would wind up in Jerusalem for the Passover----He had not been back to Jerusalem, for Passover, since He had started His ministry, even though all Jewish males were required, by law, to show up for the Passover Feast in Jerusalem once a year----but Jesus had deliberately stayed out of the limelight, because of the animosity of the Jewish religious leaders.
He stayed with friends in Bethany, on the outskirts of Jerusalem, waiting for events to unfold the way that God had planned for them to.…
Expectations were running high….Earlier in His ministry, He had raised Lazarus from the dead there, and that sensational news had spread around Jerusalem numerous times----and the numbers, of people, swelling the crowds, around Him and His entourage, had dramatically increased---thousands of devout Jews had arrived in the Holy City, their hearts filled with excitement and nationalistic fervor----the population of Jerusalem more than tripled during the feast, which made it necessary for the Roman military units, to be on special alert----and the news about Jesus swept through the crowd like wildfire---….And after Jesus had healed Bartimaeus in Jericho, the people who had witnessed it, were enthusiastically spreading the news to everybody they came in contact with…which galvinized the religious leaders to begin plotting together, trying to figure out how they could kill Jesus, because so many of the people were believing in Him----and at the same time, they were also afraid to do anything, because so many people were believing in Him….
There was unparalleled tension in Jerusalem-----not even the oldest people had ever seen anything like it…Wherever there were people; in the marketplace, in the doorways, on the corners, in the Temple courtyards, everyone was talking about Jesus…The Passover was just a few days away---the speculation was, “Would Jesus make His move then?” And if He did, indeed act, “what would the authorities do?”
As the pressure mounted in-----the Lord stepped out and did what He had never done before---He took definite, calculated and premeditated action, which escalated His journey to Calvary…
I What A Welcome 11:1-11
Jesus had repeatedly cautioned the disciples, and, the people that He had healed, not to make a scene about Him, to anybody----until God said the time was right. And, apparently, the time had come, because Jesus finally permitted His followers, to give a public demonstration in His honor.
Jesus sent 2 of His disciples (most scholars think it was Peter and John, because their accounts of the event, sound like they were eye-witnesses…) to get the colt, that He used to fulfill the prophecy from Zechariah 9:9 that said,” that the Messiah would ride into Jerusalem on a young donkey. “ Today, a donkey is considered to be an inferior animal, used as a beast of burden----but in King David’s day and in Jesus’ day, a donkey was considered to be, an animal, fit for a king----a horse was used for purposes of war, but when a king rode anywhere on a donkey, everybody knew he was coming in peace…
In fulfilling the Zechariah prophecy, Jesus accomplished 2 purposes---1.) He was declaring Himself to be Israel’s King and Messiah and 2.) He was deliberatly challenging the religious leaders…This deliberate,
in-your-face, exposure, of Himself, fulfilling the prophecy-----set in motion the official plot, that led to His arrest, trial and crucifixion---God had already predetermined, since the beginning of the world, that the unblemished Lamb of God would be sacrificed at that Passover. And Jesus was obedient to His Father, above all else.
Many patriotic Jews, from the crowd, eagerly joined the procession that proclaimed Jesus, as the King, the Son of David, come in the name of the Lord; and the Messiah…The visitors from Galilee were the most, outspoken, loudest people in the procession, along with the people from Bethany, who had witnessed the raising of Lazarus from the dead…All my life I’ve heard that the people who shouted “Hosanna,” on Palm Sunday, were the same people who cried “Crucify Him!” on Good Friday, but Warren Wiersbe says that’s not true----he says that based on the 1st century, historian, Jocephus’ writings----- the crowd that wanted Jesus crucified, came largely from Judea and Jerusalem---- and the Jews that had come with Him down from Galilee, and had heard His teaching and witnessed His miracles, were on His side---they were sympathetic with Jesus and His ministry.
When welcoming a king, it was customary for people to lay their outer garments on the road and then add palm branches on top of them, creating a special carpet for him to ride or walk on…It was also customary to wave palm branches in the air, shouting the kings name and praises for his exploits----In Jesus’ case, the crowds were shouting “Hosanna”, which means “Save Now”, and “Son of David, coming in the name of the Lord”, and “Praise God”----Jesus knew that they were quoting from the Messianic Psalm 118:25-26, and He allowed them to go right ahead and shout it, as much as they wanted---He knew that it was time for Him to openly affirm His kingship, as the Son of David.
You can’t help but wonder what the Romans were thinking about all this, as they watched Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem, and down the street to the Temple----they were used to parades and official public celebrations….We call this, ”Jesus’ Triumphal Entry”, but I don’t think the Romans would have viewed it in the way that they viewed their own triumphant parades----their’ were more along the lines of what Kent Hughes saw, when he was watching the Marcoses’ display of grandeur and importance…A Roman triumphal parade was something to
behold-----When a Roman general came back to Rome, after a complete conquest of an enemy, he was welcomed home with an elaborate official parade. In the parade he would exhibit his trophies of war and the illustrious prisoners he had captured. The victorious general rode in a golden chariot, priests burned incense in His honor, and the people shouted his name and praised him. The procession ended in the arena, where the people were entertained by watching the captives fight with wild beasts….it was a glorious sight to behold…
The Lord Jesus’ “Triumphal Entry” was nothing like that----but it was the greatest triumph of all time. Jesus was God’s anointed King and Savior of the world----but His conquest was spiritual not military…A Roman general had to kill at least 5000 men to merit a triumphal parade----but Jesus, a few weeks from His triumphal entry, into Jerusalem---- on the Day of Pentecost, would send the Holy Spirit, to SAVE 5000 Jews and transform their lives….The Lord’s triumph would be the victory of love over hatred, and truth over error, and salvation over sin, and life over death….
After looking in the Temple area, knowing that He would come back the next day and purge it of the sin going on there, Jesus left the city and spent the night in Bethany, where it was safer and quieter, even though it was only about 2 miles away----and I’m sure that He spent most of the night in prayer alone, and with His disciples, and the others, trying to prepare them for the difficult week that He knew was stretching out in front of them……plus I think they just spent time, talking and fellowshipping, it is precious how Jesus loved to spend time with His friends….
(Bill Wilson pastors an inner city church in NYC. His mission field is a very violent place. He himself has been stabbed twice, as He has ministered to the people in the community, surrounding the church….
Once, a Puerto Rican woman became involved in the church and was led to a saving faith in the Lord Jesus. After her conversion, she came to Pastor Wilson and said, “I want to do something to help with the church’s ministry.” He asked her what her talents were----and she couldn’t think of anything----she could barely speak English. But, they finally came to the conclusion, that she loved children. So, he put her on one of the church’s buses, that went into neighborhoods and transported little children to church. Every week, she rode that bus----and she would pick out the most raggedy dressed, or surliest attitude child, and pull them onto her lap, and whisper over and over again, the only words that she could say well, in English, “I love you and Jesus loves you.”
After several months, she became attached to one little boy, in particular. The boy never spoke----he came to Sunday School each week, with his sister, and sat on the woman’s lap, but he never made a sound. Every single week, she would tell him, all the way to Sunday School and all the way home, “I love you and Jesus loves you.”
One day, to her amazement, the little boy turned around and stammered, “I---I---I love you too!” Then he put his arms around her and gave her a big hug. That was 2:30 on a Sunday afternoon. At 6:30 that night, he was found dead. His own mother had beaten him to death, and then thrown his body into the trash dumpster. “I love you and Jesus loves you,”….. Those were some of the last words that that little boy heard in his short life----from the lips of a Puerto Rican woman, who could barely speak English. That woman gave her one talent to the Lord, and because she did, the little boy who had never heard the word “love” in his own home, experienced and responded to the love of Jesus…
What can we give? What is the “colt” we have to offer? We each have something in our lives, that when we give it back to God, He will use it, just like He did that donkey’s colt, to move Jesus and His message, just a little further down the road….) Mark Adams
II Jesus Takes Charge 11:12-26
A, Teaching Using Fig Tree
When Jesus condemned the fig tree and cleansed the Temple, He was illustrating the sad, spiritual condition of the nation of Israel…Despite its many privileges and opportunities, as God’s chosen people, Israel was outwardly fruitless, like the fig tree and inwardly corrupt, like the shameful, sinful business, going on inside the Temple.
The fig tree typically produces leaves, in March or April, and then starts to bear fruit in June, with another crop in August, and possibly a third one, in December….A lot of times, the first fruits are bitter and inedible, but then the second and the third fruits, are luscious and delicious…
Jesus had the power to kill that tree, on the spot and He had the power to cause it to bear luscious fruit before it was time----but He didn’t do either of those things---He cursed the tree so He could teach us two important lessons….The first one was about failure---Israel had failed to be fruitful for God---In the Old Testament the fig tree was always associated with Israel, as a nation----and just like the fig tree that Jesus cursed, Israel, in Jesus’ day, had nothing but leaves-----and it was dried up from the roots----whenever an individual or a group dries up spiritually, its always from the roots…in the life of a believer, to be fruitless is sin----we have to be so careful to cultivate our spiritual roots, so that our fruit will be good and healthy, and never just just settle for the leaves, even if they are green and thick…
And the second lesson He was teaching the disciples and us, was about faith and prayer….that next morning , when Peter noticed the dead tree, and called everybody’s attention to it, Jesus told them “to have faith in God”----which means, that to constantly be trusting in God, we have to live in an attitude of dependence on Him. He used the Jewish imagery of a mountain---- something that is strong and immovable, a problem that stands in the way….to explain to the disciples---that there is no problem too big for God, mountains can be moved and thrown into the sea---but only if we have enough faith, to truly trust God to do it…
This was a lesson in prayer, but it is by no means, the only one in scripture-----we cannot take out of context, what Jesus says, about “praying for anything, and if you believe you’ve received it, it will be yours…” prayer has to be in the will of God----and the one praying must be abiding in the love of God-----and prayer is not just an emergency measure that we turn to, when we have a problem-----real prayer is being in constant communication with God the Father and worshiping Him in all we say and do-----and trusting Him, enough to know, that whatever comes our way on any given day, has first been filtered through His nail-scarred hands…
And we can’t interpret Jesus’ words to mean----that if we pray hard enough and really believe, that our prayer will be answered, and that God is obligated to answer our prayer, no matter what we ask for----that is wrong theology-----that kind of faith is not faith in God, it’s just faith in faith or faith in feelings…..True faith in God, is based on His Word, and His Word, interpreted by the Holy Spirit, reveals His will to us…there’s an old adage that says, “ the purpose of prayer is not to get man’s will done, in heaven, but to get God’s will done, on earth.” We would do well to remember this.
And, we need to understand that true prayer involves forgiveness, as well as faith. We have to be in fellowship with both our Heavenly Father, and with our fellowman, if we can expect God to answer our prayers…the first word in the Lord’s prayer is “Our Father, who art in heaven…, not My Father, who art in heaven…”Christians may pray in private, but they never pray alone, because all of God’s children are part of a worldwide family, that unites to seek God’s blessing ----prayer draws us together, it unifies us.
The Lord said, for us to forgive, whomever we have a grudge against, before we pray, so that our prayers will be heard….but I don’t want us to think, that we can earn God’s blessing , by forgiving each other, alone ----because, the purpose for forgiving each other is to show evidence, that our hearts are right with God, and that we want to obey His will-----only then, can the Father hear our prayers, and can answer them…that’s what forgiving each other, is all about---making us right with God,…..
The Cleansing of the Temple
(Imagine you are on your way to church one Sunday morning. You’ve had a more difficult week than normal ----you are physically, emotionally and spiritually drained-----You realize that you’re running on fumes and you’re looking forward to getting your tank filled up, so that you can face the world again, on Monday morning.
You are particularly excited about the worship service because you know that it’s the Lord’s Supper Sunday, and that’s always a special service.
But when you pull into the parking lot, you quickly notice that it’s already full---and you have a hard time finding a place to park .You finally find a place, in the overflow lot, on the baseball field, and start rushing, across the field, to get inside, before the service starts, still excited about being there, and still looking forward to what God has for you, that day.
You notice that there are a lot of people standing out on the front steps, and you wonder what’s going on…When you get a little closer, you realize that a couple of tables have been set up and people are waiting in line in front of them before going in…You also notice that people are writing checks and are converting them and the paper money they have into silver coins…
You wonder what’s going on and so you ask the person in front of you, if they know what’s going on-----They inform you that the members of the Stewardship Committee recently made the decision to have everyone start using a new type of currency for tithes and offerings, You wait patiently in line, and sure enough, when you finally make it to the table, you are told that you need the new church currency in order to make an offering. So, you take out a $20 bill and lay it down on the table, and the person at the table takes your money and gives you a $10 church coin in return.
When you finally get through the front door, you immediately notice more tables and more lines, At one table, you notice some people are buying hymnbooks, while other people are just renting them. At another table you discover that they are selling communion wafers for $5 and a cup of grape juice for $7.50.
The longer you stand there, the madder you get…you make a vow to never miss another business meeting and to do your best that heads should roll over this…
Now if you can imagine an experience like this and how frustrating it would be, then you can relate to how Jesus must have felt, when He entered the Temple Courts during Passover, to worship His Heavenly Father…) Matthew Sickling
Jesus had cleansed the Temple during the first Passover after His ministry started….but, unfortunately, the results had just been temporary…It wasn’t long before the religious leaders permitted the money changers and the merchants to return. The priests received their share of the profits and the kickbacks, so they turned a blind eye, to what was going on, even though they had to know that it was wrong ----they rationalized to themselves and to each other, that the services that were being provided, were a necessary convenience, that was being provided for the foreign Jews, who were always traveling to Jerusalem, to worship in the Temple. So what, if the money rates were always changing, so that the merchants and priests and moneylenders, were making more and more profit…they were still helping the travelers do what they had come to the Temple, to do…
The “religious market” was set up in the Court of the Gentiles-----the very place where it should not have been, because that’s where some serious missionary work could have been going on…A Gentile would have been totally turned off by what the Jews and their leaders were doing in the name of the one true God…they would never want to believe them after that kind of experience…The court of the Gentiles should have been a place for praying, but instead it had become a place of paying….
Mark, specifically mentioned, the people who sold doves, and their gouging of them, because the dove was one of the few sacrifices that a poor person could afford----it was the sacrifice that His parents had brought to the Temple when He was dedicated----This victimizing of the poor, must have especially, grieved, the Lord’s heart, since he felt so tenderly toward the poor…
Jesus used 2 scriptures, Isaiah 56:7 and Jeremiah 7:11 to defend His actions in the Temple…And at the same time, He exposed the sins of the religious leaders. The Jews looked on the Temple, primarily as a place of sacrifice-------but Jesus saw it as a place of prayer…True prayer is in itself, a sacrifice to God…Jesus had a spiritual perspective, of the scripture and the Jewish religious practices, and the Pharisees and the Saddusees and the other religious leaders, had a traditional view that they cluttered with rules and regulations…
If you look up what a “den of thieves” is----- you realize it is the place where thieves run, when they want to hide…The chief priests and the scribes were using the Temple and it’s religious services to “cover up” their hyprosy and their sin. Both Isaiah and Jeremiah had warned the people of their day, that just because the Temple was physically present, in their midst, did not mean, that that was a guarantee, of God’s blessing on them. They tried to tell them, that it was what people felt and did, in the Temple of their hearts, that was really important. But the nation of Israel had not heeded those ancient prophets, and they wouldn’t listen to Jesus either.
When the Sanhedren and the other leaders heard about Jesus activities, they resolved, all the more, to find a reason, and a way, to get rid of Him…
We need to think about what this story about the Temple means to us and how we can apply it….
We need to make sure that we are not merchandising the Gospel----that we don’t turn it into just another business that we have to use marketing tools and gimmicks to lure people in with…
We need to make sure that the unbelievers and believers, in our community see our church buildings as houses of prayer, not houses of payment.
We need to make sure that all nations are welcome in our churches.
We should not flee to church, in order to cover up our sins, or to make ourselves feel better, and then leave, and go right back out and do the same sins all over again.
We do not need to go to Church because it’s the thing to do, and it maintains our reputation in the community, we need to go to church so that we can worship and glorify God.
Thursday, February 27, 2014
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
JOY "Jesus Loves All" February 12 and 19, 2014
February 12 and 19, 2014
Jesus Loves All
Mark 10:13-31
Jesus Loves Little Children 10:13-16
Jesus Loves Adults 10:17-31
Jesus Continues to Prepare His Disciples 10:32-45
Jesus Always Has Time 10: 46-52
The parents in this lesson wanted Jesus to touch their children, bless their children, and pray for their children. And I think, that we would all agree, that they weren’t the only ones, who wanted to bring their little ones to Jesus…..As parents, that was the desire that Dale and I had before our first child, Mary Kathryn, was even born, and with our other 2, as well-----and I daresay that everyone in this room wants the same thing for their children and grandchildren…I remember when my children were little, we would visit my sister in Charlotte several times a year-----they went to a wonderful Episcopal Church with a precious rector, named Pastor Henry. I loved him and I always was so happy to go up for communion, with my 3 little blonde-haired babies, to have him bless them and pray for them, individually. Our children had all been dedicated, and I loved that, but their was something, so wonderful, about being able to take them to the altar, to be blessed every time we were there. It reminded me so much, of Jesus saying, “Let the little children come unto me.”
And, it reminds me of Jesus telling the disciples, to not hinder the parents from bringing the children. I don’t think there is an age, that’s too young, for a child to come to Jesus, and I believe that the earlier they come to Him for salvation, the longer life, that they have to serve Him. Imagine if Billy Graham had gotten saved when He was a 60 year old man-----imagine all the lost opportunities to be saved, that would have been, because there were no Billy Graham Crusades-----I am one of those, that my faith was made real at a crusade, it might have been me….
I believe, that young children, are the most open, to the Gospel. They believe it with all their hearts, just because, you tell them about Jesus and His love and how He came to die for their sins----they are so trusting and pragmatic, they just believe. I believe that a 3 or 4 year old can understand what they can understand, as well as a 5 or 6 year old, and a 7 or 8 year old, is the same----they start out with a little bit of knowledge and faith----and the Lord grows it in them, spiritually, as they grow physically and cognitively…. I remember that our old pastor, Ron Rowe, used to say that he never turned a child away, when they came to him to talk about asking Jesus into their hearts-----he had learned, through experience, how damaging that could be----a little girl, of 9, came to him one time, and he didn’t think she was ready, so he sent her away with the promise of talking later----and he said that she never came back, and to this day he doesn’t know if she ever got saved-----and he said that he never made that mistake again.
And statistics, gathered over many years, have shown, that generally, more people are saved when they are children, than any other time in life. Not that people aren’t saved as adults, they are, but it usually is a much more difficult process for them….children are such great believers, because they haven’t been jaded by the world, life experience, or even their own emotions, yet….
In our study this week, Jesus declared the value of children and His love for them by His actions….And, He used the receptivity of children as a guideline for the kind of response required of anyone, of any age, who would want to enter the kingdom of God.
I. Jesus Loves Little Children 10:13-16
Last week, we talked about marriage, so it makes sense, that the next thing that Jesus addressed, was the place children have in the Kingdom….because family, is a precious gift He has given us.
The Jews of that day, thought children were a blessing, not a burden, that they were a rich treasure from God, and not a liability-----and not to have children, in that culture, brought the couple, both heartache for themselves, and disgrace, in front of their neighbors.
And it was a customary thing, for parents to bring their children to the rabbis for a blessing, so it was a reasonable thing, that they would bring their little children to Jesus, the wonderful rabbi, that they’d been hearing about. Some were infants and some were walking children, but there must have been a lot of them, for the disciples to think that they had to intervene, by discouraging them from coming. They must have thought that it was part of their calling, to shield Jesus from His public-------they had done it several times before------remember, both times, that Jesus fed the huge crowds, the disciples had tried to get the people to go home, and leave Him alone for a while. So, it wasn’t that the disciples didn’t like the children, it was more, that they wanted to protect Jesus’ time, and to conserve His energy.
When Jesus realized what was happening, He apparently let the disciples have it with both feet----the word that He used, in the Greek, was much stronger, than just being displeased---it was more that He was indignant (which implies, that He was so taken aback by their behavior, that He felt a deep pain, in His heart)----this is the only place in scripture where indignation is ascribed to Jesus. Jesus heart was broken for the children who were being turned away, and for their mothers, and for His poor misguided disciples, who meant well, but still, just couldn’t quite get it…..He loved them all, so He gave the disciples two commands: 1.) “Let the little children come unto me” and 2.)“Do not hinder them, any of them, from coming to me.”
Then, He went on to say, that adults, need to pattern themselves after the little children, when we come to Him, because if we don’t-----we can never enter the Kingdom of God. Meaning, that we all have to come to Jesus, and I trust that we all have, with simplicity, sincerity and the eager believability that little children have…think about how we all love to take little children to see Santa Claus…even the most skeptical of children, can’t resist the temptation of climbing up onto Santa’s knee to tell him, so solemnly, all of the things they want for Christmas. We know it’s not real, but we like the magic of it. so we go along with it. And we bask in it----we take pictures and just smile, because we’re so proud….
Just think about how much more eager we should be, to bring our little children to Jesus-----He’s the only reason we even have Christmas, in the first place----He’s the only one who can really satisfy our heart’s desires. But not just our children, do we need to bring to Him----we need to bring ourselves-----as grown up, and sophisticated, and worldly-wise, as we think we are-----we need to lay everything aside, and come to Him, with the same simplicity, sincerity, eager believability, and childlike trust, that children do.
Those mothers were not sent away empty----one after the other, Jesus, spoke to each child, then He took them up on His knee and blessed them with His precious hands----the mother’s hearts must have been bursting with pride and gratitude-----and it was an experience that the children would never have forgotten----when they were old and gray, they must have still been telling their children and grandchildren----I remember…… one time….. Jesus touched me…..
I read a beautiful illustration, written by a mother, I don’t know her name, that teaches us all, this lesson, in a powerful way….
It goes like this:
( I sat down on the bed and picked up my crocheting to learn a couple of new stitches, before our long flight to New Zealand on Monday. The girls had just gone outside to play and I had a few minutes to get some details about our trip sorted out in my mind. My husband was already there, he had left 3 weeks earlier to begin his preaching itinerary, and I couldn’t wait to be with him, we all had missed him so much.
My thoughts were interrupted by the loud screeching of tires. I waited to hear the collision, but there wasn’t any sound of impact. So I figured that somebody on our street had just dodged a bullit. Within seconds, my 10 year old came running into the house and yelled up the stairs, “Tanya’s been hit by a car.”
Mary, my neighbor, met me on the porch and said, “hurry!” I felt like every second was an eternity as I sped toward the little knot of people surrounding Tanya in the road----fear gripped my heart as I imagined what my baby must be feeling. I knelt over Tanya, as the off-duty fireman from across the street put a blanket over her. She was unconscious, and the neighbor told me that that was a good thing, because if she was out, she couldn’t feel any pain. I didn’t see any blood or broken bones, if only she would wake up and tell me where it hurt. I didn’t dare move her till the EMS got there, but they were taking such a long time, it was nerve-wracking.
I picked up her tennis shoe that had been knocked off, and looked at her face. I talked to her, but I didn’t think she could hear me. She breathed a heavy sigh and then turned her little head to the side. I began to cry and asked the fireman how he thought she was----he checked her pulse and assured me that she was still breathing….Deep inside, I told myself, “she couldn’t be badly hurt, because she looks so normal, if only she would wake up, it would all be ok.”
Finally, the ambulance arrived---it only had been about 5 or 6 minutes, but it seemed much longer. “If only my husband were with us, instead of halfway around the world”, I thought. As we backed into the emergency entrance, the staff was waiting for us at the door. I felt relieved to finally be here. Now, everything would be ok. Tanya was in good hands, and I would soon know what injuries she had sustained.
They took her into a treatment room and closed the door. I filled out some papers and realized, when I wrote that I was her mother, in an almost illegibile handwriting, I realized that I was under severe emotional stress. I started crying and praying over and over again for the Lord to take care of my little 7 year old. I felt confident that He was there, so I never felt like I was alone.
After about half an hour, a young nurse came over to me and took my hand. I wasn’t ready for what she told me. She said that Tanya’s condition was very serious---she had brain damage and she wasn’t breathing on her own. I asked her if Tanya could die and she quietly answered me , “yes she might.”
I was completely numbed with the possibility that Tanya’s life might be taken from me. I was truly thankful, that God is a God of miracles, because I was going to ask Him for a big one. It would be hours before my husband got home, I couldn’t imagine going through the loss of a child without Him. My parents got there and they were already crying before I even told them what the nurse said….so I just blurted out the possibility of her dying.
It wasn’t long before the doctor came in---he introduced himself as a neurosurgeon, and I breathed a little sigh of relief, because I thought surely he could fix what was wrong with Tanya. But his assessment of her condition was totally pessimistic. She had sustained a blow to her brainstem, her brain had been shaken like a bowl of jelly-----which meant that she didn’t have much hope for recovery, only about 5%, he told us.
When he left, we all dropped to our knees and begged the Lord to heal her.
That night was long and hard. I clutched her sneaker all night long---there was nothing else to do with it and it was good to have something of hers, to occupy my hands. Every time a nurse walked in our direction, I was afraid she was coming to tell us that Tanya was gone and I would stiffen, until they walked on by to do some other task.
The doctor’s reports grew steadily worse and after about 24 hours, he told us that her little brain was just damaged too badly----she could remain on the life –support machines, but she would never recover----there hadn’t been any brain activity, from the time we had gotten to the hospital.
I decided to go sit with Tanya till my husband got there---I prayed over her, and sang to her and rubbed her little hands and feet. I begged God, as I sobbed, to restore her to us.
I kept crying out to God, but after about an hour, I was to the place where I was ready to accept God’s will, no matter what. I told God that I didn’t want Him to take her, but if He was going to, I was at peace.
Our family physician came by and tried to explain exactly what had happened-----I interrupted him, and asked him was Tanya still here, or was she with the Lord, and he told me, with the Lord----her body was still working, thanks to the machine, but she was gone on to Jesus.
I remembered what I had just said to the Lord, “have your will Lord, not mine.” Friends told me later, that I was radiant, as I said, “I will not forsake my Lord, because if I do, then it would mean that I’ll never see Tanya again. I will do what King David did when his child was taken, he washed his face, changed his clothes, and went about his business, satisfied, that God knew best.”
I returned to her room to say good-bye and promise her that I would see her again. There would be no more begging God to bring her back. It was then, that I realized, that I’d seen her go----when she had breathed that sigh in the street and turned her head to the side, she had stepped into heaven. And suddenly, I remembered what she had been praying in her nightly prayers over the last few months-------“Lord I want to go and be with you while I’m young.” When I had asked her why she was praying that----she said, “because, I want to sit on Jesus lap when I get there, and I don’t want to be too big.”
“A new assurance flooded my sorrowful soul, and I was refreshed with the joy, that God was in control, and we were in His hands, and that He would never harm us, He loves us, and He only wants what’s best for us.)
II. Jesus Loves Adults 10:17-31
Of all the people who ever came to the feet of Jesus, the rich young ruler was the only person, who ever came away in worse shape when he left, than when he had arrived. But it seemed like he had so much going for him. He was a young man with great potential: He was respected by others, because he held some kind of ruling office, maybe as head of the synagogue or as a member of the Sanhedrin. He had manners and morals, and there was enough desire in his heart, for spiritual things, that he ran up to Jesus and bowed at His feet. In every way, he was an ideal young man, and when Jesus looked him in the eye and held his gaze, Jesus loved him, the scripture says. Jesus could see the man’s heart. He knew what the young man was going to do, and He still loved him.
But in spite of all his fine qualities, , the young man was immature and very superficial in his views about spiritual things. Especially about salvation, because he thought that he could do something to earn his way to eternal life. Thus was a very common idea then, and it’s still a very common one. Most unsaved people believe that God will one day add up their good works and their bad works , and if their good works exceed their bad ones, then they’ll get into heaven.
And behind this good-works approach to salvation, is a shallow view of sin, man, the bible, the Lord Jesus, and about salvation. Sin is rebellion against God. It isn’t just an action; its an inward attitude that exalts man and defies God. It seems like the young man actually thought, as did many of the Jews, both then and now, that he could do a few religious works, and his account with Almighty God, would be settled.
His view of the Lord Jesus, was also very shallow. He called Him Good Teacher, but we get the impression that he’s only doing it to flatter Jesus. Because the Jewish rabbis never allowed themselves to be called good. Only God was good, and they only allowed that word used when referring to Him. In asking the young man the question, “why do You call me good?” He certainly wasn’t denying the truth that He was God, He was affirming it. He was just trying to make sure that the young man really understood what he was saying, and if he was willing to accept the responsibilities that came with it.
That’s why He pointed the young man to the 10 Commandments. He wanted to make sure that the young man knew that he was a sinner, and that his only hope was to yield himself to his holy God. We know that keeping the law can’t safe us from our sin, it was designed to tell us what sin is, so that we’re aware of it, and don’t yield to it. The Law is a mirror that shows us how dirty we are, but it can’t wash us clean. Only Jesus can do that. Another purpose of the Law, is to bring us to the Jesus----that’s what it did for the young man. The Law can bring the sinner to Jesus, but it can’t make the sinner accept the Lord and His truths. Only God’s grace can do that.
The young man had a shallow view of the Law, so he didn’t see himself as a condemned sinner before Almighty God. When he said he had kept the commandments, he was showing how he measured obedience by his external behavior not by his inner attitude. As far as he could figure out, he was blameless.
The commandments that Jesus had cited, were all the ones that deal with other people-----but there was one he didn’t lump with the group, He dealt with it separately, because He knew that was the one that was eating up the young man’s heart----and as we learned from our lesson, if you break one commandment, you are just as guilty as if you’d broken them all.
“Thou shall not covet”-----until this lesson, I thought that covetousness, meant, “wanting something that someone else has, and it does”-----but according to the dictionary and the context of this scripture, it also means….”inordinately or wrongly desirous of wealth or possessions, greedy. “ Covetousness is a terrible sin it is subtle and difficult to detect; it is insidious and eventually, it takes over a person’s whole life. 1Timothy 6:10 says “for the love of money is the root of all evil.” It isn’t the money that’s the culprit, it’s how a person allows money to control them, that’s the problem. Looking at the young man from a human perspective, you would think that he had everything-------but Jesus could see his heart and He knew what was lacking----which was a trust and belief in God, and an understanding, that if he gave himself to Him, then the Lord would always take care of the young man, and would make sure that he always had what he needed. But, unfortunately, money was the young man’s god: he trusted it, he worshiped it and he got his fulfillment from it. He used his morality and his good manners to conceal a covetous heart, even from himself.
Telling him to sell all he had, and give the money to the poor, is not what God requires from everybody, but it was what the rich young ruler specifically needed. And telling him to take up his cross and follow Him, would have been humbling for the young man, but it would have gained him eternal life. But, unfortunately, to the young man, what he had, was more important to him, than what he would gain, so he turned Jesus down. Its hard to accept a gift when your hand is clenched around money and the things it can buy. He wanted salvation on his own terms, not in the way the Lord wanted to give it to him, so he walked away in disappointment.
But one thing I loved, that the commentary in our book said, that made me feel better about him, even though I didn’t find it anywhere else----- is that the rich young ruler might have been Mark himself, because as our commentator said, how would Mark have known about Jesus’ look of love, if it hadn’t been directed at him, and in my mind, Mark says it so emphatically, that it makes sense that it could have been him. Even though it’s just speculation, it’s still nice to think that the rich young man eventually came into a salvation relationship with the Lord Jesus.
The disciples, who had been observing Jesus’ interaction with the young man, the whole time, were shocked at what the Lord then said to them about wealth, because most Jews believed that the possession of great wealth was the evidence of God’s special blessing. There are a lot of people today, like the Joel Osteen’s of the world, who believe this same way-----but they are kidding themselves-----the Lord blesses us, whether we have a lot or a little----because He is the blessing. That’s what the rich young man couldn’t understand, that he was choosing to walk away from God’s greatest blessing, which was being with the Lord on earth and being with Him, in eternity.
Warren Weirsbe says that, “money is a wonderful servant, but its a terrible master.” If you possess money, be grateful, and use it for the good of the kingdom, and for God’s glory-----but if money possesses you, you need to ask the Lord to help you reevaluate your priorities, and then, obey what He tells you to do. It’s good to have the things that money can by----we like beauty and comfort and fashion and entertainment, and since everything we have comes from the Lord, we need to understand that the Lord wants us to enjoy those things. But it’s not good to lose the things that money, cannot buy, in the process.
Salvation is beyond purchase, it’s beyond price; and it’s beyond all human standards of religion, of morality, of good works and of self- effort.
Jesus was trying to teach the disciples, that they should have known from the OT scriptures, that the basic principle of salvation rests on something other than money. It rests on Him, and Him alone. Salvation was God’s idea, planned by Him, from before time began, provided by Him, at infinite cost, and offered to everybody, who will accept it, as the gift of His grace. What is impossible with man, is possible with God.
Suddenly, Peter had a light bulb go off in his brain-----the rich young ruler had not been prepared to give everything up for the Lord Jesus-----but the disciples had. And it had never occurred to them, until now, that there was anything special about what they had done, it had just been the right thing for them to know, there was never a question. And they had already been blessed, beyond measure, by their relationship with Jesus.
Jesus assured His disciples that no one who follows Him will ever lose what is really important, either in this life or the life to come. Each one of us will be rewarded for the service we’ve given to the Kingdom. But our motives have to be right -----if we sacrifice, for the Lord, and for other people, just to get rewards, we will never get those rewards. The Lord will reward us, according to what is in the overflow of our hearts, when we serve others, in Jesus name.
And Jesus also, promised, that in this world, besides their blessing, His followers will also suffer persecutions. He had already told them, what both the Jews and Gentiles, were going to do to him in Jerusalem, and He must have felt like it was time to start preparing the disciples for what was ahead of them. They were going to have to learn, the same thing we know, that if we’re going to share in Jesus’ glory, then we’re going to also share in His suffering. God balances our blessings with our battles, so that we can grow and mature in our faith, and so that we can encourage someone else, who is going through something difficult, that we’ve already faced.
On the surface, at first glance, the rich young ruler was first and the disciples were last. But God sees thing from the perspective of eternity---where the first will become last and the last will become first. The people who are first in their own eyes will be last in God’s eyes, but those who are last in their own eyes will be rewarded first. Jesus said this, to encourage all true disciples, of every age.
(Nicholaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf was born into one of Europe’s leading families in the year 1700. He grew up in an atmosphere of prayer, bible reading and hymn singing. He excelled in school and seemed to possess all the qualities for National Leadership. After finishing his studies in Wittenberg, Germany, Zinzendorf embarked on a grand tour of Europe, attending lectures, and visiting museums, palaces and universities.
It was while he was visiting the art museum of Dusseldorf that the young count had a deeply moving experience that stayed with him the for rest of his life. Seeing Domenico Feti’s, Ecce Homo (Behold the Man) a portrait of the thorn-crowned Jesus, and reading the inscription below it ---“I Did This For Thee! What Hast Thou Done For Me” Zinzendorf said to himself, “I have loved Him for a long time, but I have never actually done anything for Him. From now on, I will do what He leads me to do.
His life was never again the same, and he went on to found a Christian community on his property, Herrnhutt, which provided hundreds of Moravian missionaries over the next several decades and sparked the modern missionary movement.
He was a rich young ruler, too, and when he came face to face with the Lord, he didn’t hesitate to answer His call. The difference in the two young men, is a lesson for us all.
III. Jesus Continues to Prepare His Disciples 10: 32-45
Jesus and the disciples and a huge crowd of people, were steadily moving forward, toward Jerusalem. We can’t help but marvel, at Jesus walking steadily, toward Calvary, knowing what waited for Him there. And we can’t help but be humbled, when we know that the only reason He did it, was for us…
When we look at the disciples, as they got closer and closer to the cross, we have to try and understand their confusion and their fear….this was difficult for them, because nothing was turning out like they had expected, or had planned for. They were expecting a physical, political kingdom, and they were going to get, Jesus’ death on a cross…and a life of submission and sacrifice…and the promise of a far-off spiritual kingdom… They just could not wrap their minds around it----every time Jesus explained it to them, and even though, He did it clearly each time, it only perplexed them even more…He had already told them what was going to happen, and in this passage in Mark, He tells them where it’s going to happen, He wanted them to know that it was rushing toward them fast. He wanted them to be prepared…He told them that He WOULD rise again, but they were in no frame of mind, to fully understand, that concept at all.
And in light of the Lord’s announcement of His death, we are embarrassed for James and John, and ashamed, that they would pick that moment, to ask for thrones next to Jesus, in the kingdom.
Until we realize, that Salome’, their mother, was Mary’s sister, and Jesus’ aunt, and James and John were His first cousins…so they would naturally think that they should be closest to Jesus, in the kingdom, because they were family….plus, we find out in Matthew 19:28 that Salome’ and her 2 sons were actually revealing their faith in Jesus, and the reality of the kingdom, by asking for the thrones, because they were actually claiming what Jesus had already promised all 12 of the disciples-----that their would be 12 thrones surrounding His, that they would occupy, when the time came. The fact that they asked Him for the thrones, after He reminded them of His impending death, shows that they did, on some level, believe that, somehow, He would be alive to rule the kingdom…they were acting on His word and presuming on their family ties, and they couldn’t see any reason why Jesus shouldn’t grant their request.
But their requests were selfish, and Jesus needed to help them see that they would have thrones in the kingdom, but those thrones would not come without a price, they would not be free ----Jesus would have to suffer and die for them…
He compared His suffering and death to the drinking of a cup and the experiencing of a baptism…It was going to be a devastating experience, but James and John assured Jesus that they could suffer it with Him----little did they know how true their words would become----because in later years, James was the first disciple to be martyred for the Gospel and John was greatly persecuted during his long life….
Because of their immaturity and the selfish ambition of all the disciples, the conversation stirred up disunity among the group. And Jesus had to step in and remind them, one more time, what kind of person will be important in the kingdom.
Just like people today, the disciples were making the mistake of following the wrong example. Jesus should have been their role model, instead, they were admiring the glory and the authority of the r
Roman leaders and their government---men who loved position and power.
While there is nothing wrong with ambition or aspiring to leadership, we have to be careful that our motivation is correct…we have to define, to ourselves ,what greatness is and why we want to achieve it-----because in Mark 10:43-44, in the most pivitol verse in the book----Jesus said, the mark of a truly important person is that they live their lives understanding that, “Whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all. “ Businesses, organizations and institutions measure greatness by personal achievement. But in God’s kingdom, service is the way to please the Lord. The desire to always be on top will hinder us, not help us. Instead of always trying to figure out ways to get ahead, and to have our needs met, we need to look for ways that we can minister to the needs of other people.
God’s pattern in scripture has always been that a person needs to be a servant first before God will promote him to be a leader. Unless we learn how to obey orders, we have no business giving orders. And before a person can lead, with authority, he has to first learn how to yield, to authority. The Lord Jesus, lived His life, following this pattern, all the way to death , resurrection and ascension-----how can we not, then recognize, that this is the only pattern for us to follow, that will enable us to live our lives, in the way that God has designed for us to.
IV. Jesus Always Has Time 10: 46-52
Do we ever feel like life is passing us by? I know there are times that we do…. That’s how Blind-Bartimaeus must have felt. He was just sitting on the sidelines, as life went on around him. He was a beggar, because that’s the only thing he could do, there was no other recourse open to him. It was the only way that he could do anything that even resembled a living.
That day that Jesus came through his down----he knew it was Passover time, and he knew that people were getting ready to make the trip to Jerusalem to celebrate the most holy of celebrations, in the Jewish holiday calendar. The people were excited as they bustled around him, as you would have expected them to be, like we are when we’re going home for Christmas…..
But there must have been some extra element of joy in the air, that he could sense----he could hear it and he could feel it, but he wasn’t a part of it----as the crowds surged and swelled around him, he must have begged someone to tell his what was going on; what was creating the extra energy, that he was feeling------when he realized it was because Jesus was passing by----he didn’t hesitate----he must have heard about Jesus, about His teachings, and His healing miracles----and it’s clear that He believed He was the Messiah, by the title he used to call out to Him….because only a believer would have used that title-----he started yelling, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!!!, over and over again----and that outpouring of his heart, which prompted him to call out to Jesus, is the moment that changed his life forever.
We need to see the life of Bartimaeus as an example of what our response should be when Jesus is passing by our way---which He is doing right this minute….
The first thing is, that the Lord rewards those who are persistent with him….when Bartimaeus started calling out to Jesus, a lot of people tried to hush him up-----they must have wanted to silence him to keep a nondescript beggar from delaying their journey---they knew, given Jesus’ past behavior, that he would stop if he heard the man calling him…but they didn’t want anything interfering with trip to the holy city. And they must have been annoyed by the thought of anything slowing them down or marring their journey, in any way. But Blind-Bartimaeus would not be discouraged and he did not pay them any attention---in fact, he just cried out louder to Jesus, and he kept crying out until the Lord Jesus heard him-----he was determined that he was not going to miss the Lord’s blessing, if he could help it.
But the sweetest thing about the whole story is what Jesus did----when He caught the sound of the blind man’s voice, He stopped in His tracks----when He heard Bartimaeus’ voice----He heard his desperate cry over all the other voices in that huge crowd….and Jesus, as He always does, didn’t just hear with His ears, He heard with His heart…and He didn’t go any further till He met the need that Bartimaeus had…Jesus called for Bartimaeus to come to Him----and Bartimaeus threw off his cloak, so that nothing, could hinder him, and ran to Jesus…
Bartimaeus’ persistence paid off in a big way….because, if he had allowed the people around him to silence him, he would never have been healed but more importantly, he would never have met his Savior, and received a spiritual healing, that was infinitely more important, than being healed physically.
If Bartimaeus had not been persistent, and called for Jesus, until He heard him, then Jesus would have passed him by and there would have been no change in his heart or his life.
In Luke 18:1 Jesus taught us, that ….”we should always pray and not give up…”the Lord will always answer the prayers of children---He always answers yes, no or wait…but if we don’t ask, the answer will always be no… And we give up asking, way too many times, too soon, because we don’t persist in our asking…We have to keep calling His name, no matter who, or what, tries to discourage us-----we have to believe that Jesus is who He says He is, and that He always will keep His promises, like He said He would and we have to blindly trust Him just like Blind-Bartimaeus did, and He will always hear us, and will never pass us by.
This was the last recorded healing miracle, in Mark. And it is precious that we clearly see just how much Jesus loves us, because He stopped on His way to the cross, to serve the need of someone who was suffering…the depth of His mercy and His grace is unfathomable…..
Jesus Loves All
Mark 10:13-31
Jesus Loves Little Children 10:13-16
Jesus Loves Adults 10:17-31
Jesus Continues to Prepare His Disciples 10:32-45
Jesus Always Has Time 10: 46-52
The parents in this lesson wanted Jesus to touch their children, bless their children, and pray for their children. And I think, that we would all agree, that they weren’t the only ones, who wanted to bring their little ones to Jesus…..As parents, that was the desire that Dale and I had before our first child, Mary Kathryn, was even born, and with our other 2, as well-----and I daresay that everyone in this room wants the same thing for their children and grandchildren…I remember when my children were little, we would visit my sister in Charlotte several times a year-----they went to a wonderful Episcopal Church with a precious rector, named Pastor Henry. I loved him and I always was so happy to go up for communion, with my 3 little blonde-haired babies, to have him bless them and pray for them, individually. Our children had all been dedicated, and I loved that, but their was something, so wonderful, about being able to take them to the altar, to be blessed every time we were there. It reminded me so much, of Jesus saying, “Let the little children come unto me.”
And, it reminds me of Jesus telling the disciples, to not hinder the parents from bringing the children. I don’t think there is an age, that’s too young, for a child to come to Jesus, and I believe that the earlier they come to Him for salvation, the longer life, that they have to serve Him. Imagine if Billy Graham had gotten saved when He was a 60 year old man-----imagine all the lost opportunities to be saved, that would have been, because there were no Billy Graham Crusades-----I am one of those, that my faith was made real at a crusade, it might have been me….
I believe, that young children, are the most open, to the Gospel. They believe it with all their hearts, just because, you tell them about Jesus and His love and how He came to die for their sins----they are so trusting and pragmatic, they just believe. I believe that a 3 or 4 year old can understand what they can understand, as well as a 5 or 6 year old, and a 7 or 8 year old, is the same----they start out with a little bit of knowledge and faith----and the Lord grows it in them, spiritually, as they grow physically and cognitively…. I remember that our old pastor, Ron Rowe, used to say that he never turned a child away, when they came to him to talk about asking Jesus into their hearts-----he had learned, through experience, how damaging that could be----a little girl, of 9, came to him one time, and he didn’t think she was ready, so he sent her away with the promise of talking later----and he said that she never came back, and to this day he doesn’t know if she ever got saved-----and he said that he never made that mistake again.
And statistics, gathered over many years, have shown, that generally, more people are saved when they are children, than any other time in life. Not that people aren’t saved as adults, they are, but it usually is a much more difficult process for them….children are such great believers, because they haven’t been jaded by the world, life experience, or even their own emotions, yet….
In our study this week, Jesus declared the value of children and His love for them by His actions….And, He used the receptivity of children as a guideline for the kind of response required of anyone, of any age, who would want to enter the kingdom of God.
I. Jesus Loves Little Children 10:13-16
Last week, we talked about marriage, so it makes sense, that the next thing that Jesus addressed, was the place children have in the Kingdom….because family, is a precious gift He has given us.
The Jews of that day, thought children were a blessing, not a burden, that they were a rich treasure from God, and not a liability-----and not to have children, in that culture, brought the couple, both heartache for themselves, and disgrace, in front of their neighbors.
And it was a customary thing, for parents to bring their children to the rabbis for a blessing, so it was a reasonable thing, that they would bring their little children to Jesus, the wonderful rabbi, that they’d been hearing about. Some were infants and some were walking children, but there must have been a lot of them, for the disciples to think that they had to intervene, by discouraging them from coming. They must have thought that it was part of their calling, to shield Jesus from His public-------they had done it several times before------remember, both times, that Jesus fed the huge crowds, the disciples had tried to get the people to go home, and leave Him alone for a while. So, it wasn’t that the disciples didn’t like the children, it was more, that they wanted to protect Jesus’ time, and to conserve His energy.
When Jesus realized what was happening, He apparently let the disciples have it with both feet----the word that He used, in the Greek, was much stronger, than just being displeased---it was more that He was indignant (which implies, that He was so taken aback by their behavior, that He felt a deep pain, in His heart)----this is the only place in scripture where indignation is ascribed to Jesus. Jesus heart was broken for the children who were being turned away, and for their mothers, and for His poor misguided disciples, who meant well, but still, just couldn’t quite get it…..He loved them all, so He gave the disciples two commands: 1.) “Let the little children come unto me” and 2.)“Do not hinder them, any of them, from coming to me.”
Then, He went on to say, that adults, need to pattern themselves after the little children, when we come to Him, because if we don’t-----we can never enter the Kingdom of God. Meaning, that we all have to come to Jesus, and I trust that we all have, with simplicity, sincerity and the eager believability that little children have…think about how we all love to take little children to see Santa Claus…even the most skeptical of children, can’t resist the temptation of climbing up onto Santa’s knee to tell him, so solemnly, all of the things they want for Christmas. We know it’s not real, but we like the magic of it. so we go along with it. And we bask in it----we take pictures and just smile, because we’re so proud….
Just think about how much more eager we should be, to bring our little children to Jesus-----He’s the only reason we even have Christmas, in the first place----He’s the only one who can really satisfy our heart’s desires. But not just our children, do we need to bring to Him----we need to bring ourselves-----as grown up, and sophisticated, and worldly-wise, as we think we are-----we need to lay everything aside, and come to Him, with the same simplicity, sincerity, eager believability, and childlike trust, that children do.
Those mothers were not sent away empty----one after the other, Jesus, spoke to each child, then He took them up on His knee and blessed them with His precious hands----the mother’s hearts must have been bursting with pride and gratitude-----and it was an experience that the children would never have forgotten----when they were old and gray, they must have still been telling their children and grandchildren----I remember…… one time….. Jesus touched me…..
I read a beautiful illustration, written by a mother, I don’t know her name, that teaches us all, this lesson, in a powerful way….
It goes like this:
( I sat down on the bed and picked up my crocheting to learn a couple of new stitches, before our long flight to New Zealand on Monday. The girls had just gone outside to play and I had a few minutes to get some details about our trip sorted out in my mind. My husband was already there, he had left 3 weeks earlier to begin his preaching itinerary, and I couldn’t wait to be with him, we all had missed him so much.
My thoughts were interrupted by the loud screeching of tires. I waited to hear the collision, but there wasn’t any sound of impact. So I figured that somebody on our street had just dodged a bullit. Within seconds, my 10 year old came running into the house and yelled up the stairs, “Tanya’s been hit by a car.”
Mary, my neighbor, met me on the porch and said, “hurry!” I felt like every second was an eternity as I sped toward the little knot of people surrounding Tanya in the road----fear gripped my heart as I imagined what my baby must be feeling. I knelt over Tanya, as the off-duty fireman from across the street put a blanket over her. She was unconscious, and the neighbor told me that that was a good thing, because if she was out, she couldn’t feel any pain. I didn’t see any blood or broken bones, if only she would wake up and tell me where it hurt. I didn’t dare move her till the EMS got there, but they were taking such a long time, it was nerve-wracking.
I picked up her tennis shoe that had been knocked off, and looked at her face. I talked to her, but I didn’t think she could hear me. She breathed a heavy sigh and then turned her little head to the side. I began to cry and asked the fireman how he thought she was----he checked her pulse and assured me that she was still breathing….Deep inside, I told myself, “she couldn’t be badly hurt, because she looks so normal, if only she would wake up, it would all be ok.”
Finally, the ambulance arrived---it only had been about 5 or 6 minutes, but it seemed much longer. “If only my husband were with us, instead of halfway around the world”, I thought. As we backed into the emergency entrance, the staff was waiting for us at the door. I felt relieved to finally be here. Now, everything would be ok. Tanya was in good hands, and I would soon know what injuries she had sustained.
They took her into a treatment room and closed the door. I filled out some papers and realized, when I wrote that I was her mother, in an almost illegibile handwriting, I realized that I was under severe emotional stress. I started crying and praying over and over again for the Lord to take care of my little 7 year old. I felt confident that He was there, so I never felt like I was alone.
After about half an hour, a young nurse came over to me and took my hand. I wasn’t ready for what she told me. She said that Tanya’s condition was very serious---she had brain damage and she wasn’t breathing on her own. I asked her if Tanya could die and she quietly answered me , “yes she might.”
I was completely numbed with the possibility that Tanya’s life might be taken from me. I was truly thankful, that God is a God of miracles, because I was going to ask Him for a big one. It would be hours before my husband got home, I couldn’t imagine going through the loss of a child without Him. My parents got there and they were already crying before I even told them what the nurse said….so I just blurted out the possibility of her dying.
It wasn’t long before the doctor came in---he introduced himself as a neurosurgeon, and I breathed a little sigh of relief, because I thought surely he could fix what was wrong with Tanya. But his assessment of her condition was totally pessimistic. She had sustained a blow to her brainstem, her brain had been shaken like a bowl of jelly-----which meant that she didn’t have much hope for recovery, only about 5%, he told us.
When he left, we all dropped to our knees and begged the Lord to heal her.
That night was long and hard. I clutched her sneaker all night long---there was nothing else to do with it and it was good to have something of hers, to occupy my hands. Every time a nurse walked in our direction, I was afraid she was coming to tell us that Tanya was gone and I would stiffen, until they walked on by to do some other task.
The doctor’s reports grew steadily worse and after about 24 hours, he told us that her little brain was just damaged too badly----she could remain on the life –support machines, but she would never recover----there hadn’t been any brain activity, from the time we had gotten to the hospital.
I decided to go sit with Tanya till my husband got there---I prayed over her, and sang to her and rubbed her little hands and feet. I begged God, as I sobbed, to restore her to us.
I kept crying out to God, but after about an hour, I was to the place where I was ready to accept God’s will, no matter what. I told God that I didn’t want Him to take her, but if He was going to, I was at peace.
Our family physician came by and tried to explain exactly what had happened-----I interrupted him, and asked him was Tanya still here, or was she with the Lord, and he told me, with the Lord----her body was still working, thanks to the machine, but she was gone on to Jesus.
I remembered what I had just said to the Lord, “have your will Lord, not mine.” Friends told me later, that I was radiant, as I said, “I will not forsake my Lord, because if I do, then it would mean that I’ll never see Tanya again. I will do what King David did when his child was taken, he washed his face, changed his clothes, and went about his business, satisfied, that God knew best.”
I returned to her room to say good-bye and promise her that I would see her again. There would be no more begging God to bring her back. It was then, that I realized, that I’d seen her go----when she had breathed that sigh in the street and turned her head to the side, she had stepped into heaven. And suddenly, I remembered what she had been praying in her nightly prayers over the last few months-------“Lord I want to go and be with you while I’m young.” When I had asked her why she was praying that----she said, “because, I want to sit on Jesus lap when I get there, and I don’t want to be too big.”
“A new assurance flooded my sorrowful soul, and I was refreshed with the joy, that God was in control, and we were in His hands, and that He would never harm us, He loves us, and He only wants what’s best for us.)
II. Jesus Loves Adults 10:17-31
Of all the people who ever came to the feet of Jesus, the rich young ruler was the only person, who ever came away in worse shape when he left, than when he had arrived. But it seemed like he had so much going for him. He was a young man with great potential: He was respected by others, because he held some kind of ruling office, maybe as head of the synagogue or as a member of the Sanhedrin. He had manners and morals, and there was enough desire in his heart, for spiritual things, that he ran up to Jesus and bowed at His feet. In every way, he was an ideal young man, and when Jesus looked him in the eye and held his gaze, Jesus loved him, the scripture says. Jesus could see the man’s heart. He knew what the young man was going to do, and He still loved him.
But in spite of all his fine qualities, , the young man was immature and very superficial in his views about spiritual things. Especially about salvation, because he thought that he could do something to earn his way to eternal life. Thus was a very common idea then, and it’s still a very common one. Most unsaved people believe that God will one day add up their good works and their bad works , and if their good works exceed their bad ones, then they’ll get into heaven.
And behind this good-works approach to salvation, is a shallow view of sin, man, the bible, the Lord Jesus, and about salvation. Sin is rebellion against God. It isn’t just an action; its an inward attitude that exalts man and defies God. It seems like the young man actually thought, as did many of the Jews, both then and now, that he could do a few religious works, and his account with Almighty God, would be settled.
His view of the Lord Jesus, was also very shallow. He called Him Good Teacher, but we get the impression that he’s only doing it to flatter Jesus. Because the Jewish rabbis never allowed themselves to be called good. Only God was good, and they only allowed that word used when referring to Him. In asking the young man the question, “why do You call me good?” He certainly wasn’t denying the truth that He was God, He was affirming it. He was just trying to make sure that the young man really understood what he was saying, and if he was willing to accept the responsibilities that came with it.
That’s why He pointed the young man to the 10 Commandments. He wanted to make sure that the young man knew that he was a sinner, and that his only hope was to yield himself to his holy God. We know that keeping the law can’t safe us from our sin, it was designed to tell us what sin is, so that we’re aware of it, and don’t yield to it. The Law is a mirror that shows us how dirty we are, but it can’t wash us clean. Only Jesus can do that. Another purpose of the Law, is to bring us to the Jesus----that’s what it did for the young man. The Law can bring the sinner to Jesus, but it can’t make the sinner accept the Lord and His truths. Only God’s grace can do that.
The young man had a shallow view of the Law, so he didn’t see himself as a condemned sinner before Almighty God. When he said he had kept the commandments, he was showing how he measured obedience by his external behavior not by his inner attitude. As far as he could figure out, he was blameless.
The commandments that Jesus had cited, were all the ones that deal with other people-----but there was one he didn’t lump with the group, He dealt with it separately, because He knew that was the one that was eating up the young man’s heart----and as we learned from our lesson, if you break one commandment, you are just as guilty as if you’d broken them all.
“Thou shall not covet”-----until this lesson, I thought that covetousness, meant, “wanting something that someone else has, and it does”-----but according to the dictionary and the context of this scripture, it also means….”inordinately or wrongly desirous of wealth or possessions, greedy. “ Covetousness is a terrible sin it is subtle and difficult to detect; it is insidious and eventually, it takes over a person’s whole life. 1Timothy 6:10 says “for the love of money is the root of all evil.” It isn’t the money that’s the culprit, it’s how a person allows money to control them, that’s the problem. Looking at the young man from a human perspective, you would think that he had everything-------but Jesus could see his heart and He knew what was lacking----which was a trust and belief in God, and an understanding, that if he gave himself to Him, then the Lord would always take care of the young man, and would make sure that he always had what he needed. But, unfortunately, money was the young man’s god: he trusted it, he worshiped it and he got his fulfillment from it. He used his morality and his good manners to conceal a covetous heart, even from himself.
Telling him to sell all he had, and give the money to the poor, is not what God requires from everybody, but it was what the rich young ruler specifically needed. And telling him to take up his cross and follow Him, would have been humbling for the young man, but it would have gained him eternal life. But, unfortunately, to the young man, what he had, was more important to him, than what he would gain, so he turned Jesus down. Its hard to accept a gift when your hand is clenched around money and the things it can buy. He wanted salvation on his own terms, not in the way the Lord wanted to give it to him, so he walked away in disappointment.
But one thing I loved, that the commentary in our book said, that made me feel better about him, even though I didn’t find it anywhere else----- is that the rich young ruler might have been Mark himself, because as our commentator said, how would Mark have known about Jesus’ look of love, if it hadn’t been directed at him, and in my mind, Mark says it so emphatically, that it makes sense that it could have been him. Even though it’s just speculation, it’s still nice to think that the rich young man eventually came into a salvation relationship with the Lord Jesus.
The disciples, who had been observing Jesus’ interaction with the young man, the whole time, were shocked at what the Lord then said to them about wealth, because most Jews believed that the possession of great wealth was the evidence of God’s special blessing. There are a lot of people today, like the Joel Osteen’s of the world, who believe this same way-----but they are kidding themselves-----the Lord blesses us, whether we have a lot or a little----because He is the blessing. That’s what the rich young man couldn’t understand, that he was choosing to walk away from God’s greatest blessing, which was being with the Lord on earth and being with Him, in eternity.
Warren Weirsbe says that, “money is a wonderful servant, but its a terrible master.” If you possess money, be grateful, and use it for the good of the kingdom, and for God’s glory-----but if money possesses you, you need to ask the Lord to help you reevaluate your priorities, and then, obey what He tells you to do. It’s good to have the things that money can by----we like beauty and comfort and fashion and entertainment, and since everything we have comes from the Lord, we need to understand that the Lord wants us to enjoy those things. But it’s not good to lose the things that money, cannot buy, in the process.
Salvation is beyond purchase, it’s beyond price; and it’s beyond all human standards of religion, of morality, of good works and of self- effort.
Jesus was trying to teach the disciples, that they should have known from the OT scriptures, that the basic principle of salvation rests on something other than money. It rests on Him, and Him alone. Salvation was God’s idea, planned by Him, from before time began, provided by Him, at infinite cost, and offered to everybody, who will accept it, as the gift of His grace. What is impossible with man, is possible with God.
Suddenly, Peter had a light bulb go off in his brain-----the rich young ruler had not been prepared to give everything up for the Lord Jesus-----but the disciples had. And it had never occurred to them, until now, that there was anything special about what they had done, it had just been the right thing for them to know, there was never a question. And they had already been blessed, beyond measure, by their relationship with Jesus.
Jesus assured His disciples that no one who follows Him will ever lose what is really important, either in this life or the life to come. Each one of us will be rewarded for the service we’ve given to the Kingdom. But our motives have to be right -----if we sacrifice, for the Lord, and for other people, just to get rewards, we will never get those rewards. The Lord will reward us, according to what is in the overflow of our hearts, when we serve others, in Jesus name.
And Jesus also, promised, that in this world, besides their blessing, His followers will also suffer persecutions. He had already told them, what both the Jews and Gentiles, were going to do to him in Jerusalem, and He must have felt like it was time to start preparing the disciples for what was ahead of them. They were going to have to learn, the same thing we know, that if we’re going to share in Jesus’ glory, then we’re going to also share in His suffering. God balances our blessings with our battles, so that we can grow and mature in our faith, and so that we can encourage someone else, who is going through something difficult, that we’ve already faced.
On the surface, at first glance, the rich young ruler was first and the disciples were last. But God sees thing from the perspective of eternity---where the first will become last and the last will become first. The people who are first in their own eyes will be last in God’s eyes, but those who are last in their own eyes will be rewarded first. Jesus said this, to encourage all true disciples, of every age.
(Nicholaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf was born into one of Europe’s leading families in the year 1700. He grew up in an atmosphere of prayer, bible reading and hymn singing. He excelled in school and seemed to possess all the qualities for National Leadership. After finishing his studies in Wittenberg, Germany, Zinzendorf embarked on a grand tour of Europe, attending lectures, and visiting museums, palaces and universities.
It was while he was visiting the art museum of Dusseldorf that the young count had a deeply moving experience that stayed with him the for rest of his life. Seeing Domenico Feti’s, Ecce Homo (Behold the Man) a portrait of the thorn-crowned Jesus, and reading the inscription below it ---“I Did This For Thee! What Hast Thou Done For Me” Zinzendorf said to himself, “I have loved Him for a long time, but I have never actually done anything for Him. From now on, I will do what He leads me to do.
His life was never again the same, and he went on to found a Christian community on his property, Herrnhutt, which provided hundreds of Moravian missionaries over the next several decades and sparked the modern missionary movement.
He was a rich young ruler, too, and when he came face to face with the Lord, he didn’t hesitate to answer His call. The difference in the two young men, is a lesson for us all.
III. Jesus Continues to Prepare His Disciples 10: 32-45
Jesus and the disciples and a huge crowd of people, were steadily moving forward, toward Jerusalem. We can’t help but marvel, at Jesus walking steadily, toward Calvary, knowing what waited for Him there. And we can’t help but be humbled, when we know that the only reason He did it, was for us…
When we look at the disciples, as they got closer and closer to the cross, we have to try and understand their confusion and their fear….this was difficult for them, because nothing was turning out like they had expected, or had planned for. They were expecting a physical, political kingdom, and they were going to get, Jesus’ death on a cross…and a life of submission and sacrifice…and the promise of a far-off spiritual kingdom… They just could not wrap their minds around it----every time Jesus explained it to them, and even though, He did it clearly each time, it only perplexed them even more…He had already told them what was going to happen, and in this passage in Mark, He tells them where it’s going to happen, He wanted them to know that it was rushing toward them fast. He wanted them to be prepared…He told them that He WOULD rise again, but they were in no frame of mind, to fully understand, that concept at all.
And in light of the Lord’s announcement of His death, we are embarrassed for James and John, and ashamed, that they would pick that moment, to ask for thrones next to Jesus, in the kingdom.
Until we realize, that Salome’, their mother, was Mary’s sister, and Jesus’ aunt, and James and John were His first cousins…so they would naturally think that they should be closest to Jesus, in the kingdom, because they were family….plus, we find out in Matthew 19:28 that Salome’ and her 2 sons were actually revealing their faith in Jesus, and the reality of the kingdom, by asking for the thrones, because they were actually claiming what Jesus had already promised all 12 of the disciples-----that their would be 12 thrones surrounding His, that they would occupy, when the time came. The fact that they asked Him for the thrones, after He reminded them of His impending death, shows that they did, on some level, believe that, somehow, He would be alive to rule the kingdom…they were acting on His word and presuming on their family ties, and they couldn’t see any reason why Jesus shouldn’t grant their request.
But their requests were selfish, and Jesus needed to help them see that they would have thrones in the kingdom, but those thrones would not come without a price, they would not be free ----Jesus would have to suffer and die for them…
He compared His suffering and death to the drinking of a cup and the experiencing of a baptism…It was going to be a devastating experience, but James and John assured Jesus that they could suffer it with Him----little did they know how true their words would become----because in later years, James was the first disciple to be martyred for the Gospel and John was greatly persecuted during his long life….
Because of their immaturity and the selfish ambition of all the disciples, the conversation stirred up disunity among the group. And Jesus had to step in and remind them, one more time, what kind of person will be important in the kingdom.
Just like people today, the disciples were making the mistake of following the wrong example. Jesus should have been their role model, instead, they were admiring the glory and the authority of the r
Roman leaders and their government---men who loved position and power.
While there is nothing wrong with ambition or aspiring to leadership, we have to be careful that our motivation is correct…we have to define, to ourselves ,what greatness is and why we want to achieve it-----because in Mark 10:43-44, in the most pivitol verse in the book----Jesus said, the mark of a truly important person is that they live their lives understanding that, “Whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all. “ Businesses, organizations and institutions measure greatness by personal achievement. But in God’s kingdom, service is the way to please the Lord. The desire to always be on top will hinder us, not help us. Instead of always trying to figure out ways to get ahead, and to have our needs met, we need to look for ways that we can minister to the needs of other people.
God’s pattern in scripture has always been that a person needs to be a servant first before God will promote him to be a leader. Unless we learn how to obey orders, we have no business giving orders. And before a person can lead, with authority, he has to first learn how to yield, to authority. The Lord Jesus, lived His life, following this pattern, all the way to death , resurrection and ascension-----how can we not, then recognize, that this is the only pattern for us to follow, that will enable us to live our lives, in the way that God has designed for us to.
IV. Jesus Always Has Time 10: 46-52
Do we ever feel like life is passing us by? I know there are times that we do…. That’s how Blind-Bartimaeus must have felt. He was just sitting on the sidelines, as life went on around him. He was a beggar, because that’s the only thing he could do, there was no other recourse open to him. It was the only way that he could do anything that even resembled a living.
That day that Jesus came through his down----he knew it was Passover time, and he knew that people were getting ready to make the trip to Jerusalem to celebrate the most holy of celebrations, in the Jewish holiday calendar. The people were excited as they bustled around him, as you would have expected them to be, like we are when we’re going home for Christmas…..
But there must have been some extra element of joy in the air, that he could sense----he could hear it and he could feel it, but he wasn’t a part of it----as the crowds surged and swelled around him, he must have begged someone to tell his what was going on; what was creating the extra energy, that he was feeling------when he realized it was because Jesus was passing by----he didn’t hesitate----he must have heard about Jesus, about His teachings, and His healing miracles----and it’s clear that He believed He was the Messiah, by the title he used to call out to Him….because only a believer would have used that title-----he started yelling, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!!!, over and over again----and that outpouring of his heart, which prompted him to call out to Jesus, is the moment that changed his life forever.
We need to see the life of Bartimaeus as an example of what our response should be when Jesus is passing by our way---which He is doing right this minute….
The first thing is, that the Lord rewards those who are persistent with him….when Bartimaeus started calling out to Jesus, a lot of people tried to hush him up-----they must have wanted to silence him to keep a nondescript beggar from delaying their journey---they knew, given Jesus’ past behavior, that he would stop if he heard the man calling him…but they didn’t want anything interfering with trip to the holy city. And they must have been annoyed by the thought of anything slowing them down or marring their journey, in any way. But Blind-Bartimaeus would not be discouraged and he did not pay them any attention---in fact, he just cried out louder to Jesus, and he kept crying out until the Lord Jesus heard him-----he was determined that he was not going to miss the Lord’s blessing, if he could help it.
But the sweetest thing about the whole story is what Jesus did----when He caught the sound of the blind man’s voice, He stopped in His tracks----when He heard Bartimaeus’ voice----He heard his desperate cry over all the other voices in that huge crowd….and Jesus, as He always does, didn’t just hear with His ears, He heard with His heart…and He didn’t go any further till He met the need that Bartimaeus had…Jesus called for Bartimaeus to come to Him----and Bartimaeus threw off his cloak, so that nothing, could hinder him, and ran to Jesus…
Bartimaeus’ persistence paid off in a big way….because, if he had allowed the people around him to silence him, he would never have been healed but more importantly, he would never have met his Savior, and received a spiritual healing, that was infinitely more important, than being healed physically.
If Bartimaeus had not been persistent, and called for Jesus, until He heard him, then Jesus would have passed him by and there would have been no change in his heart or his life.
In Luke 18:1 Jesus taught us, that ….”we should always pray and not give up…”the Lord will always answer the prayers of children---He always answers yes, no or wait…but if we don’t ask, the answer will always be no… And we give up asking, way too many times, too soon, because we don’t persist in our asking…We have to keep calling His name, no matter who, or what, tries to discourage us-----we have to believe that Jesus is who He says He is, and that He always will keep His promises, like He said He would and we have to blindly trust Him just like Blind-Bartimaeus did, and He will always hear us, and will never pass us by.
This was the last recorded healing miracle, in Mark. And it is precious that we clearly see just how much Jesus loves us, because He stopped on His way to the cross, to serve the need of someone who was suffering…the depth of His mercy and His grace is unfathomable…..
Friday, February 14, 2014
JOY "Jesus and Marriage and Divorce" February 5, 2014
February 5, 2014
Jesus and Marriage and Divorce
Mark 10:1-12
The day before Thanksgiving, an elderly man in Phoenix called His son in NYC and said to him, “I hate to ruin your day, but I have to tell you that your mother and I are divorcing, 45 years of misery is enough. We’re sick of each other, and are finally ready to call it quits-----and I need you to call your sister in Chicago and tell her.
Frantic, the son called his sister, who exploded on the phone----“That’s not gonna happen! They’re not getting divorced! I’ll take care of this!!! So, she called her parents in Phoenix immediately-----when her father answered ----she blasted him with “You are not getting a divorce---don’t do anything, til I get there. I’m calling my brother back, and we’ll both be there tomorrow----until then, don’t do a thing!!!! Do you hear me?
When the man hung up the phone, he turned to his wife and said, “Ok honey, we did it, the kids are coming for Thanksgiving and they’re paying for their flights.”
Hahahahahahaha----we laugh but the truth is, divorce is a real problem in our world-------and there is no easy answer for it. We don’t understand it, and we don’t know what to do with it and we hate it for what it does to everybody it touches. Malachi 2:16 says, that God hates divorce too----He doesn’t hate the divorcee, He hates divorce----He also hates alcohol, but loves the alcoholic and He hates lying, but He loves the liar and He hates sin, but He loves the sinner. God hates anything that causes problems, and turmoil and discord and disunity and heartache in our lives------and the people who hate divorce the most, I am sure, are the people, who have experienced it in some way, in their own lives---- children caught between warring parents, people who divorced before they became believers, people caught in abusive situations or situations of adultery-----people caught in some situations that are so convoluted that its hard to know how to apply biblical principle to them, but divorce seems necessary, none the less. Divorce is hard….
Because divorce has always been such a disheartening blight on society and such a contributor to the breakdown of the family, it should only be employed as an absolute last resort----and even saying, that it’s a last resort, makes me feel guilty because, I know what the scripture says, about divorce, and I know that it isn’t God’s best or His desire for us, even though it is permitted. But the truth is, divorce is here; it is a fact in our lives. We know what our world tells us about divorce, but until this lesson, did we know what Jesus says about it?
Self-fulfillment is a buzzword in our world today….that’s what our culture, right now, is telling us, that life is all about----making sure that everything we do, meets our needs and fulfills us, and makes us happy. And divorce is an excuse that a whole lot of people use, to find, what they see as self-fulfillment and happiness and something they deserve.
But it’s a lie----putting our own happiness or self-fulfillment, before obedience, is wrong, and it reduces God’s Word and His guidance and His direction, to nothing more than just a way to meet our emotional needs. God does care about our well-being, but He isn’t biting His fingernails over our happiness, because He’s more concerned with our obedience to Him, than He is our happiness. 1st Samuel 15:22 says that “God desires obedience, more than actual worship.” As Believers, God’s truth should always direct our every decision-----because, the real path to fulfillment, can only be found, in surrendering our hearts to the Lord Jesus.
So we’re going to talk about it today, in the context of what God’s intention for marriage is….and why He even allowed Moses to write instructions about divorce as part of the Law, in the first place.
The Pharisees who tried to trap Jesus with the divorce question, knew that it was a hot, controversial topic with two schools of thought-----and they knew, that however He answered their question, He would be stuck, because there was only one, really, right answer-------that, no divorce would please the Lord------but divorce was written into the Law of Moses, so it was allowed by God, and they thought it was up to the rabbis to interpret what the law meant….. so, they knew that Jesus would be offending one group or the other, and that, that offense, could be used, to get rid of Him. It might even get Him in trouble with Herod, because disagreeing with Herod’s interpretation of divorce, and remarriage, is what got John the Baptist beheaded.
The controversy, centered around the interpretation of a phrase in Deuteronomy 24:1, It’s the only passage in the Old Testament that states the grounds or procedures for divorce. The verse says, “Suppose a man marries a woman who becomes displeasing to him, having discovered something indecent about her, he writes her a certificate of divorce, hands it to her, and sends her on her way.” The problem was with the phrase, “something indecent “about her. The burning question in Jesus’ day was, what exactly constituted indecency?
The very liberal rabbinical school of Hillel, gave it a very wide interpretation----they said a man could divorce his wife if she spoiled his dinner, or walked around with her hair down or spoke to another man on the street, or said something that the husband considered to be disrespectful about his parents, or if he found another woman who was more beautiful, or a woman who could give him more children.
The more conservative school of Shammai limited “something indecent” to offenses that were related to marital impropriety, (short of adultery), like having too much skin exposed, in public, or it being discovered that the wife had had premarital sex----adultery was not included in this law, because the law about adultery said, that adultery was punishable only by death.
The truth is, God allowed Moses, to include the divorce instructions, to protect woman----because if a husband turned her out, without a certificate of divorce, she had no way of supporting herself, except by begging or prostitution----women were considered to be men’s property. So, with the divorce papers in her hand, she was free to remarry, it made her legal and legitimate, and took some of the stigma of being rejected away.
Jesus didn’t argue with the Pharisees, He didn’t allow Himself to get caught up in their pointless, futile conversation---- He just directed them to that passage in Deuteronomy----and then He directed them to Genesis 2:21-24 reminding them, of God’s creation of Adam and Eve, and His perfect design for marriage, beginning with them. Jesus always used the truth, of God’s Word, to answer questions… and He still does…. we just have to look in the scripture, and we will find the answers we seek and need. When we line up decisions and questions with God’s Word----the truth will suddenly become crystal clear. (I will never forget the first time I knew that the Lord was specifically answering my question with His Word----Mary Kathryn was 4 and we were researching kindergartens-----the school I kept coming back to was a private school with a headmaster, who was known to be notoriously eccentric---I was reluctant to send her there because of his reputation---but the day before we were to pay our money to register the Lord spoke to me from Isaiah 54:22-----“not to worry about the man, that all my children would be educated by the Lord and their peace would be great…” I was floored, but we were obedient, and the Lord was faithful to keep His promise-----and now, on this side of all 3 of my children’s education, I still marvel at God’s immediate answer to me and His continued guidance as they each went to other schools and even the colleges they attended---I never stopped seeing His hand----- and it helps me trust Him even more…)
Jesus explained to the Pharisees, and everybody listening to Him, that Moses had to give the people the law, about divorce, because of the sinfulness of the human heart. Man will always do what man wants to do….. God recognizes that, and in His great mercy, chooses to protect us from ourselves…So, in giving the commandment to Israel, God wasn’t putting His stamp of approval on divorce or even encouraging it-----what He was doing, was trying to put something in place that could restrain it, and make it more difficult for men to divorce their wives. He didn’t want women, who, also, were created in His image, to become victims, of a husband’s hard-hearted emotional whims.
Then, Jesus took them back beyond Moses, to when He had created Adam and Eve…. “Haven’t you read that at the beginning the Creator made them male and female and for this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife and the two will become one flesh. So, they are no longer two but one. Therefore what God has joined together, no man should separate them.” In the beginning, divorce was not even conceivable.
Jesus quoted from Genesis, to emphasize 3 things: 1.) marriage is between one man and one woman, clearly and distinctly;---2.) marriage is an intimate relationship----in a very physical way, marriage affords the deepest intimacy that is possible in an earthly relationship-----the basis of the marriage relationship is that intimacy----where two become one flesh—And 3.) marriage was designed to be a permanent relationship--- it is a bond that should remain as long as the couple are alive----only death should be able to sever it…
The account in Genesis, is God’s ideal------and after Adam and Eve fell from grace, the ideal was still the same---that has never changed-----after the fall, we know that there were some things that weren’t possible anymore----but in regards to marriage-----that standard hasn’t changed-----and I think God left it in tact, so that it would be one of our greatest blessings, as we walk through the cursed, sin-filled world, on our way back to Him.
When they went inside for the night, the disciples continued to question Jesus about His answers to the Pharisees-----they seemed to be totally confused, that Jesus seemed to be telling them, that the only real reason that divorce and remarriage were permitted, was in the case of infidelity.
In one fell swoop, Jesus had disputed both schools of thought about divorce----In Matthew’s account of this incident, in chap. 19, the disciples were so blown away, because divorce was such a casual part of their lives, that they made the comment, “if people couldn’t get a divorce, then it would be better to stay single and never marry at all”……….but Jesus told them, that people can’t stand being single, unless God helps them, or unless they are eunuchs.
So, people need to pray long and hard before they marry------ and after they marry, people need to realize, that we fall in and out of love with our mates a thousand times, but we have to choose to love them all the time----we can be so irritated with them, that we want to pull their ears off---- and then, they can do something so singularly sweet, that they endear themselves to us, and we fall in love with them all over again…
( Dale has given me reason to fall in love with him over and over again for the last 34 years----but one particular one is when our one and only dog Freckle got sick and had to be hospitalized----now you have to understand----Dale did not want a dog in the house, and he allowed her there, only as a concession to the children and me ---plus, do you know how much it costs to keep an animal, overnight, in an emergency hospital? Dale didn’t say a word, but I knew he was thinking-----how long is this going to last and how much is it gonna cost my pocketbook?
Anyway, the next morning, I had gone to the seminary for graduation, and I couldn’t go by the hosp to check on her ----and it was around noon before I got the opportunity to call about her----when I did, the tech told me she was doing great---and had especially perked up when her visitors got there---I couldn’t imagine who the visitors were, until she described the big man and the teenage boy dressed in baseball uniforms-that Freckle had struggled to sit up for----and in an instant, I fell in love with Dale all over again…)
Divorce should be a last resort----not an easy out and not justification for self-fulfillment and happiness-----Marriage wasn’t created to make us happy---it was created to make us holy----so that we could encourage each other to always look to the Lord first, and to keep each other accountable to Him, and to work through our difficulties, together, not run from them, so that we grow spiritually and emotionally------plus, two are always better than one, as we walk down the road….
In 1st Corinthians 7:8-16 Paul talks a little more about marriage and divorce----he encouraged people, if they were already married, to stay married, if at all possible, especially if a believer is married to an unbeliever-----because the believer’s winsome ways can influence the spouse and the children to learn to trust the Lord as their Savior…
Not always does faith prevail, but many times it does. (I have a friend who was married to an unbeliever, and for 25 years, she faithfully served the Lord, by herself----she taught bible study, took her children to church, and spoke the Lord’s name with sweetness and boldness;
she tried to include her husband, but she was careful to never push him to far, or to let the practice of her faith, offend him if she could help it-----and then one Easter Sunday morning, he yielded his life to Jesus, as his Lord and Savior, and she rejoiced….and then after only a couple of years he passed away, very young, in his early 50s of cancer---and my friend is so joyfully grateful that she knows where he is.) but, Paul does go on to say, that if the unbelieving spouse leaves the marriage, then divorce and remarriage are permissible.
I found a paragraph, from a sermon on line, Pastor Glenn Pease, that I think we all could benefit from hearing, whether we’re struggling with our spouses now , have struggled with them in the past or will struggle with them in the future….
It’s titled, “ Marrying All Over Again”
It goes like this, “As monogamists, we think that we only marry one mate, but the truth is, we all marry a number of people, because our mates keep changing, and we have to adjust to those changes and learn to love a different person, than the one we married. Through the years, all mates change, and sometimes it can be hard to adjust, because your mate may not be the person now, that you expected them to be for life.
You have to fall in love again with a new person. Those who cannot adjust, often choose divorce. All couples go through periods where they are in the process of deciding if they can love the new and different person they seem to be married to.
This is where the choosing to love, becomes the power to hold the couple together. If love is allowed to fade, and there’s no effort to rekindle the flame of passion, or they let resentment and bitterness and neglect, cloud their minds and hearts, then, there is a danger that they may not make it. But those who are committed to each other and to the Lord, will make it through, because they work at keeping the love alive.
Divorce is a refusal to remarry the new person your mate has become. A good and long marriage, is developed by a commitment to keep on
loving and being willing to remarry the mate you have, no matter how often they change.”
The bottom line is…..divorce is with us---it has touched all our lives in some way----but it is not God’s ideal for us----He designed us to be one woman for one man, till He takes us home----but because sin entered the world and mankind began to go their own way--- God allowed divorce, as a safeguard for women-----and He still allows it, to safeguard women and men----but it should not be entered into casually or unadvisedly-----but after much prayer and soul-searching and direction from the Lord------there is no doubt that the Lord, in His mercy, continues to bless us after divorce and remarriage, but in His great goodness, divorce, is not what He wants for anybody.
Jesus clearly gave God’s ideal intention for marriage, in Genesis, priority, over Moses’ permission for divorce----
And, He didn’t cancel the teaching of Deuteronomy. So it seems that there are exceptions----unfaithfulness; or when an unbelieving spouse leaves a marriage-----and even though He doesn’t say it here, I can’t imagine that He would want a spouse to stay in a marriage, where there is abuse, Jesus doesn’t elaborate, on permissible reasons…..But He does lead us to believe, that, divorce is not a good thing it isn’t God’s best for us----it severs a holy union---and the Lord has such a high view of marriage, it surely requires that divorce, always, be the last resort.
Jesus and Marriage and Divorce
Mark 10:1-12
The day before Thanksgiving, an elderly man in Phoenix called His son in NYC and said to him, “I hate to ruin your day, but I have to tell you that your mother and I are divorcing, 45 years of misery is enough. We’re sick of each other, and are finally ready to call it quits-----and I need you to call your sister in Chicago and tell her.
Frantic, the son called his sister, who exploded on the phone----“That’s not gonna happen! They’re not getting divorced! I’ll take care of this!!! So, she called her parents in Phoenix immediately-----when her father answered ----she blasted him with “You are not getting a divorce---don’t do anything, til I get there. I’m calling my brother back, and we’ll both be there tomorrow----until then, don’t do a thing!!!! Do you hear me?
When the man hung up the phone, he turned to his wife and said, “Ok honey, we did it, the kids are coming for Thanksgiving and they’re paying for their flights.”
Hahahahahahaha----we laugh but the truth is, divorce is a real problem in our world-------and there is no easy answer for it. We don’t understand it, and we don’t know what to do with it and we hate it for what it does to everybody it touches. Malachi 2:16 says, that God hates divorce too----He doesn’t hate the divorcee, He hates divorce----He also hates alcohol, but loves the alcoholic and He hates lying, but He loves the liar and He hates sin, but He loves the sinner. God hates anything that causes problems, and turmoil and discord and disunity and heartache in our lives------and the people who hate divorce the most, I am sure, are the people, who have experienced it in some way, in their own lives---- children caught between warring parents, people who divorced before they became believers, people caught in abusive situations or situations of adultery-----people caught in some situations that are so convoluted that its hard to know how to apply biblical principle to them, but divorce seems necessary, none the less. Divorce is hard….
Because divorce has always been such a disheartening blight on society and such a contributor to the breakdown of the family, it should only be employed as an absolute last resort----and even saying, that it’s a last resort, makes me feel guilty because, I know what the scripture says, about divorce, and I know that it isn’t God’s best or His desire for us, even though it is permitted. But the truth is, divorce is here; it is a fact in our lives. We know what our world tells us about divorce, but until this lesson, did we know what Jesus says about it?
Self-fulfillment is a buzzword in our world today….that’s what our culture, right now, is telling us, that life is all about----making sure that everything we do, meets our needs and fulfills us, and makes us happy. And divorce is an excuse that a whole lot of people use, to find, what they see as self-fulfillment and happiness and something they deserve.
But it’s a lie----putting our own happiness or self-fulfillment, before obedience, is wrong, and it reduces God’s Word and His guidance and His direction, to nothing more than just a way to meet our emotional needs. God does care about our well-being, but He isn’t biting His fingernails over our happiness, because He’s more concerned with our obedience to Him, than He is our happiness. 1st Samuel 15:22 says that “God desires obedience, more than actual worship.” As Believers, God’s truth should always direct our every decision-----because, the real path to fulfillment, can only be found, in surrendering our hearts to the Lord Jesus.
So we’re going to talk about it today, in the context of what God’s intention for marriage is….and why He even allowed Moses to write instructions about divorce as part of the Law, in the first place.
The Pharisees who tried to trap Jesus with the divorce question, knew that it was a hot, controversial topic with two schools of thought-----and they knew, that however He answered their question, He would be stuck, because there was only one, really, right answer-------that, no divorce would please the Lord------but divorce was written into the Law of Moses, so it was allowed by God, and they thought it was up to the rabbis to interpret what the law meant….. so, they knew that Jesus would be offending one group or the other, and that, that offense, could be used, to get rid of Him. It might even get Him in trouble with Herod, because disagreeing with Herod’s interpretation of divorce, and remarriage, is what got John the Baptist beheaded.
The controversy, centered around the interpretation of a phrase in Deuteronomy 24:1, It’s the only passage in the Old Testament that states the grounds or procedures for divorce. The verse says, “Suppose a man marries a woman who becomes displeasing to him, having discovered something indecent about her, he writes her a certificate of divorce, hands it to her, and sends her on her way.” The problem was with the phrase, “something indecent “about her. The burning question in Jesus’ day was, what exactly constituted indecency?
The very liberal rabbinical school of Hillel, gave it a very wide interpretation----they said a man could divorce his wife if she spoiled his dinner, or walked around with her hair down or spoke to another man on the street, or said something that the husband considered to be disrespectful about his parents, or if he found another woman who was more beautiful, or a woman who could give him more children.
The more conservative school of Shammai limited “something indecent” to offenses that were related to marital impropriety, (short of adultery), like having too much skin exposed, in public, or it being discovered that the wife had had premarital sex----adultery was not included in this law, because the law about adultery said, that adultery was punishable only by death.
The truth is, God allowed Moses, to include the divorce instructions, to protect woman----because if a husband turned her out, without a certificate of divorce, she had no way of supporting herself, except by begging or prostitution----women were considered to be men’s property. So, with the divorce papers in her hand, she was free to remarry, it made her legal and legitimate, and took some of the stigma of being rejected away.
Jesus didn’t argue with the Pharisees, He didn’t allow Himself to get caught up in their pointless, futile conversation---- He just directed them to that passage in Deuteronomy----and then He directed them to Genesis 2:21-24 reminding them, of God’s creation of Adam and Eve, and His perfect design for marriage, beginning with them. Jesus always used the truth, of God’s Word, to answer questions… and He still does…. we just have to look in the scripture, and we will find the answers we seek and need. When we line up decisions and questions with God’s Word----the truth will suddenly become crystal clear. (I will never forget the first time I knew that the Lord was specifically answering my question with His Word----Mary Kathryn was 4 and we were researching kindergartens-----the school I kept coming back to was a private school with a headmaster, who was known to be notoriously eccentric---I was reluctant to send her there because of his reputation---but the day before we were to pay our money to register the Lord spoke to me from Isaiah 54:22-----“not to worry about the man, that all my children would be educated by the Lord and their peace would be great…” I was floored, but we were obedient, and the Lord was faithful to keep His promise-----and now, on this side of all 3 of my children’s education, I still marvel at God’s immediate answer to me and His continued guidance as they each went to other schools and even the colleges they attended---I never stopped seeing His hand----- and it helps me trust Him even more…)
Jesus explained to the Pharisees, and everybody listening to Him, that Moses had to give the people the law, about divorce, because of the sinfulness of the human heart. Man will always do what man wants to do….. God recognizes that, and in His great mercy, chooses to protect us from ourselves…So, in giving the commandment to Israel, God wasn’t putting His stamp of approval on divorce or even encouraging it-----what He was doing, was trying to put something in place that could restrain it, and make it more difficult for men to divorce their wives. He didn’t want women, who, also, were created in His image, to become victims, of a husband’s hard-hearted emotional whims.
Then, Jesus took them back beyond Moses, to when He had created Adam and Eve…. “Haven’t you read that at the beginning the Creator made them male and female and for this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife and the two will become one flesh. So, they are no longer two but one. Therefore what God has joined together, no man should separate them.” In the beginning, divorce was not even conceivable.
Jesus quoted from Genesis, to emphasize 3 things: 1.) marriage is between one man and one woman, clearly and distinctly;---2.) marriage is an intimate relationship----in a very physical way, marriage affords the deepest intimacy that is possible in an earthly relationship-----the basis of the marriage relationship is that intimacy----where two become one flesh—And 3.) marriage was designed to be a permanent relationship--- it is a bond that should remain as long as the couple are alive----only death should be able to sever it…
The account in Genesis, is God’s ideal------and after Adam and Eve fell from grace, the ideal was still the same---that has never changed-----after the fall, we know that there were some things that weren’t possible anymore----but in regards to marriage-----that standard hasn’t changed-----and I think God left it in tact, so that it would be one of our greatest blessings, as we walk through the cursed, sin-filled world, on our way back to Him.
When they went inside for the night, the disciples continued to question Jesus about His answers to the Pharisees-----they seemed to be totally confused, that Jesus seemed to be telling them, that the only real reason that divorce and remarriage were permitted, was in the case of infidelity.
In one fell swoop, Jesus had disputed both schools of thought about divorce----In Matthew’s account of this incident, in chap. 19, the disciples were so blown away, because divorce was such a casual part of their lives, that they made the comment, “if people couldn’t get a divorce, then it would be better to stay single and never marry at all”……….but Jesus told them, that people can’t stand being single, unless God helps them, or unless they are eunuchs.
So, people need to pray long and hard before they marry------ and after they marry, people need to realize, that we fall in and out of love with our mates a thousand times, but we have to choose to love them all the time----we can be so irritated with them, that we want to pull their ears off---- and then, they can do something so singularly sweet, that they endear themselves to us, and we fall in love with them all over again…
( Dale has given me reason to fall in love with him over and over again for the last 34 years----but one particular one is when our one and only dog Freckle got sick and had to be hospitalized----now you have to understand----Dale did not want a dog in the house, and he allowed her there, only as a concession to the children and me ---plus, do you know how much it costs to keep an animal, overnight, in an emergency hospital? Dale didn’t say a word, but I knew he was thinking-----how long is this going to last and how much is it gonna cost my pocketbook?
Anyway, the next morning, I had gone to the seminary for graduation, and I couldn’t go by the hosp to check on her ----and it was around noon before I got the opportunity to call about her----when I did, the tech told me she was doing great---and had especially perked up when her visitors got there---I couldn’t imagine who the visitors were, until she described the big man and the teenage boy dressed in baseball uniforms-that Freckle had struggled to sit up for----and in an instant, I fell in love with Dale all over again…)
Divorce should be a last resort----not an easy out and not justification for self-fulfillment and happiness-----Marriage wasn’t created to make us happy---it was created to make us holy----so that we could encourage each other to always look to the Lord first, and to keep each other accountable to Him, and to work through our difficulties, together, not run from them, so that we grow spiritually and emotionally------plus, two are always better than one, as we walk down the road….
In 1st Corinthians 7:8-16 Paul talks a little more about marriage and divorce----he encouraged people, if they were already married, to stay married, if at all possible, especially if a believer is married to an unbeliever-----because the believer’s winsome ways can influence the spouse and the children to learn to trust the Lord as their Savior…
Not always does faith prevail, but many times it does. (I have a friend who was married to an unbeliever, and for 25 years, she faithfully served the Lord, by herself----she taught bible study, took her children to church, and spoke the Lord’s name with sweetness and boldness;
she tried to include her husband, but she was careful to never push him to far, or to let the practice of her faith, offend him if she could help it-----and then one Easter Sunday morning, he yielded his life to Jesus, as his Lord and Savior, and she rejoiced….and then after only a couple of years he passed away, very young, in his early 50s of cancer---and my friend is so joyfully grateful that she knows where he is.) but, Paul does go on to say, that if the unbelieving spouse leaves the marriage, then divorce and remarriage are permissible.
I found a paragraph, from a sermon on line, Pastor Glenn Pease, that I think we all could benefit from hearing, whether we’re struggling with our spouses now , have struggled with them in the past or will struggle with them in the future….
It’s titled, “ Marrying All Over Again”
It goes like this, “As monogamists, we think that we only marry one mate, but the truth is, we all marry a number of people, because our mates keep changing, and we have to adjust to those changes and learn to love a different person, than the one we married. Through the years, all mates change, and sometimes it can be hard to adjust, because your mate may not be the person now, that you expected them to be for life.
You have to fall in love again with a new person. Those who cannot adjust, often choose divorce. All couples go through periods where they are in the process of deciding if they can love the new and different person they seem to be married to.
This is where the choosing to love, becomes the power to hold the couple together. If love is allowed to fade, and there’s no effort to rekindle the flame of passion, or they let resentment and bitterness and neglect, cloud their minds and hearts, then, there is a danger that they may not make it. But those who are committed to each other and to the Lord, will make it through, because they work at keeping the love alive.
Divorce is a refusal to remarry the new person your mate has become. A good and long marriage, is developed by a commitment to keep on
loving and being willing to remarry the mate you have, no matter how often they change.”
The bottom line is…..divorce is with us---it has touched all our lives in some way----but it is not God’s ideal for us----He designed us to be one woman for one man, till He takes us home----but because sin entered the world and mankind began to go their own way--- God allowed divorce, as a safeguard for women-----and He still allows it, to safeguard women and men----but it should not be entered into casually or unadvisedly-----but after much prayer and soul-searching and direction from the Lord------there is no doubt that the Lord, in His mercy, continues to bless us after divorce and remarriage, but in His great goodness, divorce, is not what He wants for anybody.
Jesus clearly gave God’s ideal intention for marriage, in Genesis, priority, over Moses’ permission for divorce----
And, He didn’t cancel the teaching of Deuteronomy. So it seems that there are exceptions----unfaithfulness; or when an unbelieving spouse leaves a marriage-----and even though He doesn’t say it here, I can’t imagine that He would want a spouse to stay in a marriage, where there is abuse, Jesus doesn’t elaborate, on permissible reasons…..But He does lead us to believe, that, divorce is not a good thing it isn’t God’s best for us----it severs a holy union---and the Lord has such a high view of marriage, it surely requires that divorce, always, be the last resort.
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