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LET ME SEE AGAIN

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20240317 Let Me See Again

Mark 10:46-52 NET.

⁴⁶ They came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus the son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the road. ⁴⁷When he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” ⁴⁸Many scolded him to get him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” ⁴⁹Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called the blind man and said to him, “Have courage! Get up! He is calling you.” ⁵⁰He threw off his cloak, jumped up, and came to Jesus. ⁵¹Then Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man replied, “Rabbi, let me see again.” ⁵²Jesus said to him, “Go, your faith has healed you.” Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the road.

We have been studying the commands of Christ as they were given initially – in the context of the life of Jesus and his disciples. The commands were not given as bullet points. They were not listed like the Ten Commandments on tablets of stone for us to memorize and seek to understand how they apply to our everyday lives. No, the commands of Christ come to us as part of historical narratives. They come encased in stories that give us the context in which the commands were originally given. Those stories help us understand how we should obey Jesus.

In today’s story, the only command we hear from Jesus is not given to us. It was given to a blind beggar named Bartimaeus. Jesus tells him to go – that his faith has healed him. Interestingly, the first thing Bartimaeus did after he regained his sight was disobey Jesus. Jesus told him to go, but he continued following him on the road. We can understand this disobedience, though. After all, the first thing this blind man saw was Jesus. He didn’t want to take his eyes off Jesus. Who could blame him for that?

Today, I want us to look at this blind man who showed up on the side of the road in Jericho. Then, I want us to look at him again. Then, I want us to look at him a third time. The Holy Spirit has much to teach us by this man’s example.

Bartimaeus, the nobody (46).

A blind beggar was sitting by the road. It was not an uncommon sight. He had heard that Jesus was heading to Jerusalem, so he stationed himself at a point along the journey where he hoped he would be noticed. He was used to not being noticed. He was a nobody. People saw him every day and filtered him out. Every generation has nobodies like that that you notice by the visual signals. Unkempt, hand out, hat on the ground with a few coins in it. A cardboard sign saying anything will help.

Most of us drive by these nobodies today. We hope we don’t get caught by a red light, so we must suffer the indignity of being stared at until the light turns green. Our windows remain up. We look straight ahead. We breathe a sigh of relief when we get to move on.

It was somewhat like that on that day as Jesus and the crowd following him left Jericho. Most people had been familiar with running the gauntlet as they left the city. Stationed along the road would be a line of nobodies — like servants getting ready to receive an important dignitary. Each of them would hope to be noticed by a famous person. All the nobodies were hoping for a coin or two from the crowd.

Yet this nobody did not have his hand out. He did not have a hat on the ground. He could not see the crowd, so he had to judge its location by the sounds it was making. Bartimaeus had only one way to be noticed. He had a voice, and he was determined to use it. He had heard that the famous person was none other than Jesus from Nazareth. So, as soon as he heard the approaching crowd, he let loose with, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

“Shh…” they said. He responded, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” “Be quiet”, they said. He responded, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” “Silence,” they said. He responded, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” “Shut up”, they said. He responded, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” This nobody had become a somebody by becoming a noisy nuisance. This commoner had become a royal pain. He was the one who was blind but everyone else had been blind to his existence. But he had cured their blindness with the annoying sound of his voice.

He had also accomplished his intended purpose by getting the attention of the one man in the crowd who was not blind to his existence. Jesus stopped, and the crowd – like cars at a red light – took turns stopping behind him. Jesus had a purpose for this event. He was now going to heal this man. But healing was only the sign. It showed who Jesus is. He verified Bartimaeus’ assertion that he was the coming Messiah. His healing also showed his character – that he had compassion for the hurt, the sick, and the oppressed.

But this miraculous event contained more lessons than those. The man Bartimaeus himself provided some lessons to the crowd, to the disciples, and us today.

Bartimaeus, the lesson in equality (49).

By choosing to heal this nobody, Jesus provided a visual aid to the previous lesson he had taught his disciples. Last week, we got a glimpse into the hearts and minds of James and John as they requested top billing alongside Jesus in the coming kingdom. Jesus had told them that leadership in the kingdom has nothing to do with who is higher on the totem pole. Citizenship in the kingdom is not broken up into upper, middle, and lower classes. The parable Jesus had taught about the vineyard workers stressed that all the workers in the kingdom would get paid the same wage. The payoff of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23). We are all citizens in the kingdom – a kingdom in which there “is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female — for all of you are one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28).

Knowing that we are equal in Christ should lead to a reorientation of how we think about other Christians. The Apostle James (in his epistle) warns believers not to show prejudice against others based on how their income. He warns us not to make distinctions, preferring the wealthy, prominent people instead of the poor, lowly ones. He says that favoring one group over another violates the command to love our neighbors as ourselves.

Bartimaeus is the visual aid for that principle. He had nothing to offer except his needs. Yet Jesus stopped the train for him. The lesson for all of us is the lesson we read about in the Michael Connelly novels: everybody counts, or nobody counts.

But as I said last week, the church has a terrible track record regarding obeying this command. Instead of showing love for one another, we have made the kingdom about submitting to the people higher on the totem pole. The only thing the church seems to want to teach about submission is that wives should submit to their husbands according to Ephesians 5:22. But we ignore the previous verse, which tells all of us – husbands included – to submit to one another (Ephesians 5:21). If only the wives are submitting to their husbands, that’s a hierarchy – something that Jesus taught against. But if we all submit to and serve each of us, that is the kingdom of God. If only wives submit to their husbands, that is not equality. That’s the way of the Gentiles. But if each member submits to one another, that’s the body of Christ.

It is so easy to ignore the Bartimaeuses. It is easy to brand this group as lesser-than and put them at the bottom of the list. Knowing your place and deferring to the strong is comfortable. On that day as they left Jericho, nobody wanted to stop for the nobody. But Jesus did. He listened to the man that everybody else wanted to silence. He stopped for the man whom everybody else wanted to pass by. The lesson for all of us today is that everybody is Bartimaeus. Everybody counts, or nobody counts.

When we pray together as a congregation, do you sometimes want to pray something, but you stop yourself? Maybe you do not think that you are eloquent enough. Perhaps you think you should let the leaders pray, or let the elders pray, or let the men pray. When the Holy Spirit is speaking to you, do not be intimidated. God wants you to pray. He has opened the doors of heaven and bids you to approach his throne. He has a miracle he wants to perform, and he wants you to initiate that miracle with your prayer. Yes, you. Little, meaningless, nobody you. It is through prayers like yours that the heroes of the faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, gained what was promised, shut the mouths of lions, quenched raging fire, escaped the edge of the sword, gained strength in weakness, became mighty in battle, put foreign armies to flight. Women received back their dead raised to life! Every Christian has the power of God within. We share His Holy Spirit equally. That is an important lesson we learn from this used-to-be nobody, Bartimaeus.

Bartimaeus, the lesson in evangelism (52).

The final lesson we learn from Bartimaeus is explained by the fact that Mark lists his name. Usually, names are given so that the readers can make a connection between the story and people they may currently know or know about. It appears that Bartimaeus not only chose to follow Jesus into Jerusalem, but he also followed him as a church member. His name would be recognized as an early Christian. Like Zaccheus, his encounter with Jesus transformed his life. He not only gained his physical sight, but he gained salvation as well.

So, the lesson for you and me from that fact is that we should not discount anyone as a possible convert. Jesus implied the same thing in his parable of the banquet when the household master told his slaves to go out into the streets and alleys and bring in the poor, the disabled, the blind, and the lame. When they did that, and there was still room, he instructed them to go to the highways and country roads and urge people to come in.

To follow Jesus’ implied instructions here – as having to do with evangelism – we need to reorder our lives. Most of us have a set pattern of living that involves regular interaction with only a few friends and relatives. We are not going to fill the banquet hall living like that. The people we need to invite are not in our social networks. They are not comfortably sitting in here. They are out there. They are like Bartimaeus. We need to bring Jesus to them and to do that, we will need to go where they are.

Whole people groups are ready to give their lives to Jesus. They are just waiting for some missionaries to go where they are and share Christ with them. Whole sections of our town are ready to give their lives to Jesus, but they are not going to casually decide to show up for one of our church services. We have to bring Jesus to them.

LORD, give us the insight to notice the nobodies, the compassion to treat them fairly, and the drive to bring Christ into their lives. He has a miracle he wants to do in their lives. Please give us the wisdom not to stand in the way.

For further study:

Ortlund Dane C et al. Mark: A 12-Week Study. Crossway 2013. p. 56.

Perry Edmund. Confessing the Gospel Mark Preached. National Methodist Student Movement 1957. p. 108.

Plummer, Alfred. The Gospel According to St. Mark. Cambridge: University Press, 1920. pp. 131-132.

Rawlinson A. E. J. St. Mark. 6th ed. Methuen 1925. pp. 148-149.

Riley Harold. The Making of Mark: An Exploration. Peeters; Mercer 1989. pp. 126-129.

Robertson, A. T. Studies in Mark’s Gospel. New York: Macmillan, 1919. p. 125.

Vann Jefferson. The Coming King: a new translation and commentary of Matthew’s Gospel. Piney Grove Publications 2023. pp. 203-204.

SELL IT AND COME

SELL IT AND COME

Mark 10:21-31 NET.

²¹ As Jesus looked at him, he felt love for him and said, “You lack one thing. Go, sell whatever you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”²² But at this statement, the man looked sad and went away sorrowful, for he was very rich. ²³ Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!” ²⁴ The disciples were astonished at these words. But again Jesus said to them, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! ²⁵It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” ²⁶ They were even more astonished and said to one another, “Then who can be saved?” ²⁷ Jesus looked at them and replied, “This is impossible for mere humans, but not for God; all things are possible for God.” ²⁸ Peter began to speak to him, “Look, we have left everything to follow you!” ²⁹ Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, there is no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for my sake and for the sake of the gospel ³⁰ who will not receive in this age a hundred times as much — homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, fields, all with persecutions — and in the age to come, eternal life. ³¹ But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

You might have noticed that I preached on part of this passage for Father’s Day in 2021. My message was entitled “The Almost Perfect Son.” I spoke about this rich young man who would have been the pride of any father or pastor. He was almost perfect, but it was not enough. It was not something he lacked that kept this young man out of the kingdom of God. It was his strength: all his possessions. His temporary possessions kept him from God’s promise of permanent blessing.

Today, I’m picking up the passage where I left off and focusing on Jesus’ command to the young man. Jesus told him to go, sell whatever he had, give the money to the poor, and promised that he would have treasure in heaven. Then he said this man to come, follow him.

Jesus promised treasure in heaven (21, 23, 25, 30).

I want to unpack this treasure in heaven that Jesus spoke of. It’s essential to do this because the gospel invitation Jesus gave this rich young man is somewhat unique. As we have been following Jesus in the Gospels, we have noticed that he does not always give the same invitation to people. He told Nicodemus he could be born of the Spirit. He told the woman at the well that she could have some living water and never thirst again. He told the hungry crowds that he was the bread of life – they should come to him and would never go hungry. Jesus always invites people to receive the same promise, but he tailors his invitations to each heart.

He told this rich young man that he could have treasure in heaven. He already had plenty of treasure on earth. He was rich in houses and lands and had many goods loaded on his back. He was a big, fat camel. He was not worried about paying his bills. He knew where his next meal was coming from. If he wanted to marry and raise a family, he certainly had enough loaded on his back to take care of every contingency.

Not only was this young man rich in the things of earth, but he had also been very fortunate to avoid doing the things that spoiled rich men. He had his anger under control – he hadn’t murdered anyone. He didn’t prey on other men’s wives. He gained his wealth, honestly. He didn’t lie, defraud others, or disrespect his parents.

But there was one thing this rich young man did not have. He had treasure in every bank except the Bank of Heaven. He had his life under control but hadn’t invested in the next life. That was the man’s question. He had asked Jesus, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (vs. 17).

What did Jesus mean when he promised this young man that he could have treasure in heaven? He was answering that question. Having eternal life is having treasure in heaven. It is having what it takes to make it to God’s permanent life. This young man was not stupid. He knew that what he had now was not going to be enough to get him the eternal life in the future that he wanted.

Jesus had talked about that future. He called it the kingdom of God. He had challenged his listeners to believe that a future kingdom of God was coming. He called it receiving the kingdom. Our present life is lived in this age, but the future kingdom begins in the age to come (vs. 30). To enlist in that future kingdom, you had to receive it today. If you don’t receive the kingdom today, you will not be able to enter it when it comes to Earth.

Jesus is teaching this rich young man that what he presently has is an obstacle to what he wants. He is a big, fat, fully loaded camel, and he can squint his eyes and see through the needle’s eye, but he cannot pass through it. This man didn’t get the invitation he thought he would get. He thought Jesus would be standing there with a clipboard, ticking off the blocks in the list, and would automatically get to the end of his list and tell the man to come and follow him. But that is not what happened.

Jesus commanded divestment before investment (21-25).

Jesus did invite the young man to come and follow him, but first he would have to do three other things. These three other things were prerequisites. If this young man would not do these three things, he would not be able to come to Jesus and follow him. If he did not come and follow, he would never get his treasure in heaven. That would mean that all he had gained in this life would be lost forever when he died. That’s like having an undefeated season, getting all the way to the Super Bowl, and then losing. Nobody wants that.

So, let’s carefully examine what Jesus commands this young man. First, instead of inviting him to come, Jesus commands him to go. Jesus had told him that he lacked one thing. He probably said, “Okay, if I just lack one thing, I’m sure I can use my resources to buy that one thing, and then I’ll be all set. So, Jesus tells him to go, which is not a significant problem. It’s just a minor setback. He’ll go and get what Jesus wants and then come back and finish the list on the clipboard.

But he needs to go because Jesus commands him to sell whatever he has. This doesn’t make sense to the young man. He’s sure he must have misunderstood Jesus. After all, the man had spent his life amassing a fortune, and he looked at his portfolio as the key to his subsequent acquisition. He would be worthless if he divested himself of everything he had gained. He would be back at square one. It was hard to imagine being of any use to the kingdom of God if you could not afford a cup of coffee in this kingdom. So, the young man was probably thinking, “I know what Jesus wants here. He wants me to sell what I have to invest the proceeds in his ministry.” That made sense. He could look at it as an investment in the ministry, and it would pay off because his money would be funneled into ministry projects.

But then the other shoe dropped. Jesus commands him to give the money to people experiencing poverty. That didn’t make sense at all. This young man had known about poor people all his life. They were a burden to him and all the other rich men. People with low incomes are a leaking bucket. It doesn’t matter how much they get; they will still be there on the corner of the market the next day with their hands out.

But these were Jesus’ three prerequisites. The rich young man was free to get treasures in heaven, but he had first to divest himself of all his treasures on earth. He could come and follow Jesus, but first, he had to remove everything about himself that he identified with.

The man went away sorrowful because he was very rich. I’ve known a lot of sorrows in my life, but I have little experience with this one. This man had what most people think they want, and he had just learned that all he had was an obstacle to getting eternal life. He went away with regret because he thought that eternal life was impossible.

He was right. He was a big fat camel, loaded with a life of earthly treasures, and as such, he could never get through the needle’s eye. Salvation is impossible for mere humans but not for God.

Jesus promises the same thing to all: salvation by grace (26-31).

The disciples stood there with their mouths open. They had just watched this young man walk away from Jesus. Of all the people they had encountered in their short time with Jesus, he was the one they thought most likely to join them as an apostle. He could have made such a difference. But he walked away. They felt they would probably be next if Jesus rejected this man.

Then Peter realizes that each of the disciples had been given a choice similar to that Jesus gave the rich man. The fishermen were called to follow, but they had to leave their boats first. Matthew had to leave his booth. The disciples were not known for the advantages they brought to Jesus. They had gone and sold their old lives to follow him.

Peter said to Jesus, “Look, we have left everything to follow you!” They had divested before they could start investing. That is what living in the current phase of the kingdom is all about. Jesus points out to Peter and the rest that they gain something by that initial divestment. They may be called to leave their family. Jesus will give them another family. Like this rich man, they may have to leave their possessions (their fields). Jesus does not promise them an easy life for doing so. There will be persecutions. But Jesus does promise that now – in this age – everyone who dares to give up anything or anyone for him will find a hundred times more from him.

But that’s not all. By trusting in God’s grace instead of our riches, we will all gain a permanent life in the age to come. It won’t happen when we die. It begins when the new age begins, at the resurrection.

But the rich young man in this chapter reminds us that so many all around us today have been told the gospel good news, but for them, it is terrible news. Some are rich and not willing to divest themselves, so they will never have the opportunity to come and follow Jesus. Some are poor, but even if they have something, they are unwilling to give it away to gain treasures in heaven. As long as the self is put first, those who put themselves first will be last on God’s list.

The gospel is good news, and it is good news because God does not require that you give him anything to get his salvation. That puts us all on the same level. The ground is level at the foot of the cross. All that God required, he provided in the death of his Son.

But there is one thing that God wants from us. He wants us free and clear of all baggage. If we are willing to come to him empty-handed, he will gladly give us all we need for eternity. That’s grace. “Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to the cross I cling; naked, come to thee for dress;

helpless, look to thee for grace; foul, I to the fountain fly; wash me, Savior, or I die.”[1]

When Jesus calls all of us to accept God’s grace and trust in God’s love, we all face the same challenge that the rich young man did. We all want to offer ourselves to God based on what we have – what we have accomplished – our strengths – our assets. But God does not need any of our assets. Jesus can turn stones into bread; he does not need to raid our refrigerators. There’s nothing we can tell him that he doesn’t know. There’s nothing we can give him that he doesn’t have. There is nothing we could build for him today that will not burn before the new age begins.

That is why the picture Jesus gives of how someone receives the kingdom is, “Let the little children come to me and do not try to stop them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will never enter it” (vss. 14-15). Children are dependents because they are dependent. Mommy and Daddy provide the kids with what they need. That’s how the kingdom works.

If you are reading this today, I want to ask you to consider everything you own. They may be things you possess, talents, or inherited gifts – whatever you own. Now ask yourself, what if you had to give away these things to live eternally? Would anything you now possess be worth missing that opportunity? Don’t go away sorry because of what you have. Sell it and come to Jesus.

For further study:

Fair Ian A et al. Matthew & Mark: Good News for Everyone. Barbour Pub 2008. pp. 84-85, 182.

France R. T. The Gospel of Mark: A Commentary on the Greek Text. W.B. Eerdmans; Paternoster Press 2002. pp. 404-409.

Healy Mary and Peter S Williamson. The Gospel of Mark. Baker Academic 2008. pp. 204-206.

Martin George. The Gospel According to Mark: Meaning and Message. Loyola Press 2005. pp. 261-268.

McBride Alfred. To Love and Be Loved by Jesus: Meditation and Commentary on the Gospel of Mark. Our Sunday Visitor 1992. pp. 94-96.

Ortlund Dane C et al. Mark: A 12-Week Study. Crossway 2013. pp. 52-53.

Sweetland Dennis M. Mark: From Death to Life. New City Press 2000. pp. 124-130.

[1] “Rock of Ages” (verse 3) – Augustus Toplady (1776).

CREATION AND MARRIAGE

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Creation and Marriage

Mark 10:1-12 NET.

¹ Then Jesus left that place and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan River. Again crowds gathered to him, and again, as was his custom, he taught them. ² Then some Pharisees came, and to test him they asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” ³ He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” ⁴They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her.” ⁵But Jesus said to them, “He wrote this commandment for you because of your hard hearts. ⁶But from the beginning of creation he made them male and female. ⁷For this reason a man will leave his father and mother, ⁸and the two will become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one flesh. ⁹Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” ¹⁰In the house once again, the disciples asked him about this. ¹¹So he told them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her. ¹²And if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”

When we committed ourselves to reviewing and studying the commands of Christ in the Gospels, we all knew that we would come to some topics that were more controversial than others. There are subjects to which we will be more sensitive than others. We would probably be tempted to skip passages because dwelling on them might be painful or cause stress. But I have resisted that temptation because I believe this about our Lord. He never commanded anything that didn’t result in healing, not harm. He never gave any instruction designed to depress us or embarrass us. His purpose is always to help us, not hurt us.

For that reason, I was extra cautious when I approached today’s passage to study it again with the hope of expressing its message as a sermon about divorce and marriage. I prayed more as I prepared the sermon because I didn’t want to harm anyone. I wanted to heal. I believe what Jesus said in today’s text can heal our community, especially those hurt by divorce.

So, I ask those of you who might find today’s message offensive to hold off judgment until I come to the end. I am not singling out anybody. I don’t intend to call any names or to condemn anyone. I will share with you what our Savior says about this crucial issue. When we realize what Jesus said in today’s text, we will all understand that he only wants to heal our hurts and for us to live our best lives.

what people do (1-5).

People will do what they want, and if they can get other people to approve of what they do, they will ask for it. We see that in the question the Pharisees asked Jesus in today’s text. They came to him to test him. They wanted to know if he approved of a particular activity.

Historians tell us that there had been a sharp division among the Pharisees during this time over the issue of divorce. They were divided into two schools. One of the subjects that divided the two schools is that of divorce. Both schools accepted divorce as a reality. Both schools believed that divorcing was the prerogative of the husband and not the wife. They differed only on the justification for a man divorcing his wife. One school said that a man could divorce his wife for any reason. The other school insisted that a man could only divorce if his wife had an affair with another man.

But the question the Pharisees specifically asked Jesus that day was more general. They asked him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” They wanted Jesus to rubber-stamp something that they were already doing. They wanted him to give his approval to something that they were already practicing. Essentially, they said, “Yes or No, Jesus, Do you approve of our behavior or disapprove of it?”

Jesus could have said “Yes” or “No” and walked away, but he didn’t. He didn’t respond that way because the subject was too complicated to be so answered. One of the problems with the modern church is that we tend to treat the subject differently than Jesus did. Sometimes, we use the very words of Jesus to accomplish something different than Jesus did in today’s text. The Pharisees asked if a divorce was lawful because all they were interested in was whether it was lawful. Often, the church decrees that divorce is sinful, disobedient, and wrong and effectively excommunicates or brands divorced people as damaged goods. When we do that, the church treats divorce differently than Jesus did in today’s text.

Jesus responded with another question. He asked those Pharisees a question that any Pharisee could have been able to answer immediately. He asked what the Law of Moses said on the subject of divorce. Their immediate reply was a quote from Deuteronomy 24, which said that if a man wanted to divorce his wife, he was responsible for writing a divorce certificate. That would allow the divorced wife to remarry. So, as far as the Law of Moses was concerned, any man could divorce. He just had to make sure his wife would have the legal ability to remarry.

But Jesus did not leave the matter there. The Pharisees were happy to get permission from him to do what they intended to do anyway. But Jesus knew that the issue was more complicated and more was at stake than something that a legal document could solve.

People of all ages and eras know this. They know that the government’s approval may solve some problems but not others. They know that separation from one’s spouse has lasting and harmful complications between the two and the children and grandchildren from the dissolved marriage. Divorce harms families and the communities they live in. That is why Jesus refused to allow a legal answer to be his last.

He said that the underlying problem was hard hearts. Pharaoh had a hard heart. God said, “Let my people go.” Pharaoh said no. God said, “Here’s a plague.” Pharoah said, OK, they can go. Then he changed his mind and said no again. God said, “Here’s another plague.” Pharoah said, OK, they can go. Then he changed his mind and said no again. Wash, rinse, repeat. A hard heart is a stubborn heart. A hard heart knows what God wants but refuses to give God what he wants.

what God wants (6-8).

Jesus explains that what God wants is shown by how he began this marriage thing in Eden. God made Adam; then he made Eve for Adam. He showed his love for them by giving them to each other. The picture we see in the first two chapters of Genesis is something that the theologians call the Edenic will of God. Adam and Eve’s relationship in the Garden (before sin) depicts what God wants for you and me and our relationships. He wants equality, unity, mutual appreciation, and reciprocal love.

Jesus had to go back to Eden because we have failed to live up to God’s ideal since then. He designed us with noticeable differences, but not so we could battle one another for domination. He wanted us to appreciate and enjoy the differences. He wanted our appreciation for one another to be one of the reasons we appreciate and worship Him.

God wants some fortunate men to find the women he has given them and fall in love with them and for those women fortunate enough to find a husband to do likewise. He wants us to leave our family ties and create new ones with the spouse he has given us. He wants our union to be more than legal. He wants it to be a one-flesh union.

He doesn’t want us to separate that union. To do so would be like amputating a limb. Amputation always causes pain, even if it is necessary. What the world seems to be telling us about marriage is that we should keep trying it until we get it right. That is not what God wants. He wants us to be committed to him together so much that we never allow our differences to destroy the gift that he has given to us in each other.

The world also seems to be telling us that it is OK to experiment on this whole marriage thing. For many generations, the world suggested that God was wrong about the idea of only one couple. It suggested that a man could marry as many women as his wallet could support. Thankfully, in most areas of the world today, that idea has been shown to be impractical. Polygamy was never God’s idea. Those passages of Scripture that reflect that societal norm also show how much hurt and dysfunction it can cause.

Today’s world seems to be telling us that it is OK to experiment on this whole marriage thing another way. It tells us that one man and one woman is an outdated concept. It says we should get with the program and acknowledge same-sex marriages. How do you answer suggestions like that? Well, for me, the answer is simple. In the beginning, it was not so. God’s plan for one man and woman is still his plan for making us happy, and our families and communities thrive. We cannot improve on God’s solution to human loneliness. The state may legally sanction a marriage between Adam and Steve, but God’s word still does not endorse it.

If we want to walk in God’s wisdom, we must resist the temptation to do something other than what he wants. It means a lot more than just honoring our covenants and staying married. But it never means anything less than that.

what people do (9-12).

We come to the final section of today’s passage and discover that, again, we are talking about the practice of divorcing. But the scene of the instruction changes here. Jesus concludes his discourse with the Pharisees by telling them that no man has any business separating what God has joined together. Then, the picture changes because the conversation changes. Instead of a public interrogation with the Pharisees, the scene now occurs in a private house. The conversation is between Jesus and his disciples.

The disciples still have some unanswered questions. They are trying to understand the implications of how Jesus answered the Pharisees. It seems Jesus wanted to go beyond simply answering the inquiry about whether divorce is permitted. He does, and so should we.

But listen carefully again to what Jesus tells his disciples in verse 11: “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her.” I want you to notice two things about this statement. Jesus zeroes in on the man who instigates the divorce, not the woman who is his victim. This guy intentionally divorces his wife so that he can marry another woman. The man is the criminal in this case, and the crime he commits is against his wife. This is revolutionary. In the culture in which Jesus and his disciples lived, adultery was always considered a crime against another man. If you had an affair with another man’s wife, your sin was adultery against her husband. If you had an affair with an unmarried woman, your sin was against her father or her future husband. But Jesus elevates the woman to the same status as the man. He still has in his mind the Edenic will of God. He sees adultery as an attack against the marriage partner and the sanctity of marriage itself.

Now, Jesus goes even further. In verse 12, he says that if the wife “divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.” In the Jewish culture, that could not happen because women could not initiate divorce. But in Greek and Roman culture, it happened all the time. Remember Herodias. She divorced her husband, Philip, and traded him for his brother, King Herod.

Jesus knew that in many ages, cultures, and societies (like our own), it would be possible and permitted for either party in a marriage to divorce their spouse because somebody else pleases them better. That is what he is talking about here with his disciples. He tells them it is not right because it produces a victim. It is not right because it is not in line with God’s Edenic will. The state may permit it, but it is not God’s purpose for marriage.

It is never too late for us to start doing marriage the way our Master intended it to work. God is the God who forgives and restores, and he is on the edge of his throne, waiting for us to ask him to restore our marriages. The question for all of us who are married is, are we looking for permission to bale, or are we looking for a plan to revive and restore the blessing God gave us?

God bless y’all and have a great marriage.

For further study:

Bowman John. The Gospel of Mark the New Christian Jewish Passover Haggadah. E. J. Brill 1997. pp. 208-211.

Branscomb, B. Harvie. The Gospel of Mark. London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1967. pp. 176-179.

Cole R. A. Mark: An Introduction and Commentary. 2nd ed. Inter-Varsity Press; Intervarsity Press 2008. p. 75; pp. 231-235.

Dowd Sharyn Echols. Reading Mark: A Literary and Theological Commentary on the Second Gospel. Smyth & Helwys 2000. pp. 98-103.

Garrett Greg and Matthew Paul Turner. The Voice of Mark: Let Them Listen; the Gospel of Mark Retold. Thomas Nelson 2008. pp. 62-63.

Hurtado Larry W. Mark. 1st ed. Harper & Row 1983. pp. 145-148.

Martin George. The Gospel According to Mark: Meaning and Message. Loyola Press 2005. pp. 247-252.

HOMECOMING AND REVIVAL 2023

Rev. Tom McMahon was the guest speaker at Piney Grove Advent Christian Church for our Homecoming service, on October 15th, 2023.

STAY READY

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

STAY READY

Luke 12:35-48 NET.

Penny and I have spent a lot of our time in our decades of ministry teaching others how to teach the Bible. For me, I always begin with four questions. First, “What is the Background of this text that I need to know in order to understand it?” Second, “What special words appear in the text that I need to understand?” Third. “What is the theological focus of the text?” Finally, “How should I apply this text?”

Today’s text is a continuation of the discourse Jesus is having with his apostles as the crowds of Judea look on. That answers one of the background questions. The speaker is Jesus, and his primary target is his apostles. But some of what he says will also be relevant for the larger crowd of disciples and potential apostles who are looking on.

But the background involves more than that question. It also consists of the culture that the speaker shares with the listeners. For example, when I say the words “Dale’s Store” everyone at Piney Grove knows what I am referring to. I don’t have to explain the history and background of Dale’s Store to you, because you all know it.

The people who were listening to Jesus on the day in which he spoke the words of today’s text knew some things in their cultural background that helped them understand what Jesus was talking about. We might be able to understand the gist of what Jesus is talking about by just reading the text as it is. But we will understand it much better and see its relevance if we also know what his audience did.

For that reason, I want to explain a cultural phenomenon that the Jews in the first century called the Shoshabin. The Greeks in the first century called it the paranymph. It had to do with weddings. After the wedding ceremony, the groom and the bride would enjoy a long wedding party that would last for several days. At some point during the party, the groom would tell his special friend – his Shoshabin – to take his bride to his house, so that she could get ready for their honeymoon. The Shoshabin was often a brother or other relative of the groom – someone he intrinsically trusted. Sometimes it was his chief steward – the slave that he trusted to manage his household. The Shoshabin would then organize all the other slaves in the household to stand watch and stay ready for their master to return from the party.

The Shoshabin also had another responsibility. It was not unheard of for some unscrupulous character looking for a wife to break into a house where a bride awaits her new groom and to steal the bride for himself. The Shoshabin was primarily responsible for protecting the bride from this thief.

My point in telling you this set of facts about the first-century culture is that it provides the background we need to hear the words of Jesus as someone living in that time and place would have heard them. It is easier for us to get what Jesus is commanding if we know about the Shoshabin and his role.

With that in mind, let us now listen to Jesus’ words from today’s text.

We should stay ready because we don’t know when the Lord will come (35-40)

³⁵ “Get dressed for service and keep your lamps burning; ³⁶ be like people waiting for their master to come back from the wedding celebration, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. ³⁷ Blessed are those slaves whom their master finds alert when he returns! I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, have them take their place at the table, and will come and wait on them! ³⁸ Even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night and finds them alert, blessed are those slaves! ³⁹ But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. ⁴⁰ You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”

The first command from Jesus we hear is the command to get dressed for service. Does he mean that we should get dressed for the worship service? It used to be common for those going to church to dress in their finest suits and most expensive dresses. Is that what Jesus is talking about/ Hardly. In fact, to be dressed for service means to be dressed appropriately to serve the master when he returns from the wedding celebration.

When I go out into the garden in the morning, I dress for gardening. I wear clothes that I can work in. I wear shoes that I don’t mind getting muddy and clothes that protect me from mosquitoes. I wear a hat to protect my head from the sun. I wear a bandana to catch the sweat. I don’t wear gloves because they interfere with pulling weeds.

When Jesus tells his apostles to be dressed for service, he is painting a picture for them. It is a picture of a group of slaves waiting for their master to come home from his wedding party. They know he will probably be tired from walking, and they are ready to provide him with the rest he needs. He might be thirsty, so they have a pitcher of cool water ready. He will need his feet washed. They have a new robe ready for him to put on before he retires to the bedroom where his new bride awaits him.

When Jesus tells his apostles to keep their lamps burning, he is telling them to provide enough light so that they can see their master the instant he returns. A burning lamp was also a way for a slave to keep himself from nodding off during the long wait for his master. They wanted to stay ready for their master.

In the story that Jesus told, he mentions the owner of the house. The οἰκοδεσπότης could refer to the owner of a house, and if it does so here, it means that the master has a trusted Shoshabin in place to protect his new bride from the thief. But an οἰκοδεσπότης can also be the chief steward who is charged with protecting the house and its contents while the master is away. Either way, when Jesus is talking about protecting the house, he is not changing the subject. He’s not introducing a new parable. Protecting the house from the thief is also the responsibility of the Shoshabin because the new bride is in the house and she would be the thief’s target.

We should stay ready because our Lord expects us to manage his household (41-44).

⁴¹ Then Peter said, “Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for everyone?” ⁴² The Lord replied, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his household servants, to give them their allowance of food at the proper time? ⁴³ Blessed is that slave whom his master finds at work when he returns. ⁴⁴ I tell you the truth, the master will put him in charge of all his possessions.

Peter has a habit of blurting out statements and asking questions that turn out to be less than helpful. But his question here is right on the money. We have already seen that Jesus is preaching to his apostles, but the onlooking crowd is also listening. Peter wants to know who Jesus wants to stay ready. Is this a general command or is it specific to the apostles only?

Jesus reminds Peter that there are two levels of readiness in his story. There is the general readiness of all the slaves. All the slaves are required to be ready for their master when he returns. But among the slaves, there are some who are charged with being faithful and wise managers. These are the slaves who organize the whole household. They are the chief stewards. They are responsible not just to stay ready themselves. They are charged with seeing to it that the whole household is ready and stays ready.

So, to answer Peter’s question: the whole crowd is responsible for staying ready for Christ’s return. However, the spiritual leaders are responsible for managing and supplying the household, protecting the bride, and ensuring that all the slaves are ready for the Master when he returns.

Those who take this responsibility seriously are promised a great blessing when the master returns. The master will put them in charge of all his possessions. Proving faithful as a spiritual leader in this life will lead to a higher status in Christ’s kingdom when he returns. The leaders in the coming kingdom will not be arbitrarily appointed – like James and John’s mother wanted. They will be appointed based on the work that is being done to serve Christ now. Staying ready for the coming Christ and preparing his Bride – the Church – to meet him is a high priority for us.

We should stay ready because our Lord will punish those who are unfaithful (45-48).

⁴⁵ But if that slave should say to himself, ‘My master is delayed in returning,’ and he begins to beat the other slaves, both men and women, and to eat, drink, and get drunk, ⁴⁶ then the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not foresee, and will cut him in two, and assign him a place with the unfaithful. ⁴⁷ That servant who knew his master’s will but did not get ready or do what his master asked will receive a severe beating.

⁴⁸ But the one who did not know his master’s will and did things worthy of punishment will receive a light beating. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required, and from the one who has been entrusted with much, even more will be asked.

Here Jesus introduces a scenario in which slaves charged with managing the household ignore the command. The bride is forgotten, left to fend for herself when the thief comes in to kidnap her. The other slaves are abused and mistreated. The chief steward focuses on his own wants. He eats all the food and drinks all the wine. What is going to happen to that household when the master returns from the party? The chief steward is cut in two. He failed his assignment.

His new assignment is the place where all the unfaithful will be sent. The other slaves will be punished as well. Some will be beaten severely, others lightly – depending on how much they knew about their responsibility to stay ready for the master and protect his bride.

Now, this story that Jesus taught is a parable, and it is not intended to teach us the details. But we can figure out that Jesus is talking about the lives we are to live today so that we are ready for his return – whenever that may be. The focus of the story is not the timing of Jesus’ return. We cannot discern from this story whether Jesus is going to come today or a thousand years from today. The focus of the story is what you and I should be doing in the period before Jesus comes back.

If we are not serving him now, we will not be dressed to serve him when he returns. Learning and following the commands of Christ help us to stay ready for his arrival.

If the light of God’s word is not shining in our minds today, our lamps will not be burning when he returns. Getting a steady diet of God’s word daily helps us to stay ready for his arrival.

If we are not providing for and equipping the rest of his servants in his household today, we will not be ready to do so when he returns. Learning to lead and disciple others helps us to stay ready for his arrival.

If we are not protecting the bride today, we will anger the groom when he returns. Keeping the church pure by watching our lifestyle and our doctrine helps us to stay ready for his arrival.

Stay ready. That’s the point. If we are not ready now, we need to get ready. If we are ready today, we need to stay ready because there just might be a long wait. So far, we have been waiting thousands of years. Jesus may not come in our lifetime. The point of today’s lesson is not for us to figure out when he is coming. The point is for us to understand what he wants us to be doing in the meantime.