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Mark: Seats of Honor and Distinction

Read: Mark 10:35-45

The way John Mark collected these stories, Jesus just told the disciples He would be arrested, tortured, crucified, and rise again — then two of His closest disciples ask about being seated on his left and right.

They replied, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.” Mark 10:37

I get the impression that Jesus talked about His death and resurrection on several occasions, perhaps to the point that the disciples stopped listening to the details. After all, none of these things happened…yet.

Jesus is consistently kind to their rather arrogant request:

“You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said. Mark 10:38

We know John Mark is not afraid to use expressive adjectives to describe emotions to help us understand what’s happening. Here he merely reports, “Jesus said.” There is nothing to suggest Jesus is angry, upset, shaking His head, or any such demeanor. He simply has a conversation with His chosen few.

The rest of the crew is not so pleased with the line of discussion.

When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. Mark 10:41

Jesus takes it all in stride while the other ten are losing it! He poses the question about drinking the cup that He is about to take or go through the baptism He must endure. Their response, “Sure! Bring it on!” Obviously, they don’t quite get it. I completely understand.

From their experience, Jesus has done miracle after miracle, gradually making His way around the region, calmly walking from place to place. In the typical Master/Disciple model of their day, this is a lifetime approach to learning. They have no idea that Jesus’s days with them are so few in number. Nor do they have any reference to a leader being tortured and killed; certainly not resurrection. In short: they don’t get it at all.

This is a critical lesson as we seek to disciple others to become disciple makers. We must not get ahead of ourselves in thinking this all just makes sense. For those of us raised in the church, we have all kinds of insider language and expectations. These notes are merely reminders and course corrections to help us get better. For those who lack the experience, i.e., the chosen twelve in this case, it’s all news and not so clear.

Jesus calls them together and calmly explains how the hierarchy of His kingdom works and sets the stage for yet another discipleship training moment. In the world, there are those who lord over you, but this is not how it works with God:

Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:43-45

I quote this during the spiritual gifts class when inviting participants to find a place to serve in the church body. We tend to pick these kinds of verses to remind people that trash needs to get picked up and babies need to be changed, but it’s so much more than tending to the details in our sacred halls.

True discipleship, and therefore disciple making, is an attitude of the heart.

Lord, help us to appreciate the depth of your love for all people, even to the point of giving our lives in service to the least, the lost and the lonely. Change our hearts. Help us to love and serve everyone we meet the way You did. Grant us patience and kindness in the process.

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Mark: Jesus Predicts His Death for the Third Time

Read: Mark 10:32-34

Under the category of “Passion Predictions,” much has been written about the words of Jesus as He predicted His arrest, death, and resurrection plainly for the disciples to hear*.

I love the way John Mark intersperses the predictions in chapters 8, 9 and 10 (Mark 8:31-33, 9:30-35, 10:32-34). In my mind, there’s no doubt that he looks back and points out “those days” when Jesus told them, you know, the “told you so” moments that are so clear looking back.

The third and final time for this prediction is just after teaching on the cost of discipleship (again), a troubling lesson to say the least. Here we find the group headed for Jerusalem for the last time, though they probably still didn’t understand that at the time:

They were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way, and the disciples were astonished, while those who followed were afraid. Mark 10:32a

In verse 24, the disciples were amazed, in verse 26, even more amazed; now they’re astonished. John Mark is looking for adjectives to try and describe the looks on their faces, the head-scratching, as these young disciples try to figure out what is happening.

The disciples get a private audience, but the others following are afraid, fearful, filled with fear (depending on the translation you prefer).

Why are they afraid?

Jesus just dismissed a rich man, one who was no doubt known in the region as the guy that drives a new car every year, lives in the big house with perfectly manicured lawn, has the perfect wife and loving children. He follows all the commandments and falls at the feet of Jesus, but that is not enough. Those tagging along to hear the good teacher watch Jesus lovingly challenge the one guy who stands out among the crowd. What chance do I have if he isn’t good enough?

Their lives were defined by rules, following laws, a faith that was once rich in honoring God had become a faith by works theology. We fall into that same trap today. Perhaps that’s why we read about it so often throughout the Bible.

The disciples are beyond fear. They are committed, even though they’re not completely sure what they’ve signed up for. I love the fact that Jesus took them aside privately:

Again he took the Twelve aside and told them what was going to happen to him. Mark 10:32b

Away from the crowds and noise, Jesus sits them down to explain (again) what’s about to happen. He’s using words of betrayal, trial and execution which simply don’t make sense at the time, so I’m sure they still don’t get it.

…who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise.” Mark 10:34

They’ve seen lots of opposition going from village to village, metropolis to small town, Jew and Gentile, surely that’s what Jesus is talking about.

We know the rest of the story. In hindsight they get it. So where does this leave us?

What is Jesus speaking to you over and over again? What is that voice in your head and heart telling you for the second, third, nth time that you are ignoring? Is there a trial just ahead for which you are not willing to let go of earthly rewards to enter?

Lord, it’s so hard to see in the moment, challenging to discern which way to turn. I pray you will lift us up to a place where we can gain insight, see the big picture, put the daily grind in perspective so we will make the right choice today. Give us clear vision for where we are now and where you want us to go next. Our desire is to follow. Light the way. Put us on the right path.

 

*Few interesting posts, among many:

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Mark: The Rich and the Kingdom of God

Read: Mark 10:17-31

The reward for following Jesus cannot be understated.

The risk associated with putting Jesus first might require all we have on earth.

Am I willing to let go of everything? I know the right answer, but I have to wonder as I read through the encounter with this man of great wealth.

Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth. Mark 10:21-22

I’ve read this many times. Most of the time I focused on the last sentence; today I’m focused on the first.

He was on His way somewhere when this man intercepted Him and begged for his attention. Jesus stopped, asked the a preparatory question about the commandments, then read the man’s heart, and He looked at him and loved him.

Today’s Seth Godin blog ended with this:

People might hear what you say, but they always remember what you do.Seth Godin

John Mark made a point to tells us what Jesus did, the love and compassion with which He spoke the words. Those who witnessed the interaction just out of earshot could see by the look on the faces what was happening. Jesus wanted so much for this man to let go of earthly possessions. He wasn’t taunting him, just pointing out the anchor in his heart.

The disciples were amazed and even more amazed at Jesus’s teaching here. They wondered if anyone could be saved. When we stop and think for a moment, it’s easy to understand their confusion. All their lives they’ve been taught to follow the rules, keep the commandments and a hundred other rules to please God. They honored and respected their elders, saw the apparent blessings God had bestowed on those who strictly kept the law.

Jesus changes everything and challenges us to a level that’s beyond our ability, outside our reach. It is, in fact, impossible for us to attain. We cannot work our way to heaven.

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.” Mark 10:27

When we let go of all that ties us to this world and rely on God, all things are possible.

My friend, Travis Watson, sent me a quote from a book last night that provides a rather modern example of this ancient truth. This is the last paragraph of the letter found from a young pastor in Zimbabwe who was martyred for his faith in Jesus:

I won’t give up, shut up, let up, until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, preached up for the cause of Christ. I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go till he comes, give till I drop, preach till all know, and work till he stops me. And, when he comes for his own, he will have no problem recognizing me…my banner will be clear!

With those words, this young pastor left his mortal presence on earth. I’m confident he received a hundreds times more than this present age has to offer, even more, he received Jesus.

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Why Study the Bible?

One of the sections in Multiply* prompts us to examine how we study the Bible. Beyond some good ideas on mechanics, the questions get more intrusive as they ask us to evaluate our motivation behind diving deep into Bible studies.

So far, I’ve gone through this section twice with guys I’m meeting with and the impact on my approach to the Bible has taken on new and deep meaning.

Like most of the questions woven throughout Multiply, we can provide curt little answers and read on, but in one-on-one discipleship meetings, that’s not quite so easy. As we challenge each other to consider whether we are reading the Bible to fill our wisdom quota, the authors ask us to consider if we are reading out of:

  1. Guilt. How many times have you been asked, especially in church: Are you reading your Bible daily? You know you should is merely insinuated, right? At this point, we could go on and on about legalism in the organized groups we call church, but I’ll leave that for another post!
  2. Status. Do I hold my head a little bit higher, stick my chest out, when someone recognizes my vast knowledge of the Bible? Am I trying to learn the Greek variations of a word to impress others?
  3. Teaching Material. If I am accomplished, perhaps I will be chosen to lead a Bible study, then I will have arrived! Am I studying the Bible to climb to church honor society?

Wait a minute guys, you can’t ask those questions! You’re poking me for being guilty of not studying, right? Wrong.

Lately I’ve been super-inspired to read the Bible, but not in bulk and not with a “Bible-in-a-month” approach. On this blog, I created widget that keeps track of how many posts I’ve written per month. It’s rather prominent on my home page and rather embarrassing to look at July through October 2017. (See I don’t have to go far to point out my own deficiency.) If I were to graph this, you would see a steady decline in posts over this period.

Any excuse will do, but this is the point: the farther I slip away from the discipline of reading the Bible, and in my case posting a blog, the weaker I’ve become, the greater the opportunity for the enemy to slip in and trip me up.

Why is this the case? Are you suggesting that merely reading the Bible fixes my problem of temptation and keeps me far from sin? Consider “The Reading Room.”

The Reading Room

Any long-time Christian will tell you that the Bible is the inspired word of God, given to us as a guide. Good job. You answered the question correctly. Great.

What I’ve come to realize is the Bible is a drop of words in an ocean of existence.

If God really is omnipotent, omnipresent, omni____, and if He’s been around since the beginning of creation, the words He has spoken are like the stars in the universe: impossible to count. Here’s your math equation: Words in the Bible divided by Infinity. Let’s just agree that the number is very small.

The Bible is merely the highlight reel to help us know God’s voice, His character, His story of relentless redemption for His creation.

It is NOT an idol to be placed prominently on the mantle above the fireplace. It’s a story to build us up, to encourage and equip, to rebuke and punish, to be shared from the heart.

Imagine you’re walking in a hallway going from your bedroom to the kitchen. Place yourself in some luxurious manor, perhaps the Biltmore, or some such place. As you’re walking down the hall, you see a door open on the left. You glance in to see two chairs by the fireplace. One is empty, one is not. You pause for a moment and realize the one sitting in the adjacent chair is The One. Jesus is waiting for you to come and sit with Him by the fire for a few minutes as you begin your busy day. He wants to tell you a story, to speak to you, to remind you of mistakes His people have made in the past, of triumphs, of great faith, and even ridiculous failure. He’s waiting for you to come and sit and listen for a few minutes.

This is reading the Bible. This is learning to hear the very voice of God in our lives.

Here’s the thought: Will you continue walking down that hallway without stopping? Are you too busy to sit with Jesus for a few minutes?

I hope I never read the Bible out of obligation, guilt, status or merely to prepare for some teaching. Lord, I love the fact that you are always there for us. Help us to take advantage of your presence in our lives today.

 

 

*Multiply: Disciples Making Disciples, © 2012 Francis Chan, Mark Beuving, ISBN: 978-0-7814-0823-3,  Published by David C Cook, Colorado Springs, CO

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Mark: The Little Children and Jesus

Read: Mark 10:13-16

People were bringing their children to Jesus for Him to touch them. Wouldn’t you? How I wish Jesus could touch our children while they were still innocent little ones. Yes, I would press in to see my girls touched by the savior!

The disciples, the chosen ones, misread the situation and begin to rebuke the people.

People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Mark 10:13-14

Indignant. John Mark chooses this word twice in this chapter alone (10:14 and 10:41), then a third time in Mark 14:3-4 as Jesus’s feet are anointed with precious oil. Matthew chooses the term three times as well and Luke only once. In all, seven times we see this word in the New Testament. It catches my attention this morning as I view the scene.

It was remarkable. Jesus gave the disciples “the look,” then moved beyond them. I’m sure by now they were familiar with His eyes and tone of voice. Indignant indeed. Back away. Let Him have his way.

Soak this in.

And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them. Mark 10:16

Remember how significant it is to bestow a blessing on someone in Jewish culture, a concept lost in our modern movement.

The scene is the subject of artistic renderings and while most of the cheesy images of Jesus as a caucasian, bearded friendly guy, I’d like to think they are well intentioned, trying to capture the moment.

In the midst of the exchange, Jesus lays this thought on His disciples and, I believe, on the ears of the parents who were brave enough to withstand the initial rebukes:

Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” Mark 10:15

Like a little child: helpless, dependent, innocent, without title or business card identity, bold. What other words come to mind?

A little child has no problem letting you know they are hungry, wet or dirty, or want something. It can be seen as selfish, but they have no other choice. If they don’t beg for our attention, we would not know of their need. When a baby cries, we learn to discern the reason and strongly desire to satisfy the needs of the little one.

When a four year old nudges her way into your lap, she is giving you the opportunity to show love unconditionally. As parents, we fondly remember these moments more than the times that they spilled the milk in the process, but that happens too. Glasses broken, peace disturbed, hair pulled, etc., we look beyond all of this as our child relentlessly pursues us for attention.

Is that how we pursue the kingdom of God?

 

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Mark: Words on Divorce

Read: Mark 10:1-12

Hardened hearts create a great deal of trouble in our world. We saw this all throughout Exodus, well, throughout history, merely highlighted in Exodus.

They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away.”
“It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law,” Jesus replied. Mark 10:4-5

Most of the time I don’t think hearts become hardened overnight, it’s a process of slowly slipping away, avoiding confrontations, hiding thoughts, drip, drip, drip. One gallon of water might have 15,140 drops of water. We might be able to hold a gallon of water for a while, but the weight of those water drops will eventually be too much to bear. The featured image shows individual drops of water, each self-contained, some small, some large. When there are enough drops on the surface, they will combine to form bigger and bigger drops until the whole surface is covered in water. The individual drops are still there somewhere, but no longer distinguishable, they are lost in the bucket of water. Sigh.

We’ve seen it happen over and over again whether in the body of Christ or those far from His discipleship. One day it all seems fine, the next day, they’re driving in different directions.

During one of my discussions last week centered on the book, Multiply, this question is posed: how have you seen the pattern of sin, consequences, and God’s redemption in your own life? Part of my answer includes the realization that “in the moment” it’s not usually clear, but looking back, the small skirmishes that became huge battles is rather obvious, the evidence is almost always so easy to see.

I may not be as bold as Peter, but I do have a tendency to spout off, sending a text or email, or even face to face saying words that cannot be unsaid. Worse yet, according to Jesus’s teaching, my thoughts can run unchecked and beyond limits because they are only thoughts, right?

Sadly, thoughts become the background for the tapestry of our lives. Subtle movements that shift our way of thinking. In the context of this morning’s text, Jesus identifies this as hardening hearts and it’s something we need to be on the lookout for.

It’s not God’s plan.

Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate. Mark 10:9

Jesus goes on to explain that both husband and wife are guilty of adultery if either party divorces the other — a concept that probably blew their minds!

The Cure Begins With Soft Hearts

If the root cause of divorce, or the allowance for divorce, is hardened hearts, it seems the cure would start with the opposite, we need to have soft hearts. Talk about a counter-cultural concept! We have to be willing to be vulnerable, say the things that hurt, completely transparent and brutally honest. These are difficult conversations to have, primarily because of the drip, drip, drip build-up mentioned above.

I know it’s a lot harder in reality than concept, but consider the prospect of undoing one drip at a time. If it took ten years to build-up animosity, it may take ten years to tear it down.

The key, in my mind, is this: it is possible. Back to Jesus’s quote above, in reference to Genesis, if God has indeed joined man and woman together, it is possible to get back to that original place. That’s a whole lot easier to say than it is to see, but my prayer for those feeling this tension is they will understand it is within the realm of possibility.

I’m not trying to solve the problem of marriage and divorce in a simple blog post! But I can’t help to wonder what it would be like if all of our relationships were real, deep, and honest.

I talk a lot about disciple making these days and at the Forum I was fortunate enough to attend last week, the discussion constantly came back to healthy relationships. We’re not good at that. I’m not good at that! If you probe my thoughts deep enough, you’ll find someone within the church that I have a problem with. My solution is to avoid the issue, dodge confrontation, walk the other way.

Relationship building is difficult. I would suggest it’s impossible to have meaningful relationships, especially in marriage, if we avoid small issues when they happen and figure out how to unpack loaded issues that we create by allowing simple statements to build up.

Lord, you created us to have a relationship with you. We are best when we are in healthy relationship with each other. For those that are married, the best relationship should be between husband and wife. Help us to move in that direction, one drop at a time.

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Mark: Beware of Causing People to Stumble; Be Salty

Read: Mark 9:42-50

Jesus is pretty clear in teaching here:

“If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea. Mark 9:42

Not just any millstone, but a large millstone to ensure you’re not escaping death. To be sure we get the point, Jesus includes hand, foot and eye to demonstrate that it’s better to live physically crippled on earth than miss out on heaven.

I imagine this was a portion of Jesus’s sermons that people heard often, and I suspect this is where those who were following as mere fans in the crowd excused themselves.

The teaching is rough and raw, real and strong. You will die a death beyond comprehension for tripping someone who is on their way to salvation. Beware.

We prepared and serve 120 meals at The LOT Project last night, those who live below the margin in our society. David told me he was doing great because this week they got the water turned on in the house he shares with four other guys. He was excited to think they might even get electricity in a few weeks. Matthew enjoyed his Biltmore inspired turkey dinner, savoring each bite. When I asked him if he wanted seconds, he smiled and said, “no way, I’m stuffed!”

I don’t know where they are on their spiritual journey, but Jesus is clear, we are to love on these people and invite them wholeheartedly into the presence of God. More than a meal or short conversation, but that’s a start. I’m so grateful for the large contingent of volunteers that showed up last night and pray their hearts were moved.

The Least of These (LOT) are easy to identify from the social status society imposes on them. Actually, they are some of the most humble people you’ll ever meet. All pretense and pride long gone, they line up for a meal and a few hours to get out of the elements. Some have done well, most just come and go. It is a privilege to serve in a small way.

The challenge is finding the Least of These spiritually, the “little ones” who are doing well financially, the ones who quickly offer their posh business card with titles and distinctive accomplishments meant to impress. Inviting them to the table is more complicated, but required just the same. Causing them to stumble may not seem so easy, but if we choose to disengage, it is likely they will never hear the gospel.

They physical examples Jesus uses here reminds us that hands, feet and eyes are temporary. Matters of eternity are at stake. No pressure, right?

Salted

I don’t think much about salt these days, in fact, I limit salt in my diet for concerns about health. Salt in the days of Jesus’s time on earth was much more important than our modern desire for enhancing taste buds, it was used for purification, for eliminating harmful germs and purifying meat and making vegetables more distinctive.

Everyone will be salted with fire. Mark 9:49

Those who heard this message first were surely aware of the Levitical requirement to salt everything offered as a sacrifice (Leviticus 2:13; Ezekiel 43:24), but what does this mean? Did Jesus pause here and let this phrase sink in? We quickly read verse 49 and move to 50, but I like to think this stands on its own, tucked in neatly between two thoughts: tripping unbelievers and the demand to stay salty.

Work with me here. We will be tested and these tests will be the difference between bland, checklist checking Christians and salty seasoned leaders that endure difficulties and are better for passing the tests and trials.

“Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with each other.” Mark 9:50

Salt is unique. Distinctive. So we should be also. Go and be salty.

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Mark: The Church Club — Whoever Is Not Against Us Is for Us

Read: Mark 9:38-41

Are you a church club member? Wear the t-shirt, have the bumper sticker, know the lingo, the logo, the mission statement and tagline? Is any of that important or useful for building up the kingdom?

Those rhetorical questions have a rather obvious answer, I get that, yet many times we see people walk into and out of buildings we call churches as if it were a country club with exclusive membership rights.

Good news / bad news, the disciples struggled with this notion for a brief time as well:

“Teacher,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.” Mark 9:38

Hard to understand why John would make this statement. He’s one of the inner circle, the chosen within the chosen. But here we have it, they got the lesson wrong from Jesus.

Jesus gently corrects them this time, provides simple and powerful redirection:

“Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us. Mark 9:39-40

In this statement, Jesus speaks into the battle that is in fact raging on a spiritual level. The unseen warfare has two sides: those for us and those against us. Subtle, yes, but don’t miss this point.

One of the ways to guard against this mentality is to develop relationships with other churches in the city where we serve. The struggles they have are not unique. We moved a lot over the last few decades, thanks to the military, and I’ve been involved in lots of different churches as a result. I know from firsthand experience that all churches are fighting internal battles. Whether they choose to admit it or not is the difference between being effective and just getting by. Sadly, most see themselves as individual entities rather than being a part of the body of Christ.

We can change that. It’s well within our reach.

When we say “we,” the we should always mean those who follow Christ, not the t-shirt we happen to be wearing.

Make a conscious effort to be a part of the team that’s working in your region, your city. I don’t know much about Rugby, but the featured image came to mind as I thought through this. It’s messy, dangerous, difficult and challenging. Progress is hard to see at times, but as a team we can succeed.

We know we win in the end.

Someone has to carry the ball. If that’s you, protect it when the enemy tries to steal it, but constantly be looking for someone to pass it off to and score when you have the opportunity. If you don’t have the ball, support the one who does and block out the enemy, make room for him to score.

Together, working as one body, we will succeed.

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Mark: Jesus Teaches on Pride and Position

Read: Mark 9:30-37

The title of this passage is “Jesus Predicts His Death a Second Time,” does indeed include the explanation that Jesus will be delivered into the hands of men, but this isn’t the main point of the text. The concern here centers on pride and position.

To begin with, Jesus continues to show this select group of men that He cares about them specifically, that He wants them to understand more than anyone else. From my pious position I point my finger at them and slowly shake it back and forth. Couldn’t they see that The Messiah was pouring into them? Here He goes again, taking them aside, away from the crowds, speaking directly to them.

Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were, because he was teaching his disciples. Mark 9:30-31

I’m not sure why, but the thought occurred to me this morning, how old were the disciples? We know Jesus was about 30 at the beginning of His public ministry. Jewish tradition and historic culture would suggest it would be awkward for the disciples to be older than Jesus. If those observations are accurate, our incredibly young Messiah was teaching a bunch of 20-somethings.

It seems irrelevant until we consider they are talking amongst themselves as if Jesus doesn’t know or somehow is in the dark about their conversations.

“What were you arguing about on the road?” Mark 9:33

This reminds me of Genesis 3:9, “Where are you?” (as if God didn’t know). It’s about being honest. As parents, how many times have we asked the rhetorical question of one of our children? We know who stole the cookies from the jar, as crumbs fall from her lap, that’s not the point. Will you admit you helped yourself to cookies without asking? Will you confess? A teachable moment for our children and much more so for the disciples.

Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.” Mark 9:35

Anyone in a leadership position knows this verse. The best way to get your underlings to do something for you is explain that they must be a servant to lead. I’m sure by now they’ve heard the lesson many times in various ways, but given their maneuvering for position at the head of the table, Jesus sits them down and explains it once again, this time using a mere child as an example.

The imagery of Jesus gently holding the child and talking with His disciples has been the subject of many wonderful paintings. I love that Jesus would teach so kindly when it seems like He should have opened up Proverbs 13:24 and delivered some discipline! That’s been my go-to verse far too often!

But here’s the real point, Jesus includes Himself as one who must be servant of all. I’m convinced the disciples didn’t get this. Their young 30-something master was teaching them about leadership and in just a few more weeks, Jesus would show them the lesson by allowing himself to be subjected to human authority.

This may not be news to those of us who have known Jesus for years, but this kind of humility is far from normal in the world where the climb to the boardroom seems to be through people far too often.

The disciples didn’t hear the lesson about Jesus’ pending arrest, mock-trial, brutal beating, death, and resurrection because they were too focused on figuring out who gets to stand on the left or right of their leader. Sad. I wonder if this happens in churches today.

 

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Mark: Jesus Heals a Boy Possessed by an Impure Spirit

Read: Mark 9:14-29

Before we get to the details about healing the boy, step back and imagine yourself being one of these people:

As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him. Mark 9:15

Would you drop all pretense and run to see Jesus? By this point in Mark’s account, so many wonderful events have been recorded. Jew and Gentile, all around the region, people are hearing about the man that heals, preaches, feeds, and most of all, shows genuine compassion for people. Yes, I would run!

The Disciples Failed

If I were writing an account of my work, the last thing I’d want is to point out this incredible failure:

“…I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.” Mark 9:18b

The disciples…ah yes…the stalwart leaders of our faith show their humanity once again and encourage us by not being perfect, by making mistakes, stumbling and faltering, but, hear this: they kept on trying. Their faith was weak compared to where it needed to be, but they never stopped pursuing Jesus. When Jesus rebuked them, they leaned into the words, even captured them in the Gospel records for us to appreciate. Come on Jesus, hit me again, make me stronger for the ministry you have planned for me. Holy Spirit, help me to hear the words and know you’re trying to make me better, more capable, one worthy of the family title I wear as a Christ follower.

Jesus takes control of the situation:

“‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.” Mark 9:23

What do you mean by “if” I can? What do you mean by “if” you can? If this is about growing the kingdom of God, we are assured that the gates of Hell cannot stand, so let’s get beyond the if and begin to understand it’s when, not if.

Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” Mark 9:24

The father in this story is moved completely. In my imagination, I see him fall to his knees completely unashamed, all illusion of pride gone from his heart as he considers his boy, his lifelong torture by an unseen enemy. For us, the unseen enemy is unbelief. I join him in his desire: help me overcome my unbelief!

Prayer

Do you pray often? I have an app that reminds me throughout the day, https://new.echoprayer.com/, to pray for certain people, events, churches, etc., throughout the day. It’s somewhat mechanical, but I know I need the reminders.

In this story, the disciples ask Jesus to explain why they were unsuccessful. Crazy isn’t it? The story ends with these two verses:

After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer.” Mark 9:28-29

I love the way Jesus demonstrates compassion for people, but even more how He loves His disciples enough to privately teach them, away from the crowds, noise and attention. Mark doesn’t give us the full transcript of the conversation, something I don’t appreciate in this context! What prayer? Do I lay on hands? Do I recite Isaiah? Tell me more…please!

Nope. Stand back and look. We’re not going to get a prescription for casting out demons from youth that cause boys to convulse, blah, blah, blah. What we are told is two simple truths: 1) the disciples lacked faith and 2) they were not praying.

Both of these are well within our grasp. To increase your faith, get around other believers, go to church and worship full-on, spend time with God by listening to His highlight reel called the Bible–do this daily, often and with sincerity. Pray without ceasing. Download the app if you’re like me, but by whatever means you need, get on your knees and pray. Richard Foster has a great book to help you appreciate all kinds of ways to prayer.

Yes, I’m so pleased for the father and for the boy in the story, they can now live their lives and tell the story with passion and excitement and I’m sure point people to Jesus better than I will ever be able to appreciate. I’m thankful for that lesson, but I’m thankful for the strong lesson on faith and prayer.

Lord strengthen our faith and teach us to pray.

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