MARK: Jesus #Unfiltered

Who then can be saved? That’s the question at the very heart of this encounter between Jesus and the rich man. Falling on his knees before Jesus, obviously recognising something of Jesus’ authority, the man expresses his desire to inherit eternal life. Despite his wealth, the man knows that his resources cannot buy him eternity, therefore he asks Jesus what he must do. Calling Jesus ‘good’, the man poses the question no doubt hoping for a simple assurance. But Jesus wants to show the man that just as his wealth won’t save him, nor can the hope of fulfilling the commandments. Why? Because no one is good except God alone. The man is confident that he has kept all of the commands, but in one simple challenge, Jesus exposes that the man’s true treasure is not God but wealth. The man simply wasn’t willing to part with his wealth because it had evidently, and tragically, become his god - valued about everything else.

Why is the Kingdom such a challenge for the rich? Does this mean that anyone who is rich cannot be saved? No. But it does mean that we all must hold lightly the resources which God has entrusted to us. The moment we value wealth too much is the moment that money has become the ultimate treasure of our heart. Who then can be saved? Well, it’s clear that it’s not by our wealth nor by our efforts, but only by God alone. That whilst it is impossible for us to save ourselves, it is possible by God because he has sent his Son. What is required of us is to cling to Jesus above everything else. AL

Questions

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank you so much that whilst saving ourselves is an impossibility, that salvation is indeed possible through you! Please help us to treasure you above everything else, that we might cling not to our achievements or our resources, but to Jesus alone. Amen.

If you’ve ever had someone trying to ‘trip you up’, then you’ve got some sense of what it was like for Jesus with the Pharisees. The Pharisees have been constantly and consistently testing Jesus, not to earnestly discern who he is, but in order to entrap him. Previously, John the Baptist’s denouncement of Herod Antipas and Herodias’ unlawful marriage had ultimately cost John his life. It’s possible here that the Pharisees are trying to force Jesus into a similar corner in order for him to be in hot water with the authorities. But Jesus won’t be trapped! And so in response to their question, Jesus simply asks them what Moses commanded, to which they respond that Moses had permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce. Such a system was incredibly open to abuse and often left the female extraordinarily vulnerable. Therefore, with this in mind, Jesus reminds the Pharisees that such a provision was not God’s ideal for marriage (as per that described originally in Genesis), but an accommodation for the brokenness of humanity for which the effects spill into our relationships.

But Jesus’ concern for the family is now further extended by his blessing of children in verses 13-16. It’s important to note that in Roman society there was a general disregard for children, abortion was legal, and infanticide was an accepted practice. Whilst the disciples rebuke the children for coming to Jesus, Jesus rebukes the disciples for daring to keep them away! Not only does Jesus welcome the children, but he tells the disciples that they should come to God in the same way that children are utterly dependent on their parents. That perhaps instead of arguing about their greatness, the disciples need to recognise that they can bring nothing before God and instead need to utterly depend on him in their powerlessness. Without depending on Jesus, we have no place in his kingdom. AL

Questions

Prayer

Gracious God, please help us to be utterly dependent on you. May we come to you in great humility, trusting in your goodness and mercy. May we grow in our trust and may that be evident in our lives. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

As Jesus has more of an influence around the region, his fold of followers is growing. Concerned by what they see, the disciples are wondering if they should put a stop to people who are ministering in Jesus’ name. There is also some irony as the disciples were previously unable to cast out a demon, yet now witness a stranger doing so (successfully) in Jesus’ name. But with regard to their question, Jesus’ answer is simple: they should not put a stop to it, as those not actively against them can be considered supporters.

As Jesus then continues, he warns the disciples of the dire consequences for those who cause believers to fall away from him. Jesus’ words are phenomenally weighty and thus the responsibilities of which he speaks should not be in any way taken lightly. Jesus is clear, do not let anything lead you into sin or to falling away. Whilst Jesus is not suggesting that we should actually cut off limbs, his point is that we should let nothing of ourselves get in the way of being faithful. If something is leading us into sin, then we ought to address it immediately.

Why is Jesus speaking so strongly? Because the consequence of not being in him will mean being separated from him for all of eternity. Being separated from Jesus means facing the fullness of judgment on our own, without the salvation that Jesus offers. In the imagery that Jesus evokes, this is not just a matter of life and death, but salvation and condemnation. AL

Questions

Prayer

Heavenly Father, please help us to not fall away from you, nor lead others away through sin, inaction, or unfaithfulness. Please show us the areas of our lives in which we fall short, in order that we may run to you for mercy and seek your help in living differently. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Once again, Jesus has been prioritising teaching his disciples. He’s already shared so much with them, especially relating to his mission to the cross, but once again (the second prediction in Mark) Jesus warns them that he will suffer, die, and rise again. Jesus is clear: this isn’t an optional extra, but this is a necessity; it must be done. But they still don’t understand. If that wasn’t evident enough, it becomes even clearer as they are arguing amongst themselves about who was the greatest! Have they heard nothing of what Jesus had been telling them? Had their human ambitions blinded them to what God’s will was? Or was the truth just too challenging for them to take in? Perhaps it was all three! Whatever the case, the disciples have not only failed to understand what lies ahead for Jesus, but they’ve also failed to grasp what is expected of them. But Jesus is about to make things clear.

Having been arguing about who was the greatest, Jesus chimes in and asks them what they were arguing about. They’re obviously embarrassed by what has transpired so no one gives an answer to Jesus! But Jesus knows, so he sits them down and tells them that greatness for the one who follows him means that they must become the servant of all. Jesus will perfectly show us what that looks like as he goes to the cross, but we too must seek to serve in humility. That’s why Jesus tells the disciples that they should welcome a child such as the one he held in his arms. In that culture, welcoming an unknown child brought you no honour, but in Jesus’ Kingdom, welcoming a powerless child was actually a way of welcoming the one who sent Jesus! AL

Questions

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank you that Jesus would willingly lay down his power and take up the cross for us. Please help us to live by your Kingdom priorities, that we may seek only that which glorifies you and not ourselves. Amen.

This passage in Mark’s gospel is known as the ‘Second Passion Prediction’ (there are three in total). Why didn't the disciples just ask Jesus to explain? Possibly because they didn't want to appear confused. Or, perhaps his teaching disturbed them so much that they didn’t want to face it.

One of the great myths of the Christian faith is: the closer we are to Jesus, the more we are supposed to know (about God, about prayer, about the Bible, about religious stuff). Especially in today’s world, no one wants to look uninformed, confused, or clueless. We often hold back our toughest questions. Yet the deepest mysteries of life do in fact elude us. Why do good people suffer? Why can humanity be so brutal? Why does evil succeed? If God's own Son is betrayed and killed, then is anyone safe? Why did God set up a world like this?

This entire section in Mark's Gospel is framed at the beginning and end by accounts of blind people who are given sight (8:22-26, 10:46-52). This profound image of going from blindness to sight is a big clue for us. As the blind man is given sight, so the disciples, who are blind to Jesus' mission and identity, are given sight, albeit very slowly.

Intelligence is measured not simply by what we know, but also by how eager we are to learn more. At the edges of what we know is the greatest chance to grow in understanding. Which is why questions are so important. Questions are not the mark of a lack of intelligence but of the curious and lively mind that God has gifted us with. SP

Questions

Prayer

We thank you Lord God for the clarity you give us in Jesus Christ, your son, our Lord. Despite this clarity, we still often wrestle with questions and lack of understanding. Meet us in our lack of understanding and keep us ever seeking more of you. Amen.

From Malachi to 2 Samuel in search of the Son. Chapter 7 of 2 Samuel deals with the building of the temple and the succession to David’s throne and is one of the most scrutinised parts of the Old Testament.

What we read today is part of the “word of the Lord that came to Nathan”. We are told in the next verse that Nathan reported all of these words straight to David. While there is much Messianic imagery in this passage, the bit that reminds me that, while there is much in this passage that I can relate to Jesus, it’s not actually about Jesus because it says these words: “When he does wrong, I will punish him…” Jesus did no wrong and his death was not punishment for his wrongdoing rather it was for ours.

One thing that stands out for me in this passage, is why did God needed Nathan, wouldn’t it have been more efficient to go straight to David? I mean Nathan just faithfully told David all that was revealed to him.

The same can be said of Jesus. Why did God have to be made fully human, incarnate in Jesus Christ? Wouldn’t it have been more efficient just to come in all power and majesty – we all would have got the message – right? Well we hadn’t despite all the power and majesty we see throughout the Old Testament. God is incarnate in the Son so that we might have no opportunity to miss the reality of God’s promises and that he would die for us. In Jesus, we have the complete revelation of who God is and who we can become in relationship with him. SP

Questions

Prayer

Loving God, thank you for Jesus, your Son, your very self. We thank you that in him we have finally realised that nothing can separate us from your love. Help us to live in this promise and this reality. Amen.

We take a bit of a ‘detour’ from Mark’s Gospel and land in the final two verses of the final book of the Old Testament. In the book of Malachi, we see how God addresses the fears and complaints of the people by demonstrating God’s faithfulness and trustworthiness. If you have a bit of extra time and especially if you have never read through Malachi, why not make the most of this detour and familiarise yourself with the whole of this book – it’s only four short chapters long. The prophet answers the fears and complaints of the people by reminding them of what God has done throughout history and despite the people of God’s unfaithfulness, God has remained faithful. The book not only looks back but it also looks forward, promising a messenger to prepare a way, sound familiar? The Old Testament ends with the imagery of Elijah while the New Testament doesn’t take long before introducing us to the Elijah like the figure of John the Baptist.

Yesterday we looked at how Peter has assumed that the “Day of the Lord” had arrived, and this passage from Malachi adds weight to how he may have reached that conclusion – I mean there was Elijah, just as had been prophesied.

It’s easy to get lost in the last few words of this passage, the “or else...” bit, but don’t miss the beautiful words of the promise of reconciliation. I guess the “or else” is there because as much as God desires to bring reconciliation we need to play our part in the process, we are called to be both active and willing participants and recipients. In Jesus, we have the opportunity of complete reconciliation with God the Father with his children, thanks to the Son. SP

Questions

Prayer

Thank you for the cross, Jesus. Thank you that your sacrifice enables reconciliation with God and calls us forward to be agents of reconciliation in your world. Strengthen us for this task and in Jesus name. Amen.

Resurrection was a known idea in Jesus’ time and so to speak of rising from the dead would not have been an unfamiliar concept for the disciples. However, it was generally thought that resurrection would be something that would be experienced corporately with all the righteous together. Jesus’ words indicate that the resurrection of the Son of Man will be different from what was commonly thought. Perhaps this is why Jesus asks the disciples to keep it a secret, so they weren’t drawing attention to themselves by not holding to consensus views… but hang on Jesus rarely seemed concerned about keeping the established consensus

It is pretty clear that the disciples have not fully grasped the enormity of what has happened, and who could blame them! I wonder whether Jesus asks them to keep this a secret until they more fully understand, so the power of their testimony can have more impact. Don’t get me wrong, it can be extremely profound demonstrating our vulnerability and sometimes the best answer we can give is one that says that you don’t really understand. But when we understand more fully, when we have lived through the resurrection experience and then look back and see that what has happened makes sense, then the power of our testimony takes on new impact.

Sometimes we don’t actually realise we’ve been on “Mountain Top Experiences” until much later. Remember we are first commanded to “Listen”, we don’t have to rush off and speak straight away. We continue our journey of revelation knowing that our relationship with the Son of Man will form the most profound story we will ever tell, and we might not even have to use words. SP

Questions

Prayer

Loving God, we thank you for sending your Son so that we might have words of comfort, hope, and transformation. Continue to transform us so that we might be effective witnesses to your resurrection in our world. Amen.

Peter, contrary to popular interpretation and also contrary to his habit of getting things dramatically wrong, makes a connection that is far too obscure for us to make. Some Jews expected as it stated in the book of the prophet Zechariah, that God would usher in the new age, the "Day of the Lord," during the Feast of Booths or Feast of Tabernacles (Zechariah 14:16-19).

This festival which has its origins in Leviticus (23:39-43) had been kept by Jews for centuries, and was considered a possible time for God's taking control of creation and beginning this new age ‘the Day of the Lord’. So Peter's question about building dwellings or shelters, which are the same Greek word as booths, tents or tabernacles shows that Peter is clear that the end times are coming and the Feast of Booths was upon them. More than just staying in the moment - Peter thought this was THE moment!

This amazing image we see on the mountain, Jesus glowing with the glory of God, with Moses and Elijah is the image of Jesus that we often want to hold on to. The all-powerful, the all-conquering, the righter of all wrongs, the bringer of justice and peace, hope and promise - a Jesus kind of like a Superhero.

But as God names Jesus as “Son” he also gives Peter, James, and John an instruction and it’s one we too are called to follow – “Listen to him”. I wonder if we spent more time listening to Jesus than wanting Jesus to become something we think we need – we may actually realise that Jesus is ALL we need. SP

Questions

Prayer

Jesus, you are the Son and our saviour, help us to remember that we are called first to listen to you. Through our practice of pausing and listening, bring us an increased awareness of who you are and who you call us to be. Stir us to action in the knowledge that you work through us. Amen.

I should say from the outset that both the Transfiguration event and the relationship with Jesus as “Son of God” and what is meant by the term ‘Son of Man’ are each in their own right challenging theological ideas that have kept biblical scholars debating for centuries. Just because we and others find aspects of Scripture difficult to comprehend does not mean we shouldn’t do the work of wrestling with them, in fact, aren’t some of our greatest rewards the ones that we have to work for. So let’s commit to climbing the mountain this week and explore what may be revealed about both Jesus as ‘Son' and us as his followers.

Consider some of the strong relationships you have in your life. What have you shared and/or journeyed through together? My hunch is that for most of us, the strongest relationships we have are with those who we have had the most profound experiences, whether they be joys and sorrows. Big moments are important in our faith relationship as well. I know my Christian journey has strengthened and grown in the profound moments of my life. We in church land like to call these “Mountain Top Experiences”. Peter, James, and John are having both a literal and metaphoric mountaintop experience. As they see Jesus transfigured they themselves are profoundly impacted and transformed. Consider the impact of these three men on the early church. I can’t help but wonder if what they experienced in witnessing God in relationship, as Father and Son on that mountain, had a significant contribution to that. When you have seen the majesty of God and the interaction with a God in relationship it can’t help but move you and transform you as well. SP

Questions

Prayer

God, revealed in relationship, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, I thank you that you have revealed yourself through both relationship and experience. Continue to reveal more of yourself and continue to transform me that I might be more like Jesus. I pray this in his name, Amen.