Mark 11:15-19 Cleaning House

Mark 11:15-19
“And they came to Jerusalem. 
And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. 
And he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. 
And he was teaching them and saying to them, “Is it not written, 

‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? 

But you have made it a den of robbers.” 

And the chief priests and the scribes heard it and were seeking a way to destroy him, for they feared him, because all the crowd was astonished at his teaching. 
And when evening came they went out of the city.

Comments:



Temple Mount looking towards Mt. of Olives

 Jesus had inspected the temple the previous evening (after the Triumphal Entry) so this act of cleansing the temple was not a rash decision—it was what he had come to do. Jesus had come to die on the cross to remove the barrier of sin—so that we might worship God in spirit and in truth. What was going on in the temple was not spiritual worship; in fact, the franchised vendors and moneychangers were hindering those who desired to worship God by requiring them to buy their sacrificial animals from them using temple currency. To obtain temple currency they had to trade at an unfair exchange rate/weight (false worth-ship). This angered the Lord (Prov. 11:1; and 20:23) and he was consumed by zeal for his Father's house. He began to drive out the offending parties.

Matthew's account (Matt. 21:12-16) tells that here in the temple the people praised him as the Messiah. They must have rejoiced to see the oppressive moneychangers put to flight. It seems that Jesus' purification of the temple lasted all day long as he would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple and he was there until evening when he returned to Bethany.

Luke (Luke 19:45-47) speaks of Jesus teaching daily in the temple after that. Certainly, the purification continued, if not by force, then by the force of his teachings and the receptive hearts of the common people.

Today, our hearts and our churches are to be the temple of the Holy Spirit. We should be making the temple a place of prayer for all people and not an oppressive den of thieves. 

I have to look inside and ask, "What best characterizes my heart?" The greed, selfishness, and economics of the moneychanger-chief priest kind of temple, or the prayer, teaching, healing, and deliverance of the Jesus/Holy Spirit-filled temple?

Mark 11:12-14 — The Hypocritical Tree Withers

Mark 11:12-14

Fig tree with new leaves

On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry.

And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.

And he said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it.

This passage had in the past been a difficult one for me to figure out. What was the Lord doing? He was hungry and wanted figs and seeing a leafy tree went to see if there were any figs but there weren't. So He cursed the fig tree, "Let no one eat fruit from you ever again."

Why did he do it? It was a physical parable or at least a physical conclusion to a parable he had previously spoken. It also smacks of the prophetic object lessons found in the Old Testament. In this case, it was a message about Jerusalem and also a teaching for his disciples about being ready in season and out of season. There is no time when he may not require us to serve him. We too, face the curse of permanent un-fruitfulness if we present ourselves in leafy 

Modern Israeli farmers emphasize maximum fruitfulness

 fullness and yet provide no sustaining fruit. Jesus was looking for the early ripe figs that ripen with the leaves—the first fruits but did not really expect to find any. This is a physical parable about the spiritual condition of Israel—fruitless. It is reminiscent of the fruitless vine in Isaiah 5, and certainly, the fig tree is an oft-repeated O.T. symbol for Israel. Luke 13:6-9 contains a verbal parable of the fig tree and again the issue is fruitfulness or the lack of it.

We don't know when the Lord will call on us to provide fruit. The fruit is for God's glory (John 15:8). He is the master. We need to be ready because we might not get another chance to serve.

Lord Jesus, please grant us sense enough, and strength enough—by the Holy Spirit—to be fruitful for you in all seasons of this life that you give to us. Amen.

Bonus:

When I was a graduate student, I was assigned to write a paper addressing a skeptical argument against Jesus’ divinity based on his occasional displays of anger and violence (i.e., thus they argued he couldn’t be the sinless Messiah). One part of the paper addressed this passage and I include an excerpt from that section below…

The Gospel Accounts Give Evidence That Jesus Destroyed a Fig Tree 

We will readily stipulate to the Gospel evidence in Matthew 21 and the more detailed account in Mark 11 that Jesus, upon encountering the fruitless fig tree on his way into Jerusalem, declared that no one should eat of its fruit again. Its demise was apparent right away, as the next morning it was completely shriveled up. Some skeptics say that this was a violent act by Jesus against an innocent fig tree that disqualifies him from being the sinless Son of God. It is hard to see the logical connection between this manifestation of Jesus’ power and their conclusion. Skeptics have not made their case. It remains to be seen whether this was an act of disqualifying violence or an appropriate object lesson in keeping with the tradition of the Old Testament prophets and the character of a Holy God. 

It has been claimed that Jesus violated the Law of Moses by destroying a fruit tree, but this certainly is not the case. [Deuteronomy 20:19-20 directs that only non-fruit-bearing trees may be cut down when laying siege to a city. That requirement is casuistic and does not apply since Jesus was not laying siege to a city.] In any event, there was no fruit on the tree. The misunderstanding here comes when we think Jesus was making an unrealistic demand on the tree. However, fig trees around Jerusalem have early fruit by the time they are in full leaf. While it was not the normal time for the trees to be in leaf at that time of year, this one was in full leaf, yet it had no fruit. Jesus' motivation was always to show mercy and extravagant grace. This must surely be the acted-out conclusion to his parable of the unfruitful fig tree in Luke 13:6-9. This parable and its acted conclusion are in total agreement with a number of Old Testament passages, including those when God speaks of seeking fruit on the fig tree and finding none (e.g., Joel 1:12; Jeremiah 8:13; 6:6; Isaiah 5:1-5; Hosea 9:10-11). This was no act of anger and violence; rather it was the resigned judgment of one who had long been merciful. So much more could be said about this than this paper can allow. However, the 19^th Century scholar Alfred Edersheim paints such a vivid word picture that I must allow it.

But in the present case, there was neither old nor new fruit, 'but leaves only.' It was evidently a barren fig tree, cumbering the ground, and to be hewn down. Our mind almost instinctively reverts to the Parable of the Barren Fig-tree, which He had so lately spoken. To Him, who but yesterday had wept over the Jerusalem that knew not the day of its visitation, and over which the sharp axe of judgment was already lifted, this fig tree, with its luxuriant mantle of leaves, must have recalled, with pictorial vividness, the scene of the previous day. Israel was that barren fig tree; and the leaves only covered their nakedness, as erst they had that of our first parents after their Fall. And the judgment, symbolically spoken in the Parable, must be symbolically executed in this leafy fig tree, barren when searched for fruit by the Master. It seems almost an inward necessity, not only symbolically but really also, that Christ's Word should have laid it low. We cannot conceive that any other should have eaten of it after the hungering Christ had in vain sought fruit thereon. We cannot conceive that anything should resist Christ, and not be swept away. We cannot conceive that the reality of what He had taught should not, when [the] occasion came, be visibly placed before the eyes of the disciples. Lastly, we seem to feel that, as always, the manifestation of His true Humanity, in hunger, should be accompanied by that of His Divinity, in the power of His Word of judgment.[1]

---

[1] Alfred Edersheim, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah. (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1993), 732-733.

Mark 11:1-11 — Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!

Mark 11:1-11

Now when they drew near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately as you enter it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it. If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it and will send it back here immediately.’”

And they went away and found a colt tied at a door outside in the street, and they untied it. And some of those standing there said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?”

And they told them what Jesus had said, and they let them go.

And they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it, and he sat on it.

And many spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields.

And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!”

And he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple. And when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.

 

Comments:

I love to read this passage... with all the drama and celebration it contains. The people shouting "Hosanna!" and laying their garments on the road for the donkey to walk on (a 1^st Century red carpet welcome) the palm branches . . . what a sight! 

It reminds me of the Palm Sundays I spent in the church as a child when we would get to wave palm branches. Their cries of “Hosanna!” acknowledged their belief that Jesus was the Messiah they had long awaited. The very word means "save now" and they looked to Jesus. already proven as a great prophet, teacher, healer, and miracle worker, to deliver them from their Roman oppressors. However, Jesus planned to save them from something more—their sins.

 

Jesus also didn't focus on the crowd. He knew that while their praise was sincere it was also temporary. His eyes were set on doing his Father's will and work not on catering to the crowd. He went into Jerusalem and into the Temple. Then what did Jesus do? He "looked around at all things". He inspected the work that needed to be done, much like Nehemiah did in Nehemiah 2, and however, the work here was spiritual rather than physical.

 

It was late and Jesus returned to Bethany for the night. I never considered it before but Jesus probably returned the donkey to the donkey rental lot that same evening.

Then the next day he got to work cleaning the temple.

Mark 10:46-52 — Have Mercy On Me!

Mark 10:46-52

And they came to Jericho. And as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a great crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say,

Photo: LumoProject.com

“Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more,

           “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”

And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart. Get up; he is calling you.” And throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. And Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?”

And the blind man said to him, “Rabbi, let me recover my sight.”

And Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.”

And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him on the way.

Comments:

It originally took me a couple of days to consider this passage. It is such a familiar gospel story, and I have preached on it enough that it was hard at first for me to see anything new and fresh to consider. But after letting it soak in and thinking it over several things rose to the top.

First, this was Bartimaeus' last chance to see Jesus. Jesus would not be back. He gave it his all, not knowing if he would ever get a chance like this again. Jesus was passing right in front of him! When we sense that the Lord is near, do we take it for granted or do we act as though we might never get another chance to commune with the Lord like this again?

Second, blind Bart made a committed decision. He had only heard that it was Jesus, he hadn't seen him or touched him or heard him—only heard that it was him. Yet he cried out to the Lord unashamedly, he cast aside his old garment immediately, he came quickly to the Lord in obedience and eager faith, and then he followed the Lord willingly and I'm sure joyfully. Are we so quick to commit ourselves to respond to Jesus? Do we recognize our spiritual blindness as Bart knew his physical blindness? I am reminded of Jesus' assessment of the Laodicean church in Revelation 3:17-19,

For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.

Are we as eager as Bartimaeus to turn away from that blindness or is ignorance bliss to our handicapped hearts? Do we publicly recognize our need? That last one is the tough one for me.

Third, as Jesus opened Bartimaeus' eyes and Bart followed him. Jesus said, "Go your way" but the text says that Bart's way from that moment was to follow Jesus on the way. This moment completely redirected this man's life. As a result of his choice to follow Jesus, one of the first things Bartimaeus had the privilege of seeing was what we call the "Triumphal Entry" into Jerusalem and you can bet that he contributed his share of Hosannas! 

I wonder how many triumphal entries of praise I miss because I don't commit myself to get to the Lord and obtain his mercy as readily as blind Bart. 

Mark 10:35-45 — Servant Leaders?

Mark 10:35-45

v. 42-45 But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, "You know that those who are

Photo by Daryan Shamkhali on Unsplash

considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

It seems that James and John may have realized that Jesus was not going to establish a physical/ political kingdom of Israel on earth. He had just taught about his approaching death. So here we see James and John jockey for prime positions in the glory of Jesus' kingdom—in the next life. They got the jump on the other disciples in this respect. 

The other disciples were angry. 

When Jesus responded by asking if they were able to drink the cup and be baptized with what he was about to be baptized, they said, “Yes.” They really had no idea what they were saying, but it would in fact come to pass that they would suffer for the sake of Christ. However, Jesus said that God was not currently “taking applications” for those positions in heaven.

Jesus still had to deal with the envy and anger of the other apostles and did so by saying (and I paraphrase), "If James and John want to be rulers or first among you let them. It just means that they will have to become your servant—your slave. In the world to come, it will be (and in the church today it should be) that your leaders will be those who serve you rather than those who lord it over you. 

If you want to lead, then you must learn to serve. Jesus modeled this for us in that he came not to be served but to serve.

Because this series of devotionals is short, I have not included all that I have written on this passage here. For a longer treatment on this passage, which I wrote to encourage pastors and Christian leaders click on the following link: Are We Asking Amiss? Seven Questions for Discerning the Legitimacy of Our Prayer (Mark 10:35-45).

Mark 10:32-34 — On the Road Again

Mark 10:32-34

And they were on the road; going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. And they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. And taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him, saying, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles. And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And after three days he will rise.”

Comments:

Rouault's "Crucifixion"

This is an amazing passage. Here we see Jesus on the road headed for Jerusalem. He knew that when he got there he will be rejected, falsely accused, tortured, and killed, but his love for us urged him onward. He was totally focused on the mission God had given him to complete. The disciples didn't want to go…

• They were afraid.
• They knew that the Jews wanted to kill Jesus and they were concerned for their own lives as well as for Jesus.
• They were amazed that Jesus was returning to Jerusalem.
• They were amazed at His courage for He was going up before them. He was leading the patrol into enemy territory. 

This is the third time in the book of Mark that Jesus specifically taught his disciples about his coming death and resurrection. Despite their fear and wonder, Jesus took this opportunity to tell them one more time that he was going to die. 

How amazing it is to me that Jesus went with such resolve while knowing in advance

Looking towards Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus

(in graphic detail) what would happen to him. I might have thought seriously about pitching humanity once and for all! Yet the incarnation, which we celebrate at Christmas, means that Jesus has assumed our humanity not only our sins. For all eternity the Son of God has a body! He will never be separated from those he came to save. This was no “drive-through” atonement, but a long-term incarnational taking upon himself of all our pain, hurt, loss, selfishness, and rebellion. Because he is one of us, he understands us completely in order to represent us flawlessly.

v. 33b,34 "the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him to the Gentiles; and they will mock Him, and scourge Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again."

Oh, how the disciples must have been revolted by hearing how people would treat their master. I wonder if they muttered under their breath, “Oh he is not going there!” Yet Jesus told them ahead of time to comfort them when it happened. When in the depths of despair and loss after his death they could look back and remember that Jesus had known all along what would happen. To realize that he gave himself willingly, unhesitatingly, knowingly for them, and for us!

Lord, please help me to know what it is that you have called me to specifically, and help me to face that future with the grace and the courageously firm resolve which you displayed so long ago! Yet, let me not be a grim companion but joyful in the journey! Amen.

Mark 10:23-31 — Reductions & Rewards

Mark 10:23-31
And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” 
And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 
And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, “Then who can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” 
Peter began to say to him, “See, we have left everything and followed you.” 
Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

Comments:

Jesus shocked his disciples with this teaching about the difficulty of the rich entering the kingdom of heaven. Why is it so hard for the rich? Because they have so much that they can see, touch, and taste, here in this life that it is hard to see beyond it, to have eyes of faith to believe in what they cannot see. 

Why is it so hard for those who trust in riches (be it wealth, health, or influence)? It is hard because they place their hope in what they have. They haven't come to the end of themselves, the end of their resources, yet. 

Unfortunately, their currency is of no value in the next life. Jesus made the case so strongly that the disciples thought that no one could be saved. Jesus then replied that men cannot save themselves, it is impossible—but with God all things are possible.

Peter, in wanting to justify himself and distance himself and the other disciples from the spiritual handicap of riches and possessions remarks, in verse 28, "See, we have left all and followed You." 

Jesus did not dispute the fact that they had "left all" but instead spoke of the reward they would receive even in this life for setting aside the things of the world to serve the Lord. We will receive up to 100 times what we give up… v. 30 "with persecutions" (gulp!). 

But praise the Lord the persecutions are contained only in this life for in the age to come we shall receive eternal life. But the timetable is in God's hand.

Mark 10:17-22 — Poor Rich Man

Mark 10:17-22
And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 

And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’”

And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.”

And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”

Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

Comments:

Jesus responded to the young man’s question by first making the point that he was not just a "good teacher." It is important for us to understand that he can’t be. He claimed to be God so either he is God or he is not a good teacher. But the young man's question was how he could inherit eternal life and the answer is found in how he looks at Jesus—to him Jesus must be more than a good teacher. Jesus listed several of the ten commandments (#7, 6, 8, 9, 5) and the man said that he had kept all those from his youth (still addressing Jesus as "Teacher"). It is interesting that Jesus did not dispute the man's claim. 

v.21 Jesus looking at him, loved him. And that love required Jesus to say what the rich young man needed to hear, not what he wanted to hear. He challenged the man in regards to his love for God, and issued a wonderful invitation to “come, follow me.” The young man wanted to be saved but he wanted his vast possessions even more. Jesus was focusing the issue upon the first commandment—that we should love God and have no other gods before him. In the affluence of Western culture, because it does not often cost people much to follow Jesus like it does believers in more hostile environments, we are rarely forced to make the cut and dried decisions about our ultimate loyalties like this rich young man faced. Would he give up all he had...possessions, position, prestige, and power to follow the itinerant Rabbi from Galilee?

 

We don't know what the end was for this young man that Jesus loved but know that for the moment he was saddened because he loved his great possessions. I wonder if later he was sad that he hadn’t followed Jesus while he had the chance.

Is there something in our lives that we would value more than following Jesus… something that would make us go away sorrowful? Sometimes in our wealth, we don't recognize our poverty. When what we possess actually possesses and imprisons us, we tend to miss the great opportunities that God's love offers. Nothing on earth is worth what Jesus offers!

I have expanded on this idea from the parallel passage in Matthew 19:16-23, in a post on another blog entitled, A Dangerous Question and an Affective Invitation.

Mark 10:13-16 — Blessed to Be His Child

Mark 10:13-16

Hook's Jesus and the Children

And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”  And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.

As I have written previously, Jesus took little children seriously. He was greatly displeased that his disciples considered him to be too important to take time to bless the children that the parents brought for him to bless. He said that children should neither be forbidden from coming to the Lord, nor should our attitude or actions cause them to stumble (see the previous post). In fact, Jesus said that we all must receive the kingdom of God like a little child, or we cannot enter it. What does that mean?

Does it mean that if we don't get saved when we are children it is impossible? No, although statistically speaking people who don't get saved as children are less likely to get saved as adults.

What Jesus means is that we need to humble ourselves to come to him with all the trust, faith, enthusiasm, wonder, and love that a child does.

·         We cannot come as a sophisticated adult—reasoning, demanding, or negotiating.

·         We must come as a humble child—believing.

v. 16 "And he took them up in his arms, put his hands on them, and blessed them."

 

I think it must have been wonderful to be one of those children. But then I realize the blessing I have in Christ now as a child of God by faith. God is still in the business of hugging and blessing all who come!

Mark 10:1-12 — Pop Quiz on a Tough Subject

Mark 10:1-12
And he left there and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan, and crowds gathered to him again. And again, as was his custom, he taught them.
And Pharisees came up and in order to test him asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” 
He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” 
They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away.” 
And Jesus said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”
And in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. And he said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her, and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”

 

Comments:

The people gathered to him, and he taught them as was his custom. This probably irritated the Pharisees who weren’t getting have such an enthusiastic turnout for their teaching sessions. They came and asked him regarding the hot-button issue of divorce in order to test him. I marvel at how often they tried to trap Jesus unsuccessfully—I would think that they would have wanted to stop trying. Jesus was always ready and more than up to the test. This case was no exception. What irony! What masterful logic Jesus used to make his point!

Let’s look at the question and the answering question (given in proper Rabbinic style).

Pharisees:     “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”

Jesus:            “What did Moses command you?”

The Pharisees probably thought that Jesus was teaching some new liberal and licentious doctrine since he hung around sinners. However, it was the Pharisees who were sinning in the issue of divorce. Jesus was the one who appealed to the commands of Moses. They cite Moses "permitting them to divorce in Deut. 24:1-4. However, this is not an answer to his question since what they cited was not a command, it was merely a provision allowing that divorce would occur and was made to protect the rights of the spurned woman, as well as prevent such abominations as wife swapping and the confusion of family line, etc. They failed the test and gave the wrong answer.

Jesus then answered the question correctly, from the book of Genesis chapter two,

v. 6-9 "But from the beginning of the creation, God 'made them male and female.' 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, 'and the two shall become one flesh'; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh. "Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate."

This was Moses' command regarding divorce. Jesus made it all the more clear in that final sentence. In fact, the divorcing of a wife or the divorcing of a husband and marrying another were both adultery. Oh, how the Pharisees must have hated being called adulterers in front of all the "common" people whom they considered miserable sinners.

It reminds me of the verse in Obadiah 1:4 "Though you ascend as high as the eagle, And though you set your nest among the stars, From there I will bring you down," says the LORD." And also, Matthew 5:20, “For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

The point really is that we can never enter the kingdom of heaven in our own righteousness…we need Jesus' righteousness imputed to us by faith.

“But when the goodness and loving-kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life." (Titus 4:4-7)

Mark 9:42-48 — Sin, Sea, or Salt?

Mark 9:42-48

“Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, ‘where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’ For everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”

Comments:

Millstone in Capernaum, Israel

One of the verses that catches my eye is v. 42, "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea."

Jesus warned the disciples of the peril of causing children who believe in him to stumble. God takes his children very seriously... he is jealous for their safety! We are not to do anything that would prevent a believing child to disbelieve. 

We are not to commit such sin by what we do (hands), where we go (foot), or what we watch (eye). Jesus used hyperbole to communicate that it would be better that we cut off that area of our life than that we should continue to contribute to our own damnation and the stumbling of the little children. I am reminded of the opening line of an old B-western movie, "Man, by his own misdeeds, kindles his own hellfire!" (Hellfire, 1949). Or, even a quote from the opening of the more recent Ironman III (2013), “We make our own demons.” 

Lord, I pray that I would never cause any child you would place in my care to stumble away from the childlike faith that you ordain. Help me to build and foster the faith that you place in them.

 

I also am intrigued by v. 49-50, "For everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”

Photo: Greg K Dueker

How will we be salted or seasoned with fire? Will we be made stronger perhaps by the fire and heat of trials in this life the way steel and wooden baseball bats are tempered? Will we be made more effective witnesses perhaps by the flame of the Holy Spirit? Yes…maybe both. Old Testament sacrifices were to be seasoned with salt as a reminder of the covenant God had made with his people…not just as some kind of ancient barbecue tip. This saying serves to remind us that no sacrifice that we make (be it praise, thanks, holy living, or martyrdom) can even be offered to God apart from the work of Christ upon the cross. In the world, we need to be salt that has not lost its flavor (Matt. 5:13) so that our lives are still very much tasting of the work of Christ. We are to be salt, not to dry-rub ourselves in the wounds of others, but by bringing healing, preserving truth while as far as it is up to us, being at peace with others.

Certainly, Jesus was salty in the sense of sinlessly obeying the covenant, but yet he was also very gentle, caring, and compassionate. As Isaiah prophesied and Matthew quotes,

He will not quarrel or cry aloud,
    nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets;
a bruised reed he will not break,
    and a smoldering wick he will not quench,
until he brings justice to victory;

    and in his name the Gentiles will hope.” (Matthew 12:19-21)

He was not at all legalistic or overbearing, but he was holy and committed. If we have salt we will subtly be able to slow the spread of corruption around us and we will make life more enjoyable to those who would partake of our lives. Jesus certainly did. No one who tasted of him in faith was disappointed.

 

Mark 9:38-41— Soon Afterward

Mark 9:38-41
John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” 
But Jesus said, “Do not stop him, for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. For the one who is not against us is for us. For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward. (ESV)

Comments:

What an interesting statement. There is something faith-building about the working of a “mighty work” or “miracle” that prevents for a time our speaking ill of Jesus. What could it be? The fact that the miracle happened reminds us that there is a God, that he listened to us, that he cares about hurting people, and that he can work through us to meet the needs of others. Miracles also build our faith because they happen by the overriding agency of the Holy Spirit and no one filled with the Holy Spirit can speak ill of Christ. As it is written elsewhere in the Scriptures,

"Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit." (1 Corinthians 12:3)

"Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world." (1 John 4:1-3)

Jesus was not as concerned that someone follows along with the band of disciples as he was that the person would be about the work of God in the name of Jesus. We should not require someone to stop ministering to the needs of hurting people just because they belong to another church. The Kingdom of God is wider and deeper than we might think. I am so glad that my denomination (Foursquare) is interdenominational in its doctrinal statement. We have no problem cheering on the other Jesus churches in our area!

So in this passage, what was the important thing? That people were being delivered from the oppressive bondage of the enemy. If people are not against us then they are on our side (v.40). How inclusive is our view of the Kingdom? How well do we keep the main things the main things? I know I need eyes enlightened to see what God is doing around me! I need to continually live in a faith that never wanders beyond the "soon afterward."

Further, no act of generosity is forgotten (v.41). If a person was to give something to us—as simple and as secular as a cup of water—in the name of Jesus (in keeping with his character and mission), they will not lose their reward. Jesus remembers and rewards even very simple acts of service unto Christ. 

The Kingdom is not about control, but about using our liberty in Christ for the deliverance and blessing of others.

Mark 9:33-37 —Arguing on the Way

Mark 9:33-37 

Photo by Clark Tibbs on Unsplash

And they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.”

I wonder how many times I have said something or argued about something that I would have been embarrassed to repeat before my own pastor or even more before my Lord Jesus?

Here, the disciples knew they shouldn't have been debating about who was the greatest and they hung their heads in shame and kept silent when Jesus asked. They were afraid to confess! Jesus then taught them that it is in humble service and care for the weakest and least that we are great because we serve Jesus and in our humility receive him and the Father. The glory of God is humble. The kingdom does not advance through self-promotion the way the world normally works. It comes through preferring one another.

Photo by Larm Rmah on Unsplash

If we want to be great we have to be nothing. If we want to be first, we must be last and serve others. Why? Because that is the example set for us by Jesus. Christ didn’t come to be served, but to compassionately serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.

 

I wonder about Jesus' tone of voice when he sat down and called the Twelve to put an end to their silly debate. How about you?

Mark 9:30-32 — Afraid to Ask

Mark 9:30-32
They went on from there and passed through Galilee. And he did not want anyone to know, for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise.” But they did not understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him.

Comments:

Photo by Roman Mager on Unsplash

Jesus was very focused on his ministry trajectory. Though he constantly showed compassion to the people, he did not allow the pull of the crowd to distract him from his mission. He would neither allow himself to be crowned king by the crowd nor protected by the disciples from arrest. His path was set toward the cross and he wanted to prepare his disciples for that day. 

Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

He told them what would happen in advance…saying it over and over again—but they didn't understand. However, once it happened and Jesus died, they remembered what he had said in advance... and understood.

The disciples' fear to ask him to explain what he meant reminds me of my feelings in my high school math class. I could ask the teacher a question and have him explain it and still not have a clue. They would then ask the dreaded question, "Do you understand it now?" And like any self-conscious student, I would nod my head and out of embarrassment say, “Sure I understand it.” Honestly, I didn't—and neither did the disciples. I was afraid to ask again—so were the disciples. 

Jesus’ resurrection would cure their fear of death (Heb. 2:15)… however, I still have calculus nightmares and thus am no engineer. 

 

One of the most important things I have learned is that God is not bothered by our questions... even the ones we are afraid to ask. 

I'm pretty sure we'll never understand until we ask.

Mark 9:14-29 — "If..."

Mark 9:14-29

Jesus came down from the mountain
 to the disciples and the crowds.

And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them. ¹⁵ And immediately all the crowd, when they saw him, were greatly amazed and ran up to him and greeted him. ¹⁶ And he asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?” ¹⁷ And someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute. ¹⁸ And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able.” ¹⁹ And he answered them, “O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me.” ²⁰ And they brought the boy to him. And when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. ²¹ And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. ²² And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” ²³ And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” ²⁴ Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” ²⁵ And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” ²⁶ And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, “He is dead.” ²⁷ But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. ²⁸ And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” ²⁹ And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.”

Comments:

This passage has always held special interest for me. The disciples had previously been given the power to cast out demons in chapter 6:7 when Jesus sent them out two by two. But here, in the absence of Jesus and Peter, James and John, the remaining nine failed to cast out the demon that tormented the boy. 

Why? 

I think that it is because they had stopped depending on the Lord Jesus' power to cast out demons and now thought that they had personal authority to do so.

Jesus told them, "This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.”

·         Prayer is talking to the Lord about it. It is a position of humility and dependence.

·         Fasting (added in TR) is the denial of self to seek spiritual good, especially for others.

It seems that the nine disciples had become a bit self-important in the absence of Jesus and the "big three." It is also interesting that instead of seeking the Lord in prayer for the life of the boy, the disciples had been drawn into a debate with the scribes. How easy it is for us to stop praying and start arguing (and Tweeting)!

Another great lesson for me is found in Jesus' dialogue with the father of the boy and the emphasis on the word "if" (Gr: εἴ ). The father asked "if" Jesus could do anything. Jesus responded with, "If you can believe ...". I'm sure that there must have been a humorous emphasis on the word "if" in the tone of Jesus' voice. The man then responded in honest faith, recognizing his own shortcomings and asked for the Lord's help. Jesus, of course, delivered the boy and raised him up to a new life...one without the nagging fear that the demon might return.

Looking out a bit now at the crowd, it is scary for me to consider how the faith of the people, the crowd, the culture, can be limited by the failure of Jesus' disciples to depend on Christ—then and now. I don't want to hinder the faith of someone else by my own self-deception, weakness, and failure. Does my personal devotional life overflow in ministry moments, or does the lack of it show in an ineffective and argumentative attitude?

One last lesson which I take from this passage is that Jesus was not offended by the man's honesty about his own doubts. The man chose to believe but still asked Jesus to "help my unbelief!" How honest are we with God about those times where we choose to trust but know that we don't trust perfectly? Truth be told, times of doubt can help us draw closer to God! 

If we believe...