Mark 12:13-44 What does God require of us?

Mark 12:13-44

When a serpent (snake) strikes, it strikes hard and it strikes fast. In a snake infested area, being the second person in a group of travellers is the most dangerous place to be: the first person disturbs the snake, the second person gets bitten! Bam! Quick as a flash.
But have you ever seen a snake try to bite something through glass. All the venom is there, all the speed, the power, the apparent danger – but then BONK! all that happens is that the snake gets a sore nose!

And that’s what happened in last week’s passage. The chief priests, elders and scribes slithered up to Jesus, loudly demanding to know where he got his authority to do what he was doing. Jesus commands them to repent of ignoring God’s authority over them, and tells the story of the vineyard to illustrate it. They then slither up again with the brilliant question about paying taxes, and again BONK! their nose gets squashed against the wisdom of Jesus, where he again challenges their refusal to give to God what belongs to God: themselves. They are rebels against God, trying to throw off the “chains” of God’s Anointed King: Jesus, the Christ.

And tonight the snakes come thick and fast to strike Jesus, but each time BONK! How embarrassing. This uneducated carpenter from the backwater village of Nazareth is piercing right through all their excuses and self-justification, and putting his finger again and again on the only relevant point: are you listening to God the King? Do you live with him as King, or are you rebelling against him. In the words of Psalm 2: “Kiss the Son, lest he be angry”!

1. Have you not read the Scriptures?

After the Pharisees and Herodians failed (interesting aside: those two groups were politically opposed – like Frp and Rødt working together!), the Sadducees then step up to bat. Mark helpfully tells us in v18 that they don’t believe in the resurrection. They were a Jewish sect, denying certain doctrines of Judaism. And they come to put Jesus in his place.

“Ah-ha, Jesus, now listen here to this foolish example we’ve just made up about one poor woman being married multiple times.” Their proposal is simple: resurrection is foolish because if you’ve been married, then widowed, then marry again – at the resurrection, who are you married to? Both of them?! How foolish to think that we will be resurrected! It’s illogical.

But, of course, they take this question to the extreme, milking it for all its worth. You can imagine them telling this story to the crowd, people laughing as the seeecond husband dies, then the thiiiiird. They were probably rolling their eyes in scorn as they bring home the argument “whose wife will she be”, to the enjoyment of the crowd.

All eyes are then on Jesus. What will he do? What will he say?

His answer is brutally honest: “Is this not the reason you are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God?”

How often is that us? How often are we wrong because we do not know the Scriptures, and do not know the power of God.
I had a comedy postcard once which said “I’ve made up my mind, now don’t confuse me with the FACTS!”

That’s exactly what the Sadducees have done here. They’ve made up their mind as to what the Bible says, and then read it to find their own ideas. So dangerous! Have you not read, says Jesus. And ends with you are quite wrong! Their arrogant attitude to the Bible has lead them astray. Instead of reading to find out what God thinks, they read to find their own thoughts confirmed. And they missed the resurrection! The resurrection! The hope of the future. The restoration of all things. The return to Eden. What a colossal mistake! And very soon Jesus was going to demonstrate the truth of the resurrection in a very real way. The reality of the resurrection is standing before them and they miss it completely because of their arrogance.

Where are you a Sadducee? What do you refuse to believe?
Where I most struggle is with the holiness of God, and my own sinfulness. I always want to make God less holy, and myself less sinful.

God’s holiness is white-hot, like the sun. His holiness, his glory, burns fierce and bright. Our “holiness” is like a burning match – utterly dwarfed by the sun. Light a match on a summers’ day and you can’t even see it. So it is with God and us. Our best efforts are insufficient. Even the very best of us fall short. Stop fooling yourself – you cannot reach God. God must reach you.

2. Understanding the Law (Scriptures) can get us close

Enter the scribe. This is a “good” man. He is one of the best of us. He has understanding and insight. He sees the spirit of the Law. Listen again to his brilliant answer to Jesus: 32 And the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that he is one, and there is no other besides him. 33 And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbour as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

He gets it! The law is about love, not about rules. But his love is too weak. Love is not a feeling. It is not being nice. It is not burning like a flame. This is love: Ro 5:6–8 (ESV) For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. That is love with power.

The scribe may have understood love intellectually, but lacked the power to carry it out.

Because how far can the law take you, even properly understood? “Not far” from the Kingdom.
But it cannot take you in. Only the King of the Kingdom, only Jesus, can grant you access.

The man has understanding, but his heart is not right. He, too, does not understand scripture. He has forgotten Genesis 6:5 The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. Or perhaps he does not believe it.

He refuses to believe that the only way to love God and love his fellow men properly is if Jesus has first loved him, and transformed him from the inside out. And so he falls silent, and no one dared to ask him any more questions.

The fools! What question should they have been asking?
“How do I get into the kingdom?”
“How do I get right with the owner of the vineyard?”
“Can I appeal to the king?”

For to do nothing is just as foolish as to oppose the King. Only those who come to Jesus will receive mercy. The rest of us, those who oppose, and those who do nothing, will be his enemies.

And his enemies will be soon crushed underfoot.

3. Jesus is the King

After his accusers fall silent, Jesus begins to question them, exposing their lack of belief in the Scriptures. How can the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David? 36 David himself, in the Holy Spirit, declared, “ ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet.” ’ 37 David himself calls him Lord. So how is he his son?”

They could not conceive of the Almighty God making himself as nothing, as a human being. The incarnation (God becoming man) is mind-blowing. That he should walk on earth, limited and frail. That he should be a baby, dependant on his mother and father. Incredible. What love the King has!
But the religious leaders could not imagine such a love, and so they ignore the Scripture which teaches about the incarnation.
Jesus is both King of Heaven, and the earthly descendant of David. Through Mary he is the son of David.
David correctly calls Jesus “Lord”, because he is. And Jesus is also the son of David, according to the flesh.

Do you see the irony in this passage? Because remember who he is talking to v27 the chief priests and scribes and elders. These are the spiritual leaders of Israel, the religious elite! And yet they do not believe in the Word of God.

How timely! When we see the church in the West filled with unbelief, with religion instead of grace, when the very minsters of God’s Word don’t believe in the resurrection, or the incarnation. Good grief! No resurrection, no Christianity. What on earth are you doing then? It reminds me of the poem by JRR Tolkien on the fall of the West: “Where is the horse and the rider? Where is the horn that was blowing? They have passed like rain on the mountain, like wind in the meadow. The days have gone down in the West behind the hills into shadow. How did it come to this?”

It came to this because we, like the Sadducees, like the religious leaders of Israel, abandoned our trust in the Word of God, and put our trust in our own foolish wisdom. Thank God for faithful men of God in the South and East, Africa, Middle East, Asia: bishops in Nigeria threatening to split from the Anglican Communion if the Archbishop of Canterbury does not start taking the Bible seriously; men like Asif in Pakistan, and many like him in Pakistan, India, China, Indonesia, faithfully preaching the gospel despite beatings, threats, and in many cases, martyrdom (being killed for being a Christian).

We in the West must learn from our brothers and sisters in the Majority World. They understand what is important. They understand that Jesus is the King, seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven, who will crush his enemies underfoot. This is the reality. Jesus came once as servant, to die a sinners death, to set free sinners like you and I. But that was a one time event. He reigns now as King, and will return not to serve but to be served, and anyone who has not bowed the knee will be cast into the lake of fire.

So beware of those who preach a false gospel, those who are full of themselves. V38 “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces 39 and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honour at feasts, 40 who devour widows’ houses and for a pretence make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.” There are many such men (and women) at large in the “Christian” church today, as there has always been. Be on your guard.

4. The right response

41 And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. 42 And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. 43 And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. 44 For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”

And here we see illustrated the spiritual reality behind chapter 12. The rich people: the religious elite, the elders, scribes and chief priests; giving to God their leftovers. We’ve seen that the words of the prophet Malachi lie behind much of chapters 11 and 12, warning of the coming day of the Lord. In Malachi, the Lord had four complaints against his people, the first of them was this: the people are offering impure sacrifices (giving God the worst of the land, instead of the best – lip service, not heartfelt worship). Mal 1:11–14 (ESV) For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering. For my name will be great among the nations, says the LORD of hosts. 12 But you profane it when you say that the Lord’s table is polluted, and its fruit, that is, its food may be despised. 13 But you say, ‘What a weariness this is,’ and you snort at it, says the LORD of hosts. You bring what has been taken by violence or is lame or sick, and this you bring as your offering! Shall I accept that from your hand? says the LORD. 14 Cursed be the cheat who has a male in his flock, and vows it, and yet sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished. For I am a great King, says the LORD of hosts, and my name will be feared among the nations.

We cannot fob God off with our cast-offs, with the remainder of our lives, the left-overs of our time and money. God is a great King, and demands and deserves all. Like the widow, we are called to have faith, to trust God with everything. Jump in, no lifelines. She gave everything she had.

What are you holding back from the King?

Are you trying to be good enough? Do you not trust that his death is sufficient for you?
Are you keeping your marriage out of his hands? Men, are you leading your wives? Taking responsibility for your relationship, spiritually, sexually, emotionally. Are you lovingly serving your family? Women, are you helping your husband in his task, joyfully submitting, encouraging, loving?
What about your sexuality? Do you think he is blind when you’re masturbating in front of your computer? Or he does not see when you lust after a woman or man you’re not married to?
Or your money? Is it your money? Or God’s? Do you give to God first, and then decide what to do with the rest? Or take for yourself and give God whatever’s left over?
Or your time? Do you make time to listen to God, in private Bible reading, Wed Bible study, church? Or is it a “if I’ve got nothing better to do”?
Or your reputation? DO people at work or school even know you’re a Christian?
You belong to the King. Trust him. You are his. You are safe in his hands. So stop living a half-hearted Christian life (if there is such a thing), and start living for the King. Do not be like the “rich”, for they will be crushed underfoot by King Jesus. Be the poor widow, and throw yourself on the mercy of God.

Let me end by telling you a personal story:

In 1995 I was 19 years old, and a "good Christian boy". I read the Bible every day. I prayed. I could give you the right answer about pretty much everything when it came to God and Jesus and Christianity. But my heart was far from God. When my daily God-slot was done, ticked off, an empty religious act, then the rest of the day belonged to me, life was mine, and I ran it as I wanted. And I must admit that I ran it badly, wounding many, including my uncle and aunt. I was full of pride and self-righteousness - while I stepped on and hurt people, and where others could see right away that I actually had no relationship with Jesus (or it was at least well hidden!). I fooled myself and felt superior while I was playing with sin.

What grace was shown me on that day God broke through! The day I suddenly heard the voice of the King, challenging me. Is this not the reason you are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God? I was wrong! And as I repented and ask the Lord to forgive me it was like the sun had come out for the first time. The next day I woke up and everything was new. I belonged to Jesus - all of me! I am his child.

Trust Jesus. His grace is sufficient for you. Confess your sin, your rebellion, for he is faithful and just to forgive.

Do it now, because he could return at any moment, and then it will be too late. Do not be fooled: he is the King. Remember last week? What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others. Give to God what belongs to God: you.

Mark 11:27-12:17 Give to God what belongs to God (everything, including you)

Mark 11:27-12:17

This is the part where I’m supposed to have some amazing introduction which will grab your attention and make you want to hear more. Well I don’t because actually I just want to get straight to what Jesus is saying tonight!

Tonight’s passage is thrilling because once again we’re reminded that we’re set free from the tyranny of being good enough. No, says Jesus, good works won’t save you, religion won’t save you, outward holiness won’t save you – but I can save you. I am the cornerstone, the foundation of the ultimate rescue plan.
The Lord has done this, and it is marvellous in our eyes.

Great news! Let’s get stuck in to the passage!

1. Whose authority? 

Jesus has been creating quite a stir – and this outside the “official” channels. It started off with his baptism at the hands of John the Baptist, who himself had created quite a stir outside the official channels, and continued with Jesus teaching with authority, forgiving sins, healing sickness, and casting out demons. In short, doing everything the promised Christ (rescuer, King, servant) would do.

Jesus was becoming a real headache to the leaders of Israel, both religious and civil. And now Jesus had come to their turf, to the heart of government, to the heart of their religious power: Jerusalem. And showed them up! Clearing the Temple, turfing out the money-changers and the merchants. How dare he! They earned a good living out of charging them rent in the Temple areas... never mind that that was forbidden by God....

They would dearly love to get rid of him – but Jesus was undeniably popular. A huge crowd had just welcomed him in, shouting praise, declaring him the Saviour King 11:9 “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! 10 Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!”

King Herod had taken care of John the Baptist, but how to dispose of Jesus….

So they slither up to him to challenge him 11:27 And as he was walking in the temple, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders came to him.
Did you notice who it is that’s coming to challenge him? the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.
The last time we saw all these together was in 8:31, the first time Jesus tells the disciples he is going to die, just after they have declared him as the Christ: And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again.

And here they are, slithering in for the kill, like oily snakes. “Where’s your authority?” they demand. After all, he was a backwater prophet, from Nazareth no less, and they were the legitimate, God-ordained leaders of Israel.

But they had forgotten that they were leaders UNDER God. They were not a law unto themselves – they had to give an account to the owner (God) of the vineyard (Israel). They had forgotten where their own authority had come from. What right had they to turn the Temple into a den of thieves? What right had they to plot murder against the beloved son? What right had they to reject the word of the Lord, spoken through the mouth of the King, and try to take the vineyard for themselves?

Jesus’ question in verse 30 “Was the baptism of John from heaven or from man?” is brilliant, because John’s authority and Jesus’ authority come from the same source: God Almighty. It is the owner of the vineyard who demands a return from the tenants. And so the “tenants” (elders, chief priests, and scribes) are now stuck – if they acknowledge John’s authority, they acknowledge God’s authority, and therefore Jesus’ authority over them.
Jesus exposes their heart problem – they do not want to listen to God. They do not want to obey him. Surrounded by the trappings of religion, being good Jews, the best of Jews, even; sacrificing daily, following the law slavishly – yet hating God.
They want to be God over God.

Oh, religious people are very good at this. It is so easy to fall into the trap of doing things for God so that God will owe you. We obey, not because we want to please God, not because we are saved by grace and rejoice in knowing our Heavenly Father – no, we obey because we want to earn a bank of credit with God, so that we can make him do things for us because now he owes us.
If you’re asking God for things and he’s GOT to do it – well, who’s really God?
That’s our problem of sin – we want to be God instead of letting God be God. We have swapped him out with us.

If we fall into that trap we, like the religious people in this story here, have forgotten the depth of our sin. We have forgotten that we are rebels against God, we are adulterers who have left our true spouse and gone running after other gods, a shameful state. We can never pay back the debt that we owe God, never mind him owing us.
We must not fool ourselves.
And if we are Christians, trusting in Christ alone and his grace alone for our salvation, well, we are double debtors – we are made by God and owe him everything, and rescued by God and owe him everything. What fools we are when we demand our “rights” from God. Have we forgotten that we already have been given every spiritual blessing in Christ (Eph 1)? We have everything that could ever matter! What we moan and groan about are unimportant things, garbage that will be thrown on the fire.

And don’t be fooled by others, no matter how good or religious they may seem. There are plenty of “Christians”, even ministers, even in our little town, whose hearts are far from God while they pretend to serve in his name. Test everything against the words of the Bible. Do not be fooled.

And fear God rather than man. How often are we, as Christians, more like the Pharisees than Jesus! Look at verse 32 – they were “afraid of the people”. No fear of God, but fear of man. Proverbs tells us that fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. Fear of man, by contrast, is foolishness.

So we are forced to ask: Do I trust God enough to fear him, to obey him? Do I trust him to carry me through, no matter the consequences of standing for him?
A couple of weeks ago I told you about Asif, a Pakistani Muslim who became a Christian, and laid everything on the line for Jesus. He lost his home, he was poisoned, he was beaten and left for dead. Yet he does not fear man, and keeps holding out the message of life and forgiveness even to those who are beating him. What a crown of glory awaits Asif! What an example for us. 

Do not fear, but pick up your cross and follow Jesus, into your workplace, into your family, into your friendships, wherever you may be. For we are under authority, and it is not our own, but it is the Lord Jesus. We belong to him.

“By whose authority do you do this?”

The authority of the King, the Lord of all, Jesus, the Christ.

2. The vineyard (a.k.a. the history of Israel) 

12:1 [Then Jesus] began to speak to them in parables. “A man planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a pit for the winepress and built a tower, and leased it to tenants and went into another country. 2 When the season came, he sent a servant to the tenants to get from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. 3 And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 4 Again he sent to them another servant, and they struck him on the head and treated him shamefully. 5 And he sent another, and him they killed. And so with many others: some they beat, and some they killed.

The history of Israel, the vineyard in this parable, reads like a tragedy of the worst kind. They had everything, given everything by a kind and generous ruler – yet they threw it all away, rebelling against the ruler and murdering his servants, his messengers bringing messages of peace.
The parable of the vineyard is based on Isaiah 5:1-7 and Isaiah 5:7 puts it like this: For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are his pleasant planting; and he looked for justice, but behold, bloodshed; for righteousness, but behold, an outcry!
he tenants (Israel’s leaders) rejected the warnings of the servants (the prophets) treating them shamefully, even murdering them.
John the Baptist, the greatest and last of the Old Testament prophets, was murdered by the king of Israel, King Herod.

6 He had still one other, a beloved son. Finally he sent him to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 7 But those tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ 8 And they took him and killed him and threw him out of the vineyard. 

8:31 And [Jesus] began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again.

As Jesus tells the parable, you really feel the incredible stupidity of the tenants – do they really think they’ll get away with this? And why doesn’t the owner do anything?

It reflects so well the tension in the prophets between God’s extraordinary patience and the breathtaking stupidity of Israel’s persistently rebellious leaders who seek to take advantage of it. But remember Mark 1:2, quoting Malachi 3? Behold, I send my messenger before your face and it continues in Malachi - and the Lord whom you seek will come suddenly to his Temple. Be warned, the long-threatened judgment that marked the end of God’s patience has arrived: he will accomplish his purposes! The Lord has arrived at his Temple, and judgement will fall.

They want to kill the “beloved Son”. We’ve seen that phrase twice before in Mark’s gospel: “beloved Son” was used at his baptism, and his transfiguration. His baptism revealed him to be the King of God’s Kingdom, the transfiguration revealed him to be almighty God.
There are big echoes here of Psalm 2: the nations plotting against the anointed King, they want to reject him, to throw off his rule. Whose authority do you have, they sneer. They don’t want to obey. Let us kill him, they plot.

But they plot in vain, because the Lord in heaven laughs. What will the King do? He will terrify them in his wrath and curse the fig tree. He will cut them off from the land and destroy them.

9 What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others. 

Is 5:5 And now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard. I will remove its hedge, and it shall be devoured; I will break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down. 6 I will make it a waste; it shall not be pruned or hoed, and briers and thorns shall grow up; I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it.

They did not listen to their Elijah (John the Baptist) and the terrifying day of the Lord (as prophesied in Malachi) is at hand. The old order of Israel is about to be swept away, because they refuse to bow to the true King.

3. The new vineyard 

9 What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others. 10 Have you not read this Scripture: “ ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; 11 this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes’?”

Jesus quotes in v10 from Psalm 118:22-23 the same Psalm the crowd was quoting during the Triumphal entry (when Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey, being hailed as the King): Psalm118:26 “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord”. Jesus is the fulfilment of this Psalm. He is the cornerstone of salvation, the gate of righteousness. In Hebrew the word stone is ʾeben- the word son is bēn. Jesus is the stone, the son of God, the cornerstone of the new people of God. For, unlike in Isaiah, did you notice, the vineyard is not destroyed in this parable, but given to others.

The “others” into whose care it is given are the Twelve, whose servant leadership must reflect the pattern of Jesus’ self-giving (10:42–45). Jesus is the basis of the new vineyard of Israel, the new Temple of God.

1 Pe 2:4–10 (ESV) As you come to [Jesus], a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” 7 So the honour is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” 8 and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. 9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvellous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

We are the new Israel, Jews and Gentiles together, under the King. We are God’s vineyard, his Temple, a holy nation and royal priesthood. What great news! It is marvellous in our eyes!

The priests and elders and scribes should be rejoicing, not plotting murder! They should repent and as Psalm 2 puts it “Kiss the Son, lest he be angry.”

But they don’t. They try to trap him v13. There is such irony in this interchange – just listen to what they say about Jesus: Teacher, we know that you are true and do not care about anyone’s opinion. For you are not swayed by appearances, but truly teach the way of God.
They are being obsequious, flattering to deceive – but it’s true. And they, by contrast v12 “feared the people”.

But Jesus does not fear the people, but loves the people, even those trying to trap him, and tells the truth. We bear the imprint of our Creator, just like a coin bears the imprint of the emperor. The vineyard belongs to God, we belong to God, and therefore as we Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, let us also [render] to God the things that are God’s.


To sum up then,

The old corrupt order is being judged (they kill their own Messiah!). External religion, with its emphasis on outward appearance, doing good in order to win favour, and letting public opinion steer the truth (hmm, sounds like the church in the West today) is once again shown to be bankrupt, ruinous, and utterly opposed to the living God. You cannot be right with God by being good enough.

By contrast, the new order is rising, with Jesus as its cornerstone and foundation, his mercy and grace and self-sacrifice setting the standard for this new order: the church. We are a holy nation, a kingdom of priests – that is who we are, that is our identity- Let us live like it, by the grace of God. Let us remember that we belong to him, he owns us, we are twice bought, we owe Him everything.

Amen.

Sunday school has started!

Hurra! Sunday school has started for the children (which they are VERY excited about).
Debby is leading the Sunday school.

They are doing an overview of the Bible, starting with Creation and ending with Revelation.
There are currently 2 children and they are praying with expectancy for more (Kaleb prayed and then immediately asked when "all the other children" would be coming. Sweet!)

Language is currently English, but Norwegian can be spoken if necessary.

Please pray for our children's church!

Mark 11:1-25 The King appears

 

Mark 11:1-25

1. What is impossible with man, is possible with God

Let’s deal with the last verses first – what catches all of our greedy little eyes is this “23 Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”

We convieniently leave out the next verse talking about forgiving people and difficult things like that. No, these verses are where it’s at – power, prestige, commanding mountains to fall into the sea, and demanding - I mean asking - God for things. We love it because it pulls at our very core – we can be like God. We can be God, deciding for ourselves. After all, if you’re asking God for things and he’s GOT to do it – well, who’s really God? That’s our problem of sin – we want to be God instead of letting God be God. We have swapped him out with us.

This is a favourite verse of those white-suited salesmen you see on so-called “Christian” television. Peddlers of false religion who sell modern-day indulgences to gullible people. Gullible because they don’t know their Bible, they don’t know the God they profess to love in all his power and might and awesomeness. Who in their right mind would believe that the God of the Bible would do whatever you ask him. Seriously? You? You with all your sin and failings, your rebellion, your shame, your darkness and evil? Ordering God about like he’s your servant, there to bow to the whim of the great <insert your name here>.

What’s the first rule of Bible study? Context.
And the second rule? Context.
And the third? Yes, context!

Because a text without a context is a pretext for a con. And, boy, do these guys con people. They run multi-million dollar enterprises on these cons.

But you might say “I was blessed by that man (or woman)” “they really helped me to understand this or that about God” or “my aunt was saved after listening to x”. God often speaks through the mouths of evil men, and achieves his purposes through his enemies. Let me remind you of the story of Balaams donkey, where the donkey speaks God’s word to Balaam, which causes Balaam to bless Israel and not curse them. God can use the words of an ass to bring blessing. Doesn’t make the ass any less of an ass. Don’t be fooled.

These verses do not mean “whatever pathetic worldly desire I have right now, I can ask for it and God will do it.” No, you cannot muster up enough “faith” to get a Ferrari, no matter how hard you try.
These verses are talking about something much greater than that. The mountain that Jesus is talking about is the impossibility of men to be saved – particularly here the people of Israel. And if Israel can’t be saved, God’s chosen people, what hope have the rest of us?!
None at all.
But as Jesus stated in the text we looked at two weeks ago “what is impossible with man is possible with God” (10:27). Have faith in God brothers, because the mountain of sin and rebellion against God is about to be dealt with – by Jesus on the cross. Jesus will cast that into the sea, the mountains made low and the valleys raised up for the Lord, a highway in the desert, a highway to the city of our God (Is 40 quoted in Mark 1:3).

So does this mean if we pray a pious prayer, asking God for good things like salvation for our loved ones, that he will answer – must answer? Again, no, because who is God and who isn’t? We know already from Mark that prayer is a declaration of dependence on God, not a list of things for him to do. This has to do with two things: 1. The offer of salvation for everyone. Jesus has made a way for everyone to be saved, he has removed the mountain, but who is saved is not for us to decide. 2. You, me, individually – if we pray for forgiveness, and believe in Jesus, we will be forgiven. 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

How do we know that he’s talking about salvation here, and not big houses and fast cars and pretty women? The very next verse, which even begins with the word “and”, is talking about what? 25 And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.
Forgiveness. Being forgiven by the Father. Being accepted. This is the real big deal. Ferraris are rubbish, utter nonsense compared to this. Knowing the Creator – as FATHER. Being forgiven, completely. Accepted. Free. No guilt, no shame. Utter contentment in life no matter your circumstances. Happiness whether you own a Ferrari or a pair of battered shoes with holes in the soles! This is where it’s at. And as we have been treated, we cannot do any less than treat others the same way. We have been forgiven so we can forgive.

This is where it’s at. Let us stand in awe of Jesus as he does the impossible. Lift up your eyes – lift them up and see your saviour king. Lift up your voice and shout Hallelujah (God saves), Hosanna (save now) in the highest! For here comes the saviour, the humble Warrior King, the Son of David going to war for his people, a battle that will cost his very life.

Jesus can do the impossible, casting the mountain into the sea, because Jesus is the Servant King.

2. Jesus the Servant King

7 [T]hey brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it, and he sat on it. 8 And many spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields. 9 And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! 10 Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!” 11 And he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple

Jesus comes riding into Jerusalem on a donkey, the crowds rejoicing and celebrating, just as in 1 Kings 1 when Solomon, the King, the son of David, comes riding into Jerusalem on a donkey (the king’s mule). Here is the true son of David, of which Solomon, the king of peace and wisdom, was really a poor shadow. Jesus is the true King. This is the King we are looking for, fulfilling the word spoken by the prophet Zechariah:

Zec 9:9–11 (ESV) Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. 10 I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall speak peace to the nations; his rule shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth. 11 As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.

Here comes Isaiah’s suffering Servant of God, the king who serves – for to set us free from the waterless pit of death he must (10v45) give his life as a ransom for many. What king is this! What love is this!

If the crowds had really understood what Jesus was doing, instead of just thinking he was a political rescuer, they really would have shouted Hosanna (lit. save now). And really would have blessed his name. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! 10 Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Comes from Psalm 118, a Psalm of military triumph against overwhelming odds.
Jesus will fight and win the impossible battle. And he calls us to join him in his triumph. If we will only have faith to pray for forgiveness, believing we have received it, it will be ours. For it is bought by the blood of the King, guaranteed by his awesome love, his awesome power.

Jesus is the Servant King.

3. Jesus the King

But Jesus is not just a servant – he is the servant KING. And the King demands respect, he demands allegiance, and in his anger he will judge. And this is what’s happening with the fig tree and the clearing of the Temple.

Remember how Mark’s Gospel opened?

1:2 Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way, - it’s a direct quote from Malachi 3:1. And the verse continues like this: And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple….But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears?

Malachi promised a day when the Lord himself will come suddenly to his Temple, a sudden day when the sins of Israel will be exposed. Israel’s judgement or evaluation is at hand, and they are found wanting. The fig tree is green – it looks good from the outside – all the religious pomp and circumstance is there, all the rituals… but there’s no fruit, no reality, no love for the Lord God. It is a withered, dead tree.

The cursing of the fig tree, with the Temple pronouncement in between, is part of Mark’s “sandwich” structure. We know what the cursing of the tree (the “bread”) means because of the “meat” in the middle: clearing the Temple. The fig tree is Israel. The fig tree is the old religious order. The fig tree symbolizes both the hollow reality behind the imposing religious structure and the unrepentant, fruit-less nation of Israel itself.

The Temple is unfit for receiving the King. The Temple (God’s “house” v17) is unfit as a house of prayer for the nations – instead it is a den of robbers. And, we might add, a den of murderers – look at v18 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.

Jesus has come to establish a new Israel, those who follow him – and judgement will fall on the old Israel, who, in only a few days, will crucify their true Davidic King.

New Israel, however, represented by the disciples, will grow from strength to strength, because the very power of God is behind it. Indeed, they merely need to speak to a “mountain” and it will obey them.
On the Day of Pentecost they prayed and received the Holy Spirit of God, and spoke to the mountain of religious Jews of their guilt and their need to repent and accept Jesus as both Lord and Christ. They were cut to the heart, and over 3000 repented and were baptised in one day!

Israel re-forged!

Jesus quotes from Isaiah 56:7 “my house shall be called a house of prayer”. Isaiah 55 and 56 is a beautiful vision of the compassion of our Lord. It begins like this Is 55:1–3 (ESV) “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. 2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labour for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. 3 Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David.

Here is “David”, the true King, standing in his Temple, offering free forgiveness, free because he is about to pay the ultimate price. And the vision in Isaiah is not just for Israel, but the whole world. Note Jesus’ quote “a house of prayer for ALL the nations.” In Isaiah 56 all nations are part of the restoration, all peoples can hear the call to “come”. So will we listen? Will we come to the King while he is to be found? Or will you harden your heart?

I‘m going to end with a story which Jesus tells in Lk 14:16–24 [Jesus] said…, “A man once gave a great banquet and invited many. 17 And at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ 18 But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.’ 19 And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.’ 20 And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ 21 So the servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’ 22 And the servant said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’ 23 And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. 24 For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.’ ”

Inside or outside? Feasting with the King? Or facing the outer darkness? Those are the choices.

Jesus is the King, the Servant King, come to judge and to save, and we need to respond rightly.

After listening to this there’s two ways of responding.

The wrong way, the Impossible application is this: I, like the Pharisees, can save myself. I can impress God with my religion, my good works, my niceness. That will work.

The right way is to bow down before this awesome king, and beg him to accept us, to forgive us. And if we do so, listen to these comforting words 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

Is 55:6–9 (ESV) “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; ...return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. 8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Amen.

Mark 10:35-11:11 The Servant King

Mark 10:35-11:11

What kind of boss would you like to have?

What do you think makes a great leader?
Most of you are probably thinking along the lines of someone who cares for you as a person, not just a cog in a machine. Someone approachable, not distant. Someone who listens to other people’s ideas, not who rules with an iron fist. Something like that? I doubt many of us thought of an autocratic dictator as good leaders. Most people in history, and many people in the world today, however, would disagree with you.

In a survey of leadership throughout world history an interesting pattern emerged. Most societies viewed compassion in a leader as weakness. Leaders were strong, exercising authority over people, and lording it over them. People were there to serve the leaders. This was across the board, even to the level of fatherhood. Many fathers believe that their authority is given them in order to please them instead of to serve others.


But as Christianity started to spread, there was suddenly a totally different model of leadership on display: compassionate, servant-hearted, looking out for the interests of others. Now Jesus wasn’t the first (or the last) to proclaim such ways of leading, but he was the only one who truly embodied it, washing his disciples’ feet, dying on the cross for his followers, and commanding them to do the same.

And eventually they did, and changed the world, although in tonight’s passage they’re still stuck in old ways of thinking.

1. Christians live to serve

Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 43 But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

You’ve really got to feel sorry for the disciples here – getting it wrong AGAIN! This is a repeat of 9:33-37 (Jesus predicts his death, the ultimate act of service from the greatest person in the universe, and the disciples? Well, they were v34 “arguing about who was the greatest”!) and a repeat of 8:31-33 where Peter, who has just declared Jesus as the Christ, then gets it completely wrong and rebukes Jesus for suggesting he should die – but that’s exactly why Jesus came! This is a rescue mission.

But it’s a hard thing to get your head around isn’t it. I mean, why do we all want to be rich and famous? It’s not because we want to run around serving people is it? No! It’s so we can get people to serve us. At our heart we want to be God, we want to be the one calling the shots, shaping our life to be the way we want it to be. And the disciples are no different. They’re just as sinful as we are. There’s nothing special or better about them – except that Jesus called them out, to follow him.

And so, because they have the same problem we do, the disciples blow it again. After Jesus’ third proclamation of his death, his ultimate service, they completely ignore what he’s said “There, there Jesus, that’s very nice and all, but you’re not really going through with this – when we’re in Jerusalem you’ll flex your muscles and show them who’s boss, and we, well we want to be right beside you telling people what’s what and who’s who.” You can see that they don’t believe Jesus’ proclamations of his death because they readily agree to his challenge “Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” Are you willing to suffer like I will, to drink the cup of God’s judgement, to die to save a sinful world? That’s what he’s asking them.
And they answer We are able.
Not a clue!

And the other disciples are no better, all indignant because they didn’t think to ask Jesus first, like children arguing over who gets to sit where.

No, says Jesus, it shall not be so among you (v43). You disciples, and all who follow me, are called to pick up your cross, deny yourself, and follow me. Put your pride and ego and arrogance to death. In humility to almighty God, go where you are sent and do what you are sent to do.

Jesus’ humility, his willingness to serve, even to death, stems from a secure knowledge of who he is. When you are trying to boost yourself, stroke your ego, constantly aware of who’s looking at me, what do they think – you cannot serve. When you are secure in who you are, a child of God, seated in Christ at the very throne of God, declared innocent, with a perfect record of obedience already proclaimed from now until the day you die – wow. Then your sensitive ego can be shut up while you throw yourself into whatever task God has given you, however small or difficult or demeaning (low) it is. Because then you are following in the footsteps of Christ.

Do we really understand this? This demand on our lives to follow Christ? Do we get what pick up your cross means? It means we give up our rights to Jesus. It means we become his slave. It means that in order to win others to him we will do anything to glory in our Saviour, no matter what. Let me read some of the story of Asif, a Pakistani Muslim who became a Christian – and suffered the consequences. (from Voice of the Matrys book)

Asif had a motorbike accident and broke his leg – but a Christian lady prayed for him and his leg was healed! This made Asif angry – how dare he pray to Jesus – but also set Asif to thinking. Asked mulvi – tried to poison him before accepted Jesus. Accepted Jesus. Thrown out of home. Beaten. Arrested. Lost "everything". But carries on for the joy of sharing Jesus with those around him. Has everything that matters. Story of Asif from Pakistan in 2001. As far as we know, still preaching fearlessly today.

What are you still hanging on to as your “right”? What are you demanding from God? We belong to Jesus, not anyone else, and certainly not ourselves. 


But after reading something like that I just feel guilty. Who can live like that?!
If you’re anything like me your heart is always loudly demanding its rights and sulking and being put out when it doesn’t get its way. I get angry when I’m put out. I’m so selfish!

Jesus, the way of loving service is impossible!

I can’t do it!


Exactly. Doing this – following Jesus - requires Jesus’ miraculous power at work in us.


2. Following Jesus is impossible without Jesus 

I’m so happy that this miracle is placed right here. Another blind man whose eyes are being opened. The first (in 8:22-26) revealed the power of Jesus in opening the eyes of the disciples to his identity. We cannot recognise God without God’s power to open our eyes. So pray for those who don’t know Jesus as Lord and Saviour – that’s the most important thing you can do for them. And then tell them, invite them to church or Bible study, and keep praying.

But this miracle is for Christians. Because this section is all about how do you follow Jesus. And just when the disciples are getting it all wrong, again, Jesus opens the eyes of a blind man.

Just like the disciples, this blind man knows who Jesus is. And just like the disciples, this man cannot follow Jesus because of his blindness. 47 when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 48 And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Son of David – the rightful King. The one who fulfils God’s promise to David in 2 Sam 7 of an everlasting descendant who will rule over all Israel in righteousness and justice and peace forever. It is this blind man who first acknowledges Jesus as King of Israel. And he cries out for mercy.

Jesus hears his cry and opens his eyes, and the man v50 immediately he recovered his sight and followed him on the way. 

Friends, you cannot follow Jesus on your own. Just like we’ve been seeing in Romans in the Bible studies, we are saved by grace and we live by grace. Grace covers us from beginning to end. All our sins past, present AND FUTURE are nailed to the cross. There is no accusation against us – we are innocent, set free. God is no longer angry with us, and will never be angry with us, his wrath satisfied on the cross. Your performance is already approved.

So what joy, what pure joy to throw everything aside and give up everything for Jesus. Look what he has done for me, you cry to your heart, I will give everything for him. And be confident that you can do that in Christ because he is at work in you, performing miracle after miracle to keep your blind eyes open so that you can follow him on the road.

Jesus is the one who makes it possible to follow Jesus. Christian, you do not follow him in your own power, but in his great mercy and love. Be of good cheer, have courage, you can do it through him who gives you strength.


Christians live to serve, because that’s what Jesus does. He is the Servant King.

Following Jesus is impossible without Jesus.

So, come to the King, he is gentle and kind, powerful to save, a servant King.
Come to him you who are rebels against him and find forgiveness.
Come to him you who belong to him and find strength to follow in his footsteps. We do NOT do this alone, for He is with us.

Mark 10:13-34 It is impossible to be saved

Mark 10:13-34

Previously on “Mark: the Gospel”….

Jesus of Nazareth has burst onto the scene and created quite a stir. He’s been doing massive miracles left, right and centre, healing people, casting out demons, walking on water, making food appear from thin air – enough to feed over 5000 people, and then again 4000 people, and even raising people from the dead! He is no fake. Even his critics cannot deny his power! They accuse him of being from the devil instead. (Dirty politics 101: If you can’t beat them, throw mud at them and hope it sticks!).


And these stories really happened. People were there with Jesus. They SAW him do these things. And these weren’t primitives! We are often so arrogant assuming that people who lived long ago were somehow stupider than we are. That they would be fooled by simple magic tricks.
The society they lived in was complex and sophisticated. They were part of the Roman empire. There was trade, business, long distance travel, courts of law, police, large cities, running water, roads, schools, reading, writing, in fact university-level mathematics, and philosophies that are still in use today (and being heralded as “new”)! It was an advanced civilisation!

So if Jesus had been just a magician (and there were magicians in those days, just like now, it wasn’t something they’d never seen before) he would quite quickly have been exposed for his trickery. Or people would have been entertained, like now, but any claims to divinity would have been met with mocking laughs, just as if Paul Daniels (UK magician) suddenly claimed to be God. So Jesus really did do what he’s reported as doing.

Some say that “Oh no, this was just a story that was embellished (added to)”. They say that the miracles were added in at a later date by some unknown authors. There’s two problems with that:


1. The genre of historical fiction was only invented 1800 years later. Before that time it was never even conceived of to write fiction as if it were history, fact. Myths were written as myths and history as history. As CS Lewis, Oxford Professor of Medieval and Renaissance English, said “I have been reading poems, romances, vision literature, legends and myths all my life. I know what they are like. I know none of them are like this. Of this Gospel text there are only two possible views. Either this is reportage…or else, some unknown ancient writer…without known predecessors or successors, suddenly anticipated the whole technique of modern novelistic, realistic narrative.”

2. People were still alive who remembered the events of that day! If I went on NRK today and said that during the 1970’s fuel crisis when King Olav took the tram, after he got out of the tram he launched himself into the air and flew to the top of the mountain, melted some snow with his laser eyes, and then skiied down so fast he broke the sound barrier, I’d be laughed at. No-one would believe me. People remember what happened. That didn’t happen. Additionally, even if it did happen, people would be reluctant to say it happened, because it’s so fantastical. The only way people would agree that it happened would be if they could not explain it away by any other means.

Jesus really did do the miracles he did, and the disciples saw those miracles first hand. They heard his teaching, teaching “like no other”. He made audacious statements “you have heard it said (in the Bible) but *I* say…”. And it still took them over two years before they were able to believe the evidence before their eyes and say “You are the Christ” (the rescuer promised by God in the Old Testament). They still didn’t understand fully, didn’t understand that he was God in the flesh, in person, until his resurrection. That blew away all doubts! Jesus could do the impossible.

And in tonight’s passage Jesus touches on exactly that point.

And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, “Then who can be saved?” 27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” 

1. Only “children” can be saved 

15 Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”

The big theme in this section between the two “blind man” miracles, this part of Mark’s gospel dealing with the question what does it mean to follow Jesus, has been greatness in the kingdom of God. What does it mean to be great? How do we follow Jesus? What does it mean to “deny ourselves, pick up our cross, and follow Jesus”? What does this look like?

We’ve seen so far that Christian leaders lead by serving, not ordering people around. Christians guard their lives carefully, striving to obey Jesus, so as not to lead other’s astray. Christians pray “help me in my unbelief”, dependant on Jesus instead of arrogant self-sufficiency like the Pharisees. And here again Jesus brings home the message that independence and self-righteousness, depending on your own goodness for salvation, like the rich young ruler, doesn’t cut it. Dependence, helplessness, simple trust, faith, like a child – those are the marks of a Christian.

This is not about children! If you doubt that, have a look at verse 24, what Jesus calls his disciples: 24 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 not about AGE but about CHARACTERISTICS. Much rubbish has been spoken about these verses by people who have not read them in context, and ignore the rest of the Bible’s teaching on sin. They say “Children are innocent”.
If you read Mark from the beginning and get here you will know the children represent dependence on Jesus – they certainly don’t represent innocence! Jesus addressed that nonsense back in chapter 7: sin comes from our hearts, inside, not from outside influences. We’re born with it.
Anyone with children will know they are not innocent! No parent sits down and teaches their child to be selfish, or to lie, or to hit their siblings! The Bible tells us time and time again that we are born sinful, born as rebels against God, because we inherit that state from our parents, all the way back to Adam. We are born wanting to be God, independent, determining our own path, deciding for ourselves what is right and what is wrong.

Jesus accepts the little children and blesses them. It was not to demonstrate that if you’re under the age of 12 you go to heaven. If that was the case, the most loving thing we could do is kill every child under the age of 12 to make sure they go to heaven! So, if wholesale murder of children for their spiritual safety is the logical outcome of your interpretation of a verse, you’ve probably got it wrong. No. Jesus blessing the children was a huge message to the disciples to take the message of the Gospel to everyone, even children (the least important in society in those days)!

This deliberate misreading of this verse out of context, ignoring the rest of the Bible - this idea that children are innocent has had tragic consequences: people have stopped telling the gospel to children. Parents aren’t raising their children in the light of the gospel. How do you raise children without the gospel?!
Because kids understand sin and grace much better than we do. They struggle continually with their sinful behaviour – they’re not so sophisticated at hiding their sin and justifying themselves. They know their own sin. And then we say they’re innocent, good.
It is a lie.
And they know it’s a lie because they know themselves. It is a lie with no hope.
And so they reject Jesus, believing him to be a fool. Please, keep telling children the gospel!
Do not be like the disciples, hindering the children from coming to Jesus. For Jesus will terrify you in his anger: it would be better for [you] if a great millstone were hung around [your] neck and [you] were thrown into the sea. 

Tell them the truth. Call sin sin. Show that their behaviour reveals the rebellion in their heart. Help them understand their desires to control, to boss people around, to do what they want, their anger when they can’t be God in people’s lives. Help them know themselves. They need the truth as much as adults do. And then please offer them the wonderful news of the gospel – Jesus has dealt with their problem of sin.

I can tell you story after story of times I have sat with Kristin, tears streaming down her face, as she cries and cries about her inability to stop being naughty, to stop sinning. “I don’t want to be like this”. She knows, she knows. What a horrible father I would be if I lied to her then and said “no, no, you’re good, you’re innocent”. That’s horrible because it’s saying to her “try harder, do better”. You’re failing because you’re not good enough. That’s religion. That’s moralism. And that cannot save. Instead I tell her that her heart is bent, that deep down she hates God, just like me, and that leaks out all over the place – but that Jesus has come to deal with that problem, that he forgives her, that he can wash away her sin and mine, that he loves her, and can hold her in his arms and bless her. And there is the power of eternal life! 

We are to be like children, not innocent, but helpless, dependant, because “it is IMPOSSIBLE to be saved”.

2. Good people can’t be saved 

Here we have the rich young ruler, the pinnacle of society. He is blessed by God with riches, youth, and power. To the first century Jew riches were a blessing from God for being good. Riches meant goodness. And he is a good man, following the Law, a moral man, outwardly a great success. Surely this man God would be pleased with?

But Jesus exposes his heart. “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.”

What is the man’s problem? He thinks people can be good enough for God. Jesus gently reminds him that only God is good. And then quotes some of the Ten Commandments to him.

Now those of you coming to the Bible Study should remember the purpose of the Law: Rom 3:20 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in [God’s] sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.
So listening to that list, the man should have realised that he is not good, that he is a sinner - not gone "oh yes, I've done that!". And note the commands Jesus does NOT quote – all those to do with relating to God. This man’s problem is that he is outwardly good but his heart is far from God.
He is self-sufficient.
He can say the right words and play the part, but at the end of the day he saves himself: it is his actions, his words, his goodness that counts, that gets him all the way to paradise.

He does not consider himself helpless, like a child. He does not cry out “help me in my unbelief”. Instead he says “all these I have kept from my youth”.
I did it. I achieved it.
God, you owe me salvation. Indeed. Who is God then if you are ordering God around, making God do things because you’ve pushed the right spiritual buttons?

This whole charade with Jesus is to justify himself. HE wanted Jesus to say “well done, you’ve done it, what a great guy you are.”

But, instead, Jesus loves him, and exposes his heart: sell all that you have and follow me. The man’s security was found in his wealth, his power, his prestige. His “goodness” was based on his abundance, living the good life. Give up your false security, says Jesus, and have faith in me – follow me.

The demand is stark. This man trusts in himself, follows his own path. Jesus demands that he trust in Jesus, and follow Jesus. He’s calling him to obey the commandments he didn’t quote: to have no other gods before him, to stop worshipping idols, to honour his name, to honour the Sabbath (that is find his security in God).

Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25 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.

We are in severe danger in Norway: Our wealth blinds us to our need for God. Our self-sufficiency leads us away from him. Our Christian morals leads us to self-righteousness.

Friend, what are you trusting in? Yourself. Your own abilities. When you go to bed at night do you feel good or bad depending on what you’ve done during the day? Do you feel far away or near to God depending on your performance? Beware! Because you may be trusting in yourself rather than the free grace of Jesus. And you are forgetting that you are a sinner. You are a law-breaker by nature, at your very core. You cannot satisfy the perfection of a great and holy and good God, not even as a Christian. No-one is good but God alone. Repent now, stop trusting in your earthly riches, and follow Jesus.

Let me tell you a story about a couple we’ve got to know over the course of the past year. They are lovely people, generous, kind-hearted, friendly. Got everything going for them. They give massive amounts of time to religious work. They are good people. They know the gospel of Jesus. 
But they are the man in this story. Their good works are what justifies them, what they depend on to make them right with God. Jesus’ great act of redemption on the cross is relegated to second place, a kind of gateway to pleasing God, but after that you’ve got to prove to God that you’re worthy of paradise. 
That is not grace. That is not the gospel. That cannot save them, it cannot save us.

Listen to Jesus’ words: they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, “Then who can be saved?” 27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible.

Good people cannot be saved.


3. God can do the impossible 

Thankfully verse 27 does not end there where I ended it! 27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.”

Jesus is about to achieve the impossible. He, the only good man, is walking towards Jerusalem, towards his death. He will pay the punishment our sins deserve – all of our sins, even those we haven’t committed yet – by being “delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles. 34 And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him.”

Jesus, who is first, will be last, in order to make us who are last, outside, banished, first, inside, children of the Living God.

And it is a gift of love, a free, undeserved gift. Peter’s self-righteous claim in verse 28 “hey, we’ve followed you” is cut short by Jesus.
“Please, you can’t out-give God!” is what he’s saying in v29-30. It is an undeserved, free gift.

Your own abilities do not save you – in fact, they can lead you away from God.

Instead, come like a child, helpless, dependent, before the feet of Jesus, crying out “I believe! Help me in my unbelief!”. And Jesus can do the impossible and answer that prayer. Amen!

Readings for "The reason relationships fail" (Mark 10:1-14)

Mark 1:2 “Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way”

Malachi 3:1 “Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts. 2 But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire.

Mk 9:9 And as they were coming down the mountain, he charged them to tell no one what they had seen, until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. 10 So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what this rising from the dead might mean. 11 And they asked him, “Why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?” 12 And he said to them, “Elijah does come first to restore all things. And how is it written of the Son of Man that he should suffer many things and be treated with contempt? 13 But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written of him.”

Mal 4:1 “For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the LORD of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. 2 But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. 3 And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the LORD of hosts. 4 “Remember the law of my servant Moses, the statutes and rules that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel. 5 “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. 6 And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.”


Mk 10:1–34 (ESV) 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. 2 And Pharisees came up and in order to test him

Malachi 1:14 Cursed be the cheat who has a male in his flock, and vows it, and yet sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished. For I am a great King, says the LORD of hosts, and my name will be feared among the nations. 2:1 “And now, O priests, this command is for you. 2 If you will not listen, if you will not take it to heart to give honour to my name, says the LORD of hosts, then I will send the curse upon you and I will curse your blessings. Indeed, I have already cursed them, because you do not lay it to heart.


Mark 10:2 Pharisees came up and in order to test him asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” 3 He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” 4 They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away.” 5 And Jesus said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. 6 But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ 7 ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, 8 and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. 9 What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” 10 And in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. 11 And he said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her, 12 and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”

Mal 2:13 And this second thing you do. You cover the LORD’s altar with tears, with weeping and groaning because he no longer regards the offering or accepts it with favor from your hand. 14 But you say, “Why does he not?” Because the LORD was witness between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. 15 Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And what was the one God seeking? Godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and let none of you be faithless to the wife of your youth. 16 “For the man who does not love his wife but divorces her, says the LORD, the God of Israel, covers his garment with violence, says the LORD of hosts. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and do not be faithless.”

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