Mark 10:32-52

A Call to Servant hood and Suffering

PRAYER:

Let us pray.

Grant us O LORD, a servant heart. The world honors powerful men and women, winners, achievers, those who make it to the top. Teach us, Father , that all your children are important to you.There is not one greater in the kingdom than those who would give their lives in service to you. Through Jesus we seek to serve, and in His name we pray.

Let the Words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts, be always acceptable in thy sight, O LORD our strength and our redeemer. AMEN.

ILLUSTRATION:

Joseph Mohr was born in Salzburg 11 December 1792. During his childhood, his name was associated with shame. Not only was he his mother’s third illegitimate child, he was godson to the town’s hated executioner. This came about because Mohr’s father, a soldier named Franz Jospeh Mohr, deserted the army and fled when he learned Ann Schoiber was pregnant by him. Ann had to face the consequences alone.

One of the consequences she faced was a fine. She earned little from her boarding house and knitting, so it would have taken her a year’s wages to pay it off. To spruce up his reputation, the town executioner said he would pay the fine and stand as godfather to the child. Unfortunately, this only meant more humiliation for the boy. He was ostracized and no school would accept him, nor would any employer hire him or teach him a trade.

However, the boy could sing. Johann Hiernle, a Benedictine monk and choirmaster, overheard Mohr singing as he played games on the steps of a Capuchin monastery. Heirnle obtained his mothers permission to train the lad. Mohr blossomed under this care. By twelve he was well on his way to mastering the organ, guitar, and violin. He held his own among elite students, always placing near the top of the class.

He continued his training until he was twenty-three and was ordained a priest.

In 1816, he was stationed at the pilgrimage church in Austria. There he wrote the words to “Silent Night.”

“Silent Night” expresses the wonder of the light Christ brought at his incarnation, which was announced by angels to shepherds, and inspired wise men to follow a star and find the incarnate king.

Joseph Mohr had a tender heart toward the needy and outcast. When he died he was penniless. For years he had given almost everything he earned to charities, among which was a school he had started for poor children.

Now let us move towards the Gospel of St. Mark and grasp the word of God.

This is the final set of events in Jesus’ public ministry before the gospel of St. Mark moves into the passion week, crucifixion and resurrection.

Mark 10:32–34 ESV

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.”

LESSON. We begin with Jesus leading the disciples on his walk. This is a travel narrative that is being emphasized by St. Mark. Here St. Mark is writing that Jesus is leading his disciples as they travel and having them follow Him as his teacher. It seems pretty self evident in those days that students would be close to their Rabbi in their travels but it also functions as a great example and reminder of the life Christians today who are supposed to live. What is that? It is to follow Christ wherever He may lead.

Here we see that Jesus predicts again His suffering, death and resurrection to His disciples and they are fearful. In Jerusalem Jesus would be delivered or handed over. He would be taken to the chief priests who would in turn hand Him over to the gentiles. This would be a significant betrayal against any Jew , to say nothing of the Messiah. Then the Gentiles in turn hand Him over to death after bringing shame to Him. Then on the third day after His death He would rise again. Notice how these events connect to each other like a string of pearls or a table of contents. Jesus’ purpose was to ensure the disciples understood what laid ahead so they would be prepared.

Lets us continue to the next passages.

Mark 10:35–37 ESV

And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to him and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” And he said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?” And they said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.”

Unfortunately, the LORD’s warnings failed to find an attentive ear among the disciples. The disciples have not learned their lesson from previous encounters and discipleship failure continues. They still long for greatness and status. Jesus again has talked about His death, and they are in effect saying. “Great, so when you die and are resurrected, we want to rule with you.” The disciples understand who Jesus is. He is the Messiah, but, they realize neither why He has come nor their part in it. To sit on the LORD’s “right and “left” referred to the respective ranks of second and third in command in the kingdom of God. The glory the disciples imagined had Jesus being honored by a ticker-tape parade. The disciples had not heard or recognized anything Jesus had said, so they had no clue about the future they faced.

Mark 10:38–40 ESV

Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” And they said to him, “We are able.” And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized, but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.”

Jesus knew what they failed to realize, suffering and sacrifice were the path to glory. They wanted the rewards without the cost. Jesus is gentle but firm in His response. He compares His approaching suffering and death to drinking a cup and experiencing a baptism. Let us explore what the meaning is to these two metaphors.

The cup is a cup of suffering from which on drinks God’s wrath. Remember, Jesus prays in the Garden of Gethsemane later in the Gospels in (Mark 14:36 “And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”). As for baptism is used for “divine judgment” as stated in the Gospel of Luke (Luke 12:50 “I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished!” ) Jesus understood this was the will of God for His life. Still He struggled with the weight of it. To choose who sits on His right or left is a decision reserved for His Father and not an appropriate kind of question of those who will sit in those chairs to ask.

LESSON. James and John fail to see that the pathways to glory is always the pathway of suffering. Before the crown there is a cup of suffering. Before the blessings that flow there is a baptism that overwhelms and drowns. In their desires to be princes in the final kingdom, James and John think of the golden goblet of royalty, and the baptism as an anointing to the highest office. Jesus knows that in time they will drink the cup. James would be the first disciple to be martyred and John would be exiled to the island of Patmos for years.

Let us continue.

Mark 10:41–45 ESV

And when the ten heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John. And 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. But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

The ten disciples are angry at the two (James and John). But Jesus steps in and uses the occasion to teach His lesson on being a servant, on being great in God’s kingdom. Here Jesus uses the term “Gentiles” to illustrate the world’s style of leadership. The Gentile model of leadership and power were abuses of authority and a means of controlling others for selfish gains. Jesus states, “But it shall not be so among you”, because power is for service.

LESSON. In the worldview, the more important you are, the more are the people who serve you. But Jesus illustrated that in the Kingdom of God the more important you re, the more people you serve. If you want to be great, do something great for God. You want to please and honor Jesus with your life, then become a servant and a slave to all. Such a person will have the mind of Christ, honoring others better than themselves, not giving attention to their own interests, but to those of others. Jesus reverses all ideas of greatness, turning the present world’s philosophy on its head. These words came from our LORD who could heal with a touch, compel the weather to change immediately, provide food for thousands, cleanse lepers, and cause demons to tremble before Him. To many it would not make sense. Does it make sense to us today?

Jesus as the Son of Man id the final model for a life of servanthood. Giving His life alludes to the Suffering Servant in the Book of Isaiah. Specifically, (Isaiah 53:10 “Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.”) and ( Isaiah 53:12 “Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.” ) This defines Jesus’ Messianic mission, He cam to purchase our salvation with His death.

Let us continue.

Mark 10:46–48 ESV

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, “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!”

Jesus has arrived at Jericho. A poor bling beggar named Bartimaeus suffered because of the crowd around him. It was because the mob marginalized him and had him sidelined in life. He sits on the road, day after day, begging to survive. Hearing that Jesus is passing by, he begins to shout loudly to attract Jesus’ attention. The mob tells him to be quiet, maybe this was the first time they noticed him, and heard him but not in love, only in scorn. The blind man is completely alone and completely dependent on others. Will the Son of David please help me?

LESSON. “One at at time.” Christians should avoid being part of the “herd mentality,” that we miss someone in need. Let us ...Pray for one at a time. feed one at a time, clothe one at a time Love one at a time.There is always one who needs our help. Do you see that one? Do you hear that one?

Mark 10:49–51 ESV

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.”

Jesus is on the way to Jerusalem, on the way to die. Jesus is determined to fulfill His Father’s will, His destiny. I think we would understand if He just moved on this time without stopping to help a poor blind man. He had more important things on His mind. But He did stop. He wanted to minster to one more. Here was another lesson to His disciples. Jesus taught His disciples to act of stopping. Jesus hears the cries of the man who is hurting. Here the mob wants to block this man from coming to Jesus, much like the disciples wanting to block the children from coming to Jesus. Jesus asks Bartimaeus “What do you want Me to do for you?” This is the same question He has just asked Jame and John in verse 36. Bartimaeus asked for sight not for best seats in the Kingdom of God.

LESSON. Jesus heard Hid cries like He hears ours. Jesus listened to his request just as He listens to ours. (Psalm 54:2 “O God, hear my prayer; give ear to the words of my mouth.” ) and (Psalm 71:2 “In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me; incline your ear to me, and save me!” ) The LORD indeed heard his request, which is actually a prayer to God.

Mark 10:52 ESV

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.

LESSON. Jesus simply and quickly responds to the cry for grace and mercy from the blind beggar. When Jesus refers to the man’s faith, Jesus is not saying that the man has earned anything. Grace is the divine hand that extends healing. Faith is the human hand that reaches out and receives it.

APPLICATION:

Why do we call our Sunday worship times, “service?” Who is being served? Often times it seems like it is service to ourselves isn’t it?

Our perspective should be to come to our Sunday service and receive training so we can go out and serve.

Nothing has changed in two-thousand years, Jesus still stops for anyone who calls on His name. And like poor, blind Bartimaeus, no one is disappointed in what He does. There is hope for anyone who, in faith, looks to Jesus.

What can we do?

We can take inventory on the things that stand in the way of our discipleship. We can be persistent in our pursuit of Jesus. We can help others who have not received Jesus to better understand our servanthood to God.

Jesus always took time for people. He was never too busy with His own agenda, with His own plans. He wasn’t so caught up in Himself that He was unwilling to stop and help any person in need. He could have easily said, “Listen, I have a schedule to keep.” But no, Jesus had compassion on people. He freely gave of His life. Make sure that you keep your heart of compassion open. We need to be willing to be interrupted and inconvenienced if it means we can help meet someone’s needs. Sometimes if we would just take the time to listen to them, we could help initiate a healing process in his or her life. If you can open your heart of compassion and be that person’s friend—without judging or condemning—and simply have an ear to listen, you could make a difference in that person’s life.

Let us close by recognizing Jesus taught that the greater a person is, the greater his or her service will be. The person who gives the most is the greatest.