The Way of Jesus
Notes
Transcript
Mark 10:32-45
Francis of Assisi was dedicated to serving God.
In the cross he saw an example of how Christians should live. The horizontal beam of the cross represented how God came down to earth. The vertical beam represented God’s love for all humanity, reaching out to the ends of the earth.
He saw love and Christianity as service to humanity. He gave to the poor and hugged lepers and sacrificed in order to give to others.
John Michael Talbot, a musician and a Franciscan monk, wrote, “The truth that we incarnate Jesus when we serve others destroys the common distinction between ‘spiritual’ work (praying, preaching, teaching) and other kinds of service (nursing the sick, feeding the hungry). It means that when members of our community help provide clothing to poor people in our area, God is mystically there in our midst, smiling upon that simple act of charity”
(Talbot, The Lessons of St. Francis, p. 198). Cooper, R. L. (2000). Mark (Vol. 2, p. 174). Broadman & Holman Publishers.
Over the past several weeks, we have been talking about being blessed by God to be a blessing to our community. With the word BLESS as an acronym, we have talked about five simple practices we can begin today to bless our world.
Begin with prayer
Listen
Eat … and today we want to talk about…
Serve
Now, I want to make a quick note that next week we will take a break from this series on BLESS as we dedicate Cooper Sullivan to the Lord. We will plan to finish up, then, a couple Sundays from now with this series on blessing others.
But as we talk about serving as a blessing…
We are breaking in on Jesus’ story today as he was traveling down the road. A few verses earlier, at Mark 10:17, it speaks of Jesus starting out on a journey. At that point, the disciples apparently were not aware of where Jesus intended to go.
But now, at Mark 10:32, we find that Jesus’ direction was set; he was going to Jerusalem … for the last time. Jesus knew his disciples needed preparation for what was going to happen. So, he took them aside and prophesied his betrayal, arrest, suffering, death and resurrection.
In Mark’s gospel, this is the third time Jesus foretold his disciples of his death, and Jesus’ details about what would happen to him are more specific than before. But the disciples did not seem to understand or grasp what their rabbi was saying.
And so, shortly after Jesus’ prediction of his death, James and John approached Jesus with what truly was a “tone-deaf” request. Matthew’s gospel tells us the mother of James and John approached Jesus. Apparently, she came with her boys to Jesus to ask this favor.
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.”
In other words, in the kingdom that Jesus was establishing, James and John wanted to have the two topmost positions.
(pause)
Think about it!
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Jesus told the Twelve, “I’m going to Jerusalem to die.” And James and John say, “Can you make us your top generals or officials?”
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As we read, Jesus asked them if they could drink the cup of suffering that awaited him. They said they could, and Jesus affirmed that they would indeed suffer. However, he denied their request, saying it was for those whom it had been prepared.
One commentary notes:
What they do not realize is that Jesus’ glory will not become fully manifest to all until after great tribulation (13:24, 26). They also do not realize that two bandits will be crucified with Jesus, “one on his right and one on his left” (15:27, the only other place in Mark where these words occur), when he begins his reign from the cross.
Garland, D. E. (1996). Mark (p. 411). Zondervan Publishing House.
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Of course, dying with Jesus on the Cross was the furthest thing from the minds of James and John!
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This request was terribly selfish, crass… ugly. But then things got worse.
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Somehow, the other ten disciples got wind of what James and John had done… and… were… they… mad!
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As I studied for this message, I found that almost universally the commentaries agreed: the Ten were not upset so much that James and John would seek the two topmost positions in Jesus’ kingdom.
No, the other disciples were upset because they had been beaten to the punch!
(pause)
Truly, this event marked a crisis in Jesus’ ministry. As someone has noted:
Jealousy creates turmoil in the ranks. The disciples would rather bear a grudge than a cross.
Garland, D. E. (1996). Mark (p. 412). Zondervan Publishing House.
(pause)
This jealousy, envy, anger, and bitterness could easily have destroyed the unity of Jesus’ followers and wrecked his ministry.
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.
A commentary gives some helpful cultural background…
At the time of Jesus, Gentile lords (such as the Caesars) loved to equate themselves with gods. They placed their likenesses on coins to remind people of their self-proclaimed divinity.
They did not rule their subjects with benevolence, but they required them to bow down and worship them. Do not be like these Gentiles, Jesus told his disciples. He repeated essentially what he had been saying for the last two chapters of Mark: To be great, you must serve.
Cooper, R. L. (2000). Mark (Vol. 2, p. 171). Broadman & Holman Publishers.
This was the way of the world. The way of the world is to scheme, to fight, to lie, to finagle, to make deals and compromise, to humiliate, to push others down - to do anything and everything necessary in order to gain… and keep… power.
In contrast, Jesus presented a very different path to the TOP.
(pause)
Notice with me what Jesus taught in Mark 10:43-45.
1. The way to become great is to be a servant, v. 43.
1. The way to become great is to be a servant, v. 43.
But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant,
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Jesus’ words don’t make sense, do they?
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To be a servant suggests humility and deference.
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“Yes, sir. Yes, ma’am. How can I help you, sir - ma’am? Yes, I will be happy to do so!”
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The Greek word for servant in Mark 10:43 is diakonos, from which we get our word “deacon” today. Now, in our context, typically we look at “deacons” as those who hold certain positions of power in the church. But in the New Testament, the deacon was not so much a position of power as it was of serving.
The first seven deacons were appointed to oversee the food ministry in Jerusalem so that the apostles could be freed to study God’s Word and spend time in prayer.
According to a Bible dictionary:
A minister, servant, deacon. The derivation is uncertain. According to some it comes from diakónis, in the dust laboring, or running through dust.
Zodhiates, S. (2000). In The complete word study dictionary: New Testament (electronic ed.). AMG Publishers.
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How can one become great by serving?
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This truth doesn’t make sense to those consumed by the world.
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Notice also the adjective with “servant”. “Whoever would be great among you must be your servant.”
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It is one thing to serve others, people you don’t know. But it becomes even more personal when you serve your friends, your peers, … your competitors.
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Can you say “humbling, embarrassing”?
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But in the Kingdom of God, serving leads to greatness!
In 1878, when William Booth's Salvation Army was beginning to make its mark, men and women from all over the world began to enlist.
One man, who had once dreamed of becoming a bishop, crossed the Atlantic from America to England to enlist. Samuel Brengle left a fine pastorate to join Booth's Army.
But at first General Booth accepted his services reluctantly and grudgingly. Booth said to Brengle, "You've been your own boss too long."
And in order to instill humility in Brengle, he set him to work cleaning the boots of other trainees. Discouraged, Brengle said to himself, "Have I followed my own fancy across the Atlantic in order to black boots?"
And then, as in a vision, he saw Jesus bending over the feet of rough, unlettered fishermen. "Lord," he whispered, "you washed their feet; I will black their shoes."
K Hughes, Liberating Ministry From The Success Syndrome, Tyndale, 1988, p. 45.
But notice, secondly, that Jesus said …
2. The way to become first is to be the slave of all, v. 44.
2. The way to become first is to be the slave of all, v. 44.
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Let me stop and ask, do we have any competitive people here?
When you play a board game, do you really, REALLY, want to win? When you play basketball, are you secretly hoping to win 21-0? Do you want to skunk your opposition, no matter what game you are playing?
Are you competitive?
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and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all.
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Isn’t it interesting that Jesus would offer comparisons?
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Jesus is talking about service and humility. Yet at the same time he said, “if you want to be great, you must be a servant”, he also said, “if you want to be first, be a slave.”
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So… in everything Jesus says in these verses, he is not undermining initiative and the desire to be the best, and to be competitive!
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Yet Jesus is saying that we must reject the values and teachings of the world about what it means to be the best, even first over all.
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To be the first in God’s sight, we must be “slave of all”.
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In verse 43, the Greek for “servant” is diakonos, but here in verse 44, the word is “doulos.” Doulos can refer to just being a servant, but typically it referred to a bondservant, a slave.
Slavery in Old and New Testament times was a bit different than what we typically think of slavery. In Old Testament times, slavery was sometimes entered into voluntarily, in order to escape poverty or to pay off a debt.
Other times, slavery was involuntary, such as when one might be born into slavery, be captured in battle or be put into slavery by judicial sentence.
Slavery, in our minds, of course, conjurs up the brutal and dehumanizing institution of slavery that was experienced especially by 19th century America.
The point of Jesus in saying that we must be “slave of all” then is not to suggest a dehumanizing of the person. Rather, Jesus’ words underscore the submission to the prerogative of others.
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The way of the world is to insist on our own opinions, desires and wants. But Jesus teaches us here that to truly be first in God’s kingdom, we must be the slave of all!
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Consider that! Jesus said that the one who would be great must be your servant, but the one who would be first be slave of all.
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In other words, if you truly want to be the greatest in God’s sight, serving others is not a part-time job or limited to a select group; you must serve everyone and anyone.
Lorne Sanny, the founder of the Navigators, was once asked how we can really know when we have the attitude of a servant. His answer is to the point and worth pondering: “You know you’re a servant by how you act when you’re treated like one.”
Source: https://www.keepbelieving.com/sermon/serving-without-thanks/
Jesus’ teaching in verses 43-44 are demanding, shocking. But Jesus then followed up by telling the disciples how he would demonstrate what it meant to be the ultimate Servant.
3. The way of Jesus was to sacrifice his life, v. 45.
3. The way of Jesus was to sacrifice his life, v. 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.”
Earlier, we noted how it was common among Gentile lords of that time to equate themselves with gods and to expect everyone to bow before them and to be subservient to their whims and desire.
(pause)
If anyone ever had the right to expect others to serve him, it would be Jesus, Son of God, who had become flesh in order to live among us. Jesus was ushering in the Kingdom of God. It was only right that everyone bow before him, grovel at his feet.
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Instead, throughout his earthly ministry Jesus had served others - healing people of disease and sickness, casting out demons, teaching the people about God and encouraging them.
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But in his ultimate act of service and sacrifice, Jesus would voluntarily offer himself as the sacrifice for our sins. He would die on the Cross bearing the sin of all the world of all time upon his shoulders.
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What we could never do as sinners - paying the penalty for our wickedness - Jesus would offer himself as our ransom.
The ‘ransom’ was a familiar image in Jewish, Roman and Greek cultures. It was the price paid to liberate a slave, a prisoner of war, or a condemned person. The paying of the price cleaned the slate. To set a person free like this was known as ‘redemption’. Jesus Christ’s action in setting us free is described as ‘redeeming’ us in Luke 1:68; 2:38, Titus 2:14; Hebrews 9:12 and 1 Peter 1:18. Again the suffering servant of Isaiah 53 hovers in the background of every discussion of what this means. There is no benefit in asking to whom the ransom price was paid: this is not the point of the image. Its single purpose is to make clear that Jesus Christ, Son of God and Son of Man was himself the price paid to set us free. At the source of all Christian service in the world is the crucified and risen Lord who died to liberate us into such service.
English, D. (1992). The message of Mark: the mystery of faith (p. 182). InterVarsity Press.
Another commentary chimes in to explain what Jesus said about being the “ransom for many.”
The word “many” suggests a select number of recipients of these benefits: many but not all. In Semitic idiom, however, the word “many” can have the inclusive meaning “all” (see 1 Cor. 10:17; 1 Tim. 2:6). The effects of Jesus’ sacrifice extend to all who will accept it. But the emphasis falls on the many who need ransoming and on the action of the one who offers his life as that ransom.
Garland, D. E. (1996). Mark (p. 414). Zondervan Publishing House.
As followers of Jesus, we are called to imitate Christ. Indeed, the believers were first called Christians because of how greatly they mirrored our Savior. Christian means “little Christ.”
Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
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Of course, only Christ could offer the ransom for the sin of the world. And Christ’s sacrifice was the one-time substitutionary sacrifice for all sin.
Yet in his love and his willingness to sacrifice of himself, Jesus is our example of how we are to live.
As Paul wrote in Romans 12:1
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
If Christ’s example and call to servanthood and sacrifice is not enough, consider this thought:
Jesus has paid with his life the infinite debt owed by humankind. He has delivered us from our captivity to sin. There is a catch, however. Demosthenes cites the law that the one who was ransomed became the property of the one who freed him. Paul assumes this principle in his admonition to the Corinthians: “You are not your own; you were bought at a price” (1 Cor. 6:19b–20a). Having been ransomed by Christ, we belong entirely to him.
Garland, D. E. (1996). Mark (p. 418). Zondervan Publishing House.
(pause)
The challenge is clear - let us devote ourselves to living in such a way that Christ is pleased. We are not of the world; therefore, we must deny self-centeredness and greed.
Rather, we follow Jesus who has taught us that the way to become great is by being a servant, the way to become first is to become a slave of all, for the way of Jesus was to sacrifice his life.
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As we consider how we have been blessing so that we might be a blessing to others, the central truth we find in our text is this quote from David Garland in his commentary on this scripture:
Big Idea: "The way of Jesus is self-giving service."
Big Idea: "The way of Jesus is self-giving service."
Garland, D. E. (1996). Mark (p. 413). Zondervan Publishing House.
(pause)
This is it!
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Jesus came to earth - not as almighty God but a vulnerable baby wrapped in swaddling clothes - because he came to serve.
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Jesus healed people of sickness and disease. He cast out demons. He taught the people God’s Word. Why? He came to serve.
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But Jesus’ ultimate example of serving was his giving of his life on the Cross - the ransom, the sacrifice, for sin.
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As followers of Jesus, we are called to travel - to live - His way. We do not pursue the the way of the world. Rather, we walk the way of the Cross. And by doing so, we who have been blessed so richly by God are a blessing to all those around us.
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SERVE - serving others doesn’t necessarily mean that you set aside time on your calendar to serve.
“On Monday this week at 4 p.m., I will serve others.”
There might be times where you have the opportunity to serve others … and you set it aside on your calendar.
But more likely, we need to cultivate an awareness of people’s needs and a willingness to act so that whenever we are given a chance to serve, we act on it!
And so we see how other BLESS practices work together. We begin with prayer. We listen. We eat - we spend time with others.
Through prayer, our heart becomes burdened for the lost, prompting us to act. The Holy Spirit speaks to us, and we listen and obey.
By listening - truly listening - to others, we become aware of their needs - and opportunities to serve.
As we eat with them - or spend time with them in various contexts - we become more aware of their burdens and concerns.
And because our heart is filled with God’s love and our attitude is liek that of Christ - self-giving service - we move into action to bless others.
Someone has written…
"For Christians, what we think must always have the shape of the Cross about it. A young girl, upon walking into the church and seeing for the first time the Cross on the altar, asked her father-preacher, Joseph Cotton, “Daddy, what’s that plus sign doing up there?”
Bishop Melvin Wheatly set that description of the Cross as a plus sign over against what he called the most distasteful description of the Cross he ever heard: “The cross symbolizes the ‘I’ crossed out.”
Said Wheatley, “That description implies that the Cross is a minus sign. I submit to you that the Cross does not symbolize the minus sign but the plus sign—not the ‘I’ crossed out but the ‘I’ stretched out—reaching down into the ground of being, up into the infinity of becoming, and out toward as many others as it can touch.”"
http://ref.ly/o/prcm31gepcp/666896?length=797
By the end of this message, my congregation will…
• Understand that self-giving service is a key indicator of Christlikeness. (KNOW)
• Be compelled to serve others as followers of Jesus. (FEEL)
• Reorient their life around serving others in Jesus' name. (DO)
