The Teachings of Jesus (Part 2)
The Suffering Servant • Sermon • Submitted
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Introduction
Introduction
Last week we began looking at a section that highlights the teachings of Jesus. This week, we come to chapter 10 or the Gospel of Mark and we are continuing our look at the teachings of Jesus. So, if you have your Bibles, I want to encourage you to turn with me to Mark chapter 10, and we’ll begin reading with verse 1.
Jesus then left that place and went into the region of Judea and across the Jordan. Again crowds of people came to him, and as was his custom, he taught them.
Jesus Questioned About Divorce
Jesus Questioned About Divorce
Some Pharisees came and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”
In Jesus day, there were two conflicting views on divorce. Both views allowed divorce, but for different reasons.
Rabbi Hillel—allowed divorce for almost any reason.
Rabbi Shammai—only allowed divorce for moral failings.
But Jesus is going to give them a different point of view.
“What did Moses command you?” he replied. They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away.”
Moses permitted divorce. Keep in mind, they want to know under what circumstances divorce was okay. Jesus response:
“It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law,” Jesus replied.
The only reason Moses allowed divorce was because of the people’s hardness of heart—they couldn’t work out their differences. But Jesus goes on:
“But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’ ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.”
God’s perfect plan was for a man to marry a woman and stay married for life. Yet, what we see, even today, is that often there is at least one person ends up with a hard heart. But that was NEVER God’s perfect plan.
Now if you think this is a hard saying, I would agree—and the disciples thought it was strict, and they had some questions.
When they were in the house again, the disciples asked Jesus about this. He answered, “Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery.”
Jesus gave His disciples an even tougher standard—anyone who marries after a divorce commits adultery.
I’ve got to tell you, this is a tough passage to preach, because divorce effects so many people. So if this is you, I want to challenge you to look at ALL of the passages that relate to divorce. Remember, Jesus is answering a question from the Pharisees—They want Him to settle their debate, and He gives them a completely different standard. Once again, today we need to look at all of the Scriptures that talk about divorce to complete our “theology of divorce.”
Jesus & the Little Children
Jesus & the Little Children
People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them.
Can you believe it? The disciples rebuke people for bringing children to Jesus. You would think that the disciples would not have said much, since Jesus talked about little children in chapter 9.
“Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.”
And again in Mark 9:42.
“And if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck.
Now the disciples rebuke people for bringing little children to Jesus. But look at Jesus’ response.
When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.
The Rich Young Man
The Rich Young Man
As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
As Jesus is about to leave the area, a young man comes up to Him and asks Jesus a question: “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
I love Jesus’ response!
“Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone.
At first, Jesus doesn’t even address the man’s question, but challenges the way he addresses Jesus. Is the man acknowledging that Jesus is equal to God? —after all, “no one is good—except God alone.”
Still, in verse 19, Jesus answers the man’s question.
You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.’”
Remember, this is all before Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection—so based on the Old Testament Law, to inherit the kingdom of God you had to keep the law!
The young man has a response.
“Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”
The man believes he is a shoe in! After all he had been a good Jew and lived by the law his entire life. But Jesus is going to challenge him even more with His next statement.
Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
Jesus says the man lacks one thing! What the man values and loves—this man has a heart problem because he loves his money more than God, which was breaking the law of God.
“You shall have no other gods before me.
We see this truth in the man’s response.
At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.
To me, this is one of the saddest verses in the Gospel of Mark. The man loved his wealth more than God and just couldn’t accept the demand of Jesus.
Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”
In fact, those who heard Jesus’ words were wondering about the statement. So Jesus continues to teach the people after the man leaves.
The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
Jesus uses a humorous saying to make His point. It would be easier for the largest animal in Palastine—a camel—to pass through the eye of an ordinary sewing needle. One person paraphrased it this way: “It is easier to thread a needle with a great big camel than to get into the kingdom of God when you are bursting with riches.”
Look at verse 26.
The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?”
The disciples get His point! “Who can be saved?” They are thinking that no one can meet this standard. But Jesus gives the disciples a simple fact—it is NOT dependent on man, but on God. Look at verse 27.
Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”
Now, if you have studied the Gospels much at all, it will come as no surprise who speaks up, and asks a question—if you guessed Peter, you would be right.
Peter said to him, “We have left everything to follow you!”
Peter asks, “What about us?” After all they had left everything to follow Jesus. Don’t miss Jesus’ answer!
“I tell you the truth,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
God takes nothing away from a person without restoring it to the person in a new and glorious form!
Yet the order will shock us—because many of those we believe should be first will be last, and many what we believe should be last—will be first!
So What?
So What?
What do we learn from this? I think there are several points that we need to walk away with:
We need to have a complete theology of Divorce and Remarriage—do not take this one passage and build your complete understanding of the subject.
God’s perfect plan is for one man to marry one woman and for that relationship to continue until death separates them.
Children are important to Jesus!
Jesus desires that we live obedient lives, but our entrance into God’s Kingdom all depends on God!
If you trust in anything other than Jesus—your are the proverbial Camel trying to be threaded through the eye of a sewing needle.
God always restores what we lose for Him in a new and glorious form—even though we may not see it now!
God doesn’t order things the way we order things—that’s why the last may be first and the first may be last.