Day 13: Mark 10-12. Teachings, Predictions and the Journey to Jerusalem
I'm struck here by the fact that Jesus teaches about divorce right before he blesses the children. Is this a coincidence, or are these two teachings linked in some way? The Pharisees ask Jesus if Moses permitted divorce. As a matter of fact, Moses did permit divorce, in some cases. (Although notice the way the question is asked, "Is it lawful for a MAN to divorce his WIFE?") (what about the other way around?) Jesus appeals not to Moses, but to the beginning of creation, and God's intention for humankind.
Right after that, he blesses the children.
The rich young ruler asks Jesus, "What must I do to obtain eternal life?" I notice that in Mark's telling of the story, Jesus looks at the young man and loves him (vs. 21). Then he tells him he must sell his possession and give them to the poor. The young man went away, sad.
What do you think this means? In our day and age we don't preach much about the necessity of giving up our worldly possessions. There are different kinds of sins that occupy our minds. Why do you think this is? Why do you think Jesus considers it so difficult for those who are rich to enter the kingdom?
I love how Peter says, "Hey! We've given up everything!" I don't know, but it sounds like he's looking for points or something. Jesus say, yes, you will receive a reward, but (cough) you will also receive persecutions.
Then Jesus predicts his suffering and crucifixion again, which is followed immediately by James and John, requesting that they sit at his right and left hand when Jesus comes into his glory. He tells them that these spots aren't his to give, and he also asks if they can "drink the cup". They are sure they can.
(Later on, someone else will be at Jesus' right and left hand. But it won't be who you think.)
Jesus warns the disciples that power and glory is different in his kingdom than it is in other arenas.
Esteem will be measured by who we serve, not by who serves us.
Some thoughts about "taking up your cross": this would have sounded a lot different to Jesus' disciples and he people who first rad Mark's gospel than it does to us. They knew the reality of crosses, the humiliating and excruciating means of execution in a way that we don't. Take up your cross. We've sort of domesticated this images, but it couldn't have been a big selling point for the church. I suspect that it started out as a description of what disciples of Jesus were actually experiencing. Jesus' disciples were taking up crosses. And somehow, something else that was happening in them and to them made that worth it.
At the end of chapter 11, after Jesus rides into Jerusalem (that's right, we're into Holy week already) Jesus curses a fig tree for not bearing fruit goes into the temple and throws out the ones who are selling things, and then goes back out, where the disciples see that the fig tree has withered (That's another of Mark's sandwiches, by the way.) When the disciples voice their awe over what has happened, Jesus tells them they could do anything if they had faith. This leads me to wonder what I would do with that kind of faith. Cure Cancer? Bring world peace?
Jesus spends the early part of "Holy Week" arguing with various religious leaders. The Saducees ask about the resurrection the Pharisees about taxes, with a legal expert about the greatest commandment (well, that isn't exactly an argument; the legal expert thinks Jesus does very well by saying that the first commandment is to Love God, and the second is to love your neighbor as yourself.)
However, I'm getting ahead of myself. First, we have another parable, the last parable in Mark, and it's about some tenant farmers who work in a vineyard and don't want to give up the harvest to the master when he comes. The religious leaders (the people Jesus has been arguing with mostly) know that this parable has something to do with them. What do you think?
And finally, there's that little story of the widow and her one coin. Is she a heroine or is she a victim? What do you think?
Right after that, he blesses the children.
The rich young ruler asks Jesus, "What must I do to obtain eternal life?" I notice that in Mark's telling of the story, Jesus looks at the young man and loves him (vs. 21). Then he tells him he must sell his possession and give them to the poor. The young man went away, sad.
What do you think this means? In our day and age we don't preach much about the necessity of giving up our worldly possessions. There are different kinds of sins that occupy our minds. Why do you think this is? Why do you think Jesus considers it so difficult for those who are rich to enter the kingdom?
I love how Peter says, "Hey! We've given up everything!" I don't know, but it sounds like he's looking for points or something. Jesus say, yes, you will receive a reward, but (cough) you will also receive persecutions.
Then Jesus predicts his suffering and crucifixion again, which is followed immediately by James and John, requesting that they sit at his right and left hand when Jesus comes into his glory. He tells them that these spots aren't his to give, and he also asks if they can "drink the cup". They are sure they can.
(Later on, someone else will be at Jesus' right and left hand. But it won't be who you think.)
Jesus warns the disciples that power and glory is different in his kingdom than it is in other arenas.
Esteem will be measured by who we serve, not by who serves us.
Some thoughts about "taking up your cross": this would have sounded a lot different to Jesus' disciples and he people who first rad Mark's gospel than it does to us. They knew the reality of crosses, the humiliating and excruciating means of execution in a way that we don't. Take up your cross. We've sort of domesticated this images, but it couldn't have been a big selling point for the church. I suspect that it started out as a description of what disciples of Jesus were actually experiencing. Jesus' disciples were taking up crosses. And somehow, something else that was happening in them and to them made that worth it.
At the end of chapter 11, after Jesus rides into Jerusalem (that's right, we're into Holy week already) Jesus curses a fig tree for not bearing fruit goes into the temple and throws out the ones who are selling things, and then goes back out, where the disciples see that the fig tree has withered (That's another of Mark's sandwiches, by the way.) When the disciples voice their awe over what has happened, Jesus tells them they could do anything if they had faith. This leads me to wonder what I would do with that kind of faith. Cure Cancer? Bring world peace?
Jesus spends the early part of "Holy Week" arguing with various religious leaders. The Saducees ask about the resurrection the Pharisees about taxes, with a legal expert about the greatest commandment (well, that isn't exactly an argument; the legal expert thinks Jesus does very well by saying that the first commandment is to Love God, and the second is to love your neighbor as yourself.)
However, I'm getting ahead of myself. First, we have another parable, the last parable in Mark, and it's about some tenant farmers who work in a vineyard and don't want to give up the harvest to the master when he comes. The religious leaders (the people Jesus has been arguing with mostly) know that this parable has something to do with them. What do you think?
And finally, there's that little story of the widow and her one coin. Is she a heroine or is she a victim? What do you think?
I think we categorize sins according to how society sees them. For instance, murder may be the greatest sin, followed by sexual immorality. Other sins we don't look at as being as bad as other sins such as envy and even theft if it's something small. I think Jesus says it's hard for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven because usually rich people prize their possessions over what should really be prized which is God, Jesus, and faith. The parable of the vineyard. I think the owner is God, the son is Jesus, the tenants are the Sadducees and the Pharisees who want Jesus dead. They will be destroyed and will not receive the inheritance. I believe the widow is a heroine not a victim. She is full of faith and is following her heart.
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