Upwards Church

Is it right to pay taxes?  Is heaven an extension of our earthly life? How can the entire bible be summarized in two sentences?  What caused Jesus to give an important lesson on giving?  Find out in today’s reading.

Jesus Tells the Parable of the Evil Farmers / 12:1-12

12:1 Jesus’ stories, also called parables, always used something familiar to help people understand something new. This method of teaching compels listeners to discover truth for themselves. The moment Jesus spoke of a vineyard, the well-versed religious leaders surely recognized the correlation with Isaiah 5:1-7, where Isaiah described Israel as a vineyard. Isaiah’s parable described judgment on Israel; Jesus’ parable described judgment too. The situation pictured in this parable was by no means unusual. Galilee had many such estates with absentee owners who had hired tenant farmers to care for the fields and crops. The tenant farmers paid their “rent” by giving a portion of the crop to the landowner, who would send servants at harvesttime to collect it.

The main elements in this parable are (1) the man who planted the vineyard—God, (2) the vineyard—Israel, (3) the tenant farmers—the Jewish religious leaders, (4) the landowner’s servants—the prophets and priests who remained faithful to God and preached to Israel, (5) the son—Jesus, and (6) the others to whom the vineyard was given—the Gentiles.

Israel, pictured as a vineyard, was the nation that God had cultivated to bring salvation to the world. The religious leaders not only frustrated their nation’s purpose; they also killed those who were trying to fulfill it. They were so jealous and possessive that they ignored the welfare of the very people they were supposed to be bringing to God. By telling this story, Jesus exposed the religious leaders’ plot to kill him, and he warned them that their sins would be punished.

12:2-5 When the grape harvest came, the absentee landowner sent servants to collect the rent—generally this amounted to a quarter to a half of the crop. All of these servants were either beaten up or killed. In Jesus’ parable, the servants that were sent to the tenants refer to the prophets and priests whom God had sent over the years to the nation of Israel. Instead of listening to the prophets, the religious leadership had mistreated them and had stubbornly refused to listen.

12:6 With all the servants having been mistreated or killed, the landowner had only one messenger left—his beloved son. This son was sent to collect the fruit in hopes that the farmers would respect the son. This son refers to Jesus. This is the same description God used at Jesus’ baptism (1:11) and at the Transfiguration (9:7). The son was sent to the stubborn and rebellious nation of Israel to win them back to God.

12:7-8 The tenants probably thought that the arrival of the son meant that his father (the landowner) had died. In Palestine at that time, “ownerless” or unclaimed land could be owned by whoever claimed it first. So they reasoned that if they murdered the son, they could get the estate for themselves.

12:9 What would the landowner do in this case? All agreed that the landowner would come, kill the tenants, and lease the vineyard to others who would care for it.

Over hundreds of years, Israel’s kings and religious leaders had rejected God’s prophets—beating, humiliating, and killing them. Most recently, John the Baptist had been rejected as a prophet by Israel’s leaders (11:30-33). Next Jesus, the beloved Son of God, already rejected by the religious leaders, would be killed. Jesus explained that the Jewish leaders would be accountable for his death because in rejecting the messengers and the Son, they had rejected God himself.

God’s judgment would be spiritual death and the transfer of the privileges of ownership to others, namely, the Gentiles (see Romans 11:25-32). In this parable Jesus spoke of the beginning of the Christian church among the Gentiles. God would not totally reject Israel; in ancient times he always preserved a remnant of faithful people.

12:10-11 Jesus quoted from Psalm 118:22-23. Like the son who was rejected and murdered by the tenant farmers, Jesus referred to himself as the stone rejected by the builders. The cornerstone is the most important stone in a building, used as the standard to make sure the other stones of the building are straight and level. Israel’s leadership, like the builders looking for an appropriate cornerstone, would toss Jesus aside because he didn’t seem to have the right qualifications. They wanted a political king, not a spiritual one. Yet God’s plans will not be thwarted. One day that rejected stone will indeed become a “cornerstone,” for Jesus will come as a king to inaugurate an unending Kingdom. And he had already begun a spiritual Kingdom as the cornerstone of a brand-new “building,” the Christian church (Acts 4:11-12; 1 Peter 2:7). Jesus’ life and teaching would be the church’s foundation.

12:12 When the Jewish leaders realized that they were the wicked farmers in Jesus’ parable, they wanted to arrest him. But the presence of all those people, hanging on Jesus’ every word, caused these religious leaders to fear a riot if they were to forcibly take Jesus away. There was nothing to do but go away somewhere to gather new ideas and think of new questions to try to trap Jesus.

Religious Leaders Question Jesus about Paying Taxes / 12:13-17

12:13 The Jewish leaders would not be put off because they were so intent on killing Jesus. The Pharisees were a religious group opposed to the Roman occupation of Palestine. The supporters of Herod were a political party that supported the Herods and the policies instituted by Rome. These groups with diametrically opposed beliefs usually had nothing to do with each other. But these two groups found a common enemy in Jesus. Despite Jesus’ solemn warning to the Jewish leaders in his previous parable, they didn’t let up. More delegates arrived whose intent was to trap Jesus into saying something for which he could be arrested.

12:14 The men in this delegation, pretending to be honest men, flattered Jesus before asking him their trick question, hoping to catch him off guard. They asked, “Is it right to pay taxes to the Roman government or not?” Judea had been a Roman province since 63 b.c., but the Jews had fairly recently been forced to pay taxes or tribute to Caesar. This was a hot topic in Palestine. The Pharisees were against these taxes on religious grounds; the Herodians supported taxation on political grounds. The Jewish people hated to pay taxes to Rome because the money supported their oppressors and symbolized their subjection. This was a valid (and loaded) question, and the crowd around Jesus certainly waited expectantly for his answer. For Jesus, either a yes or a no could lead to trouble. If Jesus agreed that it was right to pay taxes to Caesar, the Pharisees would say he was opposed to God and the people would turn against him. If Jesus said the taxes should not be paid, the Herodians could hand him over to Herod on the charge of rebellion.

12:15-16 Jesus knew this was a trap. These leaders didn’t care about Jesus’ opinion; this was merely a trick question. But Jesus would answer. He asked someone to give him a Roman coin, probably a denarius, the usual day’s wage for a laborer. It was a silver coin with Caesar’s picture and title on it. The tax paid to Rome was paid in these coins.

12:17 Jesus said, “Give to Caesar what belongs to him”—that is, the coin bearing the emperor’s image should be given to the emperor. In their question, the religious leaders used the word didomi, meaning “to give.” Jesus responded with the word apodidomi, meaning “to pay a debt.” In other words, having a coin meant being part of that country, so citizens should acknowledge the authority of Caesar and pay for the benefits accorded to them by his empire. The Jews may not have been happy about the situation, but God had placed Caesar on the throne and Judea under his rule. The Pharisees and Herodians tried to make it appear that it was incompatible to be a Jew and pay taxes to a pagan emperor who claimed to be divine. But Jesus explained that no such incompatibility existed because God was ultimately in control. They would lose much and gain little if they refused to pay Caesar’s taxes (see Romans 13:1-7; 1 Timothy 2:1-6; 1 Peter 2:13-17).

However, paying the taxes did not have to mean submission to the divinity claimed by the emperor. The words on the coins were incorrect. Caesar had the right to claim their tax money, but he had no claim on their souls. The Jews had a responsibility to remember that everything that belongs to God must be given to God. While they lived in the Roman world, the Jews had to face the dual reality of subjection to Rome and responsibility to God. Jesus explained that they could do both if they kept their priorities straight. The tax would be paid as long as Rome held sway over Judea, but God has rights on people’s souls. To Jesus, this was the crucial issue. Were they giving to God their lives? Were they loving God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength (12:30)? These Jews (and especially the self-righteous Pharisees) claimed to be God’s chosen people. But were they even “rendering” to God what truly belonged to him—themselves?

Religious Leaders Question Jesus about the Resurrection / 12:18-27

No sooner had one delegation withdrawn from Jesus (in amazement) than another appeared to take up the cause. The Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection. They thought they had a thorny problem from God’s word that would make the very idea of life beyond death ludicrous. This was probably a standard challenge posed by the Sadducees to those who believed in the resurrection, such as the Pharisees.

12:18 The Sadducees were at odds theologically with the Pharisees (the other major group of Jewish leaders) because they honored only the Pentateuch—Genesis through Deuteronomy—as Scripture, and because they rejected most of the Pharisees’ traditions, rules, and regulations. The Sadducees said there is no resurrection after death because they could find no mention of it in the Pentateuch. Apparently, the Pharisees had never been able to come up with a convincing argument from the Pentateuch for the resurrection, and the Sadducees thought they had trapped Jesus for sure. But Jesus was about to show them otherwise.

12:19 Obviously, since the Sadducees recognized only the books attributed to Moses (Genesis through Deuteronomy), their question came from Moses’ writings. In the law, Moses had written that when a man died without a son, his unmarried brother (or nearest male relative) should marry the widow and produce children. The first son of this marriage was considered the heir of the dead man (Deuteronomy 25:5-6). The main purpose of the instruction was to produce an heir and guarantee that the family would not lose their land. The book of Ruth gives us an example of this law in operation (Ruth 3:1–4:12; see also Genesis 38:1-26). This law, called levirate marriage, protected the widow (in that culture widows usually had no means to support themselves) and allowed the family line to continue.

12:20-23 The Sadducees took their hypothetical situation to a rather ridiculous length as they tried to show the absurdity of believing in the resurrection. The book of Tobit (an apocryphal book not accepted by Protestants as part of the Old Testament canon but highly regarded by Jewish scholars at that time) includes the story of a woman who was married to seven men successively without ever having children. In Tobit the men are not brothers.

The woman in the situation they described had been married seven times to seven different men, all according to the law. The Sadducees reasoned that since this was in the law, there could not be a resurrection. When all eight of them were resurrected (the seven brothers and the woman), “Whose wife will she be?” The Sadducees erroneously assumed that if people were resurrected, it would be back to a continuation of life on earth—and that would be too confusing to be possible. They were incapable of understanding that God could both raise the dead and make new lives for his people, lives that would be different than what they had known on earth. The Sadducees had brought God down to their level. Because they could not conceive of a resurrection life, they decided that God couldn’t raise the dead. And Moses hadn’t written about it, so they considered the “case closed.”

12:24 Jesus wasted no time trying to deal with their hypothetical situation, but went directly to their underlying assumption that resurrection of the dead was impossible. Jesus clearly stated that they were wrong about the resurrection for two reasons: (1) They didn’t know the Scriptures (if they did, they would believe in the resurrection because it is taught in Scripture), and (2) they didn’t know the power of God (if they did, they would believe in the resurrection because God’s power makes it possible, even necessary). Ignorance on these two counts was inexcusable for these religious leaders.

12:25 Furthermore, Jesus said, when the dead rise (not “if” but when), they will not rise to an extension of their earthly lives. Instead, life in heaven will be different. Believers will be like the angels in heaven regarding marriage. Believers do not become angels, for angels were created by God for a special purpose. Angels do not marry or propagate; neither will glorified human beings. On earth where death reigns, marriage and childbearing are important, but bearing children will not be necessary in the resurrection life because people will be raised up to glorify God forever—there will be no more death. Those in heaven will no longer be governed by physical laws but will be “like the angels”; that is, believers will share the immortal nature of angels.

Jesus’ statement did not mean that people will not recognize their partners in heaven. Jesus was not dissolving the eternal aspect of marriage, doing away with sexual differences, or teaching that we will be asexual beings after death. We cannot tell very much about sex and marriage in heaven from this one statement by Jesus. He simply meant that we must not think of heaven as an extension of life as we now know it. Our relationships in this life are limited by time, death, and sin. We don’t know everything about our resurrection life, but Jesus affirmed that relationships will be different from what we are used to here and now. The same physical and natural rules won’t apply.

12:26-27 Because the Sadducees accepted only the Pentateuch as God’s divine word, Jesus answered them from the book of Exodus (3:6). God would not have said, “I am the God of your ancestors” if he thought of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as dead (he would have said, “I was their God”). So, from God’s perspective, they are alive. This evidence would have been acceptable in any rabbinic debate because it applied a grammatical argument: God’s use of the present tense in speaking of his relationship to the great patriarchs who had been long dead by the time God spoke these words to Moses. God had a continuing relationship with these men because of the truth of the resurrection. Therefore, the Sadducees had made a serious error in their assumption about the resurrection.

Religious Leaders Question Jesus about the Greatest Commandment / 12:28-34

Several defined groups had taken their best shot at Jesus. As each antagonist engaged him in debate, the others apparently looked on with mixed emotions. On one hand, they had a common purpose in destroying Jesus. On the other, each group wanted to claim supremacy by being the one who eliminated the troublemaker.

Matthew hints at the background tension (Matthew 22:34). He provides a brief account of this exchange between Jesus and the teacher. He reported only the original question and Jesus’ response. Mark’s version fills in the picture and adds a positive note to the conflict. Jesus’ responses did not always antagonize his opponents. Often they expressed amazement (12:17) and even agreement (12:32). Jesus was looking for greater commitment from people, not that they merely knew the right answers. Jesus told this teacher that he had the truth but had not yet expressed his trust. Knowing God’s requirement of wholehearted faith and surrendering ourselves to him are separate steps of entering into the Kingdom.

12:28 This discussion continued within the Temple courts. Jesus and the disciples were surrounded by a crowd of people, while various groups of religious leaders came and went with their questions. This time, however, a teacher (a Pharisee, Matthew 22:34-35) brought a sincere question: “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”

The reference to “the commandments” focused on a popular debate about the “more important” and “less important” of the hundreds of laws the Jews had accumulated. The Pharisees had classified over six hundred laws and spent much time discussing which laws were weightier than others. As a Pharisee himself, the man had in mind the debates over the relative importance of ritual, ethical, moral, and ceremonial laws, as well as the positive versus negative laws. Jesus’ definitive answer about the resurrection caused this man to hope he might also have the final answer about all these laws. He wouldn’t be disappointed.

12:29-30 Among all the Gospel writers, only Mark recorded Jesus’ quote from Deuteronomy 6:4, which is the first part of what the Jews know as the Shema (referring to the opening word of the sentence in Hebrew). The Shema is made up from Deuteronomy 6:4-9; 11:13-21; Numbers 15:37-41 and is the major creed of Judaism that was recited twice daily (morning and evening) by devout Jews. The teachers of the law could debate all they wanted, but Jesus brought them back to the basics by giving new life to the oft-repeated words, The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. What mattered were not laws and their relative importance; what mattered was a relationship with the one true God.

Jesus then answered the man’s question by explaining what those words should mean in the daily lives of the Jews. Because they believed that there was one God (as opposed to other religions, such as the Romans with their pantheon of gods), they ought to love the one true God with every part of their being: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength” (see also Deuteronomy 6:5). A person’s total being must be involved in loving God. To love God in this way is to fulfill completely all the commandments regarding one’s “vertical” relationship.

12:31 In addition to the law quoted in 12:30, there is a second and equally important law. This law focuses on “horizontal” relationships—our dealings with fellow human beings. A person cannot maintain a good vertical relationship with God (loving God) without also caring for his or her neighbor. For this second law, Jesus quoted Leviticus 19:18: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” The word “neighbor” refers to fellow human beings in general. The love a person has for himself or herself (in the sense of looking out for oneself, caring about best interests, etc.) should be continued, but it should also be directed toward others.

The Ten Commandments and all the other Old Testament laws are summarized in these two laws. By fulfilling these two commands to love God totally and love others as oneself, a person will keep all the other commands.

12:32-33 The man commended Jesus for his true and insightful answer. The man realized that after all the Pharisees’ wrangling about the laws, the answer had been amazingly simple. The man reaffirmed the Shema (12:29) quoted from Deuteronomy, saying, “There is only one God.” He then added, “and no other,” echoing Deuteronomy 4:35 (see also Exodus 8:10; Isaiah 45:21). This man understood that the laws of love for God and love for neighbor were more important than all of the burnt offerings and sacrifices required in the law. In other words, love was more important than all the ritual and ceremonial laws. This man, one of the few among the Pharisees, was able to see that loving God with all one’s heart, understanding (substituted for “mind”), and strength, and to love one’s neighbors revealed a level of love and obedience that went far beyond the offering of sacrifices.

12:34 Jesus was pleased by the man’s response and told him that he was not far from the Kingdom of God. This man had caught the intent of God’s law as it is so often stressed in the Old Testament—that true obedience comes from the heart. Because the Old Testament commands lead to Christ, the man’s next step toward obtaining God’s Kingdom was faith in Jesus himself. This, however, was the most difficult step to take.

The questions ended, for no one dared to ask any more. But this did not end the opposition. The leaders continued in their plot to kill Jesus.

Religious Leaders Cannot Answer Jesus’ Question / 12:35-37

Jesus did not settle for a silent, seething truce with the religious leaders. He continued to teach. He demonstrated that God’s word had not been fully examined regarding the identity of the Messiah. His provocative questions brought delight to the crowds, thoughtfulness to the attentive, and continued anger to his enemies.

12:35 This was still Tuesday of Jesus’ final week, and he was teaching in the Temple. The Pharisees expected a Messiah (the Christ, the Anointed One), but they erroneously thought he would be only a human ruler who would reign on King David’s throne, deliver them from Gentile domination by establishing God’s rule on earth, and restore Israel’s greatness as in the days of David and Solomon. They knew that the Messiah would be a son (descendant) of David, but they did not understand that he would be more than a human descendant—he would be God in the flesh.

12:36 The Jews and early Christians knew the Old Testament was inspired by God, bearing his authority in its teachings. Jesus quoted Psalm 110:1 to show that David, speaking under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, understood the Messiah to be his Lord (that is, one who had authority over him), not just his descendant. The Messiah would be a human descendant of David, but he would also be God’s divine Son. That he sits at God’s right hand means the Messiah will sit in the place of highest honor and authority in God’s coming Kingdom. In ancient royal courts, the right side of the king’s throne was reserved for the person who could act in the king’s place. The picture of enemies humbled beneath his feet describes the final conquering of sin and evil.

12:37 If the great King David himself called the coming Messiah his Lord in Psalm 110:1, then how could he be merely David’s son (meaning “descendant”) at the same time? David himself didn’t think the Messiah would be just a descendant; instead, David, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, realized that the Messiah would be God in human form and would deserve due respect and honor.

Jesus Warns against the Religious Leaders / 12:38-40

12:38-39 This denunciation of the religious leaders (specifically the teachers of religious law) probably occurred right in the Temple and was spoken to the surrounding crowd that had been “listening to him with great interest” (12:37). Matthew has an entire chapter of such denunciations—seven “woes” to the teachers of religious law and Pharisees whom Jesus unhesitatingly called “hypocrites” (Matthew 23). Mark recorded a shortened version, signaling Jesus’ final break with the religious leaders.

Having silenced the questioning of the religious leaders, Jesus turned to the crowd and told them to beware of these men. While they had education and authority, Jesus denounced their conduct. Their actions revealed their desire for attention and honor. They had lost sight of their priority as teachers of religious law and were enjoying their position merely because of the “perks” it offered. Jesus condemned this attitude.

12:40 Not only did the teachers walk around expecting perks and honor, they also actively abused their position. Because they received no pay, they depended on the hospitality of devout Jews. It was considered an act of piety for people to help these teachers. That they cheat widows out of their property was a vivid picture of these religious men using their position to defraud the gullible. Some people would even go so far as to place all their finances in the teacher’s control (especially widows who trusted them). As the nation’s lawyers, these men were often employed in handling the money a widow received from her father’s dowry. Some abused their trusted positions by unethically obtaining the dowry for the Temple and then keeping it themselves. They were in a position to exploit people, cheating the poor out of everything they had and taking advantage of the rich. How could they deserve anything but punishment!

A Poor Widow Gives All She Has / 12:41-44

Almost unheard in the clash of ideas and the noisy crowd, the ring of the widow’s small coins became an eloquent example of truth. Her act sharply contrasted with the much more obvious giving of others and with the teachers who cheated widows such as she (12:40). But it also represented an alternative to business-as-usual in the Temple. All around her were large examples of meaningless worship, shallow honor given to God, frivolous giving, and downright evil. But this woman’s act of sacrifice spoke volumes about herself and her faith.

12:41 Jesus completed his teaching and sat in the area of the Temple called the Court of Women. The treasury was located there or in an adjoining walkway. In this area were seven collection boxes in which worshipers could deposit their Temple tax and six boxes for freewill offerings. From his vantage point, Jesus watched as the crowds dropped in their money. A lot of money came into the Temple treasury during Passover; the increased crowds meant increased money amounts in the coffers. Surely the large amounts from the rich people clattered loudly into the boxes.

12:42 In contrast, a poor widow came with a freewill offering (that is, she was not paying a required tax, but rather giving a gift). As a widow, she had few resources for making money. If a widow in New Testament times had no sons, no protector, and remained unmarried, she was often destitute. Since there was no social security or public aid for widows, a widow would often be without financial support. This widow’s offering totaled only two pennies. Her small gift was a sacrifice, but she gave it willingly.

12:43-44 Jesus seized the opportunity to teach his disciples an important lesson in giving. In Jesus’ eyes, the poor widow had given more than all the others—even the rich people who had contributed large amounts to the treasury. Though her gift was by far the smallest in monetary value, it was the greatest in sacrifice. The value of a gift is not determined by its amount, but by the spirit in which it is given. The rich had given a tiny part of their surplus, but she had given everything, trusting God to care for her. Jesus wanted the disciples to see this lesson in total surrender of self, commitment to God, and willingness to trust in his provision.

 Chapter 13 is tomorrow.   That you will GROW to be like Jesus, is my prayer for you,  

 Darrell

For more about The Ridge Fellowship go to www.RidgeFellowship.com

Sources:

Life Application Concise New Testament Commentary

Life Application Bible Notes

New American Commentary

Preacher’s Outline and Sermon Bible – Commentary

Preaching the Word Commentary

Riding a donkey into a cheering crowd, clearing the temple in anger because of thieves, teaching on prayer and being confronted again by the religious establishment are the subjects of today’s chapter.

Jesus Rides into Jerusalem on a Donkey / 11:1-11

11:1-2 After passing through Jericho and healing the blind man (10:46), Jesus and the disciples drew near Jerusalem and came to the towns of Bethphage and Bethany. These two villages were about one mile apart, one and two miles respectively from the eastern wall of Jerusalem, and sat on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives. Bethany was the home of Jesus’ dear friends Mary, Martha, and Lazarus; he often stayed there with his disciples (see John 11:1). He may have returned to their home each night after his visits to Jerusalem during the days of this final week. The Mount of Olives is a ridge about two and a half miles long on the other side of the Kidron Valley east of Jerusalem. The view from the top of this twenty-nine-hundred-foot ridge is spectacular—one can see the whole city. From this site, Jesus discussed the coming destruction of the city and Temple (13:1-4).

They were probably in Bethphage when Jesus sent disciples to the other village (Bethany) to get the colt and bring it back. The specification that this be a colt that has never been ridden is significant in light of the ancient rule that only animals that had not been used for ordinary purposes were appropriate for sacred purposes (Numbers 19:2; Deuteronomy 21:3; 1 Samuel 6:7).

This was Sunday of the week that Jesus would be crucified, and the great Passover festival was about to begin. Jews came to Jerusalem from all over the Roman world during this week-long celebration to remember the great Exodus from Egypt (see Exodus 12:37-51). Many in the crowds had heard of or seen Jesus and were hoping he would come to the Temple (John 11:55-57).

11:3-6 Mark emphasized Jesus’ supernatural knowledge and control in this incident. He knew the disciples would be asked why they were taking the colt. Donkeys and their colts were valuable; this could be compared to borrowing someone’s car. By this time Jesus was extremely well known. Everyone coming to Jerusalem for the Passover feast had heard of him, and Jesus had been a frequent visitor in Bethany. The Lord needs it and will return it soon was all the two disciples had to say, and the colt’s owners (Luke 19:33) would gladly let them take the animal. The disciples went and found everything just exactly as Jesus had said.

11:7 The two disciples walked the colt back to Bethphage. The colt, having never been ridden (11:2), did not have a saddle, so the disciples threw their garments (coats) on its back so that Jesus could sit on it. The action of placing the garments on the donkey and Jesus riding it connotes majesty (see 2 Kings 9:13).

11:8 Crowds had already gathered on this stretch of road a mile outside of Jerusalem, going to the city for the Feast of Unleavened Bread and Passover. When Jesus mounted the colt and headed toward the city, they recognized that he was fulfilling the prophecy in Zechariah 9:9. All pilgrims walked the final ascent to Jerusalem; Jesus’ riding was a clear sign. The crowd’s spontaneous celebration honored Jesus. They spread their coats on the road for him to ride over, and cut leafy branches from the fields. These branches were used as part of the pilgrimage into Jerusalem.

11:9-10 The crowd chanted words from Psalm 118:25-26. “Long live the King” was the meaning behind their joyful shouts because they knew that Jesus was intentionally fulfilling prophecy. The expression, the coming kingdom of our ancestor David, recalls God’s words in 2 Samuel 7:12-14. This was Jesus’ announcement that he was indeed the long-awaited Messiah.

11:11 Jesus entered the great city and went to the Temple, entering its outer courts. Mark notes that Jesus looked around carefully at everything. This seems somewhat pointless until we read of Jesus’ actions in the Temple the next day (11:15-17) and understand that Jesus had already cleared the Temple of these racketeers on an earlier Passover week (John 2:12-25), only to find here that they had returned. He and the disciples returned to Bethany for the night, perhaps to the home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. It was not safe for Jesus to stay in the city. His only night in the city was the night of his arrest. Jesus’ dear friends must have been a great comfort to him during this final week.

Jesus Clears the Temple Again / 11:12-19

Jesus once again faced the desecration of the Temple by the peddlers and parasites he had expelled during a previous visit had returned (see John 2:12-25). When a cleansed Temple isn’t filled up with goodness, it is soon restocked with evil.

Mark bracketed this account of the Temple cleansing with the cursing of a fig tree. Jesus’ cleansing of the Temple and cursing of the fig tree both demonstrate divine judgment on the apostasy of Israel.

11:12-14 This next morning was Monday. Jesus and the disciples got up and headed back into Jerusalem. They spent the nights in Bethany and went into Jerusalem during the day. Bethany was about two miles outside of Jerusalem.

Somewhere along the way, Jesus mentioned that he felt hungry. Fig trees were a popular source of inexpensive food in Israel. In March, the fig trees had small edible buds; in April came the large green leaves. Then in May the buds would fall off, replaced by the normal crop of figs. This incident occurred in April, and the green leaves should have indicated the presence of the edible buds which Jesus expected to find on the tree. However, this tree, though full of leaves, had no buds. The tree looked promising but offered no fruit.

Jesus did not curse this fig tree because he was angry at not getting any food from it. Instead, this was an acted-out parable intended to teach the disciples. They didn’t know that Jesus was on his way to once again cleanse the Temple of the people who were desecrating it. By cursing the fig tree, Jesus was showing his anger at religion without substance. Jesus’ harsh words to the fig tree could be applied to the nation of Israel and its beautiful Temple. Fruitful in appearance only, Israel was spiritually barren.

11:15-16 Jesus and the disciples arrived in Jerusalem and went straight to the Temple. He had some “cleansing” to do, and he began to drive out those who were buying and selling there.

People came to the Temple in Jerusalem to offer sacrifices. God had originally instructed the people to bring sacrifices from their own flocks (Deuteronomy 12:5-7). However, the religious leadership had set up markets on the Mount of Olives where such animals could be purchased. Some people did not bring their own animals and planned to buy one at the market. Others brought their own animals, but when the priests managed to find the animal unacceptable in some way (it was supposed to be an animal without defect, Leviticus 1:2-3), worshipers were forced to buy another. One such market was set up in the Court of the Gentiles, the huge outer court of the Temple. This was the only place Gentile converts to Judaism could worship, but the market filled their worship space with merchants. Because both those who bought and those who sold were going against God’s commands regarding the sacrifices, Jesus drove them all out.

The money changers did big business during Passover. Those who came from foreign countries had to have their money changed into Jewish currency because this was the only money the merchants accepted and the only money accepted for payment of the Temple tax. The inflated exchange rate often enriched the money changers, and the exorbitant prices of animals made the merchants wealthy. Jesus became angry because God’s house of worship had become a place of extortion and a barrier to Gentiles who wanted to worship.

11:17 Obviously Jesus’ actions stunned the many people crowded into the Temple area. Jesus quoted from Isaiah 56:7 and explained God’s purpose for the Temple: a place of prayer for all nations. These were important words in light of Jesus’ concern for the Gentiles who had come to worship, and considering the Gentile audience to whom Mark was writing. God welcomed the Gentiles into his Temple to worship, but they were unable to do so because of the animals bellowing and merchants haggling.

Not only that, but all these merchants were no more honest than thieves who had turned the Temple into their den. This was a horrible desecration. No wonder Jesus was so angry.

11:18-19 The leading priests were mostly Sadducees (the wealthy, upper class, priestly party among the Jewish political groups); the teachers of religious law were usually Pharisees (legal experts). These two parties had great contempt for each other. That these two groups could agree on anything was highly out of the ordinary. But Jesus was becoming a real problem: undermining their authority in the Temple, performing great miracles of healing, and teaching the people in such an exciting manner. So these religious leaders began planning how to kill him. But Jesus was so popular with the crowds that they dared not make a move immediately. In short, they were afraid of him.

With the religious leaders plotting to kill him, Jerusalem would hardly be a safe place for Jesus to spend the night. So when evening came on that Monday night, Jesus and the disciples left the city and most likely returned to Bethany as before (because they passed the same fig tree the next morning, 11:13, 20).

Jesus Says the Disciples Can Pray for Anything / 11:20-26

11:20-21 The next morning, Tuesday, Jesus and his disciples passed by the same fig tree they had passed the day before (11:13-14). Jesus had cursed the tree, saying that no one would ever eat from it. By the next day, in the morning light, they could see that the tree had withered. This parable of judgment on spiritually dead Israel revealed a severe punishment. The early church later applied this parable to the total destruction of Jerusalem in a.d. 70.

11:22-23 Jesus did not explain why he cursed the fig tree, and we don’t know whether the disciples understood Jesus’ meaning. Yet his words to them could mean that despite the coming judgment on spiritual laxity in Israel, they would be safe if they had faith in God. Their faith should not rest in a kingdom they hoped Jesus would set up, in obeying the Jewish laws, or in their position as Jesus’ disciples. Their faith should rest in God alone.

Jesus then taught them a lesson about answers to prayer. Jesus had cursed the fig tree; the fig tree had died; the disciples had expressed surprise. Then Jesus explained that they could ask anything of God and receive an answer. This mountain (referring to the Mount of Olives on which they stood) could be sent into the sea (the Dead Sea, that could be seen from the Mount). Jesus’ point was that in their petitions to God they must believe and not doubt (that is, without wavering in their confidence in God). The kind of prayer Jesus meant was not the arbitrary wish to move a mountain; instead, he was referring to prayers that the disciples would need to endlessly pray as they faced mountains of opposition to their gospel message in the years to come. Their prayers for the advancement of God’s Kingdom would always be answered positively—in God’s timing.

11:24 This verse was not a guarantee that the disciples could get anything they wanted simply by asking Jesus and believing. God does not grant requests that violate his own nature or will. Jesus’ statement was not a blank check. To be fulfilled, requests made to God in prayer must be in harmony with the principles of God’s Kingdom. They must be made in Jesus’ name (John 14:13-14). The stronger our faith, the more likely our prayers will be in union with Christ and in line with God’s will; then God would be happy to grant them. God can accomplish anything, even if it seems humanly impossible.

11:25 Jesus gave another condition for answered prayer—this one referring to believers’ relationships with others. He told the disciples that when they stood praying, if one of them held a grudge against someone, he ought to first forgive that person before praying. Why would this matter? Because all people are sinners before God. Those who have access to him have it only because of his mercy in forgiving their sins. Believers should not come to God asking for forgiveness or making requests, all the while refusing to forgive others. To do so would reveal that they have no appreciation for the mercy they have received. God will not listen to a person with such an attitude. God wants those who are forgiven to forgive others.

Religious Leaders Challenge Jesus’ Authority / 11:27-33

At this point, Mark began an extended section (11:27–12:34) that shows Jesus under constant attack yet emerging victorious over his opponents. With the one exception of the teacher who asked Jesus about the greatest commandment (12:28), Jesus’ opponents tried desperately to catch him in a wrong answer. In each case, Jesus turned their question around with a question of his own. He showed that their motives were evil and their premises were wrong.

11:27-28 The teaching recorded in 11:22-26 transpired on Tuesday morning, as Jesus and the disciples were on their way back into Jerusalem. They returned to the Temple, where Jesus had thrown out the merchants and money changers the day before. The religious leaders were afraid to act on their plot to kill Jesus in the public surroundings of the Temple. He was safe in the Temple courts among the people with whom he was so popular.

But a delegation of religious leaders stopped Jesus to question him regarding his actions the day before. This group of leaders was already plotting to kill Jesus (11:18), but they couldn’t figure out how to do it. His popularity was far too widespread and his miracle-working powers too well known. So they continued to try to trap him. They asked for his credentials and demanded that he tell them who gave him the authority to drive out the merchants from the Temple.

If Jesus were to answer that his authority came from God, which would be tantamount to saying he was the Messiah and the Son of God, they would accuse him of blasphemy (blasphemy carried the death penalty; see Leviticus 24:10-23). If Jesus were to say that his authority was his own, they could dismiss him as a fanatic and could trust that the crowds would soon return to those with true authority (themselves). But Jesus would not let himself be caught. Turning the question on them, he exposed their motives and avoided their trap.

11:29-30 To expose the leaders’ real motives, Jesus countered their question with a question. Jesus’ question seems totally unrelated to the situation at hand, but Jesus knew that the leaders’ attitude about John the Baptist would reveal their true attitude toward him. In this question, Jesus implied that his authority came from the same source as John the Baptist’s. So Jesus asked these religious leaders what they thought: Did John’s authority to baptize come from heaven, or was it merely human authority?

11:31-33 The interchange recorded among these factions of the religious leaders revealed their true motives. They weren’t interested in the truth; they didn’t want an answer to their question so they could finally understand Jesus—they simply hoped to trap him. But they found themselves in a position of looking foolish in front of the crowd. If they answered that John’s baptism had come from heaven, then they would incriminate themselves for not listening to John and believing his words. If they rejected John as having any divine authority, then they also were rejecting Jesus’ authority and would be in danger of the crowd, since everyone thought that John was a prophet. If they accepted John’s authority, they would then have to admit that Jesus also had divine authority. The leaders couldn’t win, so they hoped to save face by refusing to take either alternative. So, Jesus was not obligated to answer their question. The religious leaders had already decided against Jesus, carrying on a long tradition of the leaders of Israel rejecting God’s prophets.

We’ll look at chapter 12 tomorrow.  Praying that you will GROW more like Christ,

Darrell

For more about The Ridge Fellowship go to www.RidgeFellowship.com

Sources:

Life Application Concise New Testament Commentary

Life Application Bible Notes

New American Commentary

Preacher’s Outline and Sermon Bible – Commentary

Preaching the Word Commentary

What does Jesus say about divorce and marriage?  Are you helping or hindering children from coming to Christ? Are you receiving the Kingdom of God with childlike trust?  Do you think you can gain eternal life by what you do like the young rich man? Are you seeking greatness?  Today’s chapter covers these topics and more!

Jesus Teaches about Marriage and Divorce / 10:1-12

10:1 After a quiet time of teaching his disciples, Jesus continued his journey southward toward Jerusalem. They crossed into the area east of the Jordan River, arriving in the region of Perea. John the Baptist had ministered there, and crowds had come to Jesus from the region earlier (see 3:8). Jesus was already well known, and on his arrival there, crowds of people came to him, and he taught them.

10:2 The Pharisees hoped to trap Jesus by getting him to choose sides in a theological controversy and incriminate himself in the process. They came with a hot topic: “Should a man be allowed to divorce his wife?” If Jesus supported divorce, he would be upholding the Pharisees’ procedures; they doubted that Jesus would do that. If Jesus chose sides in the controversy, some members of the crowd would dislike his position, for some may have used the law to their advantage to divorce their wives. Or, if he spoke against divorce altogether, he would appear to be speaking against Moses’ law (which allowed divorce).

10:3 With these words, Jesus removed any possible condemnation of laxity about divorce or ignorance of God’s law. Jesus turned the Pharisees from their wrangling about his possible answers and sent them directly to the Pentateuch (the books of Genesis through Deuteronomy). He asked, “What did Moses say about divorce?” From their answer in 10:4, the Pharisees thought Jesus was referring to Moses’ writing in Deuteronomy 24:1-4; but Jesus’ response reveals that he was referring to Moses’ words in Genesis about the ideal state of creation and particularly of marriage.

10:4 In their answer, the Pharisees summarized the law recorded in Deuteronomy 24:1-4. Moses permitted divorce, recognizing its presence and giving instructions on how it should be carried out. Because sinful human nature made divorce inevitable, Moses instituted laws to help its victims. Under Jewish law, only a husband could initiate and carry out a divorce. The civil laws protected the women who, in that culture, were quite vulnerable when living alone. Because of Moses’ law, a man could no longer just throw his wife out—he had to write an official letter of divorce so she could remarry and reclaim her dowry. This was a radical step toward civil rights, for it made a man think twice before sending his wife away. Moses’ words gave protection to the wife and limited abuses of divorce.

10:5 In Moses’ day, as well as in Jesus’ day, the practice of marriage fell far short of God’s intention. Jesus said that Moses gave this law only because of the people’s hard-hearted wickedness; in other words, they were completely insensitive to God’s will for marriage. Many refused to follow through with their marriages as God had intended, so God allowed divorce as a concession to their sinfulness. Divorce was not approved, but it was preferred to open adultery. But God wants married people to consider marriage to be permanent.

10:6-8 The Pharisees quoted Moses’ writings in Deuteronomy; Jesus also quoted from Moses’ writings (Genesis 1:27; 2:24), but he went back to Genesis, the beginning of creation, to God’s ideal in creating male and female. God’s plan was that in marriage the husband and wife are united into one, an intimate closeness that cannot be separated. The wife is not property to be disposed of, but an equally created person. Jesus was drawing a distinction: God’s creation of marriage and his absolute command that it be a permanent union versus the human injunction written hundreds of years later tolerating divorce because of people’s sinfulness.

10:9 The Pharisees saw divorce as a legal issue rather than a spiritual one, regarding marriage and divorce as transactions similar to buying and selling land (with women being treated as property). But Jesus condemned this attitude, clarifying God’s original intention—that marriage bring oneness that no one should separate, especially not the husband by simply writing a “letter.”

Jesus recognized Moses’ law, but held up God’s ideal for marriage and told his followers to live by that ideal. Jesus also was saying to the self-righteous Pharisees who had hoped to trick him with the question, “True followers of God will hold his ideals above any laws—and especially those laws written as a concession to hard-heartedness and sin.”

10:10 Mark continued his theme of the disciples’ misunderstanding of Jesus’ teaching. Once they were again in privacy in the house, the disciples asked Jesus what he had meant in his answer to the Pharisees’ question. Matthew records their comment that the standard Jesus upheld was so impossible that it would be better for people not to get married than to get into the unbreakable covenant of marriage (Matthew 19:10).

10:11-12 Jesus had clearly explained that divorce dissolved a divinely formed union. These people were divorcing in order to get remarried. Here he explained that marriage after divorce is adultery. To say that a man could commit adultery against his wife went beyond Jewish teaching and elevated the status of the wife to a position of equality. Women were never meant to be mere property in a marriage relationship; God’s plan had always been a partnership of the two becoming “united into one” (10:8).

The rabbis’ interpretation of Moses’ law permitted remarriage after divorce, but Jesus said that was committing adultery. Matthew recorded the same words of Jesus but added that he gave one exception: “unless his wife has been unfaithful” (Matthew 19:9, see also Matthew 5:32). Scholars agree that Jesus’ words refer to both husband and wife; that is, the unfaithfulness of one could be grounds for divorce by the other, because Jesus then added, “And if a woman divorces her husband and remarries, she commits adultery.” These were earth-shaking words to Jewish ears. In Jewish society, only men had the right to divorce. Mark alone recorded these words, probably with his Roman audience in mind. They would not have been shocked, for in Roman society a woman could initiate a divorce.

God created marriage to be a sacred, permanent union and partnership between husband and wife. When both husband and wife enter this union with that understanding and commitment, they can provide security for each other, a stable home for their children, and strength to weather any of life’s storms or stresses.

Jesus Blesses the Children / 10:13-16

10:13 It was customary for people to bring their children to a rabbi for a blessing. So, people were bringing children to Jesus so that he could touch them and bless them. The disciples, however, thought the children were unworthy of the Master’s time. In the first century, Jewish households were patriarchal—men came first, women and children next. Considering their inability to have any quiet time together, the disciples may have viewed these parents and children as another intrusion and drain of time and energy. So they told the parents not to bother Jesus. Once again Mark emphasized that the disciples misunderstood both Jesus’ compassion and his mission.

10:14-15 When Jesus saw his disciples rebuking the people for bringing their children, he was very displeased with their insensitivity. They thought children were a waste of time, but Jesus welcomed them. He, in turn, rebuked the disciples, giving them in a double command to let the children come and don’t stop them. Jesus explained that little children have the kind of faith and trust needed to enter the Kingdom of God. Anyone of any age who exhibits their kind of faith and trust is promised access to Jesus and to the Kingdom. Children represent the essence of discipleship, coming to Jesus in humility and receiving his blessing as a gift. Unless we can completely trust in God, we will never get into the Kingdom of God.

10:16 One by one, Jesus took each child into his arms, placed his hands on their heads (rather than just “touching” them as he had been asked, 10:13), and blessed them. Jesus took time with each child. Jesus did not rush through the process or pass it off as unimportant. It probably brought him great joy to spend time with little children whose faith and trust were so pure and simple. The receptiveness of these children was a great contrast to the stubbornness of the religious leaders, who let their education and sophistication stand in the way of the simple faith needed to believe in Jesus, and the dullness of the disciples, whose self-centeredness continued to blind them to Jesus’ true mission.

Jesus Speaks to the Rich Young Man / 10:17-31

10:17 Jesus was continuing his journey toward Jerusalem when a man came running up to him. He called Jesus “Good Teacher” (not the more common “rabbi”) and eagerly asked a pressing question. This rich young man wanted to be sure of eternal life, so he asked what he could do to get it. He viewed eternal life as something that one achieves. While he had kept the commandments (or so he thought, 10:20), he still had some concern about his eternal destiny. He thought Jesus would have the answer.

10:18 Jesus did not at first address the man’s question, but instead challenged him to think about God. Goodness is not measured by one’s works; in fact, only God is truly good. Jesus wanted the man to turn his attention from himself and from Jesus (whom he thought was merely a “Good Teacher”) and think about God’s absolute goodness. If he truly did so, he would conclude that he could do nothing to inherit eternal life. Jesus was also saying, “Do you really know the one to whom you are talking?” Because only God is truly good, the man, without knowing it, was calling Jesus “God.”

10:19 Having established the nature of true goodness (and recognizing that the man did not have a real understanding of God and how he gives eternal life), Jesus rehearsed six of the Ten Commandments—those dealing with people’s relationships with one another. That the man kept these laws was the easily verifiable outward proof—an answer to what the man could do. Jesus’ list showed that he was focusing on the man’s actual lifestyle and not just his knowledge of these commandments. But Jesus would show the man that the law had far deeper meaning than just a list of rules to be kept.

10:20 The young man replied that he had obeyed all the commandments since his childhood. The man sincerely believed that he had not broken any commandments, so he wanted Jesus to guarantee his eternal life. Such is the condition of one who tries to attain eternal life or a relationship with God by his or her own merit. Even if it seems that the person has kept all the laws perfectly, he or she still needs assurance. Jesus would reveal to this man what he lacked.

10:21 Jesus lovingly broke through the young man’s pride with a challenge that answered the question of what the man lacked: “Sell all you have and give the money to the poor.” This challenge exposed the barrier that could keep this young man out of the Kingdom: his love of money. Money represented his pride of accomplishment and self-effort. Ironically, his attitude made him unable to keep the first commandment, one that Jesus did not quote: “Do not worship any other gods besides me” (Exodus 20:3; see also Matthew 22:36-40). The young man did not love God with his whole heart as he had presumed. In reality, the man’s wealth was his god, his idol. If he could not give it up, he would be violating the first commandment.

The task of selling all his possessions would not, of itself, give the man eternal life. But such radical obedience would be the first step for this man to become a disciple. Jesus’ words were a test of his faith and his willingness to obey. The man thought he needed to do more; Jesus explained that there was plenty more he could do, but not in order to obtain eternal life. Instead, he needed an attitude adjustment toward his wealth. Only then could he submit humbly to the lordship of Christ. By putting his treasure in heaven and “following” Jesus along the road of selflessness and service to others, the man could be assured of his eternal destiny.

10:22 This man’s wealth made his life comfortable and gave him power and prestige. When Jesus told him to sell everything he owned, Jesus was touching the very basis of the man’s security and identity. He could not meet the one requirement Jesus gave—to turn his whole heart and life over to God. The one thing he wanted, eternal life, was unattainable because he deemed the price too high. The man came to Jesus wondering what he could do; he left seeing what he was unable to do. No wonder he went sadly away. How tragic—to be possessed by possessions and miss the opportunity to be with Jesus.

10:23 Jesus looked at his disciples and taught them a lesson from this incident with the rich young man. Jesus explained that it is hard for rich people to get into the Kingdom of God (not impossible, but hard). This is true because the rich, with most of their basic physical needs met, often become self-reliant. When they feel empty, they can buy something new to dull the pain that was meant to drive them toward God. Their abundance and self-sufficiency become their deficiency. People who have everything on earth can still lack what is most important—eternal life. They have riches, but they don’t have God’s Kingdom.

This young man may have been very wealthy, but any of us who own anything could also be considered wealthy by someone else’s standards. Whatever you own could become a barrier to entering the Kingdom if it comes between you and God.

10:24 Jesus’ words amazed the disciples, and so he repeated them. As Jews, these disciples regarded wealth as a sign of God’s blessing (see, for example, Job 1:10; 42:10; Psalm 128; Isaiah 3:10). So, they thought wealth came from God and would bring a person closer to God; it certainly did not pose an obstacle. The rich young man, with all his advantages, probably seemed like perfect “Kingdom material.” Yet he went away empty-handed. What kind of Kingdom was this if those most blessed and advantaged would have difficulty entering? What did that mean for the disciples? It seemed to them that if the rich had a hard time, the disciples would never make it.

10:25 Jesus used a common Jewish proverb describing something impossible and absurd. With all their advantages and influence, rich people may find it difficult to have the attitude of humility, submission, and service required by Jesus. Jesus explained that it would be easier to get a camel (the largest animal in Palestine) through the eye of a sewing needle than for a person who trusts in riches to get into the Kingdom of God.

10:26 The disciples were astounded almost to the point of exasperation. Again, they wondered what Jesus meant. If the rich—those who from the disciples’ vantage point seemed to be first in line for salvation—cannot be saved, then who in the world can be saved?

10:27 In reality, it is not just the rich who have difficulty, for salvation is impossible for anyone from a human standpoint. No one can be saved by his or her wealth or achievements or talents. But the situation is not hopeless, for God had an entirely different plan: Everything is possible with God. No one is saved on merit; but all can be saved who humbly come to God to receive salvation.

10:28 Peter, once again acting as spokesman for the Twelve, contrasted the disciples with the rich young man. The disciples had given up everything to follow Jesus; they had done what the rich young man had been unwilling to do. Matthew recorded Peter’s question to emphasize this fact: “What will we get out of it?” (Matthew 19:27). They had done the ultimate in self-denial and had followed Jesus’ call. Wouldn’t they then receive some great reward for having done so?

10:29-30 Peter and the other disciples had paid a high price—leaving their homes and jobs and secure futures—to follow Jesus. But Jesus reminded them that following him has its benefits as well as its sacrifices. Although they had to leave everything (10:28) to follow him, Jesus assured them that anyone who gave up something valuable for his sake would be repaid a hundred times over, although not necessarily in the same form. For example, someone may be rejected by his or her family for accepting Christ, but he or she will gain the larger family of believers with all the love it has to offer.

Along with these rewards, however, persecutions must be expected because the world hates God. Jesus emphasized persecution to point out to the disciples that they must not selfishly follow him only for the rewards. This fact was also important for Mark’s Roman readers who may have been facing persecution, or would soon be. The pressure of persecution did not mean that God wasn’t keeping his promises or that the disciples had been wrong in putting faith in him. Rather, during persecution, God still blesses all those who believe in him.

Here was the answer to the rich young ruler’s question about how to obtain eternal life (10:17). Jesus explained that by giving up anything that hinders following him, each person can have eternal life. For each person the sacrifice may be different, though no less difficult. We may have little or much, but are we willing to give it all up in order to have eternal life?

10:31 In the world to come, the values of this world will be reversed. Those who have desired to be Christ’s disciples and have humbly served others are most qualified to be great in heaven. Rewards in heaven are given not on the basis of merit or “time served” or other earthly standards. What matters in heaven is one’s commitment to Christ.

Jesus Predicts His Death the Third Time / 10:32-34

10:32 Jesus and the disciples continued toward Jerusalem. This is the first mention in Mark of their destination. Jesus had just spoken to them about facing persecution and had told them of his impending death twice before. The disciples were filled with dread that he so steadfastly headed toward Jerusalem. This was the third time Jesus told the disciples about his impending death (see also 8:31; 9:30-31). This time he gave much more detail about what was coming.

10:33-34 Jesus’ death and resurrection should have come as no surprise to the disciples. Here Jesus clearly explained that he would be betrayed (someone who had loved him would turn on him) to the Jewish leaders who would hand him over to the Romans. Because Israel was occupied territory, they had to submit to Rome’s authority in cases of capital punishment. They could punish lesser crimes, but only Rome could execute an offender. The Romans would show great contempt for their prisoner, mocking and beating him before killing him.

Jesus repeated that after three days he would rise again, but the disciples heard only his words about death. Because Jesus often spoke in parables, the disciples may have thought that his words on death and resurrection were another parable they weren’t astute enough to understand. The Gospels include Jesus’ predictions of his death and resurrection to show that these events were God’s plan from the beginning and not accidents.

Jesus Teaches about Serving Others / 10:35-45

10:37 The disciples, like most Jews of that day, had the wrong idea of the Messiah’s Kingdom as predicted by the Old Testament prophets. They thought Jesus would establish an earthly kingdom that would free Israel from Rome’s oppression. As the disciples followed Jesus toward Jerusalem, they realized that something was about to happen; they certainly hoped Jesus would be inaugurating his Kingdom. James and John wanted to sit in places of honor next to Christ in his glory. In ancient royal courts, the persons chosen to sit at the right and left hands of the king were the most powerful people in the Kingdom. James and John were asking for the equivalent of those positions in Jesus’ court. They understood that Jesus would have a Kingdom; they understood that Jesus would be glorified (they had seen the Transfiguration); and they approached him as loyal subjects to their king. However, they did not understand that Jesus’ Kingdom is not of this world; it is not centered in palaces and thrones, but in the hearts and lives of his followers. None of the disciples understood this truth until after Jesus’ resurrection.

10:38 Jesus responded to James and John that in making such a self-centered request, they did not know what they were asking. To request positions of highest honor meant also to request deep suffering, for they could not have one without the other. He asked first if they were able to drink from the bitter cup of sorrow that he would drink. The “cup” to which Jesus referred was the cup of suffering that he would have to drink in order to accomplish salvation for sinners. Then Jesus asked if they were able to be baptized with the baptism of suffering he would face. The reference to “baptism” picks up an Old Testament metaphor for a person being overwhelmed by suffering. The “cup” and the “baptism” refer to what Jesus would face on the cross. In both questions, Jesus was asking James and John if they were ready to suffer for the sake of the Kingdom.

10:39-40 James and John replied confidently to Jesus’ question. Their answer may not have revealed bravado or pride as much as it showed their willingness to follow Jesus whatever the cost. They said they were willing to face any trial for Christ. Jesus replied that they would indeed be called upon to drink from Jesus’ cup and be baptized with his baptism of suffering: James died as a martyr (Acts 12:2); John lived through many years of persecution before being forced to live the last years of his life in exile on the island of Patmos (Revelation 1:9).

Although these two disciples would face great suffering, that still would not mean that Jesus would grant their request for great honor. Jesus would not make that decision; instead, those places were prepared . . . for the ones he has chosen. God’s omniscience is revealed in the statement that he already knew who would gain those places of great honor.

10:41-42 The ten other disciples were indignant, probably because all the disciples desired honor in the Kingdom. The disciples’ attitudes degenerated into pure jealousy and rivalry. Jesus explained to them the difference between the kingdoms they saw in the world and God’s Kingdom, which they had not yet experienced. The kingdoms of the world (an obvious example being the Roman Empire) have tyrants and high officials who lord it over people, exercising authority and demanding submission.

10:43-45 Jesus’ Kingdom had already begun right there in that group of twelve disciples. But the Kingdom was not set up with some who could lord it over others. Instead, the greatest person would be the servant of all. A real leader has a servant’s heart, willingly helping out others as needed. Servant leaders appreciate others’ worth and realize that they’re not above any job. They aren’t jealous about someone else’s gifts, but gladly fulfill their duties. The disciples could not mistake Jesus’ explanation that they were to serve sacrificially. Only with such an attitude would the disciples be able to carry out the mission of sharing the gospel across the world. Jesus was their perfect example of a servant leader because he came here not to be served but to serve others, and to give [his] life as a ransom for many. Jesus’ mission was to serve—ultimately by giving his life in order to save sinful humanity. His life wasn’t “taken”; he “gave” it, offered it up as a sacrifice for people’s sins. A ransom was the price paid to release a slave from bondage. Jesus paid a ransom for us, and the demanded price was his life. Jesus took our place; he died the death we deserved.

Jesus Heals a Blind Beggar / 10:46-52

10:46 Jesus and the disciples arrived in the city of Jericho. The Old Testament city of Jericho had been destroyed by the Israelites (Joshua 6:20). But during Herod the Great’s rule over Palestine, he had rebuilt the city (about a mile south of the original city) as a site for his winter palace. Jericho was a popular and wealthy resort city, not far from the Jordan River, about eighteen miles northeast of Jerusalem. Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem (10:32), and after crossing over from Perea, he would naturally enter Jericho. Jesus passed through the city, accompanied by his disciples and a great crowd (probably made up of Jews also on their way to Jerusalem for the Passover). They came upon a blind beggar sitting by the roadside. Beggars often waited along the roads near cities, because that was where they were able to contact the most people.

10:47 The blind man could not see, but he heard that Jesus of Nazareth was at the head of the approaching crowd. Bartimaeus called Jesus Son of David because he, along with all Jews, knew that the Messiah would be a descendant of King David (see Isaiah 9:6-7; 11:1; Jeremiah 23:5-6). This blind beggar could see that Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah, while so many who witnessed Jesus’ miracles were blind to his identity, refusing to open their eyes to the truth. Seeing with one’s eyes doesn’t guarantee seeing with the heart.

10:48 The crowd tried to get the man to be quiet. It was most natural for the people, even Jesus’ disciples, to attempt to shield Jesus from being harassed by beggars. But this only caused Bartimaeus to shout louder in an attempt to gain Jesus’ attention. And it worked.

10:49-50 Although Jesus was concerned about the coming events in Jerusalem, he demonstrated what he had just told the disciples about service (10:45) by stopping to care for the blind man. Blindness was considered a curse from God for sin (John 9:2), but Jesus refuted this idea when he told the people to call the man to him. Bartimaeus threw aside his coat, jumped up, and came to Jesus.

10:51-52 Obviously Jesus already knew what Bartimaeus wanted. Jesus’ question was not to gain information, but to allow Bartimaeus to specify his need and, in the process, to declare his faith that Jesus could meet that need. “I want to see” is literally “I want to recover my sight.” The blind man had at one time been able to see. The result of Bartimaeus’s request was that he could see. His faith (evidenced in his persistence) had made him well. Bartimaeus then followed Jesus.

 We’ll look at chapter 11 tomorrow.  Praying that you will GROW more like Christ,

 Darrell

For more about The Ridge Fellowship go to www.RidgeFellowship.com

Sources:

Life Application Concise New Testament Commentary

Life Application Bible Notes

New American Commentary

Preacher’s Outline and Sermon Bible – Commentary

Preaching the Word Commentary

9:1 When Jesus said some would not die before seeing the Kingdom of God arrive, he may have been referring

• to Peter, James, and John, who would witness the Transfiguration a few days later
• to all who would witness the Resurrection and Ascension
• to all who would take part in the spread of the church after Pentecost

Jesus’ Transfiguration, which immediately follows (9:2-8), was a preview of that coming glory. In the Transfiguration, Peter, James, and John saw Jesus’ glory, identity, and power as the Son of God (see 2 Peter 1:16-18). So, certain disciples were eyewitnesses to the power and glory of Christ’s Kingdom. Jesus’ point was that his listeners would not have to wait for another, future Messiah because the Kingdom was among them, and it would soon come in power.

 Jesus Is Transfigured on the Mountain / 9:2-13   

Jesus revealed some of his most unusual demonstrations of power and divinity to his disciples alone. He stood up in their partly swamped boat and took command of the wind and the waves. He walked on water. On this occasion, he allowed three of them to witness his appearance without some of the limitations of his humanity. After teaching them the rigors of self-denial, he gave them a reassuring glimpse of his glory.

9:2-3 Rarely did Mark give exact times in his narrative, so his definite six days later is significant. This reference probably alludes to Exodus 24:16, where it is recorded that Moses waited for six days before meeting the Lord on Mount Sinai. The words also tie into 9:1, where Jesus probably was referring to his coming Transfiguration.

Jesus singled out Peter, James, and John. These three disciples comprised the inner circle of the group of Twelve. They were among the first to hear Jesus’ call (1:16-19), they headed the list of disciples (3:16), they were present at certain healings where others were excluded (5:37), and they were with Jesus as he prayed in Gethsemane (14:33). Seeing Jesus transfigured was an unforgettable experience for Peter (see 2 Peter 1:16). Jesus took these three disciples to the top of a mountain—either Mount Hermon or Mount Tabor. Mount Hermon is about twelve miles northeast of Caesarea Philippi (where Jesus had been in 8:27); Mount Tabor is in Galilee. A mountain was often associated with closeness to God and readiness to receive his words (see Exodus 24:12-18; 1 Kings 19:8-18).

The Transfiguration was a brief glimpse of Jesus’ true glory, God’s divine affirmation of everything Jesus had done and was about to do. The Transfiguration clearly revealed not only that the disciples were correct in believing Jesus to be the Messiah (8:29), but that their commitment was well placed and their eternity was secure. Jesus was truly the Messiah, the divine Son of God.

The Greek word translated [Jesus’] appearance changed is metamorphothe, from which we get our word “metamorphosis.” The verb refers to an outward change that comes from within. It was not a change merely in appearance, but it was a complete change into another form. On earth Jesus appeared as a man, but at the Transfiguration, Jesus’ body was transformed into the glorious radiance that he had before coming to earth (John 17:5; Philippians 2:6) and which he will have when he returns in glory (Revelation 1:14-15). The glory shone out from him and his clothes became dazzling white. The white was not of this earth; it was a white that no human had seen. The words, unique to Mark’s Gospel, reflect an eyewitness report (probably Peter’s). These were the radiant robes of God, clothing “white as snow” (Daniel 7:9).

9:4 Elijah and Moses were considered the two greatest prophets in the Old Testament. Moses represented the law, or the old covenant. He had written the Pentateuch and had predicted the coming of a great prophet (Deuteronomy 18:15-19). Elijah represented the prophets who had foretold the coming of the Messiah (Malachi 4:5-6). Moses’ and Elijah’s presence with Jesus confirmed Jesus’ messianic mission to fulfill God’s law and the words of God’s prophets (Matthew 5:17). Their appearance also removed any thought that Jesus was a reincarnation of Elijah or Moses. He was not merely one of the prophets. As God’s only Son, he far surpassed them in authority and power. Also, their ability to talk to Jesus supports the promise of the resurrection of all believers.

9:5-6 There is no indication that Peter was addressed, but he impetuously interrupted when he suggested making three shrines, one for each of them. Peter had forgotten (or was hoping to put aside) Jesus’ words that suffering and death would come before glory. Peter saw the fulfillment of Christ’s glory for a moment, and he wanted the experience to continue. Also, Peter mistakenly made all three men equal. He had missed Jesus’ true identity as God himself. Peter called Jesus “Teacher,” obviously missing what Jesus was showing them by his revealed glory. His words, “This is wonderful,” revealed a further lack of understanding. He desired to prolong the experience, to keep Moses and Elijah there with them. But that was not the point of the experience nor the lesson to be learned by it. Peter had spoken impetuously, perhaps because the three disciples were all terribly afraid.

9:7 A cloud suddenly appeared and enveloped this group on the mountain. This was not a vapor cloud, but was, in fact, the glory of God (see also Exodus 13:21; 19:9; 1 Kings 8:10). God’s voice came from the cloud, singling out Jesus from Moses and Elijah as the long-awaited Messiah who possessed divine authority. As he had done at Jesus’ baptism, God was giving verbal approval of his Son (see 1:11). At that time, the message had been addressed to Jesus (“You are my beloved Son”) and had benefited John the Baptist; here, the voice spoke to Peter and the other two disciples (“This is my beloved Son”). The voice then commanded Peter and the others to listen to Jesus and not to their own ideas and desires about what lay ahead.

9:8 Peter may have wanted to keep Jesus and Elijah and Moses there in glory on the mountainside, but his desire was wrong. The event was merely a glimpse of what was to come—no more. So, suddenly the glory came and went, and the prophets were gone. Jesus had been revealed as God’s glorious divine Son, but his mission on earth still had to be completed.

9:9 Jesus told Peter, James, and John not to tell anyone what they had seen, presumably not even the other disciples because they would not fully understand it until after he had risen from the dead. After the Resurrection, these three disciples would understand the Transfiguration and be able to correctly interpret and proclaim it. They would then realize that only through dying could Jesus show his power over death and his authority to be King of all. They knew that Jesus was the Messiah, but they had much more to learn about the significance of his death and resurrection.

9:10 The three disciples kept it to themselves, but they didn’t understand what Jesus meant by “rising from the dead.” They certainly believed in a future resurrection, but Jesus clearly was speaking of some other event, something that would happen to only him. The necessity of Jesus’ suffering and death was beyond their grasp.

9:11 The appearance of Elijah on the mountain caused a question in the disciples’ minds. Based on Malachi 4:5-6, the Jewish teachers believed that Elijah must return before the Messiah comes. Elijah had appeared on the mountain, but he had not come in person to prepare the people for the Messiah’s arrival (especially in the area of repentance). The disciples believed that Jesus was the Messiah, but they wondered where Elijah was.

9:12-13 Jesus answered that Elijah would come first and set everything in order. That the Messiah would suffer and be treated with utter contempt was written in Scripture (for example, Psalm 22:14, 16-17; Isaiah 53:1-12). Jesus explained that, in fact, Elijah had already come. Matthew explained that the disciples realized that Jesus meant John the Baptist (Matthew 17:13), who had taken on Elijah’s prophetic role—boldly confronting sin and pointing people to God.

As “Elijah” then, John the Baptist was badly mistreated. Elijah was severely persecuted by King Ahab and Queen Jezebel and fled for his life (1 Kings 19). John the Baptist had been beheaded (6:14-29). All of this occurred as the Scriptures predicted.

Jesus Heals a Demon-Possessed Boy / 9:14-29

When they descended from the mountaintop of transfiguration to the flatland of common experience, the three disciples and Jesus found a scene of confusion. The other disciples had been asked to perform a miracle but had failed. This instance became a testing of faith, both for the child’s father as well as for the disciples. Christ regards even our weak faith. After all, it is not the quantity of our faith that makes the greatest difference, but the quality of him in whom our faith rests.

9:14 Jesus, Peter, James, and John came down from the mountain and returned to the other nine disciples. A great crowd surrounded the disciples and some teachers of religious law in a heated argument. The nature of the argument is not stated, but perhaps the teachers were arguing with the disciples about their power and authority, or the power and authority of their Master, because the disciples had tried and failed to cast out a demon (9:17-18).

9:15-17 When Jesus unexpectedly arrived on the scene, the people ran to greet him. Usually the people were in awe of his teaching and miracles; here they were in awe at his very presence with them (see also 1:27; 5:20). Jesus asked, “What is all this arguing about?” The word for “arguing” means “disputing.” The answer came from a man in the crowd, the father of the demon-possessed boy. He explained that he had come looking for Jesus to heal his son who was possessed by an evil spirit, making him unable to utter any sound (and he could not hear, see 9:25). This was not just a case of deafness and muteness; it was the work of an evil spirit, as the man explained.

9:18 The symptoms described by the father sound much like an epileptic convulsion, but the destructive intent of the demon described in 9:22 reveals that this was more than mere epilepsy. Having heard of Jesus’ power to cast out demons, the father had come to Jesus, hoping for a cure for his son. Not being able to find Jesus, he had asked the disciples to cast out the evil spirit, an appropriate request since the disciples had been given this power and had recently returned from a preaching tour where they had demonstrated that power (6:7, 13). The disciples couldn’t do it, however. This perplexed and upset them (Jesus explained why in 9:28-29). It also caused a commotion with the crowd and an argument with the Jewish leaders (9:14) who were seeking to discredit Jesus.

9:19 Jesus cried out in exasperation (see 3:5; 8:12). His unusual words carry a biting rebuke. They parallel Moses’ frustration as intercessor for God’s people (Deuteronomy 32:5, 20) and portray God’s frustration with his people (Numbers 14:11; Isaiah 63:8-10). The disciples had been given the authority to do the healing, but they had not yet learned how to appropriate God’s power. The disciples were not singled out for criticism because Jesus did not rebuke them (9:28-29), but merely answered their question. Jesus would not leave the young boy in the power of the demon, so he told the father to bring the boy.

9:20-22 When the evil spirit saw Jesus, it knew that its rule over the boy would soon end. The demon responded with one last attack, throwing the boy into a violent convulsion. While it may seem odd that Jesus would ask how long the boy had been like this, Jesus asked it not for his own sake, but for the father’s sake. By answering the question, the father was indicating just what a difficult and seemingly hopeless case this was. Jesus was truly the man’s only hope. The boy had been possessed by the demon since he was very small. That this was not merely epilepsy is revealed in the demon’s destructive intent as it made the boy fall into the fire or into water, trying to kill him. The poor father had probably saved his son’s life numerous times, constantly having to watch the boy in order to protect him. Beyond that he had been unable to do anything. So he came to Jesus and pled, “Do something if you can.”

9:23 Jesus repeated the father’s words and turned them around to put doubt in the right place. In a sense, Jesus was saying that while he could do anything, it would depend on the father’s belief. Spiritual power comes only when a person turns from self to God in faith. This father had placed limits on God’s power, but with belief, anything is possible. Jesus’ words do not mean that we can automatically obtain anything we want if we just think positively. Jesus meant that anything is possible if we believe because nothing is too difficult for God, even when our experience seems to indicate otherwise. We are free to ask whatever we want, as long as we realize that God will answer according to his will (1 John 3:21-22; 5:14).

9:24 Contrary to the patterns of confusion and unbelief the disciples had displayed, this father modeled the faith required of true discipleship. The father immediately understood Jesus’ meaning. He had not meant to doubt the Master. The father instantly replied, “I do believe,” declaring his faith in Jesus power. Then he added honestly and humbly, “Help me not to doubt!” At the feet of the Master, the man cried out with tears, confessing both his faith and its weakness.

9:25-27 Jesus tried to keep the miracle from becoming a circus; so when he saw the crowd growing, he quickly rebuked the evil spirit, commanding it to come out and never return. After crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse. After the terrible convulsion, probably prolonged by the angered demon, the child’s exhausted body went limp as the demon left him. In fact, he was so still and quiet that most of the people in the crowd thought he was dead. Jesus took the child by the hand and helped him to his feet. That he stood up indicates not only that the demon had left, but that Jesus had given strength back to the child’s body. As always, the cure was complete.

9:28-29 The disciples must have been very perplexed. They had cast out demons before (6:7, 13); why hadn’t this demon responded? Jesus pointed to their lack of faith. Perhaps the disciples had tried to drive out the demon with their own ability rather than God’s. If so, their hearts and minds were not in tune with God, so their words had no power. Their question revealed their error; they centered on themselves (“we”), not on Christ. Jesus explained that this kind can be cast out only by prayer, and the disciples had not depended on God’s power through prayer. God’s power must be requested and relied upon in each instance. This presents a strong message to our present-day church: Arguing among ourselves disables (9:14); prayer enables. The disciples had been debating and not praying.

Prayer is the key that unlocks and reveals faith. Effective prayer needs both an attitude of complete dependence and the action of asking. Prayer demonstrates complete reliance on God. So, there is no substitute for prayer, especially in situations that seem impossible. Often the disciples would face difficult situations that could be resolved only through prayer. Their humiliation made this a painful lesson to learn.

Jesus Predicts His Death the Second Time / 9:30-32

Jesus clearly warned his disciples that he would eventually die. His assurance that death would only hold him three days did not allay the disciples’ confusion.

9:30-31 Jesus and the disciples left that region, perhaps somewhere near Caesarea Philippi (see 8:27), and passed through Galilee, going toward Capernaum (9:33). Jesus had ended his public ministry and So began his final journey toward Jerusalem. Jesus desired to avoid all publicity so that he would have time to focus on teaching the disciples. He needed to equip them to carry on the ministry when he returned to heaven and to prepare them for coming events so they would not be taken by surprise.

The disciples had persisted in their resistance to Jesus’ predictions of his suffering and death. He had already told them that he would die (8:31), so this was the second time he clearly told the disciples that he would be betrayed and killed. Whereas Jesus had spoken before about being rejected, this time he added the element of betrayal. He again said that he would rise from the dead after three days. There was always the assurance of victory, although the disciples seemed to miss this point in their concern over Jesus’ talk of death.

9:32 The disciples didn’t understand why Jesus would keep talking about dying because they expected him to set up a political kingdom. They didn’t know that Jesus’ death and resurrection would make his spiritual Kingdom possible. If Jesus died, the kingdom as they imagined it could not come. But they were afraid to ask him what he meant.

 The Disciples Argue about Who Would Be the Greatest / 9:33-37

Although this incident is included in the first three Gospels, each one recorded the exchange from a slightly different perspective. Though Mark does not record Jesus’ comments about the humility of a little child, Jesus’ use of the child as an example provided a clear rebuke to the petty arguments about status among his followers.

9:33-34 Jesus and the disciples arrived in Capernaum. Apparently the disciples had kept somewhat to themselves as they followed Jesus along the road, but Jesus knew they were having a heated discussion. They had been arguing about which of them was the greatest. Apparently Jesus already knew what the disciples had been discussing; for even though he asked the question, they didn’t answer him. But he then gave them an unforgettable lesson in true greatness.

9:35 Clearly Jesus had his work cut out for him in teaching these disciples who would be responsible to carry on his mission. So he sat down in the house and called the disciples to sit at his feet. In a sentence, he taught the essence of true greatness, “Anyone who wants to be the first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else” (see 10:45). Greatness is determined by servanthood. The true leader willingly serves, as Jesus exemplified in his life and in his death. Being a “servant” did not mean occupying a servile position; rather it meant having an attitude of life that freely attended to others’ needs without expecting or demanding anything in return. Seeking honor, respect, and the attention of others runs contrary to Jesus’ requirements for his servants. An attitude of service brings true greatness in God’s Kingdom.

9:36-37 When Jesus took a little child in his arms, the explanation of greatness was made even more distinct. Only Mark mentions Jesus taking the child in his arms. When we receive Jesus, we actually “enter” or are “received into” his Kingdom. The way into this Kingdom is to turn to God from sin in the same spirit of humility that a child exhibits when he shows simple trust in someone he loves. We must humbly recognize that Jesus already paid the price for our entrance into his Kingdom. Any greatness we might have comes only from humble service to our Savior and Lord.

The disciples had become so preoccupied with the organization of Jesus’ earthly kingdom that they had lost sight of its divine purpose. Instead of seeking a place of service, they were seeking positions of advantage. Jesus used a child to help his self-centered disciples get the point. They were to have servant attitudes, being not “childish” (arguing over petty issues), but “childlike,” with humble and sincere hearts.

In addition, Jesus taught the disciples to welcome children. This was a new approach in a society where children were usually treated as second-class citizens. Jesus equated the attitude of receiving children with a willingness to receive him. Hidden in this statement is a profound truth of Jesus’ identity: Anyone who welcomes me welcomes my Father who sent me. Jesus and God the Father are one.

The Disciples Forbid Another to Use Jesus’ Name / 9:38-41

Minor conflicts over leadership positions among the disciples also had their public aspect. In this case, the disciples displayed the tendency to become a closed group. They challenged the “credentials” of an outsider. But Jesus rebuked their attempt to be exclusive. We must welcome and encourage all who serve in the name of Christ. Having the same Lord covers a multitude of differences.

9:38 John, brother of James the son of Zebedee, one of the inner circle of three among the disciples, told Jesus of a recent event. They had seen a man casting out demons by using Jesus’ name and had told the man to stop because he was not one of the group, that is, not one of the chosen Twelve. The incident has special irony considering that this unknown man apparently had success driving out demons while the disciples, who had been given special power to do so, had recently failed (9:18).

9:39 The disciples had been incorrect to stop the man from exorcising demons in Jesus’ name; and incidentally, they were also incorrect in their supposition that they alone should have a monopoly on Jesus’ power. Jesus explained that no one would do such a miracle as exorcising a demon in Jesus’ name and then turn around and publicly speak evil against Jesus. The man, whatever his motivation, had at least done a deed of mercy for a possessed person and had stood against Satan. When Jesus had been accused of casting out demons because he was in league with Satan, he had said that Satan would not work against himself (3:22-29). The man, therefore, was on Jesus’ side.

9:40 Jesus explained to his disciples, “Anyone who is not against us is for us.” By this statement, he was pointing out that neutrality toward him is not possible. His followers would not all resemble each other or belong to the same groups. People who are on Jesus’ side have the common goal of building up the Kingdom of God, and they should not let their differences interfere with this goal.

9:41 Not only did the man who exorcised demons serve Christ’s Kingdom in his stand against Satan, but even someone who offered a cup of water to a person because he belongs to the Messiah was also serving the Kingdom. Good treatment of Christ’s representatives is important to God (9:37). The Twelve did indeed have a special calling, but God willingly uses all people and all gifts for furthering his Kingdom. There are no “trivial” or unimportant services to God.

Jesus Warns against Temptation / 9:42-50

This teaching ties closely to the two preceding ones. In 9:33-37, Jesus held up a child as an example of servanthood and a standard for judging our openness. In 9:38-41, Jesus confronted exclusions of others who name Christ as Lord. Failure in any of the cases above puts believers in danger of causing others to lose faith (9:42).

9:42 While even small acts of kindness to believers carry great rewards, so acts of misguidance toward believers carry great penalties. Little ones could mean children or anyone considered to be insignificant or weak in faith. To cause a child or someone weak in the faith to lose faith means to purposely put a stumbling block in the way to make him or her trip and fall. Jesus warned that anyone who turns someone away from him will receive severe punishment. A millstone was a heavy, flat stone used to grind grain. To have a millstone tied around one’s neck and then be thrown into the sea meant certain death. Even the horror of such a death was minor compared to what this person would face in eternity.

9:43, 45, 47 The Greek word for to sin is the same one used in 9:42 translated “to lose faith.” In this verse, it seems as though Jesus was adding even more condemnation to the disciples’ ambition. While prideful ambition is bad, Jesus’ statement here includes anything that might cause another person to stumble.

All who desire to follow Jesus must remove any stumbling blocks that cause sin. Jesus did not mean to literally cut off a part of the body; he meant that any relationship, practice, or activity that leads to sin should be stopped. As a person would submit to losing a diseased appendage (hand or foot) or a sense (eyes) in order to save his or her life, so believers should be just as willing to “cut off” any temptation, habit, or part of their nature that could lead them to hold onto this world and turn away from Christ. Just cutting off a limb that committed sin or gouging out an eye that looked lustfully would still not get rid of sin, for that begins in the heart and mind. Jesus was saying that people need to take drastic action to keep from stumbling.

The reason? Jesus explained that it would be better to have lost some worldly possession, attitude, or action than to keep it and be thrown into hell because of it. This is true, radical discipleship. While none of us will ever be completely sin-free until we get new bodies, what God wants is an attitude that renounces sin instead of one that holds on to sin. (Verses 44 and 46 are not included in the best manuscripts.)

9:48 Still describing “hell,” Jesus spoke of a place, like the garbage dump in the valley outside of Jerusalem, where the worm never dies and the fire never goes out. With these strange words, taken from Isaiah 66:24, Jesus pictured the serious and eternal consequences of sin and the absolute destruction of God’s enemies (see also Matthew 3:12; 5:30). Worms and fire represented both internal and external pain. Hell will be a place of unbearable and unending torment reserved for those who refuse to believe in Jesus Christ and the salvation and eternal life he offers.

9:49 This verse, exclusive to Mark, has received dozens of interpretations. The most probable are included here. Some have suggested that everyone refers to every person. The meaning would be that every person will be purified with fire either with the unquenchable fire of hell or with the painful but life-giving power of self-discipline for the sake of the Kingdom.

Another view is that everyone refers to believers who will be purified with the fire of trials in order to purify them. The fire that purified them probably referred to trials and persecutions that made them fit for service (see Matthew 5:10-12; 1 Corinthians 3:13; 1 Peter 1:7; 4:12). This third view is most probable in light of the following verse.

9:50 Jesus carried on his metaphor from 9:49. Salt can purify; it also symbolizes the disciples and the work they were called to do.

“Salt is good for seasoning,” Jesus said, for in the ancient world salt was both a condiment and a preservative for food. Jesus had said to the disciples, “You are the salt of the earth” (Matthew 5:13). They were to be life-producing agents in a dying world; they were to be preservatives in a world spoiled by sin. However, if salt loses its flavor, the flavor cannot be returned and it is of no value to anyone. Jesus stressed the responsibility of each disciple toward God. The disciples will be held accountable by God to maintain their “saltiness” (that is, their usefulness) by maintaining a close relationship with him. Finally, the disciples were told to have the qualities of salt. They must allow God’s purifying work to be done in them. They, in turn, would be purifying agents in the community and in the world. The result, then, would be peace with each other. If the disciples had the “salt” in themselves, then they would not be arguing about who would be the greatest in Christ’s Kingdom (9:34). They must not allow the salt within them to be made useless by their wrangling over position and concerns of this world. Instead, they must serve Christ; then they would be doing their duty in the world and be at peace with each other. This peace among the disciples would be of vital importance after Christ’s return to heaven (see 1 Thessalonians 5:13). The future of the gospel and of Christianity would be left in their hands.

 Tomorrow we’ll check out chapter 10.  I am praying that you will continue to GROW in Christ.

 Darrell

For more about The Ridge Fellowship go to www.RidgeFellowship.com

Sources:

Life Application Concise New Testament Commentary

Life Application Bible Notes

New American Commentary

Preacher’s Outline and Sermon Bible – Commentary

Preaching the Word Commentary