Mark 10:28-31

Click here for the Mark 10:28-31 PODCAST

28 Then Peter spoke up, “We have left everything to follow you!” 29 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel 30 will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.” ~ Mark 10:28-31

Today we return to our study of Mark 10. In context, the Lord Jesus had just told the Rich Young Ruler to give away all of his possessions and come and follow Him. To that the Rich Young Ruler went away sad. On the heels of that, the Lord Jesus took the opportunity to teach the disciples another aspect of His culture. 

In v.28 of today's passage we read, "Then Peter spoke up, 'We have left everything to follow you!'"

When we come to that place where we recognize the identity of the Lord Jesus, we lose sight of all but Him. It took the death of my mom when I was five years old and the death of my dad when I was seventeen years old for me to get to this place. And, the moment I saw it, I was changed. I found that my appetites and my aims began to change. I did not stop sinning, but when I did, I felt different about it than I had before. At that point there was nothing more important to me than to know the Lord for myself. It was a gift, the gift of salvation whereby my spirit was made alive to Him.

Peter and the other disciples had left everything in order to follow the Lord Jesus. But even though Peter had been changed, he still lived out of his poor theology, and this is why he made the statement as he did. Peter was living out of what he left rather than what was before him. He had just heard the conversation the Lord Jesus had with the Rich Young Ruler, and, when we consider Matthew 19:27, Peter was really saying, "So, we left all to follow you, what do we get for it?" He was not fully aware of the salvation that he had been given.

Peter and the disciples wrongly thought they actually had to divest themselves of their fortune and take a vow of poverty in order to serve Christ. They were so saturated in the culture of their world, they thought they were earning greatness. Of course, they had not been born again yet. 

Greatness is not earned, it is realized as we learn to say "no" to self and say "yes" to the leading of His Spirit. It is a posture, not a right. To experience the life the Lord Jesus died to give us, we will have invested in that which is substantive and real and purposeful.

In v.29-30 of today's passage we read, "29 'Truly I tell you,' Jesus replied, 'no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel 30 will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life.'"

Here, the Lord Jesus reminds the disciples that they had gained a personal relationship with God whom they did not previously know. And, they were given it before they started following the Lord Jesus. When we focus on the leaving, we miss the point. The point is where we are going. The point is that we now follow God. The point is that we have come home to the Father and our eternity is set in the best possible way.

The Lord Jesus was addressing the attitude we have toward the things of this world. For the believer in Christ, all of this is the result of having been born again and awakened to God's culture. The key to His culture is that we recognize that our possessions were given to us not for our benefit alone. Our possessions were given to us in order that we might invest them to advancement of His work in the hearts of everyone we meet here on this earth. In fact, to the extent that we desire to give this gift away is the extent to which we believe it.

In Matthew’s account of this story, the Lord Jesus said, "I tell you, you who have followed me in the regeneration when the Son of man will sit on the throne of His glory, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." 

During the millennium, the thousand year reign of Christ on this earth after the Tribulation, the disciples will reign with Christ as will all redeemed believers. Soon, all the pretentiousness and facades of people will be stripped away. And many who are last, who apparently have not given up much at all, but because they have had the right attitude about their possessions, will be first of all. And many who seemingly have given up many things, and have gained a reputation as having sacrificed for the cause of Christ, will be told to take the last seat, because they really have not given up much at all.

In v.31 of today's passage we read, "But many who are first will be last, and the last first."

When this phrase occurs in scripture, it refers to the fact that one’s position in this life does not give a person an advantage in gaining eternal life. Every time the Lord Jesus used this phrase, the message was the same. It does not matter who we are in this world or what we have done, eternal life is for those who believe in Him. Those who are "first" in this life will not obtain eternal life unless they trust in His finished work on the cross for the forgiveness of their sin. 

There will be many surprises in heaven. Those who have been despised and rejected in this world will be valued by God, but only because they placed their faith in the Lord Jesus. Just because someone was poor in this world will not make them right with God in the end.

Jim Elliot, one of those five missionaries who gave their lives so that the Auca Indians of Equador would come to know God once said, "He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to keep what he cannot lose." Whoever desires God will increasingly be inwardly free from religion, the dominance of pride, and, confidence in personal goodness. The person that does this will be prepared to serve in the greatest capacity the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords for eternity.

Mark 10:23-27

Click here for the Mark 10:23-27 PODCAST

23 Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!” 24 The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?” 27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.” ~ Mark 10:23-27

Today, we return to our study of Mark 10 where the Rich Young Ruler just walked away from the Lord Jesus with sadness in his heart because the Lord Jesus had just challenged him to stop trusting in his riches. Sadly, the fact that the man first came to the Lord proclaiming he lacked something proved his wealth was not fulfilling him. More sadly, when the Lord Jesus challenged him, he could not let go of the grip that his wealth had on him and he walked away from the only One who could fulfill him.

In v.23 of today's passage we read, "Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, 'How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!'"

Affluence can create in us a mindfulness for secondary values. Rich people tend not to be worried about from where their next meal will come. Rather, they tend to be concerned about how the food will taste. Rich people tend not to be concerned about whether they will have a roof over their head and clothing to wear, they tend to be concerned with fashion and style and decor. Riches tend to transfer our concern from the necessary things of life to the secondary things of life. This destroys the simple nature to our personal relationship with God. 

Some translate the Lord to have said, "It is impossible for a rich person to get into heaven." This is not a good translation of this sentence. Rather, the Lord Jesus literally said, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!" And, due to the fact that it is harder, the Lord Jesus highlights a few dangers that wealth and affluence can bring into our walk with Him. Most think that the wealthy are overprivileged, but, I say they are wrong. In fact, in reality, the wealthy are underprivileged. They are more likely deprived of deeper intimacy with the Lord, because it is the deeper struggles in life coupled with in-depth interaction with Him through His Word that we are afforded the possibility of deeper intimacy with Him. 

In v.24-25 of today's passage we read, "24 The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, 'Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.'"

In Luke's account of this story, Luke used the Greek word which means "the eye of a surgeon's needle." So, the Lord Jesus was not referring to a literal four foot gate that camels could not enter through in Jerusalem as some have suggested. Nevertheless, the illustration serves a good understanding of what the Lord Jesus was teaching that day. Wealth can hinder ones advancement toward God as it did in the case with the Rich Young Ruler. Wealth is a gift from God, but not a sign of membership into God’s family.

In v.26-27 of today's passage we read, "26 The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, 'Who then can be saved?' 27 Jesus looked at them and said, 'With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.'"

The disciples found this so difficult to wrap their brains around because they were raised in a Jewish culture which taught them to believe that if somebody has wealth, it is because God has greatly blessed them due to their righteousness. But, what is a human impossibility is a divine certainty, because salvation is a free gift from God.

It is not our devotion to God that saves us. When we stop depending on ourselves and our resources, we open ourselves up to the wonderful grace of God. And, His grace is the greatest change agent this world has ever known. However, it is not the change that grace brings about in us that makes us right with God. It is only the death of the Lord Jesus on the cross of Calvary that bridges that enormous gap that man's sin created between us and God.

Finally, God is the only One who can make us fully what we cannot become on our own: children who enter into a personal relationship with Him and are learning to trust Him daily. When we enter into a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus, He will move us to the point of abandoning our understanding of how life should work apart from Him. When we have done that, we will not only get our relationship with God right, but also our relationships with others, as well.

Mark 10:17-22

Click here for the Mark 10:17-22 PODCAST

17 As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.’” 20 “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.” 21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 22 At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth. ~ Mark 10:17-22

Today, we return to our study of Mark 10 where we see a great contrast to the lessons the Lord Jesus had been giving to the disciples up to that point. The Lord Jesus had just taught the disciples the value of child-like faith and dependency upon Him. If we are to grow in discipleship with the Lord we must embrace our need and dependency upon Him.

In v.17 of today's passage we read, "As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. 'Good teacher,' he asked, 'what must I do to inherit eternal life?'"

After teaching the disciples on greatness, the Lord was approached by a man who ran up to Him, fell on his knees before Him and addressed Him as "good." Then he asked the Lord Jesus "... what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

This question is full of poor theology. It assumes that we can earn God's favor which assumes that our sinful condition is not as bad as it truly is. The emphasis in the question is on self, and, it provided a stark contrast to what the Lord had been teaching the disciples about the major role selflessness plays in discipleship.

In v.18 of today's passage we read, "Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good—except God alone." 

This man, whom we know to be the Rich Young Ruler from Matthew and Luke, acknowledged the Lord Jesus as not only a legitimate teacher, but as a "good" teacher. He used the word translated "good" which means good internally or virtuous. This Rich Young Ruler did not use the other word for good which means looking good or good in form or outwardly good. He used the word that means good to the core, the inherent goodness that only God possesses.

This man had undoubtedly heard the unique teaching of the Lord Jesus and something awakened in his heart as he listened to Him. As the Lord Jesus started to leave the man ran to him and while in a posture of worship he asked, "... what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

This man who had everything this world had to offer, knew he lacked something. His sense of need was aroused and awakened by the teaching of the Lord Jesus. According to Matthew 19:20, this man asked, "What am I lacking?" He had been ushered into the best spot for one who had no personal relationship with God. This man had a personal relationship with religion, but that is a far cry from having been "born again."

In v.19 of today's passage we read, "You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother."

In response, the Lord Jesus highlights several of the last six commandments. The first four commands, not mentioned, have to do with our relationship with God. The last six address how we treat people. Ah, this sounds familiar to what the Lord had just taught, the disciples' need to value the least.

In v.20 of today's passage we read, "Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy."

This man claimed to have kept some of the commands, but he did not understand that his obedience could not earn the favor of God. In addition, even though he had obeyed some, he lacked obedience to most of them. This very wealthy man had never become like a child; he had not come to an end of trusting in himself and in his wealth, thus his wealth and supposed goodness had kept him from being "born again" and entering into a personal relationship with God.

In v.21 of today's passage we read, "Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."

The Lord Jesus never said that if we give or sell everything we have and become very poor that we could earn our way to heaven; that deifies the very point of the context. The Lord Jesus exposed the true heart of this self-righteous young man who incorrectly stated, "I've kept the law since I was young." 

If we could obey the law perfectly, our adherence to the Law of Moses could never make us right with God. Our problem is not our obedience, our problem is our sinful condition. And, that condition has to be remedied, and, no amount of obedience from us can pay the penalty of our sin. 

The Lord Jesus employed the law as a probe to expose the Rich Young Ruler's Heart. He took the opportunity to show the man that he did not adhere to the total law. The Lord Jesus said, "One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." 

The word "looked" is a significant word. The lens through which we evaluate life must be of highest importance to us. You see, if we view life through the lens of scripture, we will arrive upon that which will bring the greatest purpose into our lives. All of the scriptures are about one subject: the Lord Jesus Christ. And, what we do with Him determines our eternity. 

In v.22 of today's passage we read, "At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth."

The man who had all the wealth of this world went away sorrowful. Subtly, we are given an accurate portrait of how this world will never satisfy our deepest longings and needs. This young man, who had everything that money and power and youth could give him, knew in his heart that there was something missing in his life. That day he had caught a glimpse of eternal life but he walked away sorrowful, because he knew he loved the things of this world so.

This man's response to the challenge of the Lord Jesus regarding his wealth exposed one major flaw in him: that his wealth defined him so much that it owned him. His wealth was his god. He served his wealth rather than his wealth serving him. And that day, even though that young man had gained the whole world, he sadly walked away from the the very One who was the only One who could truly fulfill him. 

Mark 10:13-16

Click here for the Mark 10:13-16 PODCAST

13 People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. 14 When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 15 Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” 16 And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them. ~ Mark 10:13-16

Today, we continue our study of Mark 10. Earlier, the disciples were mistakingly debating which one of them would have the greatest spot in the kingdom of the Lord Jesus. Meanwhile, the Lord Jesus took a child into His arms to teach them about His ways. This came on the heels of the Lord Jesus confronting the disciples for trying to prevent someone from casting out demons whom they thought did not belong to their inner circle. 

In v.13-14 of today's passage we read, "13 People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. 14 When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these."

At this point in the narrative, the Lord Jesus was being approached by parents with their children to have Him bless them. The disciples issued the parents a strong rebuke which, in return, caused the Lord to be very anger. He was angry because a very important truth was being illustrated and the disciples had no clue. 

The Lord Jesus was not particularly pleased that His disciples, who were trying to prevent children access to Him, were not getting the point that He was illustrating. He regularly allowed children to come to Him and, when they did, He gave them His complete attention. The value of a person is truly seen in how he treats the lowest among us.

The Lord Jesus had taken several children in His arms, and blessed them. In doing so, He was granting His disciples the possibility of a deeper knowledge of His way of thinking. He was demonstrating that His kingdom belongs to those who are cognizant of and motivated by dependency on the Father who is in heaven. 

In context, the Lord Jesus announced that the kingdom of God belongs to those with child-like faith. Embracing childlike faith means we accept that Christ’s call to kingdom greatness looks like service and not harsh ruling, meekness and not selfish ambition, and a continual dependence on God’s grace. 

The Lord Jesus said, "...do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these." That phrase, "...for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these," is a huge part of what the Lord was giving to these disciples that day. If we are to be disciples of Christ, the type who walk in concert with His culture, we will be known as those who depend upon the Lord as a child depends upon his parents.

In v.15 of today's passage we read, "Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."

Only God can convert an adult into child-likeness. In order to do so, our inability must be revealed to us, resulting in the humble reception of His free gift. We find it very difficult to receive grace, and, we hold tightly to the idea that we must contribute to the gift of salvation. Even after we have been believers for quite some time, we have found it difficult to wrap our souls around the concept of God's unmerited favor. This is diabolical in nature. And, it explains why we struggle with the whole concept of faith.

As a result, we struggle with the idea that God requests to orchestrate the events of our lives. We struggle going belly up with Him because it is a vulnerable position. And, due to our warped perspective, God must at times show us our total bankruptcy in order for us to get His way of thinking and living. Becoming like a child requires admission that we need help and that we are not what we usually project to others. Being childlike is coming to the place that we are more and more aware of our utter need for God's help and crying out for it.  

When we become increasingly vulnerable with God and we experience His grace, we naturally desire to allow God to be, by definition, the Supreme Being in our lives. Child-like faith is always required for this to happen. And, childlike faith is not childish faith. Childish faith refuses to grow up. We grow up in our faith by accepting the idea that we do not manufacture our growth, He does that. And very often it is painful letting go of dependency upon self. The role we play is to practice the child-like faith that is dependent on Him to do what is necessary in and through our yielded lives.

In v.16 of today's passage we read, "And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them."

Mark recorded eight times that the Lord Jesus touched someone, and in each case the effect was beneficial. We all are made with a need to belong, and, appropriate physical contact is critical for our sense of well-being. Studies have shown the negative effects of a lack of safe touch, which range from developmental and emotional issues to an increased susceptibility to disease. The touch of the Lord Jesus was always of major importance for the one who had been touched by Him.

The Greek word translated "blessed" is the word from which we get our word eulogy which means to celebrate another. This is the only time this word appears in the New Testament. The Lord Jesus blessed these children which means He spoke live-giving words into their existence. It is said that the average parents speak a ratio of 7-1 negative to positive words into the lives of our children. 

A single negative word increases the activity in the fear center of the brain. This releases dozens of stress-producing hormones and neurotransmitters, which in turn interrupts the brains’ function. A single positive word alters the expression of genes, strengthening areas in our frontal lobes and promoting the brain’s cognitive functioning. They propel the motivational centers of the brain into action and build resiliency. The Lord Jesus, yet again, was showing His disciples the stuff that goes into making one a leader.  

Mark 10:5-12

Click here for the Mark 10:5-12 PODCAST

5 Jesus replied, “Moses gave you this law because you are so heartless. 6 But in the beginning God made a man and a woman. 7 That’s why a man leaves his father and mother and gets married. 8 He becomes like one person with his wife. Then they are no longer two people, but one. 9 And no one should separate a couple that God has joined together.” 10 When Jesus and his disciples were back in the house, they asked him about what he had said. 11 He told them, “A man who divorces his wife and marries someone else is unfaithful to his wife. 12 A woman who divorces her husband and marries again is also unfaithful.” ~ Mark 10:5-12

Today we return to our study of Mark 10 where the Lord Jesus has just been asked a trick question by the religious leaders of Israel. The question was about whether or not God allowed divorce. In response the Lord Jesus pointed the religious leaders back to the Word of God. The answer to all of life's ills are found in the Scriptures. To this the religious leaders responded, "Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to dismiss her." 

We are told in Deuteronomy 24:1 that Moses allowed divorce if there was some ""uncleanness" found in a man's wife. The key to understand this is understanding what the word "uncleanness" meant. Some believed uncleanness meant sexual immorality while others believed it meant something dissatisfying. So, the religious leaders tried to trick the Lord Jesus with this question hoping that His answer would minimize Him in the eyes of the people.  

In v.5-9 of today's passage we read, "5 Jesus replied, “Moses gave you this law because you are so heartless. 6 But in the beginning God made a man and a woman. 7 That’s why a man leaves his father and mother and gets married. 8 He becomes like one person with his wife. Then they are no longer two people, but one. 9 And no one should separate a couple that God has joined together."

The real issue with all humans is to be found in our hearts. Do we really want to know the truth? If we do, we will be defined accordingly. If we desire to be defined by God, the Word of God will soften our hearts. For those who really do not want to be defined by God, their hearts will be hardened to the truth. 

In v.6, the Lord Jesus took these religious leaders back to the beginning of time because in doing so, He revealed God's view of marriage. God defined marriage between a man and a woman. Then, God declares in Romans 1:26-27, "26 For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. 27 Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due." 

It is not natural for a man to be with a man and a woman to be with a woman. For us to believe marriage should be two people of the same gender is to undermine God's definition of marriage. We will never understand God's view of divorce until we understand God's view of marriage. And, God intended marriage to be intimate and permanently enjoyed in the context of commitment. In fact, God uses the phrase "one flesh" which underscores the vulnerability involved. God's definition of marriage is the commitment between a husband and a wife.  

God created man and put him on the earth, and, then He created the woman and brought her to the man, and the man said, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh. She will be called woman because she was taken out of man." Then God immediately said, "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and cleave, or be joined unto his wife." This word "joined" in Hebrew means to be glued permanently together. When we try to separate what God has joined together, we make a bigger mess out of it. God's intention in marriage in the first place was to create a bond that would serve the fabric of the family which provides the infrastructure for a good society. 

In v.6-7 of today's passage, the Lord Jesus quoted Genesis 1:27, where we quickly recognize that before the Fall of Man, there was no hardness of heart.  And, no man had the right to separate the union between a man and a woman. This was a genius answer from the Lord Jesus. In answering the religious leaders' question the way He did, the Lord Jesus did not speak against the law. As a result, the Pharisees couldn’t trap Him.

It is important to note that the Lord Jesus spoke in favor of marriage, not against divorce. Most focus on the latter in this passage. His emphasis was not on what God permitted due to the hard heart of fallen man. His emphasis was not on what was lawful, His emphasis was on what is wise and of God.

In v.10-12 of today's passage we read, "10 When Jesus and his disciples were back in the house, they asked him about what he had said. 11 He told them, “A man who divorces his wife and marries someone else is unfaithful to his wife. 12 A woman who divorces her husband and marries again is also unfaithful."

In these verses, the Lord Jesus drew attention to unfaithfulness, not divorce. Divorce was allowed but it was just a band aid to the real problem. If we go to the very end of the Old Testament, to Malachi 2:13-16, we learn that "God hates divorce." And, unfaithfulness between two people who made a promise to be faithful to one another undermines God's purpose for marriage. The physical union of a woman and a man is the visible picture of what a marriage ought to be. This is why God reserves physical union only in the context of the marriage commitment. So, the Lord Jesus' view of divorce is that it a sin or a deviation from what God intended for marriage, but His answer did not emphasize that.

The kind of human love and intimacy we all yearn for is best experienced in a lifelong, faithful, monogamous union with one person. The idea of having an affair may seem exciting, but the excitement of unfaithfulness is short lived, and the pain that follows lasts forever. Interestingly, marriage provides a means toward discipleship. As we have noted, the Lord Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem, teaching His disciples about denying themselves, taking up their cross and following Him. Marriage requires enormous quantities of selflessness and self-denial. In fact, if we make it a habit to die to ourselves, we will be positioned to experience the best of marriages.

So, here the Lord Jesus is yet again using the opportunity to teach His followers another aspect of what it looks like to be His disciple. To be the disciples of Christ we must not serve self, but we must serve those with whom we have relationship, particularly our spouse. As fathers and mothers who are learning to be defined by God, we train our children best on what it looks like to have a meaningful and personal, and faithful  relationship with Christ through the way we treat one another.

Mark 10:1-4

Click here for the Mark 10:1-4 PODCAST

1 After Jesus left, he went to Judea and then on to the other side of the Jordan River. Once again large crowds came to him, and as usual, he taught them. 2 Some Pharisees wanted to test Jesus. So they came up to him and asked if it was right for a man to divorce his wife. 3 Jesus asked them, “What does the Law of Moses say about that?” 4 They answered, “Moses allows a man to write out divorce papers and send his wife away.” ~ Mark 10:1-4

Today, we transition into Mark 10 where the Lord Jesus along with His followers were on the move from north to south. From Galilee, they went down to Judea, leaving the place where He had headquartered His ministry for three and a half years. He was finished with His Galilean ministry, and, He was on His way to Jerusalem, eventually to die on the cross.

In v.1 of today's passage we read, "After Jesus left, he went to Judea and then on to the other side of the Jordan River. Once again large crowds came to him, and as usual, he taught them."

This one verse covers a lot of ground for during this time the Lord Jesus went into Samaria and northern Judea. During that time He sent out seventy disciples to go into all the villages to share the gospel with those with a willing heart. During that time He also made a quick trip to Jerusalem in the dead of winter to celebrate Hanukkah or the Feast of Dedication. Having spoken at that feast, He left Jerusalem and came with His disciples now into the area on the eastern side of the Jordan River. There, in that region called Perea, he was teaching the large crowds.

In v.2 of today's passage we read, "Some Pharisees wanted to test Jesus. So they came up to him and asked if it was right for a man to divorce his wife." 

While the Lord Jesus and His followers were in Perea, the religious leaders sought Him out with a trick question. The Greek word used here for "test" reveals the religious leaders were trying to catch the Lord Jesus saying something which they could discredit Him. They desperately wanted to nullify Him and His teaching, even though He was teaching the truth. 

There has and will always be those people that no matter how much truth we give them, they will not believe. And the reason they will not believe is their stubbornness of heart. Fallen man wants to run his own life, knowing that if he yields his life to Christ, he can not keep on living the way he once did. And, quite frankly, he loves his sin too much.

In v.3 of today's passage we read, "Jesus asked them, 'What does the Law of Moses say about that?'"

In response to the question of the Pharisees, the Lord Jesus pointed the religious leaders back to the Bible. The response of the Lord Jesus here underscores a very important principle which is: We must be defined by God. What we believe to be true is revealed through our thoughts and our words which are spelled out best by the choices we make. When God's word defines what we believe, it is then that we are positioned to be defined by Him. 

In v.4 of today's passage we read, "They answered, “Moses allows a man to write out divorce papers and send his wife away."

The answer of the religious leaders revealed something about the will of God. There is the permissive will of God and there is the decreed will of God. The scripture says, "It is the desire of God that none perish but that all come to faith in Christ." Obviously, not all believe. This is where the permissive will of God comes in. When we settle for what is permissible, in varying degrees, we do so to our own peril. Until we get to heaven, there will always be a limitedness to our trust in God. And, this is the bottom line issue involved here. Not only had these religious leaders settled for that which was permissible, they were not being defined by God's word.

God tells us the greatest among us will be the servant of all. We were created with two basic, yet enormous needs: to be loved and to love. In any relationship that we may have, if we are selfish, we will miss what God had in store for us. However, if we embrace, selflessness, we will discover that we are living in the way God intended. As a result, we will be more complete, and, more whole. With the help of the Spirit of God, we will transcend what is lawful and do that which is of God and best for us.

The real issue for us is the cry of our hearts for intimacy, to be loved and to love. As we walk in God's way, the Holy Spirit will soften our hearts toward God and others. Hardness of heart toward God means hardness of heart toward ourselves and others. We lack wisdom when we ignore these biblical relational principles.

In order to help us walk in God's ways, the Holy Spirit has been given to us. He diagnoses our hardness of heart, and, as a result, He softens our hearts by revealing God’s love to us in Christ. We do well to throw off selfishness and let the Holy Spirit have His way with us by embracing the role of the servant. And, when we do, we will be defined by God.

Mark 9:42-50

Click here for the Mark 9:42-50 PODCAST

42 “But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea. 43 If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched— 44 where ‘Their worm does not die, And the fire is not quenched.’ 45 And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched— 46 where ‘Their worm does not die And the fire is not quenched.’ 47 And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire— 48 where ‘Their worm does not die And the fire is not quenched.’ 49 “For everyone will be seasoned with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt. 50 Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another.” ~ Mark 9:42-50

In the context of today's passage, the disciples had been arguing about who would be the greatest in the kingdom. So, Jesus said, "Whoever's the greatest among you has to act like he's the lowest among you, and to be your servant." Then He picked up a child and He said, "Whoever receives one of these little children in my name receives me. Whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me." The topic was discipleship and the characteristic the Lord was accentuating was childlike faith.

In v.42 of today's passage we read, "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea."

The Lord Jesus is still addressing the disciples’ desire to be great, and the child was still present. And, He gives a warning which was repeated three times about stumbling, leaving them with the impression that stumbling is equivalent to causing a child to sin.

A disciple causes a child to sin by not showing him value. And when a disciple is motivated according to God's will, he will value a child. But, if the disciple is motivated by being great in the eyes of people, he will not value the child. The root problem is selfishness, wanting to be great in the eyes of others.

In v.43-48 of today's passage we read, "43 If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched— 44 where ‘Their worm does not die, And the fire is not quenched.’ 45 And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched— 46 where ‘Their worm does not die And the fire is not quenched.’ 47 And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire— 48 where ‘Their worm does not die And the fire is not quenched.'"

According to Deuteronomy 14 God prohibited the removing of an appendage, so, the Lord Jesus was not suggesting we go out and actually cut off our hand, or our foot, or actually pluck out our eye. 

The eye represents what we see, our hand what we do, and, our foot where we go. There are places, activities and things the believer in Christ has no business being involved with. For us, nothing is worth any kind of separation from God. We must avoid such things. 

The fire in this passage is analogous of God’s judgment. And, if God did not judge evil, evil would run rampant with no end. The effects of His fire purifies our motives, so that we choose what is “good”.

In v.49-50 of today's passage we read, "49 For everyone will be seasoned with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt. 50 Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another."

In biblical days, salt was a preservative, and, it was used in the sacrifice in the temple. In those days, there was no refrigeration, and, the only way they preserve meat was to take salt and rub it into the meat. Rubbing salt into the meat would slow down the putrefaction process and allow it to be kept for a while. That's why all the meats back then were very salty, because they had to rub salt in it to preserve it.   

Discipleship is a purifying process. As we walk through this fallen world, we are learning to be defined by God's culture. The believer in Christ should be more and more defined by God and therefore should live a salty life. When we live as servants, we will make the lost world thirsty. Their thirst will be for the substance that the Lord Jesus brings into our yielded lives. As we live our lives and we are being consumed for God's purposes, we discover that God uses our defined by Him lives as a preservative in this rotted world. 

Greatness includes service and self-sacrifice. The mature disciple does not seek greatness, he seeks to be self-sacrificing. And, it is this selfless posture which comes out of the security and maturity in our walk with the Lord that God uses most profoundly to advance His culture in the lives of those we meet on a daily basis. We do this because we have discovered our completeness in the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Mark 9:38-41

Click here for the Mark 9:38-41 PODCAST

38 “Teacher,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.” 39 “Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, 40 for whoever is not against us is for us. 41 Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward. ~ Mark 9:38-41

Today, we return to our study of Mark 9 where the main subject is discipleship. Dietrich Bonhoeffer once said, "Salvation is free, but discipleship will cost you your life." No truer words have been spoken. Discipleship is synonymous with sanctification, and the nice thing about the Lord is He is in no hurry when it comes to making us His disciples. 

The disciples were obviously struggling with the fact that some of them could not cast a demon out of the young man. This was yet another opportunity for the Lord Jesus to change the culture inside of these who had left everything to follow Him. And, unique to His ministry to His followers, He meets us right where we were.

The late Mike Yaconelli once said, "The disciples of Jesus were often clueless, selfish, afraid, and made a lot of mistakes. In other words, they were very human. Just like you and me. Like us, they struggled with things like fear, doubt, laziness, weakness, sensitivity, brokenness, alienation, hunger, immaturity, and pride." And, we who are being taught by Him today are no different.

In v.38 of today's passage we read, "Teacher,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us."

One of the twelve disciples, John, assumed that only the twelve could cast a demon out of the possessed. John, as well as the others, did not understand that it is the power of the name of the Lord Jesus that brings about such miracles. What appalled John was that this person was actually succeeding at casting out demons in the name of the Lord! John and the other disciples were troubled by the success of this unknown person. 

The disciples had just had an argument about which one of them was the greatest, and they certainly did not want anybody else succeeding outside their group. The mark of greatness is that we look not at a person's successes, nor even at the things they stand for, but that we see a human being who is being taught by the Lord. And, if others are respecting the name of the Lord Jesus, we must not discourage them.

In v.39-40 of today's passage we read, "39 “Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, 40 for whoever is not against us is for us."

God responds to the cry of faith in Him. And though the disciples knew nothing about this person and what he believed, the fact that God was answering him, and demons were being cast out, indicated that there was something to his ministry. We must be careful not to reject such, especially when it appears they are believers in the Lord Jesus. 

In v.41 of today's passage we read, "Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward."

Even a cup of water given in the name of Christ will never lose its reward. Every opportunity taken to help someone develop into fullness of health spiritually, as well as in soul and body, is to be rewarded by God. But, the disciples were struggling with pride, and the Lord Jesus was teaching them that there is not to be competitors in the family of God. 

The Lord Jesus used the word "reward" because His disciples were desirous of greatness which equals glory which equals reward. They were looking for their earnings. Their pride was defining them. What they needed was humility. So, the Lord Jesus gave them an example: a cup of water in His name. One of the most insignificant things we can do for another. Whereas the world appeals to our pride, the Lord Jesus will always appeal to our humility.

The world says humility is a losing concept, but God's kingdom is not a competition. We have been duped by this world when we believe that if we end up on the bottom, we will lose our reward. According to the culture of the Lord Jesus, a simple act of sacrificial kindness will result in what can never be achieved by elevating ourselves. No, God humbles the proud and He exalts the humble.

Mark 9:33-37

Click here for the Mark 9:33-37 PODCAST

33 Jesus and his followers went to Capernaum. When they went into a house there, he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” 34 But the followers did not answer, because their argument on the road was about which one of them was the greatest. 35 Jesus sat down and called the twelve apostles to him. He said, “Whoever wants to be the most important must be last of all and servant of all.” 36 Then Jesus took a small child and had him stand among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said, 37 “Whoever accepts a child like this in my name accepts me. And whoever accepts me accepts the One who sent me.” ~ Mark 9:33-37

Today we return to our study of Mark 9 where we discover the Lord Jesus in the final months prior to His cross. Here, the Lord Jesus is in the middle of preparing His disciples for His departure from this earth. 

The main theme in Mark 9 has been discipleship. God's idea of discipleship and ours are not quite the same. Where His idea of discipleship leads us to the place that we decrease, our idea of discipleship leads to the place where we increase. Where His idea of discipleship increasingly puts the spot light on Him, our idea of discipleship increasingly puts the spotlight on us.

In v.33-34 of today's passage we read, "33 Jesus and his followers went to Capernaum. When they went into a house there, he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” 34 But the followers did not answer, because their argument on the road was about which one of them was the greatest."

Here, we see the disciples positioning for greatness. The world's idea of success is to work hard, earn money, buy toys, climb to the top, lie, cheat, and steal, as long as we succeed in the end. The Lord Jesus invites us to a much different culture. This world's culture slaps us on the back and lauds us for our good successes. But, His is a culture of selflessness. His culture navigates us to consider the need of other’s as more important than our own. His way leads us to serve those around us, instead of expecting them to serve us. According to the Lord Jesus, we truly live the abundant life that He has promised when we dethrone and die to self.

In v.35 of today's passage we read, "Jesus sat down and called the twelve apostles to him. He said, 'Whoever wants to be the most important must be last of all and servant of all.'"

According to the culture of the Lord Jesus, being first means being last. And being last means being a servant. But the disciples had not shirked this world's culture that they had long been defined by. Like them, the world has convinced us that we can do acts of service and still not be servants. In the culture of God, servanthood is a must for the disciple of Christ. And, if our intended outcome is personal recognition, we will not be defined by God as servants. True servanthood begins with selflessness which will seek the good of others. This only happens as we are engaged in a meaningful relationship with the Lord Jesus who fully understands our greatest enemy is within us.

In v.36-37 of today's passage we read, "36 Then Jesus took a small child and had him stand among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said, 37 'Whoever accepts a child like this in my name accepts me. And whoever accepts me accepts the One who sent me.'"

That day, when the Lord Jesus took that child into His arms, He spoke a language that was foreign to the culture that His disciples had grown up in. At that time, their world did not find any value in a kid. But, according to the Lord's culture, a dependent child is the greatest. Like the disciples, we most often have a contrary understanding of greatness than the Lord. In fact, their argument in that house that day revealed their ignorance of the ways of the Lord. 

Having said that, the Lord Jesus did not rebuke the disciples for wanting to be great. He didn't because He made us to desire to succeed at whatever we do. What the Lord Jesus did do was to tell the disciples the true way to greatness. True greatness is not accessed by seeking to be first, it is accessed by a willingness to be last. According to God's culture, greatness is when we are defined by Him which will always lead us to the ambition of pleasing Him.

True greatness is championed when we serve the insignificant and expect nothing in return. True greatness desires to serve in the name of our Savior, so that He gets the glory. Serving the insignificant comes on the heels of being defined by God. But, our problem is we are relentless worshipers of self. It is our nature to worship ourselves. But, when we come into a personal relationship with Christ, He teaches us to be defined by those things which are contrary to our natural way of living. And, His culture is dominated by the fruits of the Spirit which are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

Mark 9:30-32

Click here for the Mark 9:30-32 PODCAST

30 Then Jesus and his followers left that place and went through Galilee. He didn’t want anyone to know where he was, 31 because he was teaching his followers. He said to them, “The Son of Man will be handed over to people, and they will kill him. After three days, he will rise from the dead.” 32 But the followers did not understand what Jesus meant, and they were afraid to ask him. ~ Mark 9:30-32

Today, we return to our study of Mark 9 where the Lord Jesus has just delivered a young man who had been possessed by a demon since his childhood. We are not sure how long this young man was in that state, but the day he met the Lord Jesus, he returned to the normal life that he once knew when he was a boy. This story was a part of the discipleship program the Lord was providing for His disciples.

In v.30-31a of today's passage we read, "30 Then Jesus and his followers left that place and went through Galilee. He didn’t want anyone to know where he was, 31 because he was teaching his followers."

It is evident that the Lord deliberately avoided the crowds as He and His disciples went back toward Capernaum. They took the back roads in order not to be seen, because the Lord wanted to spend time with His disciples. All through the Gospels we see that His primary target was these twelve men. He poured His life into these guys who struggled to understand His ways and His culture. 

Most Christians believe discipleship is going through a ten step program where we fill in a few blanks in a study guide given to us by the one doing the teaching. The problem with this model is garnering information so that I can regurgitate it is a far cry from the organic reality of having a personal relationship with God and with others. 

Discipleship happens when we walk through life learning to live according to God's definitions of all things. Discipleship happens when we are taught by God and His influence in our lives seeps out and influences others. Essential for discipleship to happen is we must be active at walking with the Lord for ourselves. 

This does not mean that the one who is growing at being a disciple of Christ is somehow better than anyone else, it just means we are being taught by the Lord on a daily basis, and, we are influencing others with that which we are learning. Essentially, the message of the cross is the best measurement of authentic discipleship. If the reality of dying to self and living unto the Lord is present in our lives, then we are active disciples. 

In v.31b-32 of today's passage we read, "He said to them, “The Son of Man will be handed over to people, and they will kill him. After three days, he will rise from the dead.” 32 But the followers did not understand what Jesus meant, and they were afraid to ask him."

This was the second time in Mark that the Lord Jesus told His disciples that He would die and be raised from the dead. And, He reiterated this fact before He got into the nuts and bolts of teaching His followers what it looks like to follow Him diligently. He did this to show a clear difference between the believer's justification and sanctification. These must be kept separate because if we teach that our sanctification factors into our justification, then we would be guilty of heresy.

Whereas our justification refers to God’s declaration that we are determined to be righteous in His sight, sanctification is the continual process of dying to self and allowing the Lord Jesus to define us. Justification is a one-time act whereby sanctification is an on-going process.  

The phrase "handed over" in v.31 really means "betrayed." This is the very word used later to describe the betrayal of Judas. This, of course, would not be a surprise to the Lord Jesus for He knew that the eternal status of every human who has ever lived and will ever live was dependent upon Him being judged for all sin on the cross.

The Lord Jesus instructed His disciple in private. Like many of us, the disciples feared what they did not understand. After the Lord Jesus told the disciples about His death and resurrection, they struggled in their understanding of a suffering Christ. They, literally, could not comprehend what He was talking about. They couldn't comprehend it because they had closed off the possibility of death for the Lord Jesus. Like us, they struggled to be defined by God.

At this point, the disciples simply were not ready for a suffering Christ, especially One who would die and be raised from the dead. And so, the Lord Jesus gently but very firmly taught them to face up to the implications of His soon coming death. Through this teaching, the Lord Jesus made it very clear to His disciples that there is no discipleship without the secondary teaching of the cross. In tomorrow's blog and podcast, we will consider more of the implications of the secondary teachings of the cross upon the life of the disciple. And for today, we reiterate the utter necessity that in order for us to grow in our faith in the Lord Jesus, we must say "no" to the evil desires that are still in us and which beckon us daily.

Mark 9:20-29

Click here for the Mark 9:20-29 PODCAST

20 So the followers brought him to Jesus. As soon as the evil spirit saw Jesus, it made the boy lose control of himself, and he fell down and rolled on the ground, foaming at the mouth. 21 Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has this been happening?” The father answered, “Since he was very young. 22 The spirit often throws him into a fire or into water to kill him. If you can do anything for him, please have pity on us and help us.” 23 Jesus said to the father, “You said, ‘If you can!’ All things are possible for the one who believes.” 24 Immediately the father cried out, “I do believe! Help me to believe more!” 25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was quickly gathering, he ordered the evil spirit, saying, “You spirit that makes people unable to hear or speak, I command you to come out of this boy and never enter him again!” 26 The evil spirit screamed and caused the boy to fall on the ground again. Then the spirit came out. The boy looked as if he were dead, and many people said, “He is dead!” 27 But Jesus took hold of the boy’s hand and helped him to stand up. 28 When Jesus went into the house, his followers began asking him privately, “Why couldn’t we force that evil spirit out?” 29 Jesus answered, “That kind of spirit can only be forced out by prayer.” ~ Mark 9:20-29

Today, we continue our study of the deliverance of the young man from demon possession. As soon as the demon saw the Lord Jesus approach, it reacted as if it had prior knowledge of the identity of the Lord Jesus. We could only imagine how traumatic these fits of rage were for the young man and his father. And, this had been going on for many years.

In v.20-22 of today's passage we read, "20 So the followers brought him to Jesus. As soon as the evil spirit saw Jesus, it made the boy lose control of himself, and he fell down and rolled on the ground, foaming at the mouth. 21 Jesus asked the boy’s father, 'How long has this been happening?' The father answered, 'Since he was very young. 22 The spirit often throws him into a fire or into water to kill him. If you can do anything for him, please have pity on us and help us.'"

The Lord Jesus asked the question in v.21 because He wanted to give the father the opportunity to tell his story of suffering. The Lord Jesus wanted the father to know that he was not just coming to a power, he was coming to a person. And if there’s anything demonstrated in the miracle ministry of Jesus Christ, it was His compassion, the fact that He cares about the things that break our hearts. 

At the end of v.22, the father said, "If you can do anything for him." After this man and his son had suffered so much, they had begun to second-guess and doubt if anyone could help them. The honesty shown here in their desperation garnered the attention of the Lord Jesus even more.

The word "help" used at the end of v.22 is a rare word. It means to run to the aid of someone who needs help or to run to the aid of someone who cries out for help. Literally, the man asked, "If you can, would you run to the aid of my son and help us?"

In v.23-24 of today's passage we read, "23 Jesus said to the father, 'You said, If you can! All things are possible for the one who believes.' 24 Immediately the father cried out, 'I do believe! Help me to believe more!'"

The weakness of this man's faith he did not hide. To varying degrees we have all been there. There is a part of us that believes and there is a part of us that does not believe. There will always, this side of heaven, be this battle between faith and doubt. And, actually it must happen this way because doubt is the shadow cast by faith. We can't have the one without the other.

At the heart of this story is the response of the Lord Jesus. He said, "All things are possible for the one who believes." This is the first time the Lord Jesus showed the importance of faith and made it a mandate in Mark’s gospel. What we have here is an issue of faith. It was not an issue of power, it was an issue of accessing that power that comes by faith.

The Lord Jesus had healed many people who had no faith. Faith wasn’t always the issue. He healed lots of people who didn’t believe. But, the lesson in this story was about the power of faith. You see, the Lord Jesus knew He would soon be gone from the presence of His disciples, and, they had to learn how to access God's absent power and make it present by faith. The Lord Jesus was training the disciples to live by faith and not by sight. 

The Lord Jesus never expects perfect faith from us; it would be pointless, though He is worthy of it. He is realistic with us and He expects imperfect faith mixed with doubt because that is our reality. The Lord Jesus also wants us to see the battle which called for the need of this miracle in the first place, which was the battle between good and evil. The question is which one will we place our faith in, God or the evil one? When we do not place our faith in the God of the Bible, we are essentially placing it in the evil one without even knowing it.

In v.25-27 of today's passage we read, "25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was quickly gathering, he ordered the evil spirit, saying, 'You spirit that makes people unable to hear or speak, I command you to come out of this boy and never enter him again!' 26 The evil spirit screamed and caused the boy to fall on the ground again. Then the spirit came out. The boy looked as if he were dead, and many people said, 'He is dead!' 27 But Jesus took hold of the boy’s hand and helped him to stand up."

In response to the order of the Lord Jesus for the demon to come out of the young man, the demon put up a fight. His desire was to kill the young man, but the Lord Jesus desired for him the kind of life that ushers the willing of heart into a personal relationship with God.

In v.28-29 of today's passage we read, "28 When Jesus went into the house, his followers began asking him privately, “Why couldn’t we force that evil spirit out?” 29 Jesus answered, “That kind of spirit can only be forced out by prayer."

The disciples were perplexed by their failure. So, they asked, "Why couldn't we cast the demon out?" The Lord Jesus then said, "This kind can come out by nothing but prayer." Other translations read, "This kind can only come out by prayer and fasting." 

Prayer attaches us to God, while, fasting detaches us from ourselves. It is in the context of saying "no" to our flesh, and, "yes" to our God that we do ministry. The disciples obviously tried to do this in their own strength without prayer. For every spiritual miracle that the Lord ever does, we have to depend on Him. We must not depend on the cleverness of our presentation. And, the casting out of demons requires fasting and prayer.

This miracle was done on the basis of the father’s faith which expressed itself when he requested of the Lord Jesus, "Please run to the rescue of my weak faith." That day, this father's faith grew and was found to be sufficient faith. The Lord Jesus could have let the disciples succeed without the prayer of the young man's father, but, that would have precluded the father from persisting in his faith in the Lord Jesus. This is His goal in all of our lives, that we would seek a relationship not with the miracle but that we would seek a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

Mark 9:14-19

Click here for the Mark 9:14-19 PODCAST

14 When Jesus, Peter, James, and John came back to the other followers, they saw a great crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. 15 But as soon as the crowd saw Jesus, the people were surprised and ran to welcome him. 16 Jesus asked, “What are you arguing about? 17 A man answered, “Teacher, I brought my son to you. He has an evil spirit in him that stops him from talking. 18 When the spirit attacks him, it throws him on the ground. Then my son foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes very stiff. I asked your followers to force the evil spirit out, but they couldn’t.” 19 Jesus answered, “You people have no faith. How long must I stay with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.” ~ Mark 9:14-19

Today, we return to our study of Mark 9 where we see Peter, James and John coming down from their mountain top experience with the Lord. What a contrast is given to us here. Up on the mountain,  the glory of the Lord was overwhelming. Whereas, down in the valley, darkness was in full array. Down in the valley, the other disciples had some of the religious leaders of Israel arguing with them about their inability to cast out a demon from a man's son.

Faith is the second most dominant feature of the believer in Christ, the first is obviously its object. We trust in a God whom we have never seen with our eyes. We trust in a Christ we have not seen. We trust in a Holy Spirit we have not seen. We embrace a death and resurrection we have not seen. We trust in a justification we have not seen. And we look for an eternal heaven, which we have not seen. We are enabled to do this because we have been given hearts that can see Him in our every day lives.

In v.14-15 of today's passage we read, "14 When Jesus, Peter, James, and John came back to the other followers, they saw a great crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. 15 But as soon as the crowd saw Jesus, the people were surprised and ran to welcome him."

Down in the valley below were the nine other disciples, and, even though they had experienced great success before at casting demons out of people, here, they failed. Failure is not always the opposite of success with God. He has often been known to use our failures to bring about His successes. The key is that we learn that He is the One who brings about the success. And, we must be careful to give Him all of the glory for the miracle.

The symptoms of the young man were the classic symptoms of epilepsy. But, the problem was being caused not by epilepsy but by a demon. And, as soon as the Lord Jesus arrived on the scene, the crowd ran to Him because they were "awestruck" by Him. Due to all of the miracles He had been performing, the people treated the Lord Jesus as if He were God.

In v.16-18 of today's passage we read, "16 Jesus asked, “What are you arguing about? 17 A man answered, “Teacher, I brought my son to you. He has an evil spirit in him that stops him from talking. 18 When the spirit attacks him, it throws him on the ground. Then my son foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes very stiff. I asked your followers to force the evil spirit out, but they couldn’t."

The word "arguing" used in v.16, often describes the confrontations the religious leaders were faithful to deliver. After the Lord Jesus asked the question, a volunteer in the crowd answered Him. In the middle of all of this, according to Matthew's version of this incident, the father of the young man had fallen on his knees before the Lord Jesus, calling the Lord Jesus both, “Teacher and Lord.” 

This man had come to bring his son to the Lord Jesus for deliverance. This should be the goal of every father; to get his son or daughter as close to the Lord Jesus as possible. And, even when His followers aren't able to help, we must not relent from bringing them to Him. And, we get them the closest to the Lord Jesus by living in a meaningful and intimate relationship with the Lord for ourselves. It is much easier for our children to trust and love the Lord when we are demonstrating our trust and love in Him for ourselves.

According to v.17-18 the man explains the condition of his son as being demon-possessed. Then he reveals why the disciples did not answer the question the Lord Jesus had posed. They could not cast the demon out of the young man which was strange because back in Mark 6, the Lord Jesus had given the disciples the authority to cast other demons out of other people. We can only imagine the shock of these disciples when they failed.

In v.19 of today's passage we read, "Jesus answered, “You people have no faith. How long must I stay with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy to me."

The disciples did not fail because they did not expect anything to happen ... they expected something to happen, and, they were surprised when the young man was not delivered from the demon. They had seen people delivered before from demons when they said the word, and did so in Jesus' name. But this time it did not happen. This reveals that faith is not merely a sense of expecting something to happen.  

The disciples had faith, but it had changed from faith in God to faith in the process they were following. Perhaps, they thought that if we said the right words, and followed the right ritual, that the demon would have to leave. Without their even realizing it, they had transferred their faith from confidence in a God who can act, to a formula that can bring it about. It is so easy to take our eyes off of the Lord.

This is what we often do. We get to thinking that it is the words we say, or the way we say them, or the success we are enjoying in our lives spiritually, which is the real reason things happen, rather than the God who acts. The Lord Jesus chided the disciples for this and later said their faith must be in God Himself, if it is to be a fresh and vital faith. God’s will doesn’t always automatically come to pass in our lives when and the way we expect it. We must believe what God has said, or else we may not experience what God has promised. 

Mark 9:9-13

Click here for the Mark 9:9-13 PODCAST

9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone about what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. 10 So the followers obeyed Jesus, but they discussed what he meant about rising from the dead. 11 Then they asked Jesus, “Why do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?” 12 Jesus answered, “They are right to say that Elijah must come first and make everything the way it should be. But why does the Scripture say that the Son of Man will suffer much and that people will treat him as if he were nothing? 13 I tell you that Elijah has already come. And people did to him whatever they wanted to do, just as the Scriptures said it would happen.” ~ Mark 9:9-13

Today, we return to our study of Mark 9 where we learn that our mountaintop encounters with the Lord Jesus do not always answer our questions about Him. Like the disciples, sometimes, we descend the mountain with more questions than we had going up. 

I am so grateful that complete understanding is not necessary to following the Lord Jesus. If we had certainty, we would have no need for faith. In fact, it is the nature of faith to be incomplete in our understanding of God. It is also the nature of faith to anticipate the next revelation about Him. We discover, this is what deepens us in our walk with Him. He has been known to speak to us through the strangest things: donkeys, dreams of linen sheets coming down out of the sky, and a still small voice.

In v.9-10 of today's passage we read, "9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone about what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. 10 So the followers obeyed Jesus, but they discussed what he meant about rising from the dead."

What is necessary to follow the Lord Jesus is what these three disciples arrived upon on the mountain: worship. And, worship is being defined by God in whatever we do in the way that He told us to do it. The first place in the Bible that worship appears is the very same place that love appears first: Genesis 22. We worship what we love and we love what we worship. And, we worship the Lord Jesus when we ascribe worth to His words by being defined by them. The principle is that we become like what we worship.

That which intrigued these three disciples on Mount Hermon was the Lord Jesus' comment about rising from the dead after three days. The resurrection of the Lord Jesus didn't make sense to them because they had no room in their theology for His death on the cross. They obviously believed He was going to usher in His kingdom with force and with might. But, God does not do things like we do them. His is a kingdom that is inside out and upside down. The Lord Jesus Himself is the Servant who rules and the Ruler who serves.

As they came down Mount Hermon that day, the disciples had a discussion. They entertained their questions, and eventually, they brought those questions to the One with the real answers. This is what discipleship looks like. Discipleship is not keeping a regimen that requires us to get up at 6:00 am to meet with the Lord. But, if you are wired to have the best discussions with the Lord at that time of the day, go for it. But, do not allow that time to be the only time you have a conversation with Him in your day. Get into the habit of talking with Him as often as you can during each day, for this is the context where He trains us in His ways.

In v.11 of today's passage we read, "Then they asked Jesus, 'Why do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?'"

When Peter wanted to build three tents, one for the Lord Jesus, one for Moses and one for Elijah, he revealed that in his mind Moses and Elijah were on par with the Lord Jesus. If we have the same theology as Peter did, we will struggle with the culture of the Lord Jesus. We can not just say that the Lord Jesus is a great man and a great moral teacher, we have to go further by recognizing Him as God. 

In v.12-13 of today's passage we read, "12 Jesus answered, “They are right to say that Elijah must come first and make everything the way it should be. But why does the Scripture say that the Son of Man will suffer much and that people will treat him as if he were nothing? 13 I tell you that Elijah has already come. And people did to him whatever they wanted to do, just as the Scriptures said it would happen."

The Lord Jesus clearly states that the coming of Elijah comes in two phases: phase number one, past tense, he's already come; phase number two, he is still coming. The first coming of Elijah was realized in the coming of John the Baptist. When John was being dedicated in the temple at his birth, the priest Zechariah quoted Malachi saying, "This is the one who comes in the spirit and the power of Elijah to turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children, and the hearts of the children back to the fathers. Lest I come and smite the earth with a curse." John the Baptist was an Elijah-like forerunner of the Lord Jesus, but the prophet Elijah will come, according to Malachi 4, at the end of days "before the great and terrible day of the Lord" which will come at the end of the Tribulation.

Down in the valley of life, we determine to live by that which we experienced on the mountain with the Lord. This, I am sure, was the determination of these three disciples. But, following the Lord Jesus is hard, and sometimes, this is good, because if we were so successful at it we would lose sight of our dependency upon the Lord. Dethroning and denying self leads us to the most important revelation of all: the decision to follow the Lord Jesus. And, we must operate out of the fact that without the cross and the resurrection, there is no good news, there is no salvation, there is no kingdom.

When we marry the two ideas of worship and love, we discover the key to discipleship or following the Lord. Learning to love and worship Him is the vehicle God uses to solidify our souls in relationship to His Son. The deepening relationship that follows provides for us the moorings that enable us to go deep in a love relationship with Him. This is the deepening of our faith in Him which is learning to see Him with our hearts.