Mark 9:30-10:31

Theme: Jesus teaches the path to heavenly greatness is through suffering and service, demonstrated chiefly through his death on the cross.

Aim: We must depend solely on Jesus, which requires being the servant of all, purging sin, and being willing to give up all else we love.

Study

Recap

Spend some time discussing what has happened so far, both ‘plot wise’ and ‘teaching wise’.

Greatness

1. What is Jesus’ teaching on greatness, and how is it different to the disciples’ main concern?
   • Heavenly greatness is achieved through service of all, (v35)
   • Serve all, even those who are not worth serving, (v37) children have nothing to offer in return.
   • Notice that Jesus encourages greatness, but corrects what greatness in his eyes is like.
   • The disciples are too concerned with their own greatness to listen to Jesus. They have been blinded by their delusions of grandeur. The road to Jerusalem leads not to earthly glory, but to shame and suffering.
   • How can you best serve others, and encourage others to serve?
   • What does it look like for us to ‘receive a child’ in our church today?
   • Let’s all pray that God would give us Christ-like humility, and follow his example of service.
   • Praise God that Jesus has opened the way to all, to the weak and the needy. We can be with God, not because of anything we’ve done, but solely because of what Jesus has done.

In Jesus’ Name

1. What does this encounter remind you of that you’ve seen so far?
   • Jesus just taught that those who receive people in his name, receive him, and indeed receive the father.
   • The disciples have previously failed to cast out demons due to a lack of reliance on prayer.
2. Why then do you think the man was asked to stop, and what does this reveal about the disciples’ hearts?
   • Perhaps jealousy, that this man can cast out demons that they could not, and that he was now explicitly called by Jesus can do that same as them.
   • Hearts full of pride.
   • An ‘in crowd’ and an ‘out crowd’. Tribalism.
3. How does Jesus push back, and what are his reasons?
   • Jesus’ kingdom is for everyone who would receive it.
   • Miraculous power is only granted to those truly trusting in Jesus, (v39)
   • Jesus expands the disciples’ circle of ‘us’, from just the twelve to all who would follow him, (v40)
   • There are only two sides: for or against God. Any not against God are necessarily for him. Likewise, anyone not for God is necessarily against him, (v40, Matt. 12:30). We are all united in Christ.
   • Do you ever find it hard to welcome followers of Jesus who believe and behave differently to you?
   • Where can you be tempted to have rivalries, both in and out of the Church?
   • Even the smallest act of service - giving a cup of water - is rewarded by God. Each one of his children is valuable.
   • Are you ever tempted to look down on others? How does Jesus challenge that attetude?

Sin is Serious

1. Why does Jesus’ warning about causing others to stumble come at this time?
   • The disciples have just been rejecting someone doing works in Jesus’ name.
   • If someone with a fragile faith is rejected by other Christians, their faith is in danger of breaking and they could abandon Jesus on account of how they were treated by them.
   • The disciples have already narrowed their circle to just them, and are causing further divisions by arguing about who is the greatest.
   • Jesus gives one of the strongest warnings of eternal judgement in all of Mark.
2. What does Jesus teach us about Hell?
   • Suffering in Hell is unending:
     • “the fire never goes out”, v43
     • “the worms that eat them do not die”, v48
     • “the fire is not quenched”, v48
   • Suffering in Hell is incomparably worse to anything on Earth:
     • Hell is worse than bearing a crushing weight and drowning, (v42)
     • Hell is worse than loosing body parts, (v45, 47)
   • Suffering in Hell is real. Jesus describes the eternal punishment in physical terms, so not only will the punishment be spiritual, but also physical. See Matt. 10:28.
   • Hell is the opposite of Heaven (Compare what you know about Heaven and Hell):
     • With God there is light, without there is utter darkness.
     • With God comes joy and happiness, without him there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.
     • The gift of God is eternal life, but Hell is the second and eternal death.
     • Goodness and love flow from God, but all evildoers will be cast into Hell.
     • In Heaven we will ever be praising God with his hosts of angels, but Satan and his legions of demons will be cast into the fire prepared for them.
   • Jesus makes it clear that sin is very serious, and extreme action should be taken against it.
   • What can you do to purge sin from your life?
   • We can do nothing without God’s grace. Pray that he would work in us, keeping us from temptation and delivering us from evil.
   • Encourage one another.
   • Are you ever tempted to diminish or forget the reality of Hell?
   • Jesus, the most loving man who ever lived, said these things. He said them not because he loves to punish, but because he loves to not punish!

The Law and Our Hearts

What does Jesus’ response to the Pharisees’ test teach us about:

1. Their hearts?
   • They are more concerned with the letter of the law, than with their heart attitude towards God.
   • They think they are fine: they know the law to the letter and follow it in the same way.
   • Jesus plays an uno-reverse card: this law was given because their hearts are hardened.
   • They don’t care really about being right before God, only about appearing right before men, and Jesus exposes this.
2. Marriage and divorce?
   • Marriage is a serious thing, a promise not just between spouses, but a covenant before God. God is the one who brings two people together.
   • Jesus teaches that divorce and remarriage is adultery, it is rebellion against God.
3. Our Hearts?
   • How do you view God’s Law? With delight or perhaps with dread?
   • Perhaps reflections from MYC?
   • Do you share Jesus’ view of marriage and divorce?
   • How does this passage change your attitude (and pursuit) of it?
   • The Pharisees make a mockery of marriage by using the law of God; today we make a mockery of it because we don’t know the law of God.
   • How do your friends react to this veiw of marriage and divorce?

How to Enter the Kingdom of

God

1. What causes Jesus’ indignation and why?
   • The disciples are rebuking people for bringing children to Jesus.
   • He has just been teaching them to receive people in his name, that whoever welcomes the least of children in his name welcomes him (v37), and gave a stern warning about stopping people from coming to him and causing them to stumble.
   • No wonder Jesus’ love causes righteous anger to come. It is out of an overflow of love for these children that he is indignant.
2. What is different to Jesus’ response to what yours might be?
   • In spite of this catastrophic failure (and not the first!), Jesus responds with love to his disciples.
   • At no point does he give up on them, or say they are hopeless.
   • Likewise he does not downplay it. He makes it clear that he wants children to come to him and nobody should stop them.
   • While we might respond in frustration, Jesus shows patience and gentleness.
3. How then are we to approach Jesus?
   • “like a little child” (v15)
   • We are to come in full dependence on him, and we cannot bring anything of our own.
   • Indeed, this is the only way we can enter the Kingdom of God!
   • Even though we fail time and time again, Jesus is not stern and condescending, but kind, gentle, and willing to forgive.
4. How does the rich man shape up to this?
   • In short, not very well.
   • He thinks eternal life is something he can earn.
   • He comes believing he is deserving of it because he has kept all the commandments.
   • He has many possessions, and loves them too much. Perhaps he might even be trying to buy his way into Heaven?
   • Jesus’ piece about goodness is exposing that the man has a misunderstanding of what it means to be good. Jesus of course is good, but carefully shows the man that calling him “good” is like calling him “God” - is that really what he wants to say?
   • Notice Jesus adds an extra commandment: “you shall not defraud”. Why might he do this? Perhaps the man has gotten his money by immoral means? Either way, Jesus is deconstructing the man’s image of goodness, and by extension, himself.
5. What is stopping the man from entering the Kingdom of God?
   • He claims to have kept all the commandments, so Jesus starts at the start: “You shall have no other gods before me”. Immediate fail. The man loves money more than God.
   • He is not willing to give away his wealth in order to follow Jesus.
   • Jesus is simply not his main priority.
   • However Jesus still loves him. His piercing words come not because he doesn’t want this man to follow him, but because he does!
   • The man had to separate from what he loved more than anything - his wealth. So let’s cling to the Rock we cannot be separated from!
   • The children come to Jesus with nothing and receive every spiritual blessing; the man will have to leave everything he has, and so he walks away with nothing.
   • Are you willing to give up your life to follow Jesus?
   • Will you give up your money? Comfort? Friends? Job? Ambitions?

Fulfilment and Hope

This is a very hard teaching; indeed many teachings this week are hard. Our ambitions and desire for greatness are perverted, we so often have divisions and a lack of love for others, our actions and words hurt others, both intentionally and unintentionally, our hearts are hard and we break God’s laws, and we so often rely on our own strength and works to be saved. What hope is there for us?

Jesus answers:

With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.

Praise the Lord that Jesus has fulfilled all this on our behalf! Had it not been for his great love for us, then we would go to the eternal punishment we rightly deserve. So let’s give thanks and rejoice in Jesus, for with him is found salvation!