Author: Dana Roseman

Mark 10:32 (NET) They were on the way, going up to Jerusalem. Jesus was going ahead of them, and they were amazed, but those who followed were afraid. He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them what was going to happen to him. 33 “Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and experts in the law. They will condemn him to death and will turn him over to the Gentiles. 34 They will mock him, spit on him, flog him severely, and kill him. Yet after three days, he will rise again.”

The Death March

Jesus was going to Jerusalem. He knew he would die. He walked with purpose. He had no fear. Perhaps a sense of dread since he knew what faced him, but no fear.

The Pharisees wanted him dead. His popularity and power were a direct threat to their authority and influence. The only way for them to regain the loss of status they suffered since Jesus came on the scene was to kill him.

The trap was set. Jesus walked directly into it, knowing he would die. He knew his death was necessary. He knew his death would save many. He knew how it would happen.

Jesus Explained It to His Disciples

Jesus had read the prophecies. He knew they spoke of him. He knew how each step would happen and the order each step would occur.

To his disciples he explained the order and the details. Later they would remember and have faith.

As Predicted, He Arose

After three days, he rose from the dead. He defeated the final enemy, death. He is the first. Those who believe will rise with him when he returns. When he defeated death, he defeated it for us as well.

Mark 10:28 (NET) Peter began to speak to him, “Look, we have left everything to follow you!” 29 Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, there is no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for my sake and for the sake of the gospel 30 who will not receive in this age a hundred times as much – homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, fields, all with persecutions – and in the age to come, eternal life. 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

You Will Receive Back

Jesus promises a hundred times return. Not of the world’s goods, though it could include some of that. He promises if you leave things behind for his sake, you will get back a hundred times as much. Plus, two more things.

The First Other Thing You Get Back – Persecutions

I really don’t want the persecutions part. The idea causes some dread. But, it’s part of the package. The bad with the good.

If you choose to follow Jesus, it may cost you some friendships. When, at 19, I made a decision to follow Jesus fully, there was an initial loss. My first move was to go that weekend and tell my friends about my decision. These were my drug and drinking buddies.

Our main motivation in life was getting stoned. At first, it was the weekends. But why restrict a good thing to weekends only. So, eventually, it was every day.

Jesus confronted me one evening. Suddenly, I saw that the life he offered was so much better than what I was living. I felt compelled to break away from the friends I associated with.

I invited them to come with me. No one took me up on it. Even today, more than 40 year later, I have only had contact with one of those friends. I think I have seem him twice.

At the time, he was my closest friend. We shared an apartment. We were partners in business. We shot pool, drank and smoked together. We even attended classes together at a local community college.

Then, I left to follow Christ. It was over. Just like that.

Losing friends may not qualify as persecution, but it was a loss. Somehow though, it never felt like a loss. As soon as I started following Christ, new friends were there. Two are notable. Sam Morrow became my mentor and Jan became my wife. It was a good trade. No, a very good trade.

And in the Age to Come, Eternal Life

Life does not end here. It goes on. Forever. With God.

Mark 10:23 (NET) Then 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 astonished at these words. But again Jesus said to them, “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 a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 They were even more astonished and said to one another, “Then who can be saved?” 27 Jesus looked at them and replied, “This is impossible for mere humans, but not for God; all things are possible for God.”

For Children, Entrance to the Kingdom is Easy

Earlier in Mark, Jesus said, “Whoever does not receive the Kingdom of God like a child cannot enter it.”  Here, he talks about how hard it is for a rich man. He said it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter.

Many have tried to figure out what Jesus meant by the eye of the needle comparison. I take it at face value. A camel can’t go through the eye of a needle. It’s impossible. The same is true for a rich man. It’s impossible for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God by using his riches. He can’t buy his way in anymore than a Pharisee can do enough good works to get in.

Entrance is By Faith in What Jesus Has Done

Jesus is the only one who could and did keep the law perfectly. Jesus is the only one who could and did pay the entry price. For us, entrance into the Kingdom of God is made by accepting the payment Jesus made.

Salvation, It’s not Really Free

Well, for us it is. But, Jesus paid a terrible price to pay for our sins. Because of his sacrifice, God extends to us the opportunity to be adopted into the Kingdom. We accept it by faith. As a child.

Mark 10:17 (NET) Now as Jesus was starting out on his way, someone ran up to him, fell on his knees, and said, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.’” 20 The man said to him, “Teacher, I have wholeheartedly obeyed all these laws since my youth.” 21 As Jesus looked at him, he felt love for him and said, “You lack one thing. Go, sell whatever you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 22 But at this statement, the man looked sad and went away sorrowful, for he was very rich.

The Heart of the Matter

A casual reading of these verses may lead you to believe the path to heaven is paved by doing the works of the law. Do not murder. Do not commit adultery. Do not steal. And the list goes on. The man assured Jesus he had done all those things. Yet, he knew something was lacking. He knew he fell short.

Jesus gave one more command, “Go, sell whatever you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.”  The problem was not that he failed to keep the law. He had done so, faithfully. The problem was his heart. He loved his wealth more than he loved God.

Idolatry is the Big Sin

Anything you love more than God will become your idol. Paul says in Col. 3:5, “So put to death whatever in your nature belongs to the earth: sexual immorality, impurity, shameful passion, evil desire, and greed which is idolatry.” He clearly identifies greed as idolatry. That was the rich man’s hindrance. The first of the ten commandments is, “You shall have no other gods before me.” If money is what you love most, it is your god. You have an idol.

Throughout the Old Testament, the one thing that angered God the most was his people following other gods. That was the main thing that brought on his judgement.

David committed adultery, then tried to cover it up with murder. Yet, God said of him, “He is a man after my own heart.” He suffered consequences for his sins, but God did not reject him.

The only reason God rejected people was for idolatry.

That is why the rich man’s sin was such a problem. His riches were his god, his idol.

The Problem is not Riches, it’s the Heart

I know many rich men and women who hold loosely to their wealth. God has blessed them, but they have never allowed their riches to come between them and their true God. For them, riches are not a problem. God, not their riches, has their heart.

To Inherit Eternal Life?

Love God with all your heart, soul, strength and mind. That is how you inherit eternal life. Following the law is the result of loving God first.

Mark 10:13 (NET) Now people were bringing little children to him for him to touch, but the disciples scolded those who brought them. 14 But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the little children come to me and do not try to stop them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 15 I tell you the truth, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” 16 After he took the children in his arms, he placed his hands on them and blessed them.

Pastor Jesus

Here is one of the many times we see the heart of Jesus. He was indignant that the disciples did not understand his desire to bless the children. In the original language, the word for indignant goes back to a word referring to the bend in the arm. We could say, “Jesus was bent out of shape at the disciples.” He was frustrated because of their failure to understand his desire to bless the children.

He took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them.

The Many Faces of Jesus

In this passage we see the pastoral heart of Jesus. He had a desire to care for the children. He had a desire to care for the sick. He had a desire to care for the outcast. He had a desire to care for the hungry.

He was also a prophet, speaking truth, sometimes harshly, to the Pharisees. He was a teacher, especially to his closest followers. He was a healer, touching those who were sick and afflicted.

He was the fulfillment of every spiritual gift.

To Enter the Kingdom of God, You Must Enter as a Child

These children had a complete trust in Jesus. Something about him attracted vulnerable people. Whether children, sick people, outcasts or demon possessed, they were attracted to Jesus. They understood they could trust him.

Even animals understood they could approach him. In Mark 1:12-13, right after he was baptized, we see, “The Spirit immediately drove him into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness forty days, enduring temptations from Satan. He was with wild animals . . .”

To enter the Kingdom of God, we must trust Jesus as the little children trusted him.

Mark 10:10 (NET) In the house once again, the disciples asked him about this. 11 So he told them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her. 12 And if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”

Two Become One

The essence of Christian marriage is two people coming together as one. One purpose. One mind. One direction. They are still two people. Each submits to God, accepting his or her individual assignment in order to function as one. Each has his and her own mind, thinks his and her own thoughts.

They work together as in a dance, moving and thinking in ways that compliment each other and their shared assignment. As in a dance, one takes the lead. The one in the lead often acts as a support to the other, showcasing her and her skills and contribution.

The essence of marriage is for two to function as one. It requires one to lead and one to accept that leadership. It requires the husband to love his wife as himself and in a sacrificial way as Jesus lived sacrificially for those who choose to followed him. It requires the wife to accept the husband’s leadership and respect him and the responsibility for leadership he has accepted.

Adultery? That Sounds Pretty Strong

This kind of relationship is intended to be so strong and so permanent that to break it is equated with adultery.

Strong comparison?

Yes.

But, it shows how seriously God takes the relationship. It is how seriously we must take it if we want his blessings on it.

But, What if I Object to This Kind of Marriage

No problem. You are free to do as you wish. I am only explaining what I believe Scripture shows as God’s design for marriage. To follow him in his design is a choice you can make or reject. But, if you choose another form for your relationship, he may choose not to bless it. That is his choice.

My wife and I have chosen to have our marriage function according to our understanding of God’s design for marriage. It has worked well for us for 41 years, so far. I would do it this way again without hesitation. In fact, knowing what I know now, I would never consider any other form for marriage.

Mark 10:1-9 (NET) Then Jesus left that place and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan River. Again crowds gathered to him, and again, as was his custom, he taught them. 2 Then some Pharisees came, and to test him they asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” 3 He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” 4 They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her.” 5 But Jesus said to them, “He wrote this commandment for you because of your hard hearts. 6 But from the beginning of creation he made them male and female. 7 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother, 8 and the two will become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one flesh. 9 Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

Is this About the Pharisees or About Divorce?

It’s really more about the Pharisees and their continued attempts to trip Jesus up than it is about divorce. This time, they asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” They already knew the answer they wanted. There hope was that Jesus would say something they could use against him.

As he often did, Jesus answered their question with a question. “What did Moses command you?” Their reply was technically correct. “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her.” But Jesus went into the deeper meaning behind the letter of the law. He identified the cause of divorce.

Only Men Could File for Divorce

In his day, only men could seek divorce. Women lacked the status to seek it. In nearly every case, when a man sought a divorce it was for personal reasons. For his own benefit. Because his heart was hard. He did not love his wife as himself. She was for his use. When she was no longer useful, he could dismiss her.

It was legal, but it wasn’t right. Jesus used his question and their answer to expose the truth behind their misunderstanding of marriage.

The Purpose of Marriage – One Flesh

The practice of marriage as well as the practice of divorce at that time denied the underlying purpose of marriage – for a man and a woman to become one flesh. It was not for convenience. It was so the natural strengths of each gender could be complimented in a relationship. It was and is because the two joined together could be more than the sum of the two individuals.

God created men and women with complimentary understandings, skills, abilities and functions. Equality was never a question to God. He did not create men and women as equal, but complimentary. His intent from the beginning was for us to function as a unit, two as one.

The Modern Marriage Debate Misses this Point

Most discussions about gay marriage are framed as a civil rights issue. From that standpoint, I suppose a gay marriage could be as legitimate as a heterosexual marriage. From a strictly legal perspective, if it is only about rights, it is difficult to argue against it. But, it misses the point Jesus was making. Marriage is not about civil rights. It is about a man and a woman, created by God to compliment each other, joining together as one.

One of the purposes of marriage is the creation of a family. Gay couples lack that ability. Yes, they can adopt. They can pretend to function as a couple. But, the reality is, it’s not the same. The lack is not only physical. There are deeper differences between men and women than physical equipment.

There are ways a man and a woman compliment each other that a same gender couple can never share. The differences are so deep and so mysterious that words fail to adequately describe them. But, we know them. Even children know them. The only way to deny the differences is to intentionally suppress them. Which is what is being done.

Mark 9:42 (NET) “If anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a huge millstone tied around his neck and to be thrown into the sea. 43 If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off! It is better for you to enter into life crippled than to have two hands and go into hell, to the unquenchable fire. 45 If your foot causes you to sin, cut it off! It is better to enter life lame than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. 47 If your eye causes you to sin, tear it out! It is better to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, 48 where their worm never dies and the fire is never quenched. 49 Everyone will be salted with fire. 50 Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other.”

Causing Other to Stumble

It is better to lose your own life than to cause an innocent to stumble. Recently, in a news report, I saw young boys, 8 to 12 years old, being trained by ISIS to kill. One trained to kill at that age is changed forever.

It is traumatic at any age to cause the death of another. Even more if it is intentional. Even more still if it is done at a young age. These boys have been caused to stumble. It is a certain path to hell for those who train the boys to be killers.

Cut it Off

The value of a soul is greater than the value of a hand, a foot or an eye. Jesus makes it clear. It is better to lose a body part that leads you into sin than to lose you soul.

Salting with Fire

To salt something with salt is to add a chemical that adds flavor and acts as a preservative. To salt with fire is to add a test that reveals true character. Fire burns away impurities. Fire changes chemical compositions so that one thing when heated is changed into another thing.

When heat and pressure is added to a life, it reveals what is inside. It puts nothing in. It takes nothing out. It only reveals.

Losing Saltiness

Salt does not lose saltiness chemically. It changes when impurities are added. We can deduce then that we lose saltiness when impurities are added to our life and speech.

Be at Peace with Each Other

We will never be at peace with everyone unless we engage on one. Non engagement is not peace. It is avoidance. If we are walking with Christ, we will have enemies. His enemies will hate us. His enemies will be our enemies.

We must be at peace with each other. The world will hate us. We will not be at peace with the world. The only possibility for peace is with each other. Pursue peace with each other.

Mark 9:38 (NET) John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him because he was not following us.” 39 But Jesus said, “Do not stop him, because no one who does a miracle in my name will be able soon afterward to say anything bad about me. 40 For whoever is not against us is for us. 41 For I tell you the truth, whoever gives you a cup of water because you bear Christ’s name will never lose his reward.

Whoever is not against us

It is not true in every area of life that whoever is not against us is for us. It is not a universal principle. In the case of Jesus, however, he confronts us with such clear truth, we must decide.

One of three decisions must be made about Jesus. We must accept him for who he says he is, the God of the universe, reject him by turning away or reject him by turning him into something he is not.

Many today choose the third way and turn him into a hippie Jesus who loves and accepts everyone without calling them to follow him in a radical way. They comfort themselves with a hippie Jesus who makes no demands, who asks for no commitment, who is only about peace and love. That Jesus is a myth, an idol.

He came to divide

In Luke 12:49-53, he said, “I have come to bring fire on the earth – and how I wish it were already kindled! I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is finished! Do you think I have come to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division! For from now on there will be five in one household divided, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

With Jesus, we must decide. He leaves us no other choice. That is why he says, “Whoever is not against us is for us.”  That is why Paul tells us in 2 Timothy 3:12, “All who want to live godly lives in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”

When people choose to live in darkness, truth divides and light threatens. Because Jesus is the truth, he is the dividing line. He came to bring division, not peace.

Mark 9:33 (NET) Then they came to Capernaum. After Jesus was inside the house he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” 34 But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. 35 After he sat down, he called the twelve and said to them, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” 36 He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them, 37 “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.”

I wanted to be great

When I was 11, my Little League team won the local championship. On away games, the whole team rode in the back of the coach’s truck. The truck had sideboards, so we could stand and hold on. After each win, we would stand up in the back of the truck, watching for people. At every person we saw, we would pump our fist and shout, “We won!” “We won!” “We won!”

Early on, I got the idea that to be first, I had to outperform, out-think, out-work, and out-maneuver everyone else as I fought my way to first place.

That’s where the disciples were. Which is why they argued about who was the greatest.

Like the disciples, we compare ourselves with one another. We test each other, looking for vulnerabilities and weaknesses we can exploit for the purpose of gaining an advantage. We want to be great. No, more than great. We want to be the greatest. At least, I did.

The first must be last

Then Jesus interrupts our thinking with a radical idea. The first must be last. And, the first must be the servant.

Inwardly, I recoil at the idea. I want to be served. Not be a servant. I want to be the head. Not the tail. I want to be first. Not last.

Jesus demonstrated the idea. When the 5000 men plus women and children listened to him teach, he was in a position to take charge. The people wanted him to be their king. The disciples were ready to follow him on a charge to Jerusalem to take over. They even argued among themselves about who would sit at his right and at his left as he ruled as king. Instead, he quietly served. Literally. He collected some bread and fish, blessed it, broke it and served it to the multitude.

He shunned the idea if being a king, opting instead to serve in every situation. He both spoke and demonstrated the idea, “The first shall be last.”

It goes against our human nature to seek to serve. Yet, Jesus points to service as the path to true greatness.