Living Word Fellowship Weekly Sermons

Sermon Transcript I want to show you a famous picture that you have likely seen before. It was taken November 28, 1943, in Tehran. This was a famous meeting that took place between quite unlikely allies.

Tehran Conference

November 1943

Seated on the left is Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin. In the Center is President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. And on the Right is British Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

Now, most of us were raised learning something about the relationship between Roosevelt and Churchill. The United States and our British allies have had a strong relationship for quite some time, and so there may be an assumption that these two men saw eye-to-eye on everything. And they certainly did spend a considerable amount of time together -- starting in December of 1941. Immediately following the attack on Pearl Harbor, Churchill and some advisors traveled to Washington DC and spent Christmas with the Roosevelt family at the White House.

Churchill gave his famous speech to a Joint Session of Congress on the day after Christmas, in which he ended the speech by giving his famous V for victory gesture which drove congress to erupt in cheers and applause.

What wouldn’t be revealed until after his death is that the Prime Minister suffered a heart attack that evening -- but he maintained his work and meeting schedule while in DC, saying that now is not the time for weakness.

But, Churchill and Roosevelt had their share of battles -- perhaps the largest being over British colonialism. President Roosevelt was pushing Churchill hard for the independence of places like India.

Roosevelt’s son Elliot commented that his father would often laugh in private about the grimace that would come on Churchill’s face every time the president mentioned India.

But the truly unlikely alliance in the picture is the presence of Joseph Stalin. Estimates are all over the place, but historians are in almost unanimous agreement that Stalin was responsible for deliberately ordering the deaths of at least a million people that he perceived as political threats. Several studies recently by respected historians are indicating that the number was likely much higher than that, but that much work was done to cover up the atrocities.

The presence of a brutal dictator unified in effort with Roosevelt and Churchill, two great voices for freedom and peace --- is an unlikely alliance. But, they had a common enemy. A common threat to their well-being.

Aristotle, who was born around 4 centuries before Christ, famously said, “A common danger unites even the bitterest enemies.”

From that meeting in Tehran came a unified commitment to attack German control from the West, in addition to the ongoing battle on the Eastern Front. And rising out of their discussions came the framework for what we know today as Operation Overlord -- or the Battle of Normandy.

An unlikely alliance. Unified because of a common enemy.

That’s exactly what we see in our sermon text for today in the Gospel According to Mark. Would you stand if you are able for the reading of our scripture text:

Mark 12:13-17:

Later they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus to catch him in his words. 14 They came to him and said, “Teacher, we know that you are a man of integrity. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not? 15 Should we pay or shouldn’t we?”

But Jesus knew their hypocrisy. “Why are you trying to trap me?” he asked. “Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.” 16 They brought the coin, and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?”

“Caesar’s,” they replied.

17 Then Jesus said to them, “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.”

And they were amazed at him.

God, we believe that your word is true, that it is living, and that it will stand forever. We submit ourselves to your word, and ask you to show us our sin and then lead us to the cross where we find mercy and grace. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Well in this passage we find a curious alliance between two opposing groups of people: The Pharisees and Herodians.

We have heard much about the Pharisees throughout our time in this Gospel, but we last encountered the Herodians in Mark chapter 3. You may remember the story of Jesus healing the man with a withered hand. The Pharisees were all worked up because Jesus had the audacity to heal this man on the sabbath -- when “work” was prohibited. And Mark tells us that they leave that encounter with Jesus, and call a meeting with the Herodians -- and the purpose of their meeting was to decide how to destroy Jesus.

Fast forward to today’s text in Chapter 12 and these unlikely allies are at it again.

But, it might be helpful to recognize why they are such unlikely allies.

The Pharisees were a powerful party within Judaism during the period of time surrounding Jesus' life and ministry. While they were more reserved and peaceable than some zealots of their day, they were adamantly opposed to Roman rule. Within their culture, they were more than just a religious group. They had political and cultural power and were certainly advocating for a restoration of Israel’s independence and autonomy. In fact, they viewed both Herod and Caesar as illegitimate rulers. Israeli nationalism was strong during these years.

And then there’s the Herodians. Admittedly, we don’t know a lot about the Herodians, but there’s widespread agreement that these were followers of Judaism who were comfortable with and advocated for Roman rule. Some would have done so because of economic gain, like Matthew the Tax Collector, while others may have simply found that alignment with Herod’s family and rule gave them safety and prominence.

So you have the nationalists who were working for a restoration of the kingdom of Israel outside of the rule of Rome -- aligning themselves with the Herodians, who embraced Roman rule.

It’s been said that this alliance is sort of like the Patriots and the Tories or Loyalists coming together during the era of the American Revolution. The Patriots fighting for autonomy, the Loyalists advocating for continuing under British rule.

Two enemies joining together to fight against a more immediate enemy. And in this case, the immediate enemy that they joined forces to fight was Jesus.

His teaching. His radical grace. His inclusion of the outcast. His willingness to accept sinners. His emphasis on salvation that is free. His criticism of the structures and institutions that weren’t fulfilling the purpose for which God had created them -- and maybe most offensive of all -- a message of God’s love for the World that transcended little ol’ Israel. Jesus was a threat. A threat to their power. A threat to their legitimacy. A threat to all that they’ve known.

And so the Pharisees and Herodians form an alliance to fight against this immediate threat. And that alliance plays itself out as they confront Jesus in our text today.

Well as we consider this confrontation, allow me to share a couple of thoughts:

First, notice how the Pharisees & Herodians try to entrap Jesus.

V. 13 - they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus to catch him in his words.

The word that Mark chooses here that is translated as “catch” is a hunting word that describes a hunter catching his prey unaware. Stalking the animal and catching it off-guard.

Interestingly, Matthew uses a different word. He also chooses a hunting-related word -- but he uses the word for a snare. Setting the snare and waiting for the prey to come and get trapped.

And what is of particular interest is the bait that they try to use. Look at verse 14 - “we know that you are true and do not care about anyone’s opinion. For you are not swayed by appearances, but truly teach the way of God.” They use flattery to try to draw Jesus into the trap.

Now, this would work for you and me. If we were in Jesus' situation, we would be intoxicated by the flattery. We would say, you know what, I AM true….I DON’T care about anyone's opinion. I’m NOT swayed by appearances. I truly DO teach the way of God.” We would be flattered. We would be drawn right into the trap. But, of course, Jesus doesn’t take the bait. He cannot be tricked.

But we have to admit that the scenario with which Jesus is presented is a clever one. It’s like they have been waiting for this moment since their first meeting in Chapter 3 -- and now they’re ready to pounce. And they back Jesus into a corner and present him with what appears to be a lose-lose situation.

What are the two options with which Jesus is presented? Pay the tax or refuse to pay the tax.

The particular tax that they ask about is probably a tax that would have been paid by subjects of Rome, but not Roman citizens. This was, as you can imagine, unpopular among the citizenry.

So here’s the predicament:

If Jesus says that the tax should be paid, he will be accused of despising the Nation of Israel, God’s treasured possession, and showing favor to Rome.

If Jesus says that the tax should NOT be paid, those friendly to the Romans will charge him with sedition.

So it’s quite a situation. In their minds, they think they’ve set up a simple either-or that will end in Jesus’ being executed with either answer.

But, as we know, it doesn’t go as planned.

So, the Pharisees and Herodians try to entrap Jesus:

Second, Jesus makes clear that we are subject to both God and Government.

V. 15 - But, knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, “Why put me to the test? Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.” 16 And they brought one. And he said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said to him, “Caesar’s.” 17 Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

Jesus asks for them to bring him a denarius. A denarius was a silver coin that was worth approximately the daily wages for a worker.

Archeology has shown us that it’s quite likely that the coin that they handed Jesus would have had the image of Tiberius Caesar engraved on the front of it. And around the image of Caesar would be the inscription in Latin, “Tiberius Caesar Augustus, son of the Divine Augustus.”

And, so, Jesus matter of factly says, “Whose image is this?” And when they acknowledge that it is Caesar’s image, Jesus promptly says, “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s…”

And with this statement, Jesus blows their minds...or, as Mark says, leaves them Amazed. He had, somehow, found a way out of their trap. The Pharisees couldn’t accuse him of being Anti-Israel. And the Herodians couldn’t accuse him of sedition.

But Jesus did more than simply blow the minds of these two misguided and self-serving political parties. He also gave legitimacy to the place and function of secular and even pagan human governments.

Jesus lays the foundation for an understanding of the role of the state that would be by both Paul and Peter throughout the rest of the New Testament.

Jesus gives us a lens through which we can evaluate our interaction with the governing authorities. He makes it clear that we are subject to both the Government and to God.

In other words, Jesus says, “You are not sovereign.” None of us like to hear that, do we?

The new testament’s teaching on this can be best articulated by four main passages.

Jot these down if you’re a note take because I’m just going to give you the 10,000-foot flyover.

First, Romans 13:1-7 - Here’s an excerpt, starting in verse 1: Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.

Second, 1 Timothy 2:1-6 - I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior….”

Third, Titus 3:1 - “Remind them to be submissive to rules and authorities…”

Fourth, 1 Peter 2:13-17 - “Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, 14 or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. 15 For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. 16 Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. 17 Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.”

Four pretty clear and convincing passages that expand on Jesus’ teaching. What is our posture to be toward whatever government that we find ourselves living under?

Let me distill it down into a few quick bullet points:

First - you and I are not sovereign. As much as your Libertarian friends will tell you otherwise, you have no Biblical entitlement to live your life free from government control.

Second - governments that exist have been instituted by God. Whether for your liking and benefit, or for your sanctification and patient faithfulness and trust in God, any government that exists is instituted by God. To deny that is to call God a liar.

Third - Our posture is to submit or subject ourselves to governmental authority unless to do so conflicts with our submission to God.

Fourth - Those who don’t submit to governmental authority, so long as the law doesn’t conflict with your submission to God, are living in rebellion against God, not just against the government.

Fifth - our language should be respectful and in keeping with who we are and who we represent. Surely if Peter can tell 1st century Christians to honor and submit to Emperor Nero, we can take the same posture today.

Our ULTIMATE allegiance and submission is to God. Always. But that doesn’t take away from the reality that Jesus calls us to also live in such a way that we honor and submit to the authorities that he has placed over us.

Now, I know that some of you don’t like this. And some of you are probably coming up with reasons in your mind why Jesus and Paul and Peter are speaking to someone else, but not you.

But don’t be quick to write off what scripture says. Think about how forceful Paul is on this issue. Paul, who would later be imprisoned and executed by the Roman Government, says that if we resist the authorities that God has appointed, that we incur judgment.

This is a serious matter. Our part of the country is heavily influenced by neo-conservative populism which has made its money criticizing the government and promoting resistance. And I simply wouldn’t be faithful to my call if I didn’t echo the words of Paul and the words of Peter and the Words of Jesus. That as much as we might think that we are sovereign -- as much as we might decry government over-reach -- as much as we might be tempted to think that politicians are fair game for slander -- the scriptures teach something very different.

The Bible doesn’t make this easy for us, because the Bible is as concerned with your sin of slandering Joe Biden as it is with every other sin. We need to wrestle with these words of Jesus and Paul and Peter. We need to struggle.

And here’s the thing -- I don’t have to answer to God someday for how much you like a sermon or how much you dislike a sermon -- but I do have to answer for whether I called the church to repent of sin and live in the grace of God.

We are subject to BOTH Government and to God.

The way that Jesus answers their hypocritical question extends beyond just whether we are subject to God or Government. It forces us to ask deeper questions.

Jesus doesn’t simply say “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s…” and then stop.

Jesus' response invites the Pharisees, the Herodians, and us today to consider who it is that bears God’s image and inscription.

That coin bears Caesar's image and belongs to Caesar -- but all humanity bears God’s image and, therefore, belongs to God.

Now it might be easy for you to see yourself and your family and people who think like you and act like you and look like you as image-bearers. But what about your enemies? They too bear the image of God and belong to him.

What about those you adamantly disagree with over politics. They too bear the image of God and belong to him.

What about those who represent a worldview that you find foolish, offensive, or even immoral. They too bear the image of God and belong to him.

You see, Jesus had every religious, social, and moral reason to reject Levi while he was at his tax booth committing extortion. Instead, he saw his own image -- and he offered him God’s mercy and grace.

Jesus had every religious, social, and moral reason to reject the woman at the well for her immoral and unbiblical behavior. Instead, he saw his own image and offered her God’s mercy and grace.

I have become increasingly concerned with the way that some Christians have been speaking about those with whom they disagree. Taking our cues from the media, I have witnessed evangelicals become perfectly ok with -- and actually celebrate -- slander, among other sins.

I have witnessed people who claim the name of Christ respond in absolute anger and indignation over issues that have Caesar's inscription all over them.

Let me say something shocking. Get out your pens, write this down. Anger and slander are NOT fruits of the spirit.

Ok, it wasn’t insightful and shocking. It’s obvious, right? Let me say that again in case you were sleeping. Anger and slander are not fruits of the spirit.

And so when you rant about whatever it is that we’re told to be ranting about this week. Or when you slandering whoever it is that you are being told to slander this week -- let’s just all agree that it isn’t the spirit who is producing that within us.

These are the same responses of the Pharisees and the Herodians. Anger, Slander.

God’s people are not angry people. God’s people are not wringing their hands, triggered every time they turn on the television. God’s people are not lying awake at night fretting over things that belong to Caesar.

Here’s the reality -- countless American Christians are living their lives in slavery to Caesar. Spending untold hours fretting and sweating and cussing and worrying over things that don’t even belong to the Kingdom of God.

I want to ask you a question. Is your life marked by the deep, abiding, peace of God and trust in His providence, come what may? Or are you angry, unsettled, and afraid? If I were to ask those closest to you -- would they say that the outpouring of your life proclaims that Jesus is ultimate -- or that American politics are ultimate?

An over-investment in things that belong to Caesar will always hinder what we are willing to give to God.

We forget WHO we are and WHOSE we are. We so easily forget that we carry the image of God -- and we forget that everyone else that we come in contact with also bears the image of God.

Anger, Slander, and many other sinful responses come about when we forget that we were created in God’s image -- and that the person that I disagree with was too.

Why do we forget? Self-righteousness is intoxicating. And our self-righteousness, just like the Pharisees and the Herodians, always works to build job security. Our sinful nature is constantly comparing you to others, and coming up with reasons that you are better than this person or that person. And, at the same time, it works to blind us to our OWN sin.

And so we need God’s word to strip away any self-righteousness -- to strip away any sense of moral, cultural, ethnic, or socio-economic superiority. We need God’s Law to destroy any bragging rights that we think we might have -- so that our only hope is in who we are and whose we are. Bearing the image of God and belonging to him.

Give to Caesar what belongs to him. And give to God what belongs to HIM. And that is you. That is your life. That is your calendar and daily agenda. That is your dreams and passions. And it is control over your heart and over your affections. Give to God what belongs to him. Because he is trustworthy. Because he loves you more than you realize.

I’ve mentioned before that Peter’s witness of the events of Jesus’ life and ministry are the source of Mark’s Gospel. Consider how Peter, in 1 Peter chapter 1 instructs those believers to live.

1 Peter 1:17 - Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear. 18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.

Live out your time as FOREIGNERS here -- Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar. Because you’ve been redeemed. Because Jesus purchased you with his blood. Because this isn’t your home -- Because you’re just here sent as an ambassador, proclaiming the hope of a better world that is coming. Because you are not your own. The Gospel frees us -- The Gospel sets us free to give to Caesar what is Caesar’s. And even to SUBMIT to Caesar. To Honor Caesar. And then to Give to God what is God’s. Because the Gospel delivers us from our slavery to this world and fixes our eyes on our true and eternal identity and home.

You are not your own. You were created in the image of God. And you were redeemed from your sin at great cost. And now you are free. Free to submit, free to serve, free to love, free to show abundant and undeserved grace. And free to give to Caesar what is caesar’s and to God what is gods.

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Our journey through the Gospel According to Mark continues this morning with a step forward into a new subsection of the Gospel that will carry us through the end of Chapter 12. Jesus and his followers and the twelve have arrived in Jerusalem.

We saw in our text last week, how Jesus gives us a real-life parable, as he curses a fig tree, cleanses the money changers and robbers from the temple, and then the next morning, the cursed fig tree is withered up. Mark envelops the account of Jesus clearing the temple with this story of the fig tree.

I mentioned last week how, throughout scripture, that imagery of the fig tree represents Israel -- and, specifically in the context of Mark’s Gospel, it represents the temple and all that is associated with it. Jesus announces his judgment against the temple because it was all leaves and no meaningful fruit. It was all show and no substance.

The purpose of the sacrificial system was to point the people forward to the Lamb of God who would come to die for the sin of the world. Jesus makes clear for us that the entirety of the Old Testament is pointing forward to him -- bearing witness to what he would come to accomplish. And so Jesus brings judgment against Israel, and specifically the temple activities because they weren’t fulfilling the purpose for which God designed them. The entire purpose of their existence was right in front of them and they failed to recognize him.

And it is the temple, and the system that surrounds it, that will be the setting of a series of seven conflicts that will take place between chapter 11:27 and the end of chapter 12. These conflicts will occur between Jesus and the temple authorities, the Pharisees, the Herodians, the Sadducees, and the scribes. We might say that in this section, Jesus shifts his target from Israel and the temple, to the religious leaders specifically.

In this era in history, the Jewish people were ruled by what is called the Sanhedrin. This was the Jewish ruling council and was composed of representatives from the two major religious parties -- the Pharisees and the Sadducees. And it usually consisted of 70 men -- and was led by the High Priest, who, at least during the New Testament period, served as president of the Sanhedrin. This isn’t talked about explicitly at this point in the gospel, but it’s helpful to know this backdrop as we discuss this series of conflicts over the coming week, and as we then step deeper into the events of Jesus' arrest and crucifixion later in the gospel.

Well with that background and context, would you stand as I read our sermon text for today from Mark 11:27 - Mark 12:12.

Just a warning -- this passage is longer than I would prefer to handle in one helping -- but I think it’s preferable, because these passages really are one encounter, to handle them as a whole.

Starting in Mark 11:27:

They arrived again in Jerusalem, and while Jesus was walking in the temple courts, the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders came to him. 28 “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you authority to do this?”

29 Jesus replied, “I will ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. 30 John’s baptism—was it from heaven, or of human origin? Tell me!”

31 They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ 32 But if we say, ‘Of human origin’ …” (They feared the people, for everyone held that John really was a prophet.)

33 So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.”

Jesus said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”

12 Jesus then began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a pit for the winepress and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place. 2 At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. 3 But they seized him, beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 4 Then he sent another servant to them; they struck this man on the head and treated him shamefully. 5 He sent still another, and that one they killed. He sent many others; some of them they beat, others they killed.

6 “He had one left to send, a son, whom he loved. He sent him last of all, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’

7 “But the tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ 8 So they took him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard.

9 “What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others. 10 Haven’t you read this passage of Scripture:

“‘The stone the builders rejected

has become the cornerstone;

11 the Lord has done this,

and it is marvelous in our eyes’?”

12 Then the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders looked for a way to arrest him because they knew he had spoken the parable against them. But they were afraid of the crowd; so they left him and went away.

God, your word is true. We believe it. We acknowledge and confess your authority in all things -- in faith and in life. And so we ask you to speak. We submit ourselves to your word as authoritative and supreme over all things, including over our own wills and desires. Convict us of sin, lead us to the cross. Leave us resting in your grace to sinners. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

As we work through this encounter between Jesus and the Jewish rulers, I want you to see:

First, the Authority of Jesus is Questioned.

V. 28 - “and they said to him, “By what authority are you doing these things, or who gave you this authority to do them?”

This is not the first time in the Gospel that the authority of Jesus has been questioned, and it won’t be the last time.

The word that they use is a fairly common Biblical word. It shows up around 100 times in the New Testament. Let’s do a little math -- the Bible that I use at my desk has 225 pages in the new testament. So -- on average, this word shows up once on every other page of the New Testament or so. That's a fairly high frequency.

If you remember back to chapter 1 of this Gospel, Mark records for us that the people were amazed because Jesus was teaching “as one who had authority.”

And, if you remember in chapter 3, verse 22, the scribes acknowledged Jesus' authority -- but they explained it away by saying that his authority came from Satan.

There is an important denial that is part of their questioning of Jesus. V. 28 “who gave you authority to do this?” They are denying the divinity of Jesus -- and, I would argue that they are denying more than that. The assertion is not only that Jesus isn’t God, but that he isn’t FROM God and he doesn’t speak with God’s authority. This isn’t the sort of passive rejection that we’ve seen from the disciples in the Gospel so far -- it’s much more active than that. It’s essentially saying, “We don’t know who you are, but we know that you’re not from God.”

Before we get too critical of these folks, we must examine our own hearts. The reality is that if we are honest with ourselves, none of us really want to live under the authority of Jesus. None of us want to hear the things that Jesus has to say to us. If you doubt me, go back and read the account of Jesus’ conversation with the rich young ruler in which Jesus says “sell everything, give to the poor, and then come follow me.” None of us like that because most of us have wealth that we don’t like to admit causes us to place our trust somewhere other than in God alone.

Or, if that doesn’t do it for you, read the sermon on the mount, where Jesus calls you a murderer if you’ve spoken an angry and vindictive word against someone...and an adulterer if you’ve been guilty of lust.

And if that still isn’t enough, go back to last week and hear those words of the need for forgiveness -- if we want to be forgiven. And we could go on and on. None of us actually like to be under the authority of Jesus -- at least our sin nature doesn’t. We like to prop up our righteousness -- like the Pharisee in Jesus’ parable on humility in prayer -- we like to pray “Thank you God that I’m not like that person, or that person, or that person.”

It’s critical, not only that I notice the immediate context of this passage -- the Sanhedrin questioning the authority of Jesus -- but that I also recognize MY tendency to question the authority of Jesus. Perhaps not an active rejection, but a passive one.

We may not say “who gave you the authority”, but instead just ignore his commission. Ignore his call to make disciples. Ignore his persistent reminder that his grace is sufficient. We may not question whether he has the right to do what he does, but instead, become so invested in the affairs of this world that we have no interest or urgency for eternal things.

Seeing the denial of Jesus' authority by the religious leaders should never cause us to roll our eyes and laugh mockingly at their hard hearts -- it should always be humbling. It should serve as a wake-up call that if people who had significant chunks of the Torah memorized could reject the authority of God’s son, My own sin can lead me to the same result. It should always drive me to self-examination and repentance, rather than pride.

Well, now that we’ve discussed the interaction that leads to the parable, let’s explore the parable itself.

So, first, the authority of Jesus is questioned:

Second, Jesus illustrates the actions of the Religious Leaders.

Jesus uses a unique parable to reveal what these religious leaders are doing. I’m not sure if you’ve noticed it or not, but Mark’s Gospel doesn’t contain many parables, at least in comparison to Matthew or Luke. In fact, if I counted right, there are only two major parables contained in the gospel -- and then several minor parables that are probably more accurately described as lessons or examples.

So what is the parable that Jesus tells?

Starting in 12:1 - “A man planted a vineyard…” We will talk about this more in a minute, but suffice it to say that the vineyard represents Israel. We don’t necessarily make the connection, but these learned Jews would certainly understand.

Back to Verse 1 - He rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place.

So the man plants a vineyard, builds the infrastructure that was necessary like a watchtower and wine press -- and then leaves it and rents it out on shares. I should also mention that it becomes pretty obvious as we move through the parable that the man who owns the vineyard represents God in the story.

When it’s time to collect his share of the harvest, the owner sends his servant. And in verse 3 we see that the renters beat him up and send him away with nothing. So he sends another servant and they hit him over the head and treat him dishonorably. He goes back to the owner with his head wound and reports what happened.

It’s important to note that this is the point at which the parable ventures into absurdity.

It’s highly unlikely that a real vineyard owner would send a second servant if the first came back beat up and empty-handed. But CERTAINLY, he would never send a third servant. But, we see in verse 5 that this owner did just that -- and this third servant is killed. And the patient owner continues to send, Mark says, “many others.” Some were beaten, some killed.

We have a train of casualties because of these greedy and self-focused renters. And this is where the parable takes an unexpected twist -- at least to our human eyes. But, let’s be honest, “unexpected” isn’t a strong enough word. This could only be called reckless. The tenant says to himself “surely they will respect my son. And so he sends his son and they kill him as well.

Now, this is where understanding the cultural practice of land rent would be helpful. Renting out land was a common practice then, just as it is in our area today. The main difference is that if you were renting land and you died without an heir, the renter would likely inherit the property.

In V. 7 they say “come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.”

These bright Jewish minds might have jumped back to the story of Abraham and Isaac when they heard the phrase “beloved son.” Others in Jesus’ company likely thought back to the words of the father at Jesus’ baptism -- and on the Mount of Transfiguration.

It is an absurd parable. We might find ourselves thinking “that’s crazy, no tenant would be stupid enough to act like that -- and certainly no landowner would be that reckless so as to get his own son murdered.”

And, of course, if that’s our reaction, that is exactly Jesus’ point. Truly the only thing more absurd than the parable is the fact that it all played out in real life.

God, in his patience, sent prophets to warn and call the people to repentance, but Israel kept rejecting and wounding them. And when it seemed like God should probably just smite them all for what was done, he recklessly sent his beloved son. And, as expected, they had him killed.

Jesus perfectly illustrates the actions of the religious leaders, and the patient and, dare we say, reckless Love of God.

Jesus steps out of the parable with a question for those listening: What then will the owner of the vineyard do?

The authority of Jesus is questioned,

Jesus illustrates the actions of the religious leaders: and:

Third, God pronounces his Judgement upon the Religious leaders because of their Unbelief.

Verse 9 “What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others.”

It’s important to realize that Jesus doesn't just pull this parable out of thin air. The imagery of a Vineyard representing Israel, or, perhaps, more accurately, the believing people of God, is well established. Listen to how the Prophet Isaiah spoke of this -- and I think you’ll recognize almost all of the imagery that Jesus uses in his parable:

Isaiah 5:1-7

I will sing for the one I love

a song about his vineyard:

My loved one had a vineyard

on a fertile hillside.

2 He dug it up and cleared it of stones

and planted it with the choicest vines.

He built a watchtower in it

and cut out a winepress as well.

Then he looked for a crop of good grapes,

but it yielded only bad fruit.

3 “Now you dwellers in Jerusalem and people of Judah,

judge between me and my vineyard.

4 What more could have been done for my vineyard

than I have done for it?

When I looked for good grapes,

why did it yield only bad?

5 Now I will tell you

what I am going to do to my vineyard:

I will take away its hedge,

and it will be destroyed;

I will break down its wall,

and it will be trampled.

6 I will make it a wasteland,

neither pruned nor cultivated,

and briers and thorns will grow there.

I will command the clouds

not to rain on it.”

7 The vineyard of the Lord Almighty

is the nation of Israel,

and the people of Judah

are the vines he delighted in.

And he looked for justice, but saw bloodshed;

for righteousness, but heard cries of distress.

I think it’s safe to say that Jesus leans on Isaiah’s prophecy for much of his parable. Now, you can’t just take Isaiah and set it over top of the parable of the tenants and expect it to explain everything. But it does help us see the language and the imagery. It gives us a sense of what Jesus is doing.

God was looking for a good crop -- for good fruit to come from his people -- but all he found was bad grapes. It’s helpful imagery, isn’t it? Have you ever gone to the produce drawer in the refrigerator, pulled out that bag of grapes, and realized that you left them in there a few days longer than you should? Shrunken, soggy, probably fermenting. Isaiah says that God was looking in Israel for good fruit but only found bad.

And did you notice the reaction of the religious leaders? V. 12: Then the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders looked for a way to arrest him because they knew he had spoken the parable against them. But they were afraid of the crowd; so they left him and went away.”

They want so badly to put an end to this disrespectful, backwackwards rabbi from Nazareth -- they want to shut him up.

What the Sanhedrin can never understand is that Jesus is going to take their hatred of him, their rejection of his identity -- and he is going to use it to save the world. Jesus is going to use their rejection of him as the hammer that will nail him to the cross.

Or to use Jesus’ quote of Psalm 118 - “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone…” Jesus would be the cornerstone of an eternal kingdom. You see, this is where the Sanhedrin and the disciples were both wrong. Both of them were thinking of Jesus and evaluating Jesus in terms of earthly power and authority.

There is a fascinating conversation that happens between Jesus and his disciples in Acts 1 that makes this clear -- this is the very last recorded conversation with Jesus before he ascends into heaven:

The disciples say: 6 Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”

Think about that question. Ok, Jesus, you died for the sin of the World, and God raised you from the dead, conquering sin, death, and satan. NOW CERTAINLY it must be time for you to get on with the work of restoring the kingdom to Israel.

7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

The disciples are still focused on Jesus as an earthly king. Short-sighted. Missing the big picture. And It’s as if Jesus says “you're asking the wrong question.” The question isn’t “when will the kingdom be set up in Israel, but, rather, ‘What is God at work doing next and what is my part in it?”

And you can’t blame the disciples -- they just watched what had happened to Jesus and they want to be rescued. They want Rome to be conquered and Jesus to establish his kingdom so that they won’t suffer the same fate. I can’t blame them for that at all.

But God has another plan. The parable tells us that the vineyard owner isn’t just going to destroy the tenants -- he’s going to give the vineyard to others. Unlike Isaiah’s prophecy when God comes and destroys the vineyard, making it a wasteland...Jesus says that he will simply destroy the tenants -- the renters -- those tasked with leading and caring for his kingdom -- and he will give it to others.

These wicked tenants are the leaders of Israel. Those called to lead Israel into faithfulness but instead led them to fruitlessness. And, of course, as I mentioned last week, within a generation Roman armies would descend on Jerusalem and destroy the temple and scatter any semblance of what they had previously known.

We might do well to think of John 1:11 - “He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”

Now, we want to be careful to have good theology -- to have a robust understanding of God. In the parable, God seems to be reactionary -- to be constantly just responding to the actions of the tenants. But we know that God foresaw all that would take place. God foreknew the rebellion and the hard hearts and the fruitlessness of Israel.

God didn’t send his son out of desperation like the vineyard owner -- but out of deep and steadfast love.

For God so loved the WORLD, that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

This encounter with the religious leaders, and the Parable of condemnation that follows it, aren’t just a message for the religious in the 1st Century -- but a call to repentance for you and me today.

This message is intended to give us a glimpse, not only of the rebellion and fruitlessness and unbelief of those in Jerusalem but of us in Dickinson.

God sent his son. And his son was rejected. And his son was killed. And God did bring about the destruction of those wicked tenants. And that’s where this allegory in our text diverts from reality -- because the grand and unexpected plot twist in real life is that the Son doesn’t stay dead. The vineyard owner, by his own authority and power, raises the son back to life. And here’s the best part -- when the son rises from the dead, he makes available the promise of resurrection for all who will believe -- EVEN THOSE WHO KILLED HIM.

You see, the Son wasn’t just a helpless victim sent by a reckless land-owner. He was a willing sacrifice for the sins of the Jewish leader, for your sin, and mine. And so we rejoice today as recipients of the abundant grace and steadfast love of God.

Jesus came offering something that the religious leaders of his day couldn’t accept -- free, abundant, no-strings-attached, nothing-you-can-do-to-earn-it, amazing grace.

As the old hymn says:
Marvelous, infinite, matchless grace,
Freely bestowed on all who believe!

And for millennia, people have been stumbling over this cornerstone because it seems too good to be true. Even many professing Christians can’t believe that it’s ALL by faith. That Jesus did it all. As Paul says, it’s a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to gentiles.

Just believe. Just receive. The son was sent by God -- the son died in your place -- the son rose again guaranteeing that you too might rise one day. Wherever you are at in your faith journey today, just repent and believe the Gospel.

God, we are grateful for this encounter that Jesus has with the religious leaders, and the story that he tells that follows it. God, protect us from ever patting ourselves on the back for our faithfulness when we see examples of other’s doubt and unbelief. Humble us, Lord. We know that we are just as prone to doubt as anyone else.

Lord, lead us to repentance today. Keep us at the foot of the cross. We are so grateful that your kingdom was opened to us. That the gospel was preached to us. That you loved us while we were your enemies.

We worship you for sending your son to die for us, in our place. We are grateful for your reckless love and abundant grace. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

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August 15th, 2021

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Sermon TranscriptSeveral weeks ago our family visited Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park near Mandan, and we took a tour of the Custer house -- that replica of the home that General George Armstrong Custer and his wife inhabited for a few years during his military command in this part of the country.

As we were taking the tour, the comment was made that General Custer was the 2nd most photographed man in the 19th century. And so, of course, that prompted the question of who was the MOST photographed man of the 19th century.

Before the tour guide answered that question, my mind started running through some likely options. The first person who came to mind was Abraham Lincoln. He certainly sat on a prominent stage and everybody in our nation knows his name.

Someone else might think that it could be someone like Theodore Roosevelt who would have come to fame and prominence in the latter quarter of the 19th century as cameras became more commonplace. So he might be a good guess.

But the answer that the tour guide gave surprised me -- enough that I had to do some fact-checking because I wasn’t sure that he was correct.

The most photographed man of the 19th century was born somewhere around 1817 or 1818 on the eastern shore of Maryland. The child of a slave, it has long been assumed that his father was white, and most likely his mother’s master. He was given his mother’s last name of Bailey.

While still an infant, the child and his mother were forced to be separated, as was common practice -- because they were viewed as livestock, after all.

The child bounced from slave owner to slave owner as he grew -- some were relatively benevolent and some were harsh. But when he was about 20 years old, he met a free black woman named Anna Murray who arranged for him to get a sailor’s uniform and protection papers and identification from a free black man to serve as a cover to get him to New York City. So, he boarded a train in Baltimore, in full uniform and with fraudulent papers in hand. And within 24 hours he was safe in the house of renowned Abolitionist David Ruggles in New York.

11 days later, Mr. Bailey and Miss Murray were married and initially, they took on the last name of Johnson. A couple of years later, however, they officially assumed the last name of Douglass.

Frederick Douglass, smuggled to freedom in the north, went on to give his first public speech at the age of 23 in Massachusetts. And Douglass would later be known as the most photographed person of the 19th century -- but would be even more known as one of the most influential abolitionists in our nation's history -- working tirelessly to bring about an end to slavery. As Americans, we have a curious history with the idea of slavery.

Slavery wasn’t just racism, it was an economic system. It wasn’t just disdain for a group of people, but a force that directed and ordered society.

Frederick Douglass committed his life to fighting slavery in all of its forms -- to pushing back against economic systems and cultural forces.

But slavery wasn’t something developed by Americans -- it’s been a reality throughout human history. A reality that some cultures have embraced, some tolerated, and some fought against. We certainly see this in the Old Testament. The biggest and most familiar example is when God’s people fled to Egypt because of the famine -- and the pharaoh dies and the new Pharaoh sees an economic opportunity with all of these foreigners living in his kingdom.

Slavery took on different forms throughout Biblical history and depending on your location. The first century's understanding of slavery was very different from Frederick Douglass’ perspective and different from the version of the practice with which we are familiar.

We see a couple of primary types of slavery in the scriptures -- some of it based upon national conquest -- and some of it as a means of dealing with indebtedness.

It’s important to recognize that when we look at a snapshot of time in the New Testament -- slavery was just a reality. Rather than a system of debt collection like we have today, they had their own systems which involved some degree of servitude as part of a repayment plan. In our text today, Jesus is going to use both the idea of service and the idea of slavery as imagery to help us see what he came to do -- and what we are called to.

As Jesus often does in his teaching, he employs a set of images to drive his point home -- sometimes it’s bread, sometimes it’s agriculture, sometimes it’s marriage, and in our text today it’s slavery.

Would you stand for the reading of God’s word:

Mark 10:32-45

32 They were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way, and the disciples were astonished, while those who followed were afraid. Again he took the Twelve aside and told them what was going to happen to him. 33 “We are going up to Jerusalem,” he said, “and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, 34 who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise.”

35 Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.”

36 “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.

37 They replied, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.”

38 “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said. “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?”

39 “We can,” they answered.

Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, 40 but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.”

41 When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. 42 Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 43 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Gracious God, we pray that you would speak to us through your word today. We are grateful for the access that we have to the scriptures -- and we pray that we would hear, believe, and obey what you have said. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Our text begins with what, again is a bit of a transitional text. I started reading in verse 32, but make note of verse 31:But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

We have witnessed this recurring theme throughout the Gospel that Mark is emphasizing for us -- that the kingdom of God is upside down. That it doesn’t operate according to human custom or logic. That God writes his own rules for his kingdom -- he isn’t bound by what you think makes sense. And we see that again clearly today.

Verse 31 is the verse of transition that takes us from the hard teaching of last week regarding how difficult it is for the wealthy to enter the kingdom of God. And Jesus says the first will be last and the last will be first.

And we find Jesus and the disciples on their way to Jerusalem. One thing that is worth pointing out to help with our reading is that the word “disciples” is used in two ways in this Gospel, and we see that clearly in verse 32. Jesus and his disciples, lower-case, generic sense are walking to Jerusalem. These are all of Jesus’ followers. All of those who were captivated by his teaching and had committed themselves to be taught by him.

And then we have the Twelve. In verse 32 we see that they are all walking down the road and there is this mix of astonishment and fear. And Jesus takes aside the Twelve -- so he pulls off to the side his official disciples and preps them for what is going to happen.

And our text today consists of this teaching directly to the Twelve, along with two follow-up conversations: one with James and John alone -- and then a conversation again with the twelve after the rest of them hear about what James and John were asking. And I think several things become pretty clear through this series of connected conversations.

First - Jesus came to die.

Jesus takes the twelve aside as they are walking to Jerusalem and says, starting in verse 33 - “We are going up to Jerusalem,” he said, “and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, 34 who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise.”

Jesus, once again, uses his preferred title for himself -- Son of Man. And there is certainly a bit of mystery as to why he selects this title to refer to himself -- in one regard it emphasizes his humanity, while at the same time connecting him with God’s larger redemptive plan as prophesied in the Old Testament.

This is the third major prediction of his suffering and death. We have one in chapter 8, chapter 9, and now again in chapter 10. If you remember back in chapter 8 with the feeding of the 4,000 I made the comment that Jesus’ focus was beginning to shift toward Jerusalem -- and that is becoming very clear today in our text. This third passion prediction is more detailed than the other two. Think about the precision that Jesus gives:

He will be handed over to the chief priests and teachers of the law
They will condemn him to death
They will hand him over to the gentiles
He will be mocked and spit on
They will flog him
They will kill him.
And, thanks be to God, he will rise again three days later.

Great detail and precision about what would take place when they arrive in Jerusalem.

Interestingly, Mark doesn’t give us any detail as to how the twelve responded to these predictions. Based upon what you know about the disciples -- how do you think they processed what Jesus was saying? Based upon their track record -- how did they receive these predictions from Jesus?

Thankfully, Luke fills in the details for us. Luke 18:34 says, “But they understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.”

The disciples don’t get it -- as much as Jesus has tried to prepare them. But again, we do well to remind ourselves to read these verses as graciously as we can, knowing that we see the full story. We have it laid out for us in the scriptures. Everything for the disciples was veiled, and we would be foolish and arrogant to assume that we would have reacted in any way other than the way that they reacted.

But what is significant about these initial verses in our text is not the inability of the disciples to understand what Jesus said, but the profound truth that THIS is the very reason for Jesus’ presence among them.

Many in and outside the church today view Jesus PRIMARILY as a good teacher or as a role model. In fact, there are many churches that have all but marginalized Jesus function as a sacrifice for our sin. They will talk about Jesus' death in terms of martyrdom for his justice initiatives and his work as a social revolutionary.

And those things are true. Jesus was a social revolutionary. Jesus did work to bring justice and healing. He elevated the social value of everyone he came into contact with.

But, scripture itself doesn’t present Jesus as a martyr for doing good -- in the same vein as Martin Luther King JR. or William Tyndale -- but as one who came to die in the place of another.

For God so loved the world that he SENT his one and only son.

“Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.”

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities.

Jesus came to die. He came that he might go to Jerusalem. Everything about his ministry -- in fact, everything about the history of God’s people in the old testament was pointing to Jesus’ death.

Jesus came to die.

Second, Humanity is perpetually self-focused.

So Jesus makes it very clear -- in bullet point format -- what must take place. And the disciples don’t understand. And we see that very clearly in the verses that follow, starting in verse 35. And in these verses, James and John actually reveal a whole lot about us -- about our nature.

V. 35 - And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to him and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” 36 And he said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?” 37 And they said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.”

Mark is emphasizing something here. Following each of the two previous predictions in chapters 8 and 9, there were also these types of conversations.

James and John ask Jesus for a blank check. “Jesus, do for us whatever we ask of you.” It shows how clearly they don’t understand. They are still under this illusion that their trip to Jerusalem might result in their honor, in their elevation to glory. Jesus was clear about what was going to happen in Jerusalem, but they, just like us, have selective hearing. We only hear what is going to fit our agenda or our narrative because by nature we are self-focused.

There is sort of implied in this request by James and John a confession that Jesus is the Messiah. That he is the one who would rule on high. And, yet, right after Jesus’ clear and precise prediction of what is to come, they are quick to ignore all of that and jump right to what it means for them. Will they be on his right and his left when he rules.

But, again, let’s be careful that we aren’t too critical. The disciples were sure of their eschatology. They thought they had it all nailed down. They knew what the prophets had said. That the Messiah would come and rule -- that he would ascend to David’s throne and that his kingdom would never end. And they knew that Jesus was, in fact, the messiah. And so this was a perfectly logical question. If Jesus is the messiah, and if the messiah would come and assume David’s throne -- then wouldn’t it be logical that these two, who made up two-thirds of Jesus' trusted inner-circle, would be enthroned next to him, one on his right and one on his left?

This serves as a two-fold warning for us -- the first is just an observation, and the second is critical.

The First warning is that we hold on to our understanding of prophecy with humility -- because never before have God’s people -- even those walking alongside Jesus -- been skilled at prophetic interpretation, so why would we think that we are.

And the second warning is that we recognize our tendency toward self-promotion. Immediately following Jesus’ honest and transparent instruction on what is to come, these two disciples jump right into vying for position and power.

Our sin nature is ruled and controlled by self-interest. When I pray for fellow pastors, one of my main prayers is that God would protect them from pride and self-interest. It is such a temptation for all human beings -- but especially for those who are on a stage.

Humanity is perpetually self-focused. What these disciples are overlooking is that before he conquers death and is raised to the right hand of God, he first will become the suffering servant that we heard about in our scripture reading today.

Look at how Jesus responds to this self-focused request:

V. 38 - “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?”

Jesus throws two different metaphors at them to help them understand what is in front of them. Cup and Baptism.

I want to address these metaphors quickly, starting with the latter.

If we read Peter’s words about baptism in 1 Peter 3, we see a curious connection with the flood from Genesis 6. If you need to be reminded of this, go back and listen to the sermon from the middle of January at the beginning of our sermon series in Mark.

Baptism is about dying and being raised to new life. That’s what the flood was, right. God’s wrath and judgment against sin and wickedness, and new life and hope. Paul says this in Romans 6 -- “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.”

Death is central to our understanding of baptism.

Perhaps the more clear of the two metaphors, however, is that of the cup. This has a rich old testament context. If you’re a note-taker, jot down Psalm 75:8, Isaiah 51:17, and Lamentations 4:21. There are at least a dozen more references, but those three cover the context pretty well. This idea of a “cup” comes up throughout the scriptures to refer to the vessel of God’s wrath against sin.

And, of course, we know in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prays to the father “take this cup from me.” Jesus is being handed the cup of God’s wrath against the sin of the world -- against your sin and my sin -- and he tells these self-promoting disciples “You don’t know what you are asking. Can you drink this cup?” Of course, we know that they WILL suffer much for the Gospel -- as Jesus says, “you will drink the cup….you will be baptized…”

But here’s the beauty of this passage for those of us who read these words on THIS side of the cross. We know that this “cup of wrath” isn’t the only cup in the story. There would be another cup. A cup full of the blood of the lamb -- Paul gave this cup a name -- in 1 Corinthians 10 -- he says “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ….”

Jesus continued onto Jerusalem and drank every last drop of that cup of wrath -- and has given us, instead, a cup of blessing -- filled with his own life-giving, sin-forgiving, death-defeating blood. Thanks be to God.

And that brings me to the final point that I want you to see from our text today:

The Gospel frees us to give our lives away.

This good news of what Jesus has done for us -- sets us free to give ourselves away. And this brings us to that grand imagery of slavery.

The disciples become indignant -- angry -- at James and John when they hear what they asked. And so Jesus uses the image of servanthood and slavery to drive home a firm description of both the power of the Gospel and the life of one who has been set free from the curse of death.

V. 43 - “whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Jesus uses two different words here to describe what the Gospel produces in us:

The first word is servant. Literally, deacon. This word has an element of willing servitude involved. It is not speaking of a servant who has no choice in who they serve, but as one who willingly chooses to serve. One who is so captivated by the mission of their master that they give their life away.

The second word is slave, or in some translations, bondservant. This is a much stronger word than servant. It carries with it the assumption that this person isn’t voluntarily in this position. That they aren’t free to do something different but are choosing this lot in life.

And I think the way that Jesus pairs these words in this text is beautiful.

Verse 42 says “you know how the world operates -- those who are first lord it over those who are last.” and then this powerful statement “But it shall not be so among you.”

In my kingdom, Jesus says, the servants are great. The slaves are first. Church, this is the power of the gospel. This is the Transforming work of Christ in his people. We are FREE to become slaves. We are FREE to set our rights aside because our entire life is in service to the true king. We are free to give our lives because Jesus gave his life for us.

Think about the language that we see in verse 45. Jesus has used servant and slave imagery. And the text ends with this statement - that Jesus “gave his life as a ransom for many.” Think about that word ransom.

Jesus gave his life as payment to set us free from our slavery. Our slavery to sin, our slavery to the expectations of others, our slavery to fear of the future, our slavery to money and prestige and power. Jesus gave his life to set us free from spending our time fretting over what is happening in Washington DC.

Jesus gave his life to set us free -- in order that we might become servants and slaves. You see, here’s the thing. The slavery for which Jesus came is unlike the slavery that Frederick Douglass fought against. Douglass worked that all people might experience political and economic freedom. That they might be self-ruling people. That they might be guaranteed the rights that our declaration of independence says are for all people.

But that’s not why Jesus came. Scripture overwhelmingly teaches that Jesus didn’t set you free so that you could have the right of self-determination. In fact, scripture says “You are not your own; you were bought at a price.” Paul repeatedly refers to himself as a slave of Christ.

That’s the work of the Gospel. Recognizing and understanding and believing that true life and true freedom, comes not from being “first” and having worldly freedom, but from giving your life away for God’s kingdom. It’s what you were created for and it’s what you were ransomed to.

Too many Christians today THINK that they are free, but are really just enslaved to the world. Chasing happiness, chasing money, chasing experiences, chasing political majority and power. That’s NOT freedom according to God’s definition. True freedom is found only in giving your life away. In self-abandonment, not self-promotion.

True freedom is found in being a slave and servant under the control of our Master, Jesus Christ. We are all enslaved. The question is who is our mind and heart captive to?

There is one who is good, who purchased you, and who gave himself for you. That good news sets us free to give our lives for the good of His kingdom and for the good of our neighbor. By God’s grace, may we be set free from the world and from our sin nature, that we might be slaves of Christ.

God, we come to you today and confess that your word is true -- that just like the disciples, we are focused inward. We are concerned about ourselves above all. We don’t love you with all of our hearts and we don’t love our neighbors as we ought.

We thank you that, while we were self-focused -- while we were your enemies -- that you sent your son to die for us, in our place. We praise you that he drank the cup of your wrath against sin in full. And that he offers to us a cup of blessing instead -- a cup in which we receive the promise of forgiveness and new life.

God, give us faith to believe all that you’ve done for us -- and so captivate us by your Gospel that we give our lives freely. To you and to your church and to our neighbors. God, that is so counter to our nature -- but we know that your Gospel is powerful and life-changing, and purpose-altering. Make us servants. Make us slaves of Christ, and slaves of all. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

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Sermon TranscriptWe continue this morning in our sermon series from the Gospel According to Mark.

As I mentioned last week, there has been much discussion in Jesus’ ministry about the Kingdom of God. Word was getting around that there was something unique about this Jesus character. His healings, his miracles, his elevation of the despised and outcast. And this continual preaching and teaching with urgency about the arrival of God’s kingdom.

If you missed last Sunday’s sermon, make sure you take the time to go to our website and listen -- or you can watch it on YouTube or Facebook. Or, even better, subscribe to our podcast so your phone will automatically download the sermon each week for you to listen to at your convenience. The sermon from last week is so closely connected to our text for this week, that this could really be seen as part two of that message.

In his rebuke of the disciples for turning away babies, Jesus made it abundantly clear what TRUE faith looks like. That the only entry into the kingdom of God is to come to Jesus empty-handed and open-handed.

And today we see the opposite side of that same coin. While the little children were brought to Jesus empty-handed, nothing to offer, not even the ability to rationalize or make a decision for Christ -- in today’s text we see someone who has MUCH to offer. He has done well for himself. He’s both wealthy and influential.

And like so many that Mark has highlighted before him, This man hears about Jesus, comes running, and kneels down at his feet.

I don’t pretend to know the mind of God beyond what he has revealed in his word. I don’t have some mystical connection to the Lord to peer behind the veil and unpack the depths of God’s thinking. But there’s part of me that wonders if, perhaps, Matthew, Mark, and Luke all record this exchange between the rich man and Jesus because God knew that we would never just simply believe what Jesus said in the text from last week.

Remember that message -- that the kingdom of God is only received, never earned. That the model for true faith is the empty-handed baby, not the pastor or long-time Christian.

I think that God understands us and the way that our minds work -- and so he includes this additional encounter -- with the rich man who had much to offer -- as a follow-up punch that hits right in the gut -- especially for us as American Christians.

Would you stand as I read our scripture text for today from Mark 10:17-31?

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.

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.”

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.”

Lord, may your word accomplish in us that which you intend. We ask that you would convict us of sin, lead us to the cross, and leave us resting in your grace, provision, and forgiveness for us. And then use us to tell others of your great love for them. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Well as we examine this encounter between Jesus and the rich young man, and then the subsequent follow up between Jesus and his disciples, allow me to make four observations from the text:

First, Jesus reveals a fundamental flaw in the way that our human nature views salvation.

V. 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?

This is an interesting encounter that Jesus has. It’s not like Jesus’ interactions with the Pharisees that have an adversarial feel to them. This man isn’t trying to trick Jesus or to entrap him like the Pharisees. He comes to Jesus in a sincere fashion. He’s a good guy, principled, moral, and, as I mentioned earlier, a respected contributor to society.

And yet, as he comes to Jesus, his entire understanding of the kingdom of God is flawed. What must I DO to inherit Eternal life?

This is, after all, the default position of our human nature. Seeing salvation as being something that we do...that we affect...that if we can just discover the formula and work hard enough we can accomplish it.

What must I DO to inherit eternal life?

Now, we have the benefit of living on this side of the Protestant Reformation, in which these fundamental questions about salvation as God’s work rather than ours came into full light. But, for a Jew living in Jesus’ day, this wasn’t actually so far-fetched of a question.

The prominent teaching of the day was that you could, in fact, obey your way into eternal life. A misunderstanding of God’s law led the Pharisees and others to teach that if you could just figure out how to obey the commandments, that you might be well on your way to earning your ticket to heaven. Rabbi’s commonly told their disciples that it was possible to live in complete obedience.

That is the context in which this rich young man was raised. And so Jesus uses this opportunity -- and his humble and well-intentioned question toward Jesus -- to illustrate the absolute impossibility of earning our way into God’s kingdom.

Jesus does this in a few ways. Right away in verse 18 as he responds -- rather than jumping directly into his answer, he counters with a question. The man had called Jesus “good teacher” and so Jesus counters with a thought-provoking question: “Why do you call me good? No one is good--except God alone.”

Now, obviously, we know that Jesus IS God. And so he is, in fact good. But Jesus uses this as an opportunity to illustrate his point. No human being is fundamentally good -- and so we simply can’t earn our way into God’s kingdom.

When we typically think about Jesus’ interaction with this rich young man, most of us immediately think of the issue of wealth being the prominent and main point of Jesus' message. I would argue, though, that Jesus is just using this man’s wealth to teach us about salvation, about ourselves, and about the nature of God’s kingdom.

I think this is reinforced by the comment of the disciples in verse 26. Jesus has just used the famous illustration of the camel going through the eye of the needle. Critics have attempted to explain away the harsh nature of Jesus’ illustration here, but the collision that these words have with our human nature is unavoidable.

This man was approaching Jesus -- and the argument for his inclusion in God’s kingdom was the life that he had made for himself. He WASN’T coming to Jesus empty-handed and open-handed. He was coming with his list of accomplishments and accolades. With an extensive resume and list of quality character references.

And so Jesus simply replies “sell what you have and then come follow me.” It’s as if Jesus says “when you stop coming to me thinking that you have something to offer me -- thinking that you can earn your way in or buy your way in -- THEN you will inherit eternal life.”

Empty-handed & open-handed.

Jesus reveals a fundamental flaw in the way that our human nature views salvation.

Second, Jesus’ difficult words are rooted in his love.

V. 21a - “Jesus looked at him and loved him.”

It was because of Jesus’ love of this man that he said all of the difficult things that he said. Jesus loved him too much to allow him to continue thinking that he could get into God’s kingdom through his own merit.

We often get this twisted in our minds. Sometimes our North Dakota Nice gets in the way and we forget that to be passive might be “nice” but it often ISN’T loving. Acting in love often means saying hard things that need to be said.

This is never clearer than in Holy Scripture. Scripture consistently speaks two main words -- either Law or Gospel. And think about the role and purpose and intent of the law. Its very purpose is not to make us feel warm and fuzzy. The law of God does NOT just reaffirm our goodness and encourage our hearts. It convicts us. It proves us to be in the wrong. It hurts. It brings us to the end of ourselves. It kills. It drives a stake through the heart of any attempts at self-salvation. Properly understood and proclaimed, God’s law leaves me with nowhere to turn other than to the cross of Jesus Christ.

That’s exactly what Jesus was doing in his conversation with the Ruch young ruler. Think about the alternative. The alternative is that Jesus just could have ignored the fact that this guy was trusting in himself -- in his own accomplishments and morality and progress for his salvation. Jesus could have just affirmed his progress and patted him on the back. What would that have accomplished? It would have ensured his damnation. He would have lived his life feeling Good about everything he had done -- and found himself in hell.

Jesus loves him too much to leave him in that place. And so Jesus speaks difficult words. Challenging words. Condemning words. Words that this young man can’t comprehend or accept. But they were words of love.

Jesus reveals a fundamental flaw in the way that our human nature views salvation.

Jesus’ difficult words are rooted in love.

Third, You can be rich and still be poor.

V. 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.

Did you hear that? This man is rich -- but he is poor.

Don’t miss out on the rich and profound irony that we find in these verses. The rich young man -- who has really made a life for himself. We can presume that he is a hard worker that he’s respected. He’s a leader in the community. Not only that, but based upon Jesus' reaction of love, we can assume that he is really a good guy. When he touted his moral accomplishments and good behavior, Jesus didn’t attack him for being a hypocrite. Jesus loved him because he missed the main thing. But we can assume that he was a good guy. But still, he lacked something.

Contrast that with the preceding text -- The babies who are brought to Jesus aren’t told to do anything. Jesus just says “the kingdom of God is theirs!”

The man who possesses everything actually lacks the most important thing. But the child who possesses nothing, possesses everything.

The empty-handed children left Jesus after receiving his blessing -- with those words straight from the mouth of the savior that the kingdom is theirs. The rich, influential man leaves Jesus full of grief. The word “sad” there isn’t quite strong enough. He leaves mourning. Grieved at what he had heard.

He was rich -- and he couldn’t accept the reality that he was actually bankrupt.

It’s important to note here that Jesus isn’t condemning money or even wealth. There is nothing inherently wrong with being wealthy. But, especially as Americans, we should pay close attention to Jesus’ words as he makes it clear that This man’s wealth was the thing keeping him out of the kingdom. The greatest threat to this religious, devout, well-adjusted man’s soul was his wealth. And, what’s more, Jesus then applies it, not just to this man, but to all of us by saying “How hard it is for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

Don’t be quick to write off the tension that Jesus quite intentionally creates. Why would we be the exception to what Jesus says here? What makes us different? If wealth and comfort and accomplishment are a barrier to God’s kingdom in the 1st century, why would that be any different today?

Jesus reveals a fundamental flaw in the way that our human nature views salvation.

Jesus’ difficult words are rooted in love.

You can be rich and still be poor.

And, finally, Jesus wraps together his difficult teaching with the promise of true wealth and eternal hope.

V. 29 - 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.

This is an interesting passage -- Jesus says “yeah you will have to sacrifice for the gospel -- but your payment will come BOTH in this present age -- and in the age to come. Our sacrifice -- or in this situation -- the disciples leaving their families and livelihoods behind to follow Jesus -- isn’t ONLY repaid in eternity -- but even now as we live with the reality of eternal life and peace with God.

True wealth in this life is NOT to be rich in the eyes of our world, but in the eyes of God. It is not possessing money, but possessing the kingdom.

How are you approaching Jesus today? Confident in what you’ve done? In the life you’ve put together? In what you’ve accumulated? Or empty-handed and open-handed?

I want to close our time this morning with the question that the disciples ask as they process Jesus’ teaching.

V. 26 - The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?”

If something as necessary to life as money can make it nearly impossible to enter the kingdom -- when then can be saved?

And Jesus replies, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”

The message for all of us today is that God has made a way. Jesus himself made it possible when he conquered sin and defeated the grave.

And he invites you to come to him today -- empty-handed and open-handed to receive from him.

Who then can be saved? We have the great privilege this morning of not only hearing the answer to that question -- but tasting the answer to that question as we come to the Lord’s Table.

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Sermon TranscriptIt’s been said that the things which make you angry reveal a lot about you.

Think about that. What makes you angry reveals a lot about you and your character. It pulls back the veil and gives others a glimpse at what is of greatest importance to you. It points to your idols. To the things that you are worshipping. To that which you hold closest to you.

What makes you angry? What are the things that get you blood boiling? When you shake your head or rant and rave about something -- what is the topic?

In our text for today, we see Jesus angry. Indignant. We see what makes Jesus’ blood boil.

Would you stand if you are able for the reading of God’s word. If you have your Bibles, turn to Mark 10:13-16.

Mark 10:13-16

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.

God, we give you thanks for your living and enduring word. We pray that, as we take time today to consider it, you would open our eyes, convict us of sin, and grant us the receptive, trusting, humble faith that your word holds high. We submit ourselves to you and to your word today. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Well if you are familiar with the setting of this passage in the Gospel of Mark, you may be aware of the passage that follows this one, which we will discuss next week -- It’s the story of a wealthy man who asks Jesus “What must I do to inherit eternal life?”

But it is interesting that Matthew, Mark, and Luke all pair today’s text as happening right before Jesus' conversation with that young man. As you know, there are some times when the Gospel writers will choose to place a text outside of it’s chronology in order to make a theological point. But, we can be essentially certain that today’s encounter with babies, and the encounter with the rich young man happened back to back. And I think you’ll understand why as we work our way through the text.

Jesus continues with his emphasis on the Kingdom of God -- and as he does, allow me to share three thoughts regarding the kingdom from what Jesus says and does in our text for today.

First, The Kingdom of God is for all people.

V. 13 - People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them.

Some translations just simply use the word “children” here -- but the word that Mark uses certainly refers to little children, rather than those nearing adulthood, which in that day was around the age of 13.

In fact, Luke actually uses a different word in his parallel account -- saying that people weren’t bringing children, but, specifically, babies to Jesus. It’s the same word that Luke uses to refer to John the Baptizer leaping in the womb of his mother.

And it isn’t odd to have a discrepancy like that -- in fact it’s not a discrepancy at all. Imagine that we had a baptism today of a 3 month old. After the service you might be talking to someone and comment “That baby sure was cute.” Someone else might say, “Wasn’t that a cute child?” And yet another person might say, “That kid was so cute.” Three different descriptions, three different perspectives, three different word choices -- all saying the same thing. All correct.

And that’s what is happening between our text and Luke’s. And if you’ve done any studying of the gospels, you’re not surprised that Dr. Luke used a much more precise and accurate term for these babies that people were bringing to Jesus -- as opposed to Mark using a more generic term.

Just like last week with our understanding of marriage, it’s important to not simply force our worldview or understanding of family dynamics onto this 1st century encounter.

Our current culture has such an odd relationship with babies. We’ve determined that a child becomes a child at one of two points: either when it is born, or else at whatever point in the pregnancy the mother determines that it is a child and not just a clump of cells. Think about this -- we have states with laws that say that if someone assaults a mother and the baby dies -- that the perpetrator can be charged with murder. However, if that very same mother had decided to end the life of her child it would be perfectly legal. So, life begins when the mother declares it so. Previous to that it’s a clump of cells.

Now contrast that with the decadence with which our culture handles wanted children. It used to be that there would be a baby shower to celebrate, but now we’ve added in another celebration -- the gender reveal party.

Now, I’m not saying that’s bad. I’m all for celebrating babies. But it’s just an interesting comparison, isn’t it. A culture that is so utilitarian in it’s view of children, placing such a strong emphasis on celebrating something that it so readily disposes of.

I mention this because every culture has a set of beliefs and values concerning children. And, while ours is complex today, most of us exist in a sub-culture in which there is a very high value placed on children.

Parents spend tens of thousands of dollars a year making their children’s dreams and wishes come true. Among parents, there is an unwritten commandment that good parents must give their children every opportunity to explore their passions. And this isn’t just a commandment in the world -- it’s in the church as well.

I recently read some hard-hitting comments on this topic -- Listen to this: today’s youngest generation of Christians are growing up essentially unchurched because their parents are far more concerned with experiences and activities than they are with corporate worship. Their parents memorized Hebrews 10:25 when they were kids, but have ignored it and chosen to forsake the assembly of believers, in spite of the scripture’s clear warning that we need to gather all the more as we see the day approaching. As the scriptures teach, we will reap what we sow.

Hard but important words that speak into the way that we view children in our culture.

Every culture has a different framework through which they understand children. In the first century, the context of Jesus’ ministry, Children were not, generally, valued beyond their ability to carry on the family name and legacy. That would change once they were of the age that they could make a contribution and add to the family workforce -- but until that point they were more or less a necessary burden.

So, it’s easy for us to approach our text with western eyes and be critical of the disciples as they rebuke these parents. But, in reality, they were just doing as their society does.

It was common for a parent to want a Rabbi or Prophet to touch their child. There was almost a level of superstition involved. And we shouldn’t be surprised by any of this. Mark has emphasized the tendency of people to flock to Jesus, just wanting to be touched by him.

So, this is just another day in Jesus’ ministry - people flocking to him and the disciples trying to figure out how to navigate the crowds and the hysteria. And so their response is a logical and culturally appropriate one. They rebuke the parents and send them home.

And notice Jesus’ response. V. 14 - “When Jesus saw it, he was indignant…”

Indignant means “provoked to anger.” It’s not just irritated. Jesus doesn’t just roll his eyes. Jesus is driven to anger over the actions of his disciples.

But why? Of all the ridiculous doubting and foolish responses that we’ve seen from the disciples, why does THIS drive Jesus to indignation?

To answer that question, we have to think about what it is the disciples were doing. They were denying someone access to what Jesus freely offers to all. They were employing their human logic and saying, “Well certainly these babies can’t understand what Jesus is doing when he blesses them. They can’t make a conscious decision and verbally confess that Jesus is Lord, so this is all a waste of time. If they can’t logically decide for themselves that this is what they believe, then this is pointless. S

And Jesus becomes angry. Angry at the disciples for denying access to what He offers. For erroneously thinking that adult rational faith is somehow superior and MORE receptive to what Jesus is offering. Jesus is angry because his disciples don’t understand even the very nature of faith. They don’t understand that the kingdom of God is upside down. They don’t understand that the kingdom of God is not a meritocracy. It doesn’t reflect the values and the structures of our world.

In chapter 9, Jesus had previously illustrated this point by saying that “anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, servant of all. He obliterates our merit-based understanding of human value or inclusion.

The kingdom of God is open to all, not just those who meet our litmus test. Jesus’ indignation over this encounter should be humbling for us all. You can’t rationalize or decide your way into it. You can’t order it like we order our world. We don’t make the rules. And God, as he orders his kingdom, isn’t bound by the constraints of our brains. He does it how he wants. And that means that even babies are free to come to him and receive all that he offers.

That brings us to the next point I want you to consider:

Second, The kingdom of God is received, not earned.

V. 14-15 - “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.”

The kingdom of God is received, not earned.

This is such a fundamental concept -- and it seems so basic -- but we have such a hard time remembering it. I’ve had conversations with people who have been Christians for decades who still struggle to functionally believe that all of our hope is in what Christ has done, not in what you do.

Empty-handed self-abandonment is the only entry point into the kingdom. We will see this in greater clarity next week as the rich young man comes to Jesus, confident in the moral and behavioral progress that he’s made, and Jesus slams the door in his face.

You cannot impress God with your achievement. This message is critical for those who have been Christians for decades, or those who are just trusting in Christ for the first time. God is not impressed with our merit, our progress, or the knowledge that we’ve gained. That just isn’t how his kingdom works.

The context here is crucial -- Jesus, in these words, is rebuking those closest to him. These words were intended first for the disciples who, after ministering alongside him, still have a flawed view of our entrance into God’s kingdom.

And think about what Jesus does in verse 16 - he takes the babies in his arms and blesses them, laying his hands on them.

Isn’t that an incredible picture. THAT probably cut the disciples even deeper than Jesus’ words of rebuke. They see the saving, kingdom building, redemptive work of Jesus on display as he gives a blessing to those who won’t reject -- who simply, by faith, receive what Jesus offers.

It was sad, in my reading on this text, to see how many times even theologians and pastors have tried to neuter Jesus’ words in these verses. I read one comment that said “and so Jesus establishes the doctrine of the age of accountability -- declaring that all children are part of God’s kingdom until they reach a point where they can come to true faith in Christ.”

And I choked on my coffee. True faith in Christ is when we can reason? When we can make a decision? When we arrive at a certain age? That’s literally the opposite of what Jesus actually said.

These children, that the disciples have rejected as not worth Jesus’ time, are actually the ones who get it. They just receive what he offers.

The kingdom of God is for all people, The kingdom is received, not earned, and Third:

Little Children are the role models for kingdom-receiving faith.

V. 15 - “ Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

This is, perhaps, equally as mind-blowing of a statement for those who heard Jesus utter it as it is for us today.

Matthew hits this even more directly. In Matthew 18, Jesus says “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you’ll never enter the kingdom of heaven.” So, instead of just seeing it as our posture approaching God, Matthew emphasizes that we need to become like them.

Want a picture of what TRUE faith looks like? Look at children. But let’s explore that imagery a bit. We’ve talked about the simple receptivity of Children, but what is it about Childlike faith that we should change and allow God to work within us?

A few words come to mind that might be helpful:

Children are Trusting - If you go into our preschool Sunday School class and say “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” -- none of them are going to say “Well, actually, 13 Billion years ago, all matter and energy in the universe was crammed into one small, compact point -- and some grand unexplainable cosmic event caused all of that matter to explode -- and everything that we see today began to take form because of the force of that event.”

No, they just simply accept the explanation that God created the heavens and the earth. Children are trusting. Also,

Children are Humble. Now, I’m sure we can point to a few examples where this is not true, but by and large, children don’t play the same social hierarchy games that adults try to play. When you watch kindergarteners play, they are wholly unconcerned about the socio-economic class of the kid they are playing with. They just play. They aren’t posturing for a position. That will begin soon enough as they begin understanding how this world operates. Children are Humble.

And, perhaps most beautifully, Children are Forgiving. We’ve all seen this play out. There’s a group of kids -- someone does something mean. Someone hits or kicks or says something cruel. There might even be a fist fight involved. But 30 seconds later, they’ve moved on and they are best friends again.

Contrast that with adults -- you say one wrong thing and someone will hold a grudge against you for decades. I know it’s true because I’ve heard it from some of you -- that someone wronged you 30 years ago and it still bothers you. There are people who have been singing Amazing Grace in church for half a century all the while holding onto a grudge. And you know it’s true.

Children are trusting, humble, forgiving. Receptive.

One theologian that I read said that children are like the flower in the garden that just instinctively turns toward the bright sun to be receptive of it’s rays. While children are born into sin, they haven’t developed the stiff-necked rebellion that is common to us adults.

And so Jesus says that if we want a picture, a role model of true kingdom-receiving faith, we don’t look at pastors. We don’t look at those who have been sitting in the same pew since the Nixon Administration. We look at the child. The child who just simply trusts and believes and receives. That is the model of faith. The baby in the arms of Jesus. The baby at the baptismal font.

Jesus isn’t saying that we don’t grow in knowledge. That we don’t study. That we don’t engage our minds with matters of faith.

Quite the opposite is true. 1 Corinthians uses the illustration of graduating from milk to solid food. 2 Timothy encourages us to study in order that we might show ourselves as one who rightly handles the word of God.

Childlike faith is not disengaging our brains. It’s simply recognizing that our brains are more of a liability in faith than they are an asset. That our hearts are fundamentally deceitful. That our sin nature will come up with a thousand reasons to doubt what Jesus has said.

True faith. Saving faith. Is faith that sets our merit, our earning, our sense of deservedness aside and comes to God empty-handed and open-handed.

When we look at Jesus’ teaching on discipleship, that is perhaps the best model for being a disciple. Every day coming to Jesus empty-handed and open-handed. Nothing of significance to offer -- purely receptive.

How are you approaching Jesus today? By God’s grace, and with his help, may we come again today -- empty handed, open-handed. Ready to receive all that he offers. Amen.

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