-Don’t remember many Sunday School classes growing up, but 1 has stood with me (probably because of the family story)

-Trying to communicate to 5 year olds the importance of serving. Each person was given a turn wearing an apron and “serving” the rest of the class donuts. Apparently I refused to give up my serving role (which was obviously relayed to my parents after about how much of a servant I was, and much I cared about getting donuts for everyone else)

-I liked wearing the apron! And then at the end I got to take a whole box of donuts home!

READ/PRAY (pg. 494)

1. Comes Through His Death (32-34)

-Continuing their journey to Jerusalem. This is the middle section of Mark’s Gospel (began with the recognition from Peter in 8, ends at the end of this section when they get to Jerusalem in 11)

-This middle section could be considered Jesus on the way to Jerusalem (remember I mentioned that in Luke hinges on 9:51 “When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.”) The other emphasis in the middle section is the way it can be broken down into 3 predictions of Jesus’ death (look at the title given in your Bible, mine says: “Jesus Foretells His Death a Third Time”)

-All follow the same pattern: Jesus tells what’s coming, launches into a talk about discipleship, then the disciples miss the point and revert back to the world’s ways of organizing and living.

-As I said, this section is marked by Jesus 3 times predicting his betrayal, death, and resurrection. Look at how Jesus repeatedly describes it!

-Let’s think through everything we’ve seen in the midst of these 3 predictions:

-After the first one, Peter rebukes Jesus, who in turn is rebuked by Jesus, then Jesus explains the cost of discipleship (take up your cross and follow)

-Then Peter, James, and John see Jesus transfigured before them and hanging with Moses and Elijah, then coming down from the mountain the disciples are shown to not yet be able to everything Jesus can with the boy suffering from (what sounds similar to) epilepsy. This leads Jesus to remind the disciples to live a life of prayer (like surrendered to a dependent on Him)

-Jesus then offers his second prediction in 9:31, and the disciples go on to argue about which one of them is the greatest. Jesus uses this as a teaching opportunity to say that if you want to follow Him, you need to look for the poor and marginalized (as demonstrated by a child). You can’t follow the world’s ways and expect to also live in Jesus’ kingdom. It also involves mortification (subduing bodily/sinful desires). Jesus says to cut off your: hand, leg, eyes if they cause you to sin. Yet again, not the way the world operates! This includes how Jesus’ followers live in marriage (not divorce), how they welcome children in (care for them! Our kids ministry should never struggle to find volunteers!), and how they view their earthly possessions (if you give them up you’ll get more in return).

-Then we land at today’s passage, where Jesus will once again move from a passion prediction to the cost of discipleship, and then conduct a living parable by healing blind Bartimaeus.

-We’ve spent a lot of time on the second half of this section, but there’s a couple things to note about the introduction to this section. Up until this point, Jesus had been walking with them, suddenly now He’s by Himself. People following are describes as amazed and afraid. The leader they’d been following was moving in some new ways, and they weren’t wanting to be quite as close to Him.

-Why were people amazed and afraid?

-Jerusalem is where the insurrection would happen. It’s time for war! Jesus had been building His following, teaching them what it means to follow Him, now it’s time to bring about His kingdom. But how did the people think it would happen?

-By force. Throughout this whole section, how had Jesus been describing the way of entering His kingdom? Childlike, aka needy and with nothing. Literally the opposite of force! Yet power and persuasion is exactly the way we as humans view the world.

-Lots of conversation today about power, about victimhood, and about privilege. The heartbreaking thing is Jesus repeatedly commands His followers to not focus on those things, yet throughout history we can see God’s people repeatedly coming back to those very issues.

-Dear friends, it’s not a coincidence that Jesus came as an infant. It’s not weakness that Paul describes the gospel message as not coming by human power or persuasion, but by God’s power.

-No, power isn’t the issue! It’s what those in power do that can become an issue. But the only way the world can operate is through power dynamics, we’ll get to some more of this in the next section, as Jesus explicitly talks about the differences between authority in the world and authority in the church.

-So far, we’ve seen that what’s necessary for Jesus is His death. His followers think that means through a political uprising and overthrowing of the Romans, but Jesus knows and keeps trying to tell them that’s not the way! But 2 disciples want to make sure Jesus knows how valuable they are (using the world’s ideas)

-We see following Jesus:

• Is Demonstrated By Serving (35-45)

-Just as the first time comes about by Peter trying to put himself first, this time it’s the rest of the “inner 3” who approach Jesus. (Jesus had crowds of people following Him, from those He spent more focused time on the 12, from that 12 He spent more focused time with 3: Peter, James, and John)

-Begin innocently enough, but Jesus doesn’t commit to anything. I’m sure they’ve been working on trying to find the best time to bring this request to Jesus! Think of the way kids work at trying to figure out which parent will give them what they want. Recently, Cara confronted Calvin about why he asked me if he could watch DP in the morning instead of her “because I knew daddy would say yes!”

-As we saw in the last section, they think Jesus is going to Jerusalem to begin His reign, so they’re hoping that once the insurrection is complete, they have the highest positions. They’re 2 of the inner 3, who’s left out? Peter! This would make sense, right, you’ve got 2 hands there’s no room for a 3^rd person in there. 

-On the one hand, their request makes sense! Someone needs to sit by Jesus and help Him reign (at least in their minds, doesn’t enter that Jesus may be sitting to someone else’s right hand) 

-Jesus begins with a gentle rebuke and a reminder that they don’t know what’s happening. 

-Drink refers to suffering/persecution that was coming. Throughout the OT there’s repeated references to a cup being poured out as wrath upon sinful people. Even on Jesus’ last night with His disciples, He prays that the Lord would remove this cup of suffering from Him (Mark 14:36)

-Baptism similarly refers to intense tribulation that would be brought upon them, and Paul even picks up this idea in Rom. 6 that baptism serves as a reminder that we have died with Jesus, so Jesus is telling these brothers that both suffering and death are on His horizon. Do they think they can handle all that?

-They (once again) miss it! “Of course we can!” They’re not called the sons of thunder for nothing! 

-Once again, their minds are most likely going to the political war that is coming up. They could even be interpreting Jesus’ comments as referring to that event, so Jesus is going to be a martyr for the cause, and if He can do that, so can they!

-Not dissimilar from what Peter will pledge just a few chapters later: “Even though they all fall away, I will not. If I must die with you, I will not deny you.” (14:29, 31). 

-Jesus promises them suffering and persecution, but he can’t promise anything else. Jesus, in everything, submits to the will of His Father. Someone will sit there, but it won’t those that try to get it, it will be those that the world wouldn’t recognize.

-Think of all the children Jesus had been interacting with recently. Think of all the marginalized people who had been ostracized that He’s healed (bleeding woman, demon possessed). Those who are the greatest in God’s kingdom are described in Heb. 11 as people “of whom the world was not worthy.” But even the lowest in God’s kingdom is greater than the person Jesus describes as the most significant human to ever live (Matt. 11:11)

-This is done by obeying Jesus, not by building yourself up.

-How do you think everyone else would have felt once they heard about it? Definitely would have led to a fight! But here’s the thing: the reason they were fighting is because the rest didn’t think about it first! They were upset that James and John beat them to the punch!

-Think of what we saw Peter do during the transfiguration: he offered to build houses for Moses and Elijah on the mountain so they could rule with them. They’re continually fighting about who gets the positions of power and recognition (remember, just recently we read about them arguing about who was the greatest) You could read this section as just a continuation of that previous conversation! Jesus’ repeated refrain that they need to serve has fallen on deaf ears.

-And this continues to happen today in the church! How big is your church? How many books have you published? How many conferences have you spoken at? Does your church have the “right” ministry? We’re always comparing, but we’re comparing to the wrong standard! See, if we continually compare ourselves to others we’ll always find ways we’re superior. What Jesus is commanding us to do is compare ourselves Him, who is the perfect standard. In that case, we’ll always be falling short, which is the point of the gospel message. 

-Picture the group of disciples having a heated debate about this very topic, until Jesus gets in the middle of them and changes the direction of the conversation

-Once again becomes a teaching moment! Jesus’ way of leadership is the opposite of the world. Look at how he describes the world’s ways: “lord it over” and “exercise authority.” That’s not the Jesus way! Jesus says “It shall not be so!” 

-Do you want to lead? Serve! Example of music team asking people to run slides for 6 months before they get on the stage. What are you willing to do to serve those who are sitting nearby you? Music is a great opportunity for that, and I think one of the best ways to model this service! 

-“If the gathering is about building up and encouraging the church, then a song I don’t like presents an opportunity to love and encourage others whose tastes differ from mine.” (Mike Cosper, Rhythms of Grace, 88)

-Jesus isn’t calling for anything He isn’t willing to do. He’s demonstrated to them in multiple ways what it means to serve, not be served.

– “The brothers hope to honor Jesus while honoring themselves. How easily worship and discipleship are blended with self-interest; or worse, self-interest is masked as worship and discipleship.” (James Edwards)

-How often do you equate God’s way with your way? Or you take your desires and assume they’re the way God wants you to live? What’s even worse is when you take those desires and then force others to live that same way! That’s called legalism, and there’s a whole host of issues with that!

-Text I got when we had to shut our doors during COVID (this was an incredibly hard season! No one knew exactly what to do, it’s easy to look back now and see the mistakes, but not in the middle of it): “I was going to use this as an opportunity to demonstrate my faith in God!” I wanted to text back “If you’ve been waiting for a global pandemic to demonstrate your faith, then you don’t have those faith muscles built up to start practicing them now.” Jesus here is saying you need to start practicing service in the small things so that as you grow in ability and responsibility you can continue being faithful. The problem is when people are elevated beyond their character. We’ve seen that repeatedly in the church the past couple years, and it comes about because people forget that Jesus called us to serve, not be served. As soon as you get to the point that you think it’s time for others to start serving or accommodating your needs, preferences, and desires, you need to step back for a season!

-So far: following Jesus comes through His death, is demonstrated by whether or not we serve others, and it:

• Requires Faith In Him (46-52)

-20 miles away from Jerusalem, slightly off the main road, 1 way to get in and out. Those who had been following were continuing toward Jerusalem, ready for the revolt!

-Only named person healed in this Gospel: Bartimaeus, son of Timaeus (name means: “Son of Honor”) Let’s compare Bartimaeus to the 2 brothers who asked for the positions of honor: they were most likely wealthy (Father had a fishing business), Barty had to beg to eat. They were getting recognition and fame from following Jesus (such that they knew to ask for even more fame) Barty was (apart from being in here) forgotten and marginalized.

-No social welfare, begging was the only way to survive. 

-Jesus of Nazareth to delineate this Jesus from all the others (like the name “John” or “Michael” thanks a lot mom & dad)

-Instead of asking for power and prestige, what does Barty ask for? Mercy. He wouldn’t even care if his name was mentioned in this text: he just wants a full life.

-What’s the response of the crowd? Barty doesn’t deserve the see Jesus! Jesus is too busy and on a different social standing. How does he respond? Cries all the more! He’s desperate! Which is something we (and the disciples) could learn! (parable of the persistent widow Luke 18:1-8 “because this widow keeps bothering me”)

-Jesus stopped. Has a whole crowd around Him and he stops for 1 blind beggar.

-Invites Barty near. 3 verbs: take heart, get up, calling you.

-Throws off all his worldly possessions (his cloak, both protection from heat and pillow at night), jumps up as quick as possible and runs to Jesus.

-Jesus asks the same question he’d asked James and John: “Whereas the Sons of Thunder asked for extraordinary glory, Bartimaeus asks only for ordinary health.” (James Edwards)

-Refers to Jesus as a higher form of Rabbi (used primarily of God). Those on the inside continue to remain blind, while those on the outside see who God is. He has 1 request: let me see!

-Why is this man healed? Faith. How strong did his faith need to be? As strong as a mustard seed, but in the right person.

-Example of ice from Keller.

-Became a follower of Jesus. Tradition says he’s named because he became a prominent leader in the early church.

-What are you willing to give up to get Jesus? Are you truly following Him, or is Jesus a convenient excuse to try to force your way, agenda, ideas onto others? Do you come to serve or to BE served?