During Jesus’s time, children were “considered to have low social status and were often overlooked.” They represented “innocence, humility, and the least in society.” (Bible Hub)
The disciples were arguing amongst themselves about who was the greatest. So in order to teach them a lesson, Jesus took a child in His arms while talking to them. He told them:
““Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.”” Mark 9:37 NIV
Jesus taught them that when they humbly receive with gladness the lowly and the needy, it is as if they were humbly receiving Jesus Himself. If they received, or welcomed Jesus they welcomed their Heavenly Father as well.
Our lives are not to be spent working to achieve a position. God values the one who, in humility, serves not expecting anything in return. It’s the little acts of kindness, giving “a cup of water” (verse 41) that God rewards.
“But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”” Mark 8:33 NIV
Today is Mark 8:22-38.
The Disciples didn’t get who Jesus was. They didn’t understand God’s plan. The Jewish people of Jesus’s time were looking for the Messiah, the one who would deliver them from their oppression. They had suffered greatly under the Roman Empire. Jesus steps onto the scene and does things that no one had ever seen, including healing the blind man at Bethsaida. (verse 25)
So Jesus asks His disciples as they are walking “on the way”, “who do people say that I am?” Peter answered correctly…”the Messiah”. But when Jesus tries to teach them about what is to come — His death. Peter rebuked Him.
Peter didn’t have in his mind “the concerns of God.” He didn’t see God’s bigger plan. His thoughts on the Messiah was that Jesus would be a conquering King… not death at the hands of the Romans. But God’s concerns weren’t an earthly kingdom. His concerns were His Heavenly Kingdom that is eternal, unchanging, and free of all the hardship and sadness we see in our world.
God’s ways are not our ways. His concerns are not ours. We cannot with our human minds truly understand the depths of love, joy, and peace our Heavenly Father has for us.
So the words of verses 34 – 36 seem odd to our own fleshly hearts and minds.
“Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?” Mark 8:34-36 NIV
Deny ourselves…take up our cross…lose my life…
These are the very things of the “concerns of God.” They are very important to Him.
As long as we are trying to live our best lives our way… after self and selfishness, we will not know Him. As long as we insist on our way instead of letting our old ways die daily on our own personal cross (a spiritual one), we will not experience His resurrected life living inside of us. As long as we insist on pursuing our life instead of losing it, we will never gain His life and live connected to Him.
Our mere “human concerns” will always lead us to having our way instead of Gods. God’s “concerns” — the things that are the most important to Him — are that we would know Him intimately. In order for that to happen, our concerns — the things that are the most important to us — must become His!
The religious leaders of Jesus’s time were all hung up on a rule based religion. They believed if they did x,y, and z they would be doing the will of God. But Jesus pointed out the sad state of their spiritual hearts. Their hearts were far from God:
“He replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: “ ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’” Mark 7:6-7 NIV
Their lives gave evidence of what was inside of their hearts — “sexual immorality, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance, and folly.” (Verse 20) What was coming out of them by what they said and how they lived (what they did) displayed what was in their spiritual hearts.
It wasn’t breaking all their manmade traditions that kept them from being close to God. It was their hard spiritual hearts that were full of sin. What was coming from inside their hearts was defiling them. (Verse 23)
The religious leaders thought that God, the Heavenly Father, wanted them to “jump through hoops” to be accepted by Him and earn His favor. But Jesus told them, their issue was “a heart condition.”
Once Jesus was asked what the Greatest Commandment was. He told the religious leaders plainly:
““Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.” Matthew 22:36-38 NIV
Our Heavenly Father desires for us to LOVE Him with all that we are and all that we have! He desires for our hearts to be His!
Jesus displayed to us how much the Heavenly Father loves us when He gave Himself — entirely, totally, and completely — on the cross. Jesus shows us a Heavenly Father that desires all of our spiritual heart — entirely, totally, and completely in return. He wants to take that heart and transform it to reflect Himself — His love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, gentleness, self control.
Is my heart completely His? Or Is my heart far from Him?
“With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand.” Mark 4:33 NIV
Jesus came to communicate to us what His Father was like and how to live our lives in relationship with Him as a part of His Kingdom.
Jesus told those who were listening to:
““Consider carefully what you hear,” he continued. “With the measure you use, it will be measured to you—and even more.” Mark 4:24 NIV
He desired for the crowds who listened to Him to pay attention to what He was saying so that they would know and understand His message and His mission.
He desires for us to be intentional in our listening to what He is saying to us in His Word as well. If we approach God’s Word half heartedly, we won’t realize the desire our Heavenly Father has for us, which is to be faithful servants in His Kingdom — under His rule and authority.
Jesus referred to the Word of God as a seed. The more we allow His Word to grow inside of us, the more it will influence us in our daily actions. His Word is much like the “mustard seed” in verse 31. When we read His Word, or listen to it —internalize, it will grow in us and it will influence others around us. People will want to know, or experience, the life giving transformation that we are experiencing. They will want to be a part of God’s Kingdom!
Every time I read the account of the crucifixion, I feel a sense of sadness. To think of the accusations, the false trial, the mocking, the beatings, the carrying of the cross up the hill of Golgotha, the nails being driven into Jesus, and Him being lifted up on the cross… such sadness.
But Praise God the story does not end in death.
Jesus came to show us life! Not only show us, but to make the way for us to experience His life. Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life…” We experience Life when we experience Him! He and the Father are one. Our Heavenly Father is life!
From the moment of creation, when Our Heavenly Father breathed life into every living being, until now. He is the ultimate source of life. The very breath of life we experience in our lungs comes straight from Him. However there will be a day when that breathing will cease in each one of us… What then?
Jesus showed us on resurrection Sunday what God’s good plan for us is — resurrection life! Eternal life!
We do not have to fear death. Our Heavenly Father desires for us to experience His eternal life. Sin brought death into our world, but we do not have to experience an eternity of the separation of death.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall 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. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” John 3:16-18 NIV
“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”” John 11:25-26 NIV
Jesus at any moment in His 33 years on earth could have changed His course to the cross. He knew exactly why He had came. He knew how this would all play out. He knew the rejection He would suffer. He knew the pain He would endure. Yet He “abandoned” Himself. He gave Himself over to the purpose of His Heavenly Father.
Over and over in this chapter He warned the disciples that He was going to suffer and die. But He chose to abandon His will that desired for His Heavenly Father to “take this cup” from Him. Then He spoke these words, “Yet not what I will, but what You will.” (Verse 36)
Jesus gave Himself. The Father gave His Son! (John 3:16). Our Heavenly Father abandoned, gave over entirely, His Son for us out of His love. When I consider this great love, my thoughts go to what my response should be.
In every situation and circumstance of my life, may I echo the words of my loving Savior. “Yet not what I will, but what You will.” My Heavenly Father gave without reservation His only Son. Jesus gave without reservation His very life. May I give without reservation EVERYTHING I am and live a life that is abandoned to God’s will!
Jesus and His disciples came out of the temple. One of the disciples commented on the beauty of what he was seeing. Jesus spoke of how all that seemed so certain and indestructible would be destroyed, the Temple.
They went to the Mount of Olive opposite the Temple. As they sat at there Jesus began to tell of what was to come. In all the disturbing events Jesus spoke of, One Thing stood out as unshakeable and unchanging — His Word!
Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” (Verse 31)
In all the changes we experience in our daily lives, Jesus tells us His Word will not change. It will endure.
The Word is God! It is His Divine Expression of Himself. You cannot separate God from His Word. They are one. Jesus shows us that His Word is unchanging, so is His Heavenly Father. Nothing in the future will change the character of our God. He will always be love, goodness, our peace, our strength, etc.
Of all the events that we will face in our lives, there is one certain person to run to that will withstand the storm, God. He and His Word are unchanging!
“Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.” - verse 17
The religious leaders of Jesus’s time rejected Him. They perceived Jesus as a threat because He only cared about what His Heavenly Father thought and commanded, not all their man made laws and traditions. So they looked for ways to trip Him up in what He did and said over and over.
They came to Jesus with a question on taxes. Jesus’s reply strikes a chord in my heart this morning. He told them to pay what was Caesar’s to Caesar- the coin bearing Caesar’s image. BUT He turned it around to point to something in the very heart of the Religious leaders and each of us . “Give to God what is God’s.”
The coin beared the image and inscription of Caesar on it. We are like that coin. We bear an image and inscription upon us — the image and inscription of our Maker, God. Therefore, we belong to Him. We are to give “to God what is God’s”— our entire self!
Jesus enters Jerusalem riding on the back of a donkey. The crowds celebrated Him as they would a king. The anticipation of who they thought Jesus was echoed in their cheers. “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!”
The Jewish people longed for a king that would deliver them from the oppression of the Romans. Jesus seemed to fit the bill. He spoke with authority. He performed miracles. There was no one like Him. But Jesus did not come to establish Himself as an earthly king. He was already the King of Kings reigning in His heavenly kingdom. The people did not understand the truth of the praises they shouted, “Hosanna” which is a Hebrew praise meaning “Oh Save!”
Kingdoms come and kingdoms go. Salvation from an oppressive government would only be a temporary fix to their misery. Jesus came to save with eternity in mind. Kings come and kings go as well. Jesus came to be the Eternal King! He came to rescue us and rule within our hearts not just for the here and now but for all eternity.
Jesus said, “Anyone who has seen me you has seen the Father.” (John 4:9) The crowd rightly shouted “Hosanna” about Jesus. He displayed that our Heavenly Father saves!
“Our God is a God who saves; from the Sovereign Lord comes escape from death.” Psalms 68:20 NIV
Jesus was sent by our Heavenly Father to rescue us from sin and all its destruction that we could not rescue ourselves from.
“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:17 NIV
Our Heavenly Father desires for us to accept the salvation He freely gives!
“Love needs an object to whom it can give itself away, in whom it can lose itself, with whom it can make itself one.” — Andrew Murray
To be honest, thinking about Our Heavenly Father as a Servant has been uncomfortable to me. In my mind, I’ve had Jesus as “the good cop” in the trinity, and the Heavenly Father as “the bad cop.” Which is not true at all. There is no “bad” in God.
When I was reading this section of Scripture this morning and came upon this verse, I was in awe:
“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:45 ESV
Jesus came to reveal the Father to us. When we see Him, we see our Heavenly Father. Jesus came as the Humble Servant. This means our Heavenly Father is the Humble Servant too!
The Greek word for serve that is used in this verse is “diakonēsai.” This is translated in other verses as “minister.” To minister is to afford supplies, to give things needful, to supply the means of relief; to relieve. Our Heavenly Father has done just that. He gives and gives and gives. He provides all that we need. He is always at work for our good in every situation. He serves!
When Jesus knelt on His knees and washed the feet of His disciples, He displayed the very love of our Heavenly Father, who serves us. Jesus, the King of Kings, took the nature of a servant and gave Himself away to provide the very thing His disciples needed, His love.
Our Heavenly Father sent His Son to meet our most pressing need, salvation from sin. “For God so loved the world, He gave…” He ministered… He served us out of His love.
Our Heavenly Father serves us as any good Dad would. He takes good care of us! He provides, sustains, is attentive to our cry, etc,
Jesus shows us the Father who serves. We were made to display that image to others, i.e. imitate God! May we give ourselves away in service that glorifies our Heavenly Father who gives Himself in service to us!
Your Love 