The first passage is all about marriage.
God doesn’t like divorce in fact he Hates it (Malachi 2:16), just the same as he hates any sin, as God can see how destructive sin can be to a person, the good thing is that God doesn’t hate the divorced, he loves us all the same. Let’s look at Jesus’ comments on marriage. The part about “a man will leave his father . . . one flesh” is one of the most often repeated verse in the Bible (four times). The Bible is clear and emphatic that God’s design for marriage is between one man and one woman. There is not even a hint that any other combination is desirable. The Bible does have examples of polygamy, but the negative consequences are shown. It is never presented as something beneficial or positive. Remember that the Bible is a thoroughly honest book and a book that even though written over 1000 years ago is still highly relevant to how we live our lives today.
The second passage is about Children and The Kingdom.
People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. 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. I tell you the truth; anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.
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?” “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.’” “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.” 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.” At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.
Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!” The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”
Peter said to him, “We have left everything to follow you!” “I tell you the truth,” 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 will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
This story of the rich man has many important points. First, it shows that Jesus loved the man but gave him a choice whether to follow or not. Jesus did not run after the man and try to bargain with him, saying, “OK, you don’t have to sell all your possessions . . . just sell half and we’ve got a deal!” If Jesus didn’t make the young man (or the Pharisees) believe, why should we think we could make someone believe? We should share the truth in love (not the pampering kind of love, but the kind that has others’ long term best interests at heart), but whether someone follows Christ is ultimately between them and the Holy Spirit. Our duty is to obey Jesus’ command to share the Gospel.
Jesus is not saying you have to sell everything to follow him. He was pointing out to the rich young man that while he thought he was perfectly righteous his real “god” was money, not the Lord. Jesus wants us to make him the top priority in life. No one ever regretted trusting in and following Jesus.
The third section is Jesus predicting his own death again & the healing of a blind man
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. “We are going up to Jerusalem,” he said, “and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise.”
Jesus repeats this prophecy three times in total but why? Is it because when he is finally released over to the Gentiles the disciples will actually believe everything Jesus said was true?
Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.” “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked. They replied, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.” “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?” “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, 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.”
When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. 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. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. 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.”
The request of James and John falls into the category of, “Be careful what you ask for.” They thought they were asking for glorious, powerful positions in an earthly kingdom. But despite Jesus repeated warnings that He would be killed, they didn’t realize that to be at his “right” and “left” could have meant to be crucified with him.
It continually amazes me that the God of the universe came to earth not “to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
The final and fourth section is Jesus’ healing of the blind man.
Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (that is, the Son of Timaeus), was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus. “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him. The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.” “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.
I think this final passage brings up some interesting questions about healing and our own faith, when we pray for healing do we really have the faith in that healing or are we asking prayers for the sake of asking prayers, do we need to start showing the same faith as that blind man, a faith that is true and trusting?
Well I have probably asked more questions than I have answered, but I don’t think that is a bad thing, I hope you spend time to start to unpack this huge chapter and get real personal revelation for yourself over the next week.
DetailsJohn Roberts
January 31st, 2007
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