title="English

He Changes Our Values

Mark 10:31-46

When people are asked what they most want in life, two things always come to the top of the list:

1. Being happy (finding shalom, joy, abundant life…)
2. Being successful (having my life count, establishing a good family, leaving a legacy, being productive, building something that lasts…)

When we read Mark 10, we discover Jesus teaches us that he is the one who is the key to both of these longings. Looking back on last week’s message about a wealthy young man, Jesus indicated that the shalom-filled life we are made for – what the young man called eternal life” – comes though placing our faith in the Lord Jesus. By faith, I mean the complete trust of all we are and have to Jesus. That man could not relinquish full control of everything to Jesus so he walked away from the “happiness” he wanted.

Today, we return to see that the life of faith in which we find true happiness is also the life in which we are most “successful” – as God defines success. In our story today, Jesus talks to his closest followers about lasting greatness. In doing so, Jesus gave another of his shocking and utterly counter-cultural teachings. He said that the most successful life is a life focused on serving. If you ask, “How can I live a life that truly counts in this world?” then Jesus answers, “You find it through a life of service.” You don’t find many books being written today that teach us that, do you. So, let’s look at what happened. Imagine being one of the disciples being with Jesus and, at this time, begin very close to Jerusalem.

The Story: The Paradoxical Topography of the Kingdom of God

In 10:32-34, for the third time in his journey toward Jerusalem and the cross, Jesus took his disciples aside to tell them specifically about his impending death. The first was in 8:31-32:

He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. He spoke plainly about this…

Even though Peter had just said Jesus was the Messiah, Peter’s response to Jesus’ words was this in v.32: Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. To this, Jesus rebuked him back, “Get behind me, Satan! You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but of men.”

With this kind of firm and plain talk from Jesus, surely the disciples would grasp that this man they had seen healing the sick, calming storms and raising the dead, knew why he had come and knew what he was doing. But, we see something quite shocking in Mark 9:31: Jesus spoke of his future a 2^nd time, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise.”

We expect the disciples to have grasped this point by now. But, look at what Mark tells us in 9:32-34: The disciples did not understand what Jesus meant and were afraid to ask him about it. Then, when Jesus was in the house, he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest.

At that point, Jesus simply told them, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the last, and the servant of all.” And, as you know, he took a little child – in their world the child was viewed as least significant person in a household – and Jesus welcomed him. Later, a man who was viewed as the greatest member of society, a wealthy and influential man, walked away from Jesus. The point: The last was first – the first was last.

So, Jesus taught clearly about his values. He followed up his teaching with the powerful real life applications of a child and a rich man. And he drove it home with the verse that ended last week’s text, i.e., 10:31 -- Many who are first will be last, and the last first. Surely the disciples understood now. Right?

Look now at the third time Jesus took up his teaching. It’s found in 10:32-24:

Again Jesus 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 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, who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise.”

I want you to look carefully at the very next sentence in the Bible’s report. 10:35: James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.”

What a prayer! Have you ever prayed a prayer like that? I think many of our prayers have a lot of that self-seeking in them. Don’t you?

I imagine Jesus may have been a bit exasperated when he asked, “What do you want me to do for you?” And, callously they ask this man who has just said he is going to die in Jerusalem, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.” By that, they meant that they were sure that when he would enter Jerusalem, probably at that time a day away, he would set up his rule on the throne of David and would take up a position of prestige, power, wealth and authority. Life had been tough for the disciples up to this point and they thought that in Jerusalem, at last they would gain the positions of influence and affluence they desired so deeply. They would find happiness and greatness there. These were the values of their world and these were their values too. Do you remember Jesus words to Peter in 8:32? You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but of men. (Are your values those of God or of men?)

All week, as I’ve read and prayed about this text, I have sensed God saying, “Greg, you need to let me deal with you about what you value too. And, through my Word, I need to deal with what people at LAC value.” The “concerns of men” were so deeply rooted in these disciples that they became completely blind to the clear teaching of Jesus. I think we would be foolish to think that we’re immune to thinking the way the world thinks. We may not even be aware of how conformed to the world we are.

So, Jesus said to James and John, “You don’t know what you’re asking.” So, Jesus said, let me ask you this: Can you drink the cup I will drink and be baptized with what I will be baptized with? Jesus called his followers to “take up their cross” and deny themselves.” They want to tell others to carry their baggage. They want self-affirmation. Jesus would soon suffer and die to bring hope to a hurting world. Are they ready for that? Glibly they reply, “We can!”

“You will,” Jesus told them. He may have been shaking his head as he pondered their denseness. But, as you know, Jesus did not give up on these men. And, he knew the time would come when both of these men would suffer faithfully for the cause of Jesus.

Then, in 10:41, the other 10 disciples heard the conversation and became indignant. You know why, don’t you? James and John had been fast. They had been assertive. They had put themselves forward. They had done all the things that leadership books tell us to do. And, that meant that positions 1 & 2 in the new administration were now gone. The best available ones were 3-12. The other disciples were angry that, because of James and John getting to Jesus first, they could only get director level roles instead of vice-presidencies!! Come on, LAC folks – Isn’t this how the world thinks?”

To this, we read what I call “the hammer blow of Mark’s gospel.” Jesus, for the first time, declares specifically why he will die. He let them and us know how the greatest accomplishment in the history of the world would be brought about. Listen anew to Jesus’ words in 10:42-45 and ponder the meaning:

Jesus called his followers together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers in the world lord it over their people, and their high officials exercise clout over them for their own personal benefit. 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.”

And Jesus not only taught this but he lived it out. Jesus healed another man viewed as the “least of these”, a blind man named Bartimaeus, in 10:46-52. Then, he went directly into Jerusalem in chapter 11 where he would die as a ransom for these disciples and for us. As Pastor Tim Keller says so often, “Jesus alone lived the life we should have lived but haven’t -- and then died in our place the death we should have to die – but now don’t have to. When we place our faith in him, we find he is our ransom. He paid the penalty for our sins. He served us through incredible sacrifice on a cross. And, those of us who are ransomed by his death are sent to find our own greatness not through self-seeking but through service.

Do you remember that I began this message by saying that most people say that what they most want in life is happiness and productivity? Let me now say that Jesus declares that both are found not by thinking the way the world thinks but through faith in Jesus and service in his name. Let me try to put this into some real life situations for us:

A New Way of Life (which really is life as our Creator always been meant to be) – Two convictions:

1. 1. A life of service is not about “lording over” others but about the intentional use of influence to bless others.
2. 2. A life of service is the life that brings both lasting happiness and success.

Let me say a word about what I now call “a theology of power.” When we read Mark 8-10 about becoming like little children or about becoming servants of all, we may begin to think that we should run away from or deny those times when we are placed in roles of authority and influence. But, please notice that Jesus never denies the authority he has – nor does he tell us to. He simply—though forcefully – tells us not to use power the way the world usually does.

I have come to view power as a stewardship. Authority is a part of the world God has created. In Genesis 1-2, when God created us in his image, he created us with the ability to make a difference in this world. People were made to manage and care for the world. People were given the privilege of naming what God created. When we give a name, we exert authority. Surely, power can be misused and abused. We have countless examples of this throughout history and over all the world. I’m sure you can immediately bring to mind times in your own life when a boss, a teacher, a judge, a parent or even a church leader abused the authority he/she possessed. Still, I have had to come to grips with this, i.e., power vested in human beings is a part of the world as God made it. As a person made in God’s image, I have been entrusted with the ability to influence things around me. And you have been too.

Jesus says that the “concerns of man” (as he said to Peter in 8:32) make us want more and more power and incline us toward using our power “to get whatever we ask for (10:35).” We think that the more power we have, the greater we will be. And Jesus turns that way of the world on end. He says, “Those who are willing to be the least will be the greatest.”

But what that means is that we must think the way Jesus thought – not the way the world thinks. Daily, Jesus calls us to ask how we might use our words, our lives and our decisions to serve those around us. We are called to use whatever God gives us to seek justice where there is injustice, to show mercy when no one shows mercy and to walk humbly with God when everyone is living for himself.

And, I’m sure Jesus would say to each of us, “Don’t just apply this to others.” This past week, the Catholic Church has appointed a new Pope (Pope Francis I), a man who will have authority over 1.2 billion people! And, across the street, Fuller Theological Seminary has announced the apointment of a new president (Dr. Mark Labberton – a great choice), a man who will have authority over a slightly smaller number of people than Pope Francis. Our tendency might be to apply this text to people like them saying, “I hope they will use their roles to serve,” i.e., to deal with injustices, to bring blessing to others, and to speak for truth.” And let us pray for them that they will.

But let me tell you this: You have influence too. “How?” You might ask. “In countless ways,” I answer.

So, let me apply this to our homes. If you’re still living at home, imagine your family. Let’s say you have a sister. You know that you can get on your sister’s nerves simply by saying a phrase she hates. Sometimes you can do it by a certain kind of look on your face. You know that don’t you? What if you woke up each day making this commitment, “I am going to use my words and expressions to serve my sister.” Could things change around the house if you did that?

Parents, what would happen if you intentionally used the enormous influence you have over your children’s life – not perhaps to make them seem more successful or to control them but to help them flourish. My point is that each member of a family can destroy a family. Or, each member can use his words or actions to encourage others in the family. God has given us the power to do that. We are made in his image. You can destroy the peace in your family – or you can be the peace-maker. You can leave the whole family wondering where you are when the family has a big event planned or you can seek to communicate when you are late. You can live with the attitude of James and John saying, “I want you to do whatever I ask” or you can seek to make a contribution to benenfit the others. You and I have power! We’re made in the image of God. What we do makes a difference in our families. And we can use that influence either to further our own desires or to bless those those around us through service.

And the same thing is true with every walk of life. We have an impact on every relationship we have every day we live. Jesus was talking about a new way of life in this text. It was life lived as he lived it. This perspective of “looking to the interests of others as greater than our own” forces us to turn the world’s usual way of thinking on end. It affects how:

• We drive the car. Will we have our way and not let that other diver in our lane or…?
• We conduct our friendships. Will I go to the burger restaurant my friend loves or the vegetarian one I’ve asked for the last three times…?
• We work. Bosses, will we make the workplace a place of “just wages” for our employees and to provide opportunity for people to flouish under our authority or will we just think about more and more prodictivity? Workers, will you work as unto the Lord and make the workplace a joy for those who work near you or…”
• We affect our neighborhood – Will we can go out each day looking for opportunities to serve each one who crosses our paths with a smile, a word of encouragement or a sacrificial act of kindness? Or, will we ignore people – or irritate them almost to death?

A life of service as Jesus teaches us is a call to a way of life. What Jesus calls us to do is use whatever influnce – which is enormous -- we have to be a blessing to those around us.

And, Jesus wants us to trust him in this too: There is great joy in living a life not of self-seeking but of service to others. Do you believe that? Hebrews 12:2 says that Jesus found his joy in this service to you and me: Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith who, for the joy set before him, endured the cross, scorned its shame, and sat down with his work complete…” Do you see it? People say they most want happiness and success. Jesus responds to those human longings by saying true happiness (abundant life) and success (lasting greatness) come through service. The greatest act in history was accomplished through service (i.e., through Jesus’ cross) – and it brought Jesus joy to serve us. The same will be true of us. We will find joy not through self-centered living but through serving others.

A newer field of study called “positive psychology” seems to affirm this. Psychologists in this field study human behavior across cultures to find out what beings people lasting satisfaction. One finding is very interesting to me. In a series of studies conducted by researchers Brickman and Campbell called Hedonic Adaptation, extensive research demonstrates defintively that people do not find lasting happiness through money, beauty, or fame. Bottom line: When people focus on doing things that bring them personal happiness or getting things that give them pleasure, they do not find lasting happiness. They say this is true for all people in all cultures. Instead, they insist, you will enter the “hedonistic treadmill” on which you become addicted to pleasure and the need for the “pleasure fix” will keep escalating. The hedonic treadmill studies argue that the best way to increase happiness is to do acts of selfish kindness, to pour selves into the needs of people.

In last week’s message, I spoke about the fact that finding lasting happiness in life, i.e., finding eternal life, begins when we obey the first great command and put God first in our lives. The rich young ruler could not put respond to the call of God in his life because possessions weighed him down. He could not give up wealth even when Jesus called so he went away without the life he longed for.

Today, we find that we discover true greatness – godly success – in life by obeying the second great command, i.e., love your neighbor as yourself. And that love is demonstrated the way Jesus always did it – by serving those God brings across our paths.

Think about it: Just before going to Jerusalem to die, Jesus said that he had come to give his life to free us from our sin, shame and guilt. He came not to be served but to serve and to give his life for us. And he calls you and me to do the same. Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.”

If people say they most want happiness and success, Jesus says those two things are what he died to make available to us. Of course, they come with his definitions of the terms “happiness” and “success”. Happiness is not some giddy and fleeting moment of pleasure but finding the life God made you to have. And success is not personal prestige and productivity -- but greatness through service.

Jesus turns our world’s values upside down. In the eyes of the Son of God, the way up is down.

 

To His glory,

Dr. Greg Waybright
Senior Pastor