Gospel of Mark

Request of James and John: Mark 10:35-45

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The Request of James and John

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.”

Mark 10:35-45 (NIV)

Horsham: 17th February 2025

In the last verses, Jesus warned of his impending arrest, abuse and death at the hands of the Jewish leaders and the Gentile Romans. This is the third time that he has given a warning to the disciples, and the third time that they have struggled to understand his meaning. Jesus is, after all, the Messiah. He should be ridding Israel of the Romans – not getting killed by them.

After the first warning of his death (Mark 8:31), Peter challenged Jesus, earning a stern rebuke. After the second warning (Mark 9:31), they were frightened to ask Jesus anything, but then we saw the disciples arguing amongst themselves about who was the greatest. ‘These men seemed blind to the meaning of the cross.’ (Wiersbe, p124).

Here, after the third warning, we again see some kind of power play amongst the disciples. As ever, we need to get some context. In Matthew 19:28, Jesus made a promise that the disciples would sit on twelve thrones in heaven alongside Jesus, in judgement over the twelve tribes of Israel. They are, after all, followers of the King, and kings get to decide who sits where. Their closest advisors would sit at their right and their left. James and John come to Jesus with a request. In Matthew’s gospel they are accompanied by their mother, who acts as their spokesperson (Matthew 20:20-21).

‘When you come into your glory,’ they ask ‘let us take up position as your closest advisors, seated at your right and your left.’ It sounds incredibly presumptuous. It sounds incredibly prideful. Could they drink the cup he has to drink? Could they face the same baptism? These words mean, could you go through what I have to go through? James and John say yes. These are the men who can’t believe that Jesus is facing imminent death, yet they believe they can walk his path, every step of the way.

‘It’s not for me to grant,‘ says Jesus. ‘These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.’ 

The disciples are indignant! How dare these two put themselves forward as the greatest! Once more, Jesus has to call them together for a team talk. It’s a familiar story. Your place in this world is not like other people. In my kingdom, ‘43whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.’ We’ve heard this teaching before. This is the upside down Kingdom of Christ.

End Piece: It’s easy for us to be critical of the disciples. They believe that Jesus is the Messiah. In their mind, his victory is the only option. His death is not in the script. They were bewildered and confused by the idea that he could be arrested by the Jewish leaders and put to death by the Romans. If we were there, we would have been bewildered too.

James, it turns out, did suffer for his faith as Jesus said he would. He was the first of the disciples to die (Acts 12:1-2). John was first exiled (Revelation 1:9)and later died a martyr’s death. The cup that they drank and the baptism they shared was not the same as Jesus, but it was pretty close.

Our perspective is different from the disciples. After all, we know how the story develops. We know that in a few days time Jesus will die, be buried and then three days after that, raised from the dead. We know that because of his death, and the manner of his death, we have relationship with him. We are amongst the many, you and I, who have been ransomed.

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.”

Richard Jackson, West Sussex: LifePictureUK

Personal

Saint Valentines Day 2025

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Horsham: 13th February 2025

The origins of Saint Valentines Day are somewhat unclear. There are at least three Saint Valentines, all of whom were martyred. At least two of them have a back story which in some way hints at romance (the third Valentine lived in 3rd Century Africa but apart from his martyrdom, nothing more is known about him). Perhaps my favourite story relates to one of these Valentines, a priest who was arrested by Emperor Claudius Gothicus (who ruled from 268 – 270), for helping other Christians who were facing persecution. According to legend, just before his execution, he sent a note to his gaoler’s daughter for whom he felt some affection. His note was simply signed ‘Your Valentine’.

I sent my first Valentines Card to a girl in my class at school who I really liked when I was about twelve years old. It was probably one of the  most terrifying things I have ever done. Actually buying the card was terrifying enough, but the act of delivering it was even worse. My heart racing, I grabbed the opportunity to drop the card unnoticed into her schoolbag before lessons started whilst she was talking to her friends on the other side of the classroom. I had no idea what was supposed to happen next. Following convention, I had written her name in the card but signed it simply as ‘Your Valentine’. I still remember a sense of disappointment, tinged by a degree of relief, when she opened the card and told her friends that it had come from another boy in my class called Gary White. I’m not sure how Gary felt about it, but I never owned up. In the unlikely event that she remembers that moment, I guess that she probably still believes that Gary White was her first Valentine!

I’ve occasionally wondered what was in my mind when I decided to send that card to a classmate when I was 12 years old. I think in my heart, that Valentines card meant ‘I like you’, and ‘I want to be your friend.’

To the best of my recollection, apart from my 12 year old classmate, I’ve only ever sent a Valentine to one other person. She’s someone else I went to school with and I fell in love with her nearly fifty years ago. I’ve been married to her for quite a long time. She will receive a card from me again this year. It will probably be signed ‘Your Valentine’. I’m feeling pretty confident – to the best of my knowledge, my wife has never even heard of Gary White.

I’ve been nothing if not consistent since I was 12 years old. I’ve only ever sent a Valentines card to someone I want to be my friend. I’ve only ever sent a Valentine to someone I like.

‘(She) is my beloved, (she) is my friend.’ (Song of Songs 5:16 (NIV))

Richard Jackson, West Sussex: LifePictureUK

Gospel of Mark

Jesus Predicts His Death a Third Time: Mark 10:32-34

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Jesus Predicts His Death a Third Time

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.”

Mark 10:32-34

Horsham: 12th February 2025

A few steps behind: Jesus is walking along the road from Galilee towards Jerusalem. As a Rabbi, we’d expect to see the disciples close on his heels, listening for his every word, relishing the light covering of dust from his sandals as they walk in his footsteps.

This scene invokes a very different image. In every sense, the disciples are not in a good place. They are in a state of ‘astonished bewilderment’ (Wm Barclay, Loc 5074). I sense that they are a few steps behind their Rabbi. Further back, beyond the disciples, there’s another anxious group of people following Jesus.

Look at the calm resolution of Jesus, stepping out with determination towards Jerusalem. It’s all the more noticeable in contrast to the palpable tension of everyone else.

I’ve told you twice: It is in Mark 8 that Peter first declares that he believes Jesus to be the Messiah. Immediately afterwards, Jesus teaches the disciples that he would be killed and rise again (Mark 8:31-33 ). The text says that ‘He spoke plainly to them about this.’ (Mark 8:32). Whatever he said, they didn’t understand. You may remember that Peter was so shocked by Jesus talking about his own death that he took him aside and told him not to say such things. Peter was rebuked by Jesus.

In Mark 9:30-32, Jesus predicts his death a second time. This time he tells them that he will be ‘delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him and on the third day he will rise.‘ (Mark 9:31) Once more, the disciples didn’t understand and, perhaps because of his earlier reaction to Peter, they were not going to be asking questions.

The Third Warning: Jesus takes the disciples to one side. Once more – this is the third time – he tells them that he will be killed. This time there is more detail. He mentions Jerusalem. He says that the Chief Priest is involved. He says that he will be handed over to the Gentiles. They ‘will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him.’ 

‘Calmly and deliberately he tells the disciples of his coming passion at Jerusalem. One after another He describes all the leading circumstances which will attend to His death. Nothing is reserved. Nothing is kept back.’ (Ryle p156)

They sense that Jesus is resolved to accept his own death. This is not what they want to hear. It makes no sense to them.

The challenge for the disciples is this. They believe that Jesus is the Messiah. They believe that they know what the Messiah should be like. They know what he should achieve. They have been raised to anticipate this conquering hero of Israel who will restore the nation to glory. They thought that they were watching history being made. They were excited to be part of it. His violent death in Jerusalem was not on their agenda. He is supposed to be victorious – to rid Israel of the Roman invaders, not to be put to death by them.

We must try to understand the bewilderment and fear of his followers, for this was a difficult experience for them and not at all what they had planned or expected. Each new announcement of his death only added to their perplexity.’ (Wiersbe: p125)

End Piece: We shouldn’t blame the disciples for being scared. In their place, we would have been scared too. We can’t blame them for misunderstanding what to expect of the Messiah. I can imagine the whispered conversations. You can almost feel their anxiety. If Jesus’ death is approaching, what does that mean for them? Are they supposed to die alongside him? What would that achieve? Is this the end? No wonder they are bewildered. This isn’t what they signed up for. No wonder they are hanging back. No wonder they are a few steps behind Jesus.

We’re not so different. We have our own view of who Jesus is, and there are times when he doesn’t meet our expectations. We get distracted by our own life ambitions and plans. We anticipate great things. We forget that we are supposed to be following, not leading. We fall out of step, feeling anxious and bewildered. We fall back. Just like those disciples, we find ourselves feeling uneasy. We find ourselves a few steps behind where Jesus wants us to be.

Following Jesus is about moving forwards. It’s about letting Him lead. It’s about trust. It’s about confidence in Him. It’s about keeping close. He wants you to be there at his heels, ready to listen, and ready to serve. He wants you to be so close that you can feel the dust from his sandals landing on you. Straining to hear his voice. Following closely in his footsteps.

That’s what it means to follow Jesus. Don’t get left behind.

Try to keep up.

Richard Jackson, West Sussex: LifePictureUK

Contemplative

John Rogers: Martyr

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4th February 2025: Horsham

I’ve been reminded today of the life and death of John Rogers. Rogers was an English protestant theologian who died as a martyr 170 years ago today. Whilst not a household name, Rogers was an important and influential figure in the history of biblical translation.

Rogers spent time in Antwerp and northern Germany working as a pastor and biblical scholar. He was acquainted with Tyndale and other European Reformation leaders, and developed a strong reputation as a translator of biblical texts.

Matthew Bible: Rogers is credited with the compilation of the ‘Matthew Bible’, so called because it was published under the assumed pen name of ‘Thomas Matthews’. 1500 copies of the work were printed and circulated in 1537. Having returned to England in 1548, during the reign of King Edward VI, Rogers was appointed as Prebendary of St Pancras at St Paul’s, London.

In 1553, following the Coronation of Queen Mary, Rogers reportedly preached against the return to the Catholic tradition which was being imposed at the direction of Mary. The new administration deemed his speech to be heretical and Rogers was arrested. Following a lengthy period of house arrest he was moved to Newgate prison in London, where he was charged with heresy. After his conviction in January 1555, he was condemned to death. Rogers was executed by burning at Smithfield on the morning of 4th February 1555.

End Piece: We easily lose track of how significant the translation of the Bible into European languages was for the development of the protestant Christian faith. John Rogers was one of many people who paid the ultimate price during the turbulent 16th Century to make the Scriptures available and accessible in living languages. His work contributed to the seismic shift in the relationship between the Church and society. We live in a culture where anyone who wants to read the Bible in their own language can do so. It’s good to remind ourselves that it wasn’t always so.

John Rogers rejected the opportunity of avoiding the death penalty by publicly recanting his protestant beliefs. He chose to cheerfully embrace martyrdom to demonstrate his beliefs and his commitment to making the Word of God accessible in the English language.

On his way to this death, Rogers was forced to pass his wife and ten of his eleven surviving children, but not permitted to speak to them. He was the first of 287 people, including 56 women, who were executed by fire, the penalty for heresy, during the 5 year reign of ‘Bloody Mary’.

Richard Jackson, West Sussex: LifePictureUK

Source: Foxes Book of Martyrs & Oxford Dictionary of National Biography

Accessible Information about the Reformation period in England and events leading up to the arrest of John Rogers is here.

Gospel of Mark

Rich Young Ruler: Part 2

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Rich Young Ruler 

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?” 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[e] 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.”

3rd February 2025: Horsham
Part 2

Yesterday I wrote about the interaction between Jesus and the young man who we know as the rich young ruler. Today we’re looking at the conversation between Jesus and his disciples which followed.

Context: Jesus and his disciples are on the road to Jerusalem. Jesus has told them that when he reaches there, he will be put to death. The disciples have not grasped the reality and certainty of his coming death.

Along the way, a young man has thrown himself at Christ’s feet and declared that he wants to be a follower of Jesus. He is a good Jew, who has done all he can to live in keeping with the Law. Yet he senses that there is something missing. ‘What must I do,’ he says, ‘to inherit eternal life.’ The lesson is that the young man must sell everything he has and give the money to the poor. ‘Then come,’ says Jesus, ‘follow me.’

22 At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.

 I’ve written about his encounter with Jesus here.

Nothing is impossible with God: The disciples are Jews. They have grown up and been formed by Jewish culture. To them, financial wealth is a sign of God’s blessing. Therefore, in their eyes, here is a young man who has been blessed with his wealth by God.

The blessing of the Lord brings wealth,
without painful toil for it. (Proverbs 10:22)

Camels and Needles: It matters not whether he has ‘earned’ everything he owns. His wealth is a sign of God’s favour. Twice Jesus comments ‘how hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!’ In the face of the disciples astonishment, Christ continues, 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,” 

Much has been written about the ‘eye of the needle.’ My Arabic friends laugh at this image – for them, anything to do with a camel makes them laugh. We should just accept the self evident impossibility of a camel passing through the eye of a needle. It’s an absurd concept. These young Jewish followers of Jesus are utterly astonished. You can follow the mind of the disciples.  They have been brought up to understand that wealth is a sign of blessing. ‘If those who are blessed with wealth cannot enter the kingdom, what hope is there for the rest of us?’  “With man this is impossible,’ says Jesus, ‘but not with God; all things are possible with God.” Did you get the point? None of us deserves access to God’s kingdom. 

What about us? Not for the first time, Peter didn’t get the point. ‘What about us?’ says Peter. We’ve given up everything to follow you. It is nearly three years since Peter and the other disciples took a huge risk, abandoning their assorted workplaces, moved out of their homes and away from their families to follow Jesus. ‘If the rich,’ says Peter, ‘blessed as they are by God with their wealth, can’t get in, what help is there for the rest of us?’

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.

Thankfully, he doesn’t look at us the way we look at each other. ‘Men look at the outside, God looks at the heart!’ (1 Samuel 16:7) People may look rich – they might look poor. That isn’t the issue. God looked into this young man’s heart(v21), and in the same way he looks into yours and mine. In spite of who you are, if your heart is to follow him, He invites you in. The rich young ruler wasn’t perfect, and neither are you. That’s grace. All things are possible with God.

The End Piece: If you’re following Jesus and you are finding the path difficult, this is a passage which should encourage you.

Some years ago, I woke up one morning and felt that God was saying something pretty big to me. ‘This is the day when,’ he said, ‘if you had not followed me, you would have become a millionaire.’ There had been a point some years earlier where my wife and I had changed jobs to move into a mission role. The move involved a massive change of lifestyle and huge drop in salary. I did the maths, and there’s no doubt in my mind that if we hadn’t made that change, we would have become millionaires around that time. We are not millionaires, and I don’t anticipate that I ever will be! The message which pointed that out wasn’t given to taunt me, but to encourage me. It affirmed the decisions we had made several years earlier.

Following Jesus is different for all of us, but my experience, like that of the rich young ruler, is that we have to give something up. Sometimes, our human nature makes us look back and think how different life would be if we had decided not to follow Jesus.

No-one who gives stuff up for Jesus, he says, will fail to get a hundred times more back in this life and the next. There will be attacks along the way, he says, but be in no doubt, your sacrifice has been noticed. It is seen by your heavenly father, and truly translates into treasure in heaven.

When God spoke to me, He did follow that message up with another without which this piece of testimony would be incomplete.

5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’

Hebrews 13:5

Be blessed and encouraged as you follow Jesus.

Richard Jackson, West Sussex: LifePictureUK

Gospel of Mark

Rich Young Ruler – Part 1 – Mark 10:17-31

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Rich Young Ruler

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?” 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[e] 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.”

2nd February 2025: Horsham
Part 1

I’m going to deal with this familiar passage in two parts. This post will focus on the interaction between Jesus and this young man  recorded in verses 17-22.  (You can read my notes on the second part of this reading here). Mark refers simply to ‘a man’ (verse 17). In parallel versions, Matthew and Luke agree that he was very rich.  Matthew tells us that the man was young (Matthew 19: 16-22), and Luke describes him as a ‘ruler’ (Luke 18:18-30). These titles come together to give us the familiar ‘rich young ruler’.

The Story: No rabbi would allow himself to be called ‘good’ (v17). That is an adjective reserved for God. Jesus questions rather than rejects the description when this descriptor is applied to him. His question (v18) is more in the form of a test. Is this young man using exaggerated flattery or is he recognising Christ as God? The test goes on. ‘You know the commandments.’ (v19)

‘Let us learn from this passage, the self-ignorance of man.’   (Ryle, p150)  In this young man we meet someone who sees himself as sinless before God. He knows what the Law says. He has, since his youth, met the requirements of the Law (v20). Jewish understanding was that doing so would earn him a place in heaven.

To his credit, he senses that something is lacking. His initial question shows that he thinks there is something more he needs to do to inherit eternal life, and he wants Jesus to explain what it is.

Jesus looks at him. He looks straight into his heart and he loves him (v21).

‘Jesus loved him for his honesty and sincerity. Here is a young man who has tried being good and found that it did not lead him anywhere.’ (Pawson, p187)

Yet Jesus sees that there is something missing. ‘“One thing you lack,” he said.’ (v21) What is the one thing he lacks? It looks as if the thing he lacks is poverty. After all, Jesus goes on to tell him to sell everything. 

‘What was the one thing this young man did not have? It was not anything to do with his money. Jesus said that the one thing he lacked was – Jesus.’ (Pawson, p187)

The problem with the money is that it is too important to this young man. It is too much part of his life. He wants to follow Jesus but he wants to hold on to his wealth. The thing that he has to do is deal with that.

“Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” (v21)

His wealth is like a barrier between him and Jesus. The barrier needs to go. For this young man that was a problem. A big problem. It was a bridge too far.

At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth. (v22)

End Piece: In my mind I see this young man turning away dejectedly, Jesus watching him go until he is lost in the crowd. Jesus didn’t reject the rich young ruler. He rejected Jesus. Having fallen at the feet of Christ, he was unwilling to abandon that part of his life which held him back from stepping out on the path offered to him by Jesus.

There’s a risk here. We can look, you and I, at this young man and think ‘I’m not like him. I’m not rich. I don’t have his problems.’ The point is that we are at risk of self-ignorance. Following Jesus means different things for different people, but it never means carry on doing everything exactly as you have been. We invariably have to sacrifice something to follow, and the attitude of sacrifice is ongoing. Our ongoing sinful nature means that there is always something creeping into that space between us and Christ, like a trip hazard ready to make us stumble in our walk with Him.

Whether it is an issue with our lifestyle, relationships, career, self righteousness, finances, ambitions or fears, dealing with it is not always easy.  Yet as we, like this young man, must fall at his feet and seek to follow him, we are reminded that all things are possible with God.

Trust in me, says Jesus. Be ready to get rid of the thing which is holding you back, says Jesus, then ‘Then come, follow me.’

‘Let us beware of this state of mind. [..] Let us pray for self knowledge. Let us ask for the Holy Spirit to convince us of sin, to show us our own hearts, to show us God’s holiness, and to show us our need of Christ.’ (Ryle, p150}

Richard Jackson, West Sussex: LifePictureUK

Gospel of Mark

Little Children: Mark 10:13-16

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13 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.

Mark 10:13-16

27th January 2024: Horsham

There’s more going on in this short, familiar story than we might have been brought up to believe. It’s a beautiful story with layers of meaning. It’s about more than a group of mothers bringing their children to be blessed by Jesus. Actually, it’s not about that at all.

The Context: Jesus and the disciples are heading for Jerusalem. Jesus has told the disciples at least twice that he will be killed when he gets there. Along the way, there have been arguments and confrontation with Pharisees, teachers of the Law and others. Many of these people are out to get Jesus. They mean him harm. Maybe it’s not surprising that his closest friends have started to act protectively. At this moment, they look a bit like his ‘security’ detail.

The Disciples: As these people appear on the scene, the disciples rise as one to head off what they regard as ‘unwanted’ attention. These young men are Jews. In their culture , outside of their own families, children are of no significant worth.  They have done nothing to ‘earn’ their salvation under the Jewish Law. They have no wealth. They have no standing. They are not worthy of Christ’s attention. The security team ‘rebuke’ the people. Rebuke is a strong word. They shall not pass.

The People: We’ve been brought up and conditioned to see this as mothers bringing their baby to Jesus. The Greek word translated here as ‘people’ is masculine. That implies that the ‘people‘ were, or at least most of them were, men rather than women. Fathers and Grand-Father’s  bringing small children, Luke calls them babies, to Jesus (Luke 18:15). The children have no understanding of what is happening. They have no faith. They know nothing of God’s Kingdom. They have no idea at all who Jesus is.

The Rabbi: Jesus was indignant with his disciples. That’s another strong word. He was really not happy with them. The disciples see these little children as worthless – Jesus says you are wrong! We’ve seen before that Jesus is ready to reach out to children. Here we see that he has a heart for children. Even babies. ‘Let them come to me,‘ he says. ‘for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.‘ It doesn’t belong specifically to these babies, but something about these tiny ones touches the things of God’s kingdom.

Jesus rebukes the disciples because they try to stop these little ones coming to Him. He has warned them before about being a ‘stumbling block’ for those who are drawing close to the Son of God. Never, says Jesus, discourage anyone from drawing close to me. Even – especially – if they seem to you to be of little worth.

The End Piece: This scene ends beautifully. Jesus, the rabbi, reaching out with both arms towards these tiny ones. Can you see the small child responding? There’s no delay. There’s eye contact. Do you see the unquestioning trust of the infant, arms outstretched, leaning forwards into the arms of the Son of God. The infant wants to be close to Jesus. This is not to be a blessing at arms length. Jesus embraces the children. Draws them close. Welcomes them in. Wraps his arms around them. Blesses them.

Those who come to Christ will do so as ‘spiritual babies’, trusting hands outstretched towards Christ, eyes fixed on Jesus, leaning in, drawing close into His loving embrace. They will receive his kingdom like little children, or not at all.

15 ‘Truly I tell you,’ says Jesus,  ‘anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” 

Richard Jackson, West Sussex: LifePictureUK

Gospel of Mark

Divorce: Mark 10: 1-12

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 Jesus then left that place and went into the region of Judea and across the Jordan. Again crowds of people came to him, and as was his custom, he taught them. 2 Some Pharisees came and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” 3 “What did Moses command you?” he replied. 4 They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away.” 5 “It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law,” Jesus replied. 6 “But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’[a] 7 ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife,[b] 8 and the two will become one flesh.’[c] So they are no longer two, but one flesh. 9 Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

10 When they were in the house again, the disciples asked Jesus about this. 11 He answered, “Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. 12 And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery.”

Mark 10:1-12

Horsham: 19th January 2024
Divorce

This is a tough area to write or teach about. Relationship breakdowns are desperately complex and damaging to everyone involved. Whether it involves you, a family member or a good friend, you will have your own experience – I certainly have mine!

We’ve come to the point in Mark’s Gospel where Jesus is asked about divorce. This incident is also related in Matthew 19:1-11 and Luke 16:18. The issue of divorce is, and has always, presented a challenge to theologians and teachers. It is a challenge today, as it was a challenge in Christ’s day. Don’t be too surprised, then, that this is one of my longer posts!

Divorce

Many Christian’s are condemnatory of divorce, and in researching this post, I have read articles which propose that Christian people should never get divorced. I think that’s naïve, and puts an unacceptable burden on people who suffer in bad relationships. I don’t think anyone should take the issue of divorce lightly, and like most people I wish it didn’t have to come to that, but people are people and to continue in a broken marriage is not a good thing for anybody.

I’m going to show you why I believe Scripture does allow for divorce where necessary. It may sound as if Jesus is opposed to divorce, but as always, it’s critical to look at the context of his teaching and comments.

Back at the beginning..

Genesis 2:24 makes clear that God intended marriage to be a lifelong commitment. It describes a man and his wife coming together as a single person. Back at the beginning, there’s no mention of divorce. It simply didn’t exist. However, by the time of Moses relationship breakdown and separation were a thing. Men were seemingly unable to live as God intended (the Bible says that they were ‘hard-hearted’). NT Wright points out, ‘the problem was not with the ideal, nor with the law, but with the people.’ (p131) To establish some kind of order, in Deuteronomy 24, Moses sets out the rules for when it was acceptable and how it was to work. Through Moses, God allowed divorce, but only where the woman was ‘displeasing to her husband.’ (Deut 24:1)

Of course, the phrase ‘displeasing her husband’ was open to interpretation, and between the days of Moses and the birth of Christ, plenty of that went on! There was a point in Jewish history when it became commonly accepted for Jewish men to divorce their wives from other tribes so that they could take a wife from a Jewish family (See Ezra 10:1-4).

I believe that it is in that context, Malachi, last of the Old Testament prophets, writes that God says to a sinful nation ‘I hate divorce.’ (Malachi 2:16).

You may have already sensed that men had the upper hand here. A woman in biblical times had no rights, and was generally forced to accept divorce if her husband proposed it. The circumstances in which a woman could divorce were very few and tightly controlled.

New Testament Times

In New Testament times, society and culture remained deeply patriarchal and women continued to enjoy very few rights. The debate over divorce was a very live issue in Jesus’ time. It was political and divisive. The tetrarch, Herod Antipas, who was keen to be seen as the official ‘King of Israel’, divorced his first wife (Phasa’el) in order to marry a woman called Herodias. However, in order for that marriage to proceed, Herodias in turn had to divorce her husband, Philp, who happened to be the brother in law of her new husband Herod. All this sounds rather like the plot of a modern soap opera.

The fact that Herodias, a woman, had divorced her husband would have been appalling in itself, but this carefully arranged remarriage was very contentious. It was his outspoken opposition to this union which led to the imprisonment and later the death of John the Baptist.

It is no accident, then, that this question was put to Jesus as he was passing through the region of Perea which was part of the Herod’s territory where he had considerable support. So we see that in context the Pharisees asked a loaded question.

The Bible says that the Pharisees were ‘testing’ Jesus (v2). Here’s the ‘test’. If Jesus takes the view of John the Baptist and opposes the marriage of Herod and Herodias, the Jews will have the opportunity to have him arrested and potentially killed for treason against Herod. If he doesn’t, he is in favour of divorce in circumstances which goes far beyond the accepted norms of Judaism, and he will be condemned by the Jewish hierarchy.

1st Century views of Divorce

It’s helpful to point out that when it came to divorce, there were broadly two camps in the contemporary culture. The first was a ‘conservative’ view, which we associate with Rabbi Shammai. He held that the ‘displeasing her husband’ mentioned in Deuteronomy 24:1 allowed for divorce only if the woman was guilty of sexual sin. In short, if a woman was an adulteress, there were grounds for divorce (and under Jewish Law, adultery was punishable by death). Of course history is full of instances where women, married or otherwise, have been maliciously deemed to be promiscuous, either because they were no longer finding favour with their husband or even when they were in truth the victim of abuse or even rape.

The second group, associated with Rabbi Hallel, favoured what we might call a rather more ‘liberal’ interpretation. If your wife displeases you in any way, you can go straight to divorce. You might not like her cooking. You may dislike her accent. You may simply be fed up with her. Under Hallel’s principle, go ahead and divorce her.

An encounter with the Pharisees

So, as we’ve seen, this encounter with the Pharisees was a test. Jesus was being tested on a subject in which there were strongly held and diverse views, especially in the political context of Herod and Herodias. They encourage Jesus to step into a political minefield.

Jesus rebuffs the test. ‘What did Moses command you about divorce?’ This isn’t a tricky question for the Pharisees. They know exactly what Moses, and they summarised the teaching of Deuteronomy 24:1. Jesus doesn’t deny that Moses allows for divorce.

Jesus turns the conversation back to Genesis 2, and the creation story which pre-dates Moses teaching. God’s plan at the beginning was that a man and his wife become one flesh – they are no longer two but one. Let no man, says Jesus, separate them. Rather than dealing with the hot political issue of the day, Jesus, Son of God, is declaring God’s intention for marriage. He falls back on God’s intention when he created the institution of marriage.

In Mark’s Gospel, that is where the conversation with the Pharisees ended. Christ’s message to them was simply that God intended marriage to last a lifetime.

An explanation for the disciples…

So, as has happened a number of times, after the argument in the street, we move back inside the house where they are staying, and the disciples ask Jesus for more explanation. Once again, it’s important to try to understand Christ’s comments in context .

Jesus didn’t say that Moses was wrong to permit divorce. Deuteronomy is after all part of the Pentateuch – the Word of God. He didn’t say that men and women must never get divorced. I think he was saying that it would be better if they didn’t need to. I believe that he reiterated God’s plan for all of us that a man and a woman would leave their parents, join together as man and wife and become one flesh. For life.

The disciples are as keen as anyone to hear what Jesus has to say about the marriage between Herod and Herodias. ‘Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery.’ In the context of Herod and Herodias, that’s pretty clear. Once more, Jesus has simply put God’s position as recorded in Genesis.

The End Piece

Christians who point at this Scripture and declare that divorce is unacceptable for Christian people are taking no account of the context in which Jesus was asked the question. In Deuteronomy 24:1, Moses permits a man to divorce his wife ‘if she displeases him’.  Jesus didn’t dismiss that, but he pointed right back to God’s original intention in creating the idea of marriage.

Whilst we see the world very differently, our contemporary culture actually takes a remarkably similar view to that given by Moses. As with every other generation, we try to find our own interpretation of  ‘displeasing her husband’. I’m thankful that our culture allows woman equal rights before the law. In our culture, which is very different from that of Moses, a woman is as entitled to look for divorce as a man, so we need to add  the concept of a man ‘displeasing his wife’.

As in 1st Century Israel, there are those in our current society who place the bar of displeasing one’s partner as being ‘sexual sin’ only. But of course you and I know of people who have suffered, often along with their children, in appalling marriages where ‘sexual sin’ is at most only part of the issue.

On the other hand, there are those who regard it as being acceptable to give up on a marriage simply because they are not getting along, or for some reason the marriage has become inconvenient.

For me, the theory is simple. Ultimately, God’s ideal is preferable. In strong, loving marriages, divorce would not be necessary.

Sadly, the practical application is less straightforward. When marriage doesn’t work out, as was the case in Christ’s day, each case has to be taken on its merits. I’d like to think that we view each case with far greater compassion than was the case in the first Century. At least we aim to listen to the voices of everyone involved.

God’s way is preferable, and those of us who enjoy good marriages are truly, truly blessed.  I wish that divorce wasn’t necessary. The fact is that it always was, and it aways will be.

Richard Jackson, West Sussex: LifePictureUK

Gospel of Mark

Salt: Mark 9:49-50

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49 Everyone will be salted with fire. 50 “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with each other.”

Mark 9:49-50

Horsham: 7th January 2025

William Barclay describes these verses as ‘amongst the most difficult in the New Testament.’ He and other theologians point out that there are actually three sentences, each of which stands alone as a different saying. It’s likely that they were comments made by Jesus to the disciples at different times in his teaching. They are almost certainly unconnected with each other, except by one word. Salt.

Everyone will be salted with Fire

The Levitical Law required that before burning, every grain offering had to be seasoned with oil and salt. (Leviticus 2:13)

‘It was the addition of salt which made the sacrifice acceptable to God, and which his covenant law laid down was necessary. This saying of Jesus will then mean, ‘Before a Christian life becomes acceptable to God, it must be ‘

(Wm Barclay, New Daily Study Bible, Gospel of Mark, Kindle Edition, Loc 4738)

Salt was (and still is) widely used as a preservative. Fire, on the other hand whilst fire is symbolic of purification. The combination of salt and fire would bring to mind ‘sacrifice’ amongst Christ’s contemporaries.

Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness…

We use it less than in times past, but salt is still used to enhance the taste of some foods. Followers of Jesus are called to be ‘salt of the world’.  Salt which has lost its flavour is utterly useless – fit for nothing except trampling underfoot (Matthew 5:13). Flavourless salt simply makes no difference to the food, and similarly Christian’s who have lost or set aside their distinctive calling bring no flavour to their community or the world. The presence of Christian people should enhance our society and culture, but take away the celebration of the Holy Spirit, the very presence of God, from the Christian and they become as useless in the Kingdom as flavorless salt in the kitchen.

Have salt among yourselves..

In ancient literature, salt is sometimes associated with purity. Christ probably means live in purity with each other. Seek good, right and supportive relationships with each other. This was not always the way of his contemporaries, and was certainly not the norm of the Roman world. Only by living selfless lives which aim to be worthy of Christ can we truly live in peace together.

The end piece

Salt and fire are symbolic of so many things. They are symbolic of sacrifice – an act of devotion to God. Salt is a valuable preservative. Salt and fire purify everything they touch. And of course salt adds flavour to anything it is applied to. In context, the original hearers may have seen other associations which we miss.

These sentences seem rather enigmatic, but these adjectives describe qualities which the Christian associates with the power of God, and the presence of Christ in our lives. The wonderful presence of His Spirit within us makes us acceptable to God, and allows us to live peaceable lives with our co-workers in the Kingdom and with our neighbours.  He alone can preserve us when faced with destructive opposition. Turn away from the presence of God, lose your passion for the Spirit, and you will become as useless as wet salt.

Richard Jackson, West Sussex: LifePictureUK