Mark 10.28-31

A sermon preached in Trinity Term 2007:

Mark 10.28-31 (15:36, 1.78MB)

Mark 10.28-31

As it happens, my last post was the 200th.

Any suggestions for babies to be killed are very welcome. Bonus points for readers who can identify whither I’ve pinched illustrations.

If you have any thoughts on my ideas for Romans 5.1-5, too, do feel free to comment - the post is a couple of posts down.

Introduction

Shackleton’s advertisement in the Times
A cost involved for wallet, comfort, safety; possibility of reward slim
Only for most intrepid
Mark 10.28-31 - issue of following Jesus
What will journey be like? Cost? Something at the end? Worth committing to?
Answer affects whether come to Jesus & trust him & persevere in committing lives to him or whether brush aside or hold back
Give headings

1 Following Jesus is costly (vv. 28-29)

Jesus has taught that to enter kingdom & inherit eternal life, have to receive like a little child
= coming as a nobody with nothing
Dependent entirely on Christ who died on the cross in the place of his followers
Grace alone through faith alone
Also means following Jesus as a nobody with nothing, willing to give up everything, living with him as master
Costly because that has implications
As if life a blank cheque signed & given to Jesus to fill in details
Disciples knew cost - ref to Mk. 1
Impact of faith in Christ on other family members - Luke 12.51
Writer to Hebrews spoke of believers having property plundered

For Jesus’ sake & gospel - gospel work not an optional extra but integral part of following him
=holding fast to the gospel, personal involvement in making it known, supporting others in the work

Example of Thomas Bilney

Cost for us?
Loss of reputation - in this age of secularism & pluralism believe Bible to be true & long to share message
Loss of friends - will not engage in activities of our friends - drunkeness, sexual immorality, inappropriate humour
Pass over City job - demands on time/energy which would harm walk with God & involvement and service of church

Less appealing than Shackleton’s expedition? Too much to give up? Not prepared to do it?
What Jesus says next liberates us from thinking like that

2 Following Jesus is rewarded (v. 30)

The one who follows Jesus receives much, much more
Blessing in present - seen as part of church
Acts 4.32-37 - echoes of Jesus’ words to Peter?
Future blessing in new creation
Not merited - what Christ has purchased by death on the cross & what has revealed by resurrection, the guarantee & pledge of followers’ resurrection
What have to receive like a little child

Illustration of Indian ruler asking beggar for food, receives 5 grains of rice, gives 5 grains of rice made of gold in return

See how liberating that is?

Losing reputation doesn’t matter - status of being a member of God’s people now, will reign with him in New Creation
Losing friends doesn’t matter - gain Christian family & will one day stand as part of innumerable multitude
Losing out on worldly wealth doesn’t matter - doors, cupboards, wallets of many beleivers open to follower of Jesus to support in need now & will inherit eternal life

Nice? But does it really matter? Could leave or take Shackleton’s expedition
With Jesus, different - response has consequences of vital importance

3 Following Jesus is essential (v. 31)

First = those who from outside appear to have status & grounds for confidence
Like rich young man in preceding verses - financial standing & great possessions & thought had good moral standing
Many like that last
Because, like him, unprepared to face cost of letting go of everything & receiving kingdom as a child, coming as a nobody with nothing, entirely dependent on Christ & following him
Wealth, status etc. doesn’t count for anything before God
Guilt remains & will not inherit eternal life, kingdom of God
Excluded, face what Jesus calls hell, the unquenchable fire
Line from Avarice by George Herbert

Last first = those who are like children, come as nobodies with nothing, no self-sufficiency, prepared to give up everything
Like Jesus’ disciples
Because come as nobodies with nothing, depend entirely on Jesus, heirs of eternal life, qualified to enter the kingdom

Illustration of a Christian minister asked whether possible for people from less privileged backgrounds to be trained as Bible teachers
Reply - not possible for God to use anybody from a privileged background until have been deeply humbled

Will we do that? Prepared to be last? Only way to truly be first & enjoy God’s favour now & in eternity
Or will continue to strive to be first in this age - reputation, friendships, career - ultimately find ourselves to be last & condemned by him

Conclusion

Suggest how might advertise following Jesus in the Times a la Shackleton’s advertisement
May God give us the grace to follow Jesus now & always

Mark 5.21-43

Here is an outline for a talk I’m going to be giving on Mark 5.21-43 in BNC Chapel at the end of the month. These are only brief notes. I know there’s more work to be done. Suggestions welcome.

Introduction

Read stanzas 1-3 of Death by George Herbert
Set up tension about prospect of death - money spent on it, people’s efforts to avoid it etc.
Answer to q. about how ‘hideous’ death can be conquered in passage
Mark confronts us with problem of death
1. A Father’s Plea
As story unfolds - resolution only in Jesus; he is the Christ, the Son of God, who is bringing in God’s kingdom which conquers even death
2. A Woman’s Faith
3. A Saviour’s Power

1. A Father’s Plea (vv. 21-24)

Retell story
Explore people’s experience of serious illness, death
=> Jairus’s crisis not alien, his desperation our desperation
We need to know the outcome, whether Jesus able to stop ‘hideous death’
Want resolution, but don’t get it
Focus shifts to woman in the crowd

2. A Woman’s Faith (vv. 24-34)

Under shadow of death herself
Inadequacy of human means
Recast in modern medical terms - GP, Prof. of Surgery, going to Harley Street
Human wisdom & power unable to halt or reverse relentless march & reign of death

Contrast with what happens next
Retell story
Jesus shown to be the one with power to conquer & defeat & reverse death

Continue retelling story
Makes it clear faith made her well

How does this fit in? Why is it here? See as story reaches climax

3. A Saviour’s Power (vv. 35-43)

Attention returns to Jairus
Imagine how feeling
People come to tell him daughter dead
Everything fallen apart, Jesus failed, Jairus & we the readers let down
Tragic, not meant to happen like this
But it is
Not just about healing disease; about Jesus’ conquest of death itself
Healing of woman anticipates healing of Jairus’ daughter
Jairus’s need for faith
Retell story
(re. sleep - child actually dead, but a death from which going to be restored)

If to grasp significance - need to see as part of a bigger story
Framework of promise and expectatio
Isaiah 25, 7-8
Mark wants us to see that it is in Jesus that long-awaited hope of deliverance from death becoming reality
The Christ, the Son of God, bringing in kingdom of God, which conquers even eath
Anticipation and pledge of future
Resurrection morning - dead in Christ raised
Revelation 21, 4

All possible because of the cross

Exhortation

Exhortation to faith

For believer - this passage comfort in sickness and death
Shows shape of future
Dying for Christian falling asleep - will arise, have resurrection bodies

Exhortation to share this good news with those around us for whom death is a terror

Conclusion

Read “Death”, stanzas 4-6