The Best Seats in the House (Mark 10:32-45)
Gary McManus, 03/25/2018Part of the Words that Divide, Words that Unite series, preached at a Sunday Morning service
THe Best Seats in the House
Mark 10:32-45 (p. 1002 / p. 1014)
The theme this season before Easter:
LOVE IN ACTION.
Serving the Lord’s purposes does NOT
ALWAYS bring what we want.
(or turn out the way we think things should turn out.)
Three Gospel accounts record this conversation.
They were going UP to the city of Jerusalem.
[Photo slideshow includes a model of ancient
Jerusalem and the Temple (Herod’s, as builder).]
The disciples have a request of Jesus.
Why does the question come up at this time?
Jesus had said what would happen but the disciples
would not hear Jesus’ words.
(Matthew 17:23, Mark 9:32, Luke 9:45)
Peter did not like what he heard Jesus say:
Matthew 16:23, Mark 8:33.
Compare Matthew 18:1-5, Mark 9:33-37, Luke 9:46-48.
What the disciples could see:
--Jesus’ growing popularity.
--There was also a crowd FOLLOWING
Jesus into Jerusalem. (John 12:12, John 12:17)
--Jesus’ own words, Matthew 25:31
--Which the church remembered:1 Thessalonians 3:13,
2 Thessalonians 1:10.
[There was plenty of room for misunderstanding
Jesus. And we know that the disciples did not
always understand Jesus’ words.]
Other reasons/signs to “misread” Jesus’ actions:
--Zealots (Simon) (Luke 6:15).
--prior pretenders (Acts 5:36-37
-- Jesus son of David. (Mark 10:47)
Some of the crowd would cry out,
“Hosanna to the Son of David.”
Some shouted “Blessed is the KING. .
.Blessed is the KING who comes
in the NAME of the Lord.”
--Malachi 3:1?
--Is the time now? Matthew 26:64, Mark 14:62
--The judgment of the Romans:
The words on the cross: “The KING of the Jews.”
Should WE BE SURPRISED on the EVE
of this wondrous entrance into the city of
Jerusalem that two of Jesus’ closest disciples
make their request?
Jesus first response:
YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU ARE ASKING.
Ever heard that as an answer to your prayers?
This, is a basic problem for the so called
“success gospel.”
The blessings are not what you might think/
hope they are.
Jesus second answer:
The Kingdom of God is not about you and me.
The Kingdom of God is about God.
. It is God’s purpose that matters.
Our purpose is to be servant AND slave
to others in Jesus’ name.
THAT is what brings glory to God.
Jesus was saying. . .bottom line. . .
that’s love in action. . .service.
AMEN
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