My Idea Is Bad… But I’m Going With It

Intro

TV people vs movie people
TV A&B plot structure
Simpsons: 22 Short Films About Springfield; separate but connected
Today’s passage 3 vignettes; Episodes from the Life of Jesus

Scripture 1 – The Prediction

Mark 9:30–32 — 30 They went out from there and passed through Galilee. But Jesus did not want anyone to know, 31 for he was teaching his disciples and telling them, “The Son of Man will be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise.” 32 But they did not understand this statement and were afraid to ask him.

Hometown, no visit / kingdom work (disciples) first!
2nd death & resurrection prediction
Disc confused. Scared to ask. Called Satan again? Wrong guy?
Seems to be in opposition to scripture! (Dan 12:2)

Daniel 12:2 — Many of those who sleep in the dusty ground will awake—some to everlasting life, and others to shame and everlasting abhorrence.

Two resurrections. One for Jesus. One for us. Jesus is the template.

Tangent Town

Into the hands of men to die a hateful death
Joseph’s brothers meant for evil/used for good (Gen 50:20)

Genesis 50:20 — As for you, you meant to harm me, but God intended it for a good purpose, so he could preserve the lives of many people, as you can see this day.

All things work together (Rom 8:28)

Romans 8:28 — And we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose,

Men cannot frustrate the will of a sovereign God!
Speaking of frustrating a sovereign God, Jesus might be getting slightly annoyed that the disciples are riding the struggle bus SO HARD on this suffering servant thing. Maybe they need to read Isaiah 53 again? Moving on…

Scripture 2 – The Greatest

Mark 9:33–37 — 33 Then they came to Capernaum. After Jesus was inside the house he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” 34 But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. 35 After he sat down, he called the twelve and said to them, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” 36 He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them, 37 “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.”

Statusticians

Disciples fully entrenched in Jewish status culture of the day
Jesus asks about their discussion but already knows answer
Disciples sought status, glory, honour, praise <- God’s domain
Fall back to old beliefs and are ashamed. We all do this.
SHAME can be GOOD {>P}

A New Hierarchy

Children had zero status.
Not animals. Mankind is imago dei.

Philippians 2:3 — Instead of being motivated by selfish ambition or vanity, each of you should, in humility, be moved to treat one another as more important than yourself.

Jesus cares not for your “status”. Priorities out of sync!
God notices what goes unnoticed by men.
“Greatness” implies a scale and standard

Good Shame

Whoever you want to be “great” in the eyes of is your master!
{>P} Shame can be Good. Internally, not externally.
Shame (objectively) is a social status
Shame (subjective) is an internal feeling
Provides guardrails and structure
We should only seek to invoke shame IF we are doing it as an ACT OF LOVE
Jesus seeks to remove shame, and by following Him we can avoid shame
QUESTION: Who do you want to be honoured by?

Scripture 3 – Taking Sides

Mark 9:38–41 — 38 John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him because he was not following us.” 39 But Jesus said, “Do not stop him, because no one who does a miracle in my name will be able soon afterward to say anything bad about me. 40 For whoever is not against us is for us. 41 For I tell you the truth, whoever gives you a cup of water because you bear Christ’s name will never lose his reward.

Disciples saw someone who was NOT THEM healing people
Tried to stop them because NON-GROUPER! {>P}
But unknown man was operating in the power of Jesus
Truth is power no matter who says it! (Phil 1:12–19)

Philippians 1:12–19 — 12 And I want you to know, my dear brothers and sisters, that everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News. 13 For everyone here, including the whole palace guard, knows that I am in chains because of Christ. 14 And because of my imprisonment, most of the believers here have gained confidence and boldly speak God’s message without fear. 15 It’s true that some are preaching out of jealousy and rivalry. But others preach about Christ with pure motives. 16 They preach because they love me, for they know I have been appointed to defend the Good News. 17 Those others do not have pure motives as they preach about Christ. They preach with selfish ambition, not sincerely, intending to make my chains more painful to me. 18 But that doesn’t matter. Whether their motives are false or genuine, the message about Christ is being preached either way, so I rejoice. And I will continue to rejoice. 19 For I know that as you pray for me and the Spirit of Jesus Christ helps me, this will lead to my deliverance.

Bill Craig talks about a man who learned about Jesus from Toilet Paper!
Jesus also seems to postulate a self-conversion.

Mark 9:39 — 39 But Jesus said, “Do not stop him, because no one who does a miracle in my name will be able soon afterward to say anything bad about me.

Apologetics: Was Jesus Inclusive or Exclusive?

Mark 9:40 — 40 For whoever is not against us is for us.

Matthew 12:30 — Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me. (cf Luke 11:23)

How do we square this circle? Is Jesus inclusive or exclusive?
Context can help!
Mark comes in the context of people working in the power and name of Jesus.
Matthew is in the context of Pharisees saying Jesus is operating in the power of Satan!
Non-Christians are against, Christians are for.
We should not seek to stir up disunity among brothers
Bring those without within, then warn others if they refuse
Is Jesus INclusive or EXclusive? Yes!

Wrap-Up & Application

Then Jesus hits us with this:

Mark 9:41 — For I tell you the truth, whoever gives you a cup of water because you bear Christ’s name will never lose his reward.

What do we make of this? Jesus rewarding water?
THEORY: Water == service && Reward == salvation
Brothers & Sisters in the faith should care for each other
COMMON THREAD: Orientation
Disciples’ tribalism. They were inner circle.
They didn’t want God to be glorified unless they were standing beside Him with a Cheshire Cat grin.
The disciples wanted the world to know how important THEY were, not how important Jesus was to the world.

Take-Home

What is your orientation?
Like pre-Pentecost Disciples? Informed from the outside, and addressing YOUR desires upward?
Like the post-Pentecost Disciples? Informed from above, and addressing HIS desires outward?