Changing the Status Quo

Would you take your Bibles, please, and turn to Mark chapter 10, as we learn this morning about Jesus Christ changing the status quo. We are in the second half of this gospel and the second half of Christ earthly life. The first eight chapters are about the power of the King. We say that because in eight chapters there were 18 miracles. Jesus constantly reinforcing the idea that the Kingdom of God was at hand in him. The second half is not about the power of the King, but the passion of the King. In its eight chapters there were only two miracles. But the thing that will increasingly come up is Jesus Christ teaching about the cross. In fact, this second half of the book is dominated by chapters 14 to 16 and Mark's passion narrative is recording and passing on to us how Jesus Christ went to the cross and died for our sins. Centerpiece of this book, centerpiece of this gospel and this life of Jesus Christ is Christ saying this. If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospels will save it. For what does a prophet a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give and return for his soul? We'll learn this morning about a man who gained the whole world but lost his soul. A man who would not take up his cross and follow Jesus Christ. This call to follow him is illustrated in a number of places in the gospel in Peter and James and John and Andrew is Jesus Christ says simply follow me and they leave their nets, they leave their fishing businesses and they follow Christ or leave the tax collector. Follow me he says and leave I leaves his lucrative business as a publican and follows Jesus Christ who changes his status from center to saint and from damned to discipled. We're going to find out that Jesus Christ often calls us to leave things that are very dear to us or to at least place them in his hands. And I would venture to say that we're no different than any other people in all of the world and the three things that mean the most to us are our marriages, our children and our money. And in this story marked ties together three different parickes, three different scenarios where Jesus Christ lays his hand upon these things and claims them for himself. He changes the status of marriage and of children of work and money and he does it in the name of discipleship. First he changes the status of marriage beginning in chapter 10 verse 1 and he left there and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan and crowds gathered to him again and again as was this custom he taught them. And the Pharisees came up and in order to test him asked is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife? He answered what did Moses command you? They said Moses allowed a man to write a certificate divorce and to send her away. Jesus said to them because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment from the beginning of creation God made them male and female. Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife and the two shall become one flesh so they are no longer two but one flesh what therefore God has joined together let no man separate and in the house the disciples ask him again about this matter and he said to them whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her and if she divorces her husband and marries another she commits adultery. Jesus is in his final journey he's left Galilee for the last time in his life he will not return there again till after the resurrection it makes his way down to Judea then to Jerusalem for the holy days and then across the river to Perria only to in a few months reverse that journey from Perria to Judea to Jerusalem and the cross so he's intensifying his emphasis upon the cross and his claim both on his life and on ours and as it says was his custom he was teaching them and some Pharisees who had been dogging him and following him all of his ministry came up and posed a question to him it seems like an innocuous question an innocent one but it was not is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife you see the Pharisees knew that around this matter divorce there was a great debate in Judaism in fact if you would keep your finger and mark chapter 10 and turn to Deuteronomy chapter 24 I'll show you what they were divided about it's the story of Moses in the Old Testament and the children in the wilderness and how Moses set parameters around divorce and allowed for this certificate of divorce that the Pharisees referred to Deuteronomy chapter 24 the first four verses when a man takes a wife and marries her if then she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some indecency in her and he writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out of the house and she departs out of the house and if she goes and becomes another man's wife and the latter man hates her and writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out of his house or if the latter man dies who took her to be his wife then her former husband who sent her away may not take her again to be his wife after she has been defiled for that is an abomination before the Lord and you shall not bring sin upon the land that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance now there were two ancient rabbis who interpreted this verse differently probably the most famous rabbis before the time of Jesus Christ Hillel he was a liberal rabbi he was very popular in Jerusalem and Judea and with the priests and he focused on the word she finds no favor in his eyes and so he said a man could divorce his wife if she became unattractive or difficult to live with could bear him no children or consistently ruined his supper sounds funny except for the wife Shammie who was another ancient rabbi was a conservative he was popular with the Pharisees in Galilee he focused not on the phrase no favor but some in decency and said no this is the conservative approach he said a man cannot divorce his wife unless there was a fornication before marriage or adultery after it now you know what the Pharisees are doing they're putting Jesus in an either or situation they're asking him to interpret it one way or they're if he interprets it according to Shammie he'll lose his influence with all the people in Judea and in urban Jerusalem and with the Sanhedrin Bidifee sides with Hillel he'll lose the crowds who were following him from Galilee and probably his own disciples who had a more conservative stance on marriage or if he wouldn't dance at all he'd either look cowardly or stupid I've noticed that in the life of Jesus Christ whenever he's given in either or choice he never takes either one he takes with my little friend Franco Maggio to used to call the third way and here's what he does again he answers not according to the rabbis but according to God's word he turns not to the ancient teachings of the teachers but to the creation order of God and Jesus said to them because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment but from the beginning of creation God made them male and female therefore he quotes Genesis chapter 2 therefore a man shall he was father and mother and hold to his wife and the two shall become one flesh so they're no longer two but one flesh whatever therefore God has joined together let no man separate he goes back to Genesis chapter 2 where God says it is not good that man should be alone I will make a helper who is a compliment to him and the Lord caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man while he was asleep he took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh around that place and from that rib the Lord God made a woman and brought the woman to the man and then the man said at last bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh she shall be called woman woman because she was taken out of man therefore God speaking again a man shall leave his father and mother and hold to his wife and they shall become one flesh this is the complimentarian view of marriage and of men and women their genders and their roles and duties in this world he reveals why Moses allowed them to have the certificate of divorce he said it was because of the hardness of your heart the hardness of men towards their wives the hardness of husbands who did not see their wives as God intended them to be the Lord brought the woman to the man and the man said this is spectacular bone of my bone flesh of my flesh it can read in Hebrew soul of my soul one life out of my life not two different lives but two beings from the same source of life so that the two are really one they have the same human nature the same godness in them made in the image of God and Moses wrote these things not to make it easy for a man to get rid of this wife but to make it difficult to slow the process down it's obvious in the story he's riding against a man who divorces a woman and the next guy divorces her and then she wants to go back to this guy and she doesn't have a place an honor a calling in life and Jesus said this is not what God intended from the beginning I want you to notice that nowhere in the question do the rabbis pose the subject that maybe it's the man who finds no favor in his wife maybe it's the man who was in decent what happens to a wife who has a husband who curses her beats her degrades her who's always angry and aggressive who won't work doesn't make enough money had a premarital dalliance or an office affair or maybe just in turn to a sloppy couch potato does the woman have a right to leave that man Jesus with one stroke of his wisdom does three masterful things here he preserves the permanence of marriage by making divorce what it should be difficult to achieve second he levels the playing field by bringing people together by talking to men and women look what he says in verse 12 whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her and if she divorces her husband and marries another she commits adultery Jesus acknowledges that these two are complementary equal beings in a marriage they both have rights they both have responsibilities and thirdly he places the power and privilege of marriage in the hands of whom it belongs not in the hands of clergyman the rabbis and priests not in the hands of disgruntled men or disenchanted women but in the hands of God it is God in the beginning who made things this way now the disciples they get is drift they're all men by the way and in the house they say something about this mark doesn't really elaborate much the disciples ask him began about this matter but in Matthew Matthew records what they say if such is the case between a man and his wife it's probably better not to marry and Jesus responds whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery and if she divorces her husband and marries another she commits adultery not everyone can receive this saying Matthew tells us but only those for whom it is given for there are uniques who have been so from the from their birth and there are uniques who have been made uniques by men and there are uniques who have become uniques themselves for the sake of the kingdom of God let the one who is able to receive this receive it Jesus Christ does not back off of this when pressured by his disciples who in effect said Lord this is ridiculous you keep hanging on to this rule and no men will get married and no women either Jesus said maybe so maybe they'll choose to be uniques from their birth because there's something wrong with them and they can't get married maybe other men will make them uniques or maybe God will make them a unique by holding this commandment to them but I'm not going to back off of it now we know that Jesus does allow for divorce in certain circumstances when there is impenetant adultery or Paul on the loholy spirit the leadership quoting Christ says when there is intentional desertion but the key word is impenetant if the adulterous or the deserter returns if they seek forgiveness then forgiveness is given if they want to make restitution restitution is expected marriage is to be upheld and strengthened it won't be easy but my friends most things that matter in life and in eternity are never easy it's not easy to plan a church in Europe and call people to Christ after a century of Christless living it's not easy to be married Jane will tell you that the hardest thing I've ever done is to be married to her it's true and the hardest thing she's ever done is to be married to me in fact she's had the harder part to be candid with you marriage is not easy or having children or working for that matter nothing in life that's worthwhile comes easy what I want you to see here is that Jesus is changing the status of marriage the whole status quo men are not in charge that was the sin of Jesus Christ day chauvinism and women are not in charge feminism that's the sin of our culture no Jesus Christ is in charge of marriage and he's calling men and women to the complementary role of life as mutually dependent partners committed to each other's benefit even on a cause for great sacrifice and personal gain even when they have to take up their cross and carry it into marriage husbands love your wives is Christ love the church how bearing the cross wives submit your husband as unto the Lord how as Christ submitted to God bearing the cross therefore men shall leave this father and mother and cleave to his wife and the two shall become one flesh this mystery is great but I am saying this with reference to Christ in the church however let each one of you love his wife as himself and let the wife see that she respects her husband in all things this can only happen when women are valued for what they are the gift of God to men and were men are valued for what they are the gift of God to women when they decide to leave and cleave when they make a commitment as disciples to the permanent marriage even if it hurts as much as the cross Jesus Christ is changing the status quo marriage right before her eyes as he does for children that's the second thing we see here Jesus changes the status of children in verse 13 and they were bringing children to him that he might touch them and the disciples rebuked them but when Jesus saw it he was indignant and said to them let the children come to me and do not hinder them for to such belong the kingdom of God truly I say to you whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it and he took them in his arms and blessed them laying his hands on them people were bringing their little ones to Jesus Christ so that he put his hands on their head and give them a blessing most likely errands blessing the Lord bless you and keep you the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you the Lord of the best countenance upon you and give you his peace the Apostles saw this as an imposition on Jesus he was far too busy with greater things than to mess around with children and so they said don't bother the master with your children I want you to notice what Mark says Jesus Christ became indignant he did not like this he gives them two commands positively let these children come to me and negatively do not hinder them from coming to me Jesus displays your great love for a tenderness with and a concern for the souls of children they were piedon child it's a word used in Mark from a child is old as 12 to an infant 8 days old it covers the realm of what we call lower school or elementary age children it was used in Jesus's day for children up to the point of their bar mitzvah Jesus wanted to bless them and in doing so he gave them the covenant blessing which means that he could send of them part of the covenant community part of Israel part of the Old Testament church who were by birthright children of the covenant and entitled all the blessings of God in the covenant community I've used this benediction all my adult life every night when my children went to bed I laid my hands on their little heads and I gave them Aaron's blessings when we go away for vacation even though they're 35 to 27 now I still lay my hands on their heads and give them Aaron's blessing and they still want it I'm doing the same for my grandchildren when I'm with them I give them Aaron's blessing when I when each one of these children of mine was married I did all four their weddings at the end of the service as I received a new son in law or a new daughter in law in my family I laid my hands on the young couple and gave them Aaron's blessing that's why I do that every Sunday night to you I give you this blessing the Lord bless you and keep you the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you the Lord lit up his smiling countenance upon you all give you always his peace because you I want you to leave this place knowing that God smiles upon you because you are his children this is we believe powerful evidence for the Christian view of children because children and Jesus Christ's day were not very valued I'm sure they were loved but they were not taken seriously I want to read you an actual letter that a Roman man named Hilarion wrote to his wife Alice in the year 1bc that was about when Jesus Christ was five years old Hilarion to Alice my sister hardy his greetings and to my dear Baris and the Polynarian know that we are all still well here in Alexandria do not worry if when the others return I remain in Alexandria I beg and beseech you to take care of the little children and as soon as we receive wages I will send them to you if good luck to you you bear children if it is a male let it live if it is a female expose it you told Aphrodisius do not forget me how could I forget you I beg you therefore my love not to worry it's not amazing if it's a boy keep it if it's a girl expose it leave it on the banks of the Tiber River for the tide or the jackals to get it's disposable other pagans sacrifice their children to their gods the Jews love their children but they depreciated their capacity for spiritual comprehension the common Jewish view was that boys were incapable of living a spiritual and holy life until the age of 13 and women even older therefore girls were not to attend school and boys were not to be taken seriously until their bar mitzvah 12 years of not taking children seriously for people who probably valued children more than anybody else in the world at that time I myself am amazed that people who love their children would put them on buses of Mexico and send them to the American border not knowing what's going to happen to them if you ask these people do you love your children of course they don't say yes but it doesn't appear to be that way Jesus changes this first he says children are welcome to come to God and to his Messiah he took them in his arms and he blessed them second children belong to the covenant community of the church and they are entitled to its blessings they don't have to wait until their adults to receive the church's ministry let the children come to me he said do you know not hinder them for to such belong the kingdom of God and we understand Jesus Christ to mean the church when he talks about the kingdom of God and thirdly children have to serve as teachers to us all about how to receive the gifts of God including salvation and the church truly I say to you whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it not the children are innocent anybody that's had one child knows they're born sinners it's not that they're precious although they're cute it's that they receive things without presupposition of self-importance they are humble and dependent and in obedience they do what big people tell them to do and that is how to receive the kingdom of God we see this as evidence of and support for our practice of infant baptism I want to read you from the book to children that makes reference to this story before baptism the minister is to use some words of instruction touching the institution its nature use and ends of the sacrament showing that the son of God admitted little children into his presence embracing and blessing them saying for such is the kingdom of God that children by baptism are solemnly received into the bosom of the visible distinguished from the world and them that are without and united with believers and that they all who are baptized in the name of Christ do renounce and by their baptism are bound to fight against the devil the world and the flesh that they are federally holy before baptism and therefore are to be baptized that the inward grace and virtue of baptism is not tied to the very moment of time when in disadministered and that the fruit and power thereof reaches to the whole course of their lives and that outward baptism is not so necessary that what thereof the infant is in danger of detonation but is the right of the child of the covenant parents wanted them blast Jesus said okay people today want to dedicate their children to God he says okay baptized them the apostle said this is not for kids Jesus says nonsense the king of God belongs to them it is their birthright now some will say this is no evidence for baptism one of the commentators that I like very much commentator professor Robertson who is a Baptist says in the history of the church this passage has been used to support the practice of infant baptism there is no hint in the account however that for mark the issue at hand involved whether infant should be baptized the question whether infant should be baptized or rose later and he's right it rose 1500 years later because for 1500 years the church baptized their infants they did recognize this important statement let these children come to me and do not hinder them for to them belongs the church the kingdom of God I want to kindly and hopefully humbly and earnestly ask all of you to consider the importance of what Jesus is saying here he's changing the status of children and elevating them before our very eyes there to be baptized welcomed into the kingdom of God in the church officially there to be blessed we should bless them by involvement in their lives that's why children's ministry in the church is so vital and it says something about our culture and its view of children that is so underfunded and unsupported you say you love your children what about their souls you believe that a child can't make a decision for Christ can't be baptized and join the church can't understand the kingdom of God until they're in puberty I would suggest to you that medical and psychological studies have proven that children before they reach adolescence grasped more and deeper concepts than children in junior high there's some question about children junior high if they're even human anymore but not so about little children they're able to grab these things and hang on to them they're entitled to baptism to blessing into the benefits of the church the children of believers are through the covenant and by right of their birth non-communing members of the church and are entitled to baptism to the pastoral oversight instruction and governance of the church with a view to their embracing Christ and thus professing personally Christ is Lord and Savior and possessing personally all the benefits of the covenant Jesus changes the status of children and says they are important to God they are welcomed by Jesus Christ they belong to the Holy Spirit in the church take them seriously thirdly and lastly Jesus changes the status of discipleship in verse 17 as he was setting out on his journey a man ran up now before him and ask him good teacher what must I do to inherit eternal life Jesus said why do you call me good no one is good except God alone you know the commandments do not murder do not commit adultery do not steal do not bear false witness do not defraud onto your father and mother and he said to him teacher all these things I've kept from my youth and Jesus looking at him loved him and he said to him you lack one thing go so all that you have and give to the poor and you will have treasures in heaven and come follow me disenheartened by the saying he went away sorrowful for he had great possessions and Jesus looked around and said to disciples how difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God and the disciples were amazed at this words but Jesus said to them again children how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God is it easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God and they were exceedingly astonished and said to him then who can be saved Jesus looked at them and said with man it is impossible but not with God for all things are possible with God Peter began to say to him see we have left everything and followed you Jesus said truly I say to you there is no one who has left house or brother or sister or mother or father or children or lands from my sake and for the gospel who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time houses and brothers and sisters and brothers and children and lands with persecutions and in the age to come eternal life but many who are first will be last and the last first is there a more unpopular story for middle of class wealthy Americans in the story of the rich young ruler he comes up to him he asks the wrong question good teacher what must I do to inherit eternal life and Jesus said well if you're going to perform then you have to get a perfect score you have to keep all the commandments and he lists them the second table of the law on your father and mother do not murder do not commit adultery do not steal do not bear fault in witness or defiled your brother's sister and he says teacher as a child from my youth have done these things and externally he had but not earn eternally he was guilty of anger which is inner murder and lust adultery of the heart and pride and greed and disrespect or resentment from his parents so Jesus mentions the 10th commandment that he didn't mention earlier he said well good if you've done all these things then only one thing remains covetousness you're a rich young man I want you to go now and dispose of all your wealth liquidated give the money away you'll receive great reward in heaven and then you can come and follow me I want you to notice that Mark explicitly says Jesus loved this man Jesus was neither toying with him nor attempting to frustrate him but he put his finger on the man's idol a man cannot serve two masters he cannot serve God and man and this boy loved man first money first money was a security Jesus was his ticket to heaven and the proof of that is disheartened by the saying the young man went away sorrowful for he had great possessions he was a wealthy young fellow the apostles are unsettled by this because in their theology Old Testament Judaism the person who was rich was rich because they had the favor of God so the people who were blessed the most and loved the most by God were always rich and the people who were loved the least and were in spiritual trouble always the poor but here Jesus does a divine reversal the first shall be last and the last shall be first and the rich man who supposedly had God's favor is not going to inherit the kingdom of God well then who can be saved Peter and the others ask Jesus responses amazing he says well with men it is impossible impossible to keep all the commandments impossible to sell everything you have and follow me impossible to be totally devoted impossible to have faith unless the grace of God does it for you people will say where's the grace on all of this oh here's the grace my friend the grace is in the gracious call of Jesus Christ come follow me come enter the kingdom of God I give the young man an opportunity to be saved and the grace is that you can't do this don't worry I will do it for you it's not possible for you but all things are possible with God I will give you the grace and if I sell everything well I'm going to have you're going to have more than that more houses and lands and families and friends in now and in the kingdom to come this the grace of blessing that Peter asked about in Jesus clearly responds with a beneficial promise that they will have more in this life and the life to come if they will leave their idols and follow him we want to explain this away don't we we want to say that Jesus Christ said well you need to be willing to sell your money but that's not what he said that's not what he said to Peter and James and John and Andrew come follow me leave your fishing business lots of income and follow me and they did that's not what he said to the rich man Levi who's richer than this boy he said leave your tax booth leave your commissions and come follow me and he did you notice that Jesus Christ does not change the command when the young man says I can't do this Jesus does not say well I was just wanting to see if you're willing after all it's rather legalistic for me to require this you come anyway and we'll see what we can do after all you're under grace now Jesus doesn't do that he lets that young man walk away forever on that day grace did that young man no good whatsoever Dietrich Bonhoeffer talks a great deal about this in his book The Cost of Discipleship he says that any effort to explain away what Jesus Christ was really calling this boy to is cheap grace if as we read our Bibles we heard Jesus speaking to us in this way today we would probably try to argue ourselves out of it like this it is true that the demand of Jesus is definite enough but I have to remember that he never expects us to take his commands legalistically we're excusing ourselves from single-minded obedience to the word of Jesus on the pretext of legalism and supposed preference for an obedience in faith never mind what Jesus says I can still hold on to my riches but in a spirit of inner detachment despite my inadequacy I can take comfort in the thought that God has forgiven me my sins and can have fellowship with Christ in faith but no he went away sorrowful because he would not obey and because he would not obey he could not believe is Jesus really want this yes what is it that's keeping you back from Christ is it the Catholic Church I know something about this is it your belief that the Catholic Church will get you to heaven you have to choose between that and Jesus Christ you can't have them both they can't both be Savior it's your church or your Christ you choose is that that young person you're dating and you love them and you feel if I don't marry this person I may never get married but you know that that person is not a believer just Jesus Christ really expect you to walk away from that love he does I had to do it once you've got to do it is it your job this thing where you make so much money and you're able to do so much for the kingdom but you sense that Jesus Christ is calling you to something else far less lucrative well you have to choose don't you it doesn't matter what it is if there's something that's in the way of you and Jesus Christ and its first place in your life you must let it go and follow him or you will not enter the kingdom of God because you're trying to serve two masters two gods Christ and your idol and that's what he was saying to this young man and unfortunately this young man walked away with nothing because he would not respond to grace the gracious call the offer of Christ enablement and the promise of riches that he did not control but that Christ said trust me trust me I will give you better and more than what you have if you follow me Jesus Christ is changing the status of discipleship away from mental ascent and paper faith to his two favorite words follow me all three of these stories are tied together by Christ called a discipleship for discipleship is best formed in the home in our marriage as children in the church and in Christian families and in the following that careers that Christ has called us to follow all three of these calls involve difficult things that we could not do on our own strength with man marriages impossible but not with God all marriages are possible with God rearing children is impossible but not with God rearing all children are possible with God following Christ into a difficult calling is impossible but not with God you can follow God anywhere for all things are possible with God and they all promised great blessings a lifelong rich permanent marriage children and generations of children who come to Christ in his church and our children of the covenant and more than your income could ever purchase for you the insurchable riches of Jesus Christ this is the new status quo this is the divine reversal the first will be last and the last will be first no longer men first women first God first no longer children last children most important no longer my plans Christ plans this is the change of status quo no use to argue with it Jesus isn't going to change his mind the best thing to do is to trust Jesus Christ for he is trustworthy and to say Jesus today I think you're calling me to something that is hard for me to do and is scary but this is what it means to follow you I surrender what it is I give it to you and I know that with you all things are possible and by you everything is good what is Christ calling you to do today trust him trust and obey for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey father it's call to be a disciple is not easy in fact it is impossible except that we rely upon your preserving and powerful grace calls to new ministries calls to new jobs schools into marriage calls for us to expand our family to surrender our children to be baptized and join the church none of these things are easy yet with you they're possible and full of promise of riches in this life and even more to come for the first will be last and the last will be first and father we must confess that in all of these things we place ourselves first and you and others last and that is why we are so dissatisfied in our marriages and families and in our callings because we have not laid them on the cross and taken it up and walked with you into the future trusting you to reshape our marriages and our families and our callings and careers into something that is both beneficial and beautiful good for other people and honoring of you and which will be the instrument by which we follow more intimately you into your kingdom we ask for your Holy Spirit who we sang a great deal about today to open up our hearts to give us faith and increase our faith so that we can follow you and be blessed so that we can lay hold of grace when it is offered a grace that helps us believe and obey and obey that we might believe grace that is greater than all of our sin this grace of Christ in us the hope of glory we pray most of all for a grace to surrender to Jesus Christ today to receive him as our Savior and Lord to trust him purely for forgiveness and for eternal life grace to become his disciple and we thank you for the grace that is offered to us in Jesus Christ who wants to bless us as his children because his kingdom belongs to us and this we pray now and ask in Jesus' name and for his glory amen