Following Jesus: Mark 10 Series

Following Jesus (11)

Scott Bayles, pastor

Scripture: Mark 10:17-27

Blooming Grove Christian Church: 3/12/2017

As many of you already know, we’ve spent the last several weeks mapping the footprints of Jesus all the way through the Gospel of Mark in an attempt to magnify Jesus in our minds and follow him more closely in our own spiritual journey.

Most recently, in Mark 9, we followed Jesus up a high mountain where three of his most devoted disciples witnessed a majestic change as heaven’s light radiated from Jesus’s face and clothes, a mysterious conversation between Jesus and two centuries-dead Old Testament figures, and a magnificent cloud through which came the glory and voice of God.

When Jesus and his followers came down the mountain, they returned to their typical itinerary. Jesus casts a demon out of a young boy. The apostles get into an argument over which of them is the greatest (sounds like my kids). John tries to stop another believer from casting out demons in Jesus’ name because the fellow didn’t belong to their group. Jesus corrects him, reminding John, “Anyone who is not against us, is for us!”

Mark 10 opens with the Pharisees again questioning Jesus, this time about divorce. “Should a man be allowed to divorce his wife for any cause?” they asked. You see, at the time a heated debated raged between two rabbinical parties over how to interpret Deuteronomy 24:1-4 (an Old Testament passage about divorce). A prominent teacher named Rabbi Hillel interpreted the passage to allow divorce for any reason at all. He even went so far as to say that if a woman burnt her husband’s toast, he could divorce her. His teaching, because the culture had a very low view of women, was very popular among the Jews of Jesus’ day. Another well-known teacher, named Rabbi Shammai, spoke out against the Hillelite school of thought and taught that the only cause for divorce mentioned in the passage is sexual immorality. The Pharisees hoped to trap Jesus into choosing an unpopular opinion on an already divisive issue. Jesus however, reminded the Pharisees (and us) that God only allowed divorce because of the hardness of our hearts and rather than arguing over how to end our marriages, we ought to be looking for ways to mend our marriages.

Shortly after this encounter, Jesus is asked a significantly more sincere question by a rich, young man hoping to get to heaven. If you have a Bible or app on your phone, please open it to Mark 10:17-27. Like many of the stories we’ve studied in this series, the story of the rich young ruler rings familiar to many of us. It’s a story full of hope and heartbreak. I’d like to examine the story in three segments beginning with the introduction of a curious candidate.

• A CURIOUS CANDIDATE

As far as potential followers go, this guy has a lot going for him. Here’s how Mark introduces him: “As Jesus was starting out on his way to Jerusalem, a man came running up to him, knelt down, and asked, ‘Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’” (Mark 10:17 NLT).

I like this guy already, don’t you? He seems like a great candidate for the Christian life. Matthew tells us that he was young. He’s clearly energetic and enthusiastic as he runs up to Jesus. Luke adds that he was a religious leader, which means he’s a man of influence in the community who could help lead even more people to Jesus. He’s spiritually seeking—I mean he’s asking the right question (what must I do to inherit eternal life?) and he’s asking the right person. And notice how he approaches Jesus. He immediately kneels before him, demonstrating reverence and humility. And he calls Jesus “Good Teacher,” a sign of respect. And in addition to all these good qualities, as we discover in the following verses, he’s rich! Imagine how all that wealth could help fund Jesus’ ministry and the work the apostles.

I’m reminded of a man who called a local church one day and asked if he could speak to the Head Hog at the Trough. The secretary said, “Who?” The man replied, “I want to speak to the Head Hog at the Trough!” The secretary responded, “Sir, if you mean our pastor, you will have to treat him with more respect—and ask for ‘The Reverend’ or ‘The Pastor.’ But certainly you cannot refer to him as the Head Hog at the Trough!” At this, the man came back, “Oh, I see. Well, I have $10,000 I was thinking of giving to your Building Fund.” Immediately, the secretary replies, “Please hold, I think the Big Pig just walked in the door.”

This rich young ruler is the kind of guy every pastor wants in their church, isn’t he? If Jesus is taking applications for potential disciples, this guy’s resume ought to be at the top of the pile. But Jesus doesn’t respond the way we might expect.