A Supplicating Supplicant Suffers Shame Series

MARK 10:17-22

A SUPPLICATING SUPPLICANT

SUFFERS SHAME

I. THE SUPPLICANT: * MARK 10:17, 20

A. Show. Mark 10:17

B. Sincere. Mark 10:20

C. Successful. Mark 10:20

II. THE SAVIOUR: ** MARK 10:18, 19, 21

A. Seriousness. Mark 10:18

B. Scrutiny. Mark 10:19

C. Solicitude. Mark 10:21

III. THE SURPRISE: *** MARK 10:22

A. Sorrow.

B. Selfishness.

C. Sham.

There are some interesting things about this passage which make it very intriguing. These things include the facts that we know not the age, the name or the wealth of this person who comes to meet Jesus.

The scene before us is reported in a rather abrupt manner, which is the style of Mark. Suddenly we are confronted with a man coming out of no where running to meet Jesus, falling on his knees and begins worshiping the Master in the open air. It seems as if Jesus is not taken aback by this person but pauses and gives the man His full attention. We do not know if the man stayed on his knees while the two talked, but we do know that when the conversation was ended, the worshipper walked away and left Jesus with His disciples. As the scene before us draws to a close, we see this Supplicating Supplicant Suffering Shame and what great shame that was.

I see three things in this passage before us regarding this rich person and the Eternal Son of God. The first thing I note is in regard to THE SUPPLICANT. This is followed by THE SAVIOUR, who loved this person a great deal. Then, I see THE SURPRISE of how this whole scene closes. Taken together, these three entities teach us all something about our religion, our actions and our ultimate love in this world and in that which is to come.

* THE SUPPLICANT: Again, we are introduced to a person that remains nameless in the Scriptures. This is often the case-names were not important when meeting Christ. What is important is the inter change of ideas and words that the Master had with those whom He met. This man, this SUPPLICANT, meets Jesus and when the conversation ends, the worshipper walks away leaving Jesus.

I see that this man makes a great Show of his faith in front of Jesus and the disciples. Seeing Jesus away off, the man runs to meet Him. There is nothing wrong with running to meet the Master, I wish the world would run to meet Jesus instead of running away from Him.

Not only did this man come running to meet Jesus, he did something unashamedly: he knelt at the feet of the Master. This man was not so proud that he could not kneel in public at the feet of the Lowly Galilean. Again, I would to God that we had more people who were as humble as this worshipper and would kneel to Him in public as well as in private. There, in the open, this man, came running and then he knelt and the whole crowd saw him make his worship come alive in public. At first, one would have to say, “Wow! What dedication he had for Jesus.” At least this was what the man wanted people to say. Upon closer examination, one might be tempted to think a bit differently after Jesus had talked to him. It is such a shame that so many people worship Jesus in public but deny Him in private. The Church of Jesus Christ is full of these types of followers and we call them “hypocrites” and rightly so. Maybe, this man really was sincere, but at the last he walks away showing just how deep his faith was.

Since this man came in such a hurry to meet Jesus and then to fall at His feet, one would have to think the best of him. Yet how Sincere was he? According to the text, he admits that he was very Sincere in his devotion to the Law and the Prophets. He was a very good professing Jewish man. You would not catch Him breaking the Sabbath, nor would he be found guilty of lying, or telling false tales on someone. Likewise, he was a very good son to his father and mother. Wow!!! How religious this man was! All those that knew him could vouchsafe for his acts of piety and outward keeping of the Law of Moses. He would make any religious body proud to have him as one of its own, because he kept all the outward signs of his faith in tact and he practiced them regularly. “Right on young man, you go sir. You are a great example of what it means to be a religious man.” I am sure he probably heard accolades such as this from many a rabbi and fellow Jewish worshipper.