Jesus teaching the disciples from their mistakes
Mark 9: 33-50
We can also make mistakes in our interpretation of scripture. But I’m hoping that what the Lord has revealed to me is right. If you have another view, please share it with me afterwards.
The man asked his boss “Where do you want this big roll of bubble wrap?”.
“Just pop it in the corner,” he said.
It took me three hours
In verses 33, 34 Jesus asked his disciples what they were discussing on the way home and then there was an awkward silence. We understand the disciples had been discussing who was the greatest among them.
The Lord showed me that when the 70 took out the kingdom message, and healing the sick, some of the disciples would have been more successful than others in response to the kingdom message, healing the sick and casting out demons.
On their return they informed Jesus of their success, Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit, and added a word of caution, “Do not rejoice in this that the spirits are subject to you; but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” Luke 10:20.
They were not to let their success go to their head, become boastful and proud, but that is exactly what happened.
So it’s quiet likely they were discussing who had achieved the most amongst them.
Jesus responded saying, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.”
Jesus taught his disciples to seek the lowest place,
I found a quotation by poet William Wordsworth, “The best portion of a good man’s life is in his little nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and of love.” He summed it up well, not to be boastful our proud, just to get on with what the Lord calls us to do.
Jesus continued, he took a child and put him in the middle of the disciples, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me and him who sent me.”
I attended the annual ‘Fixed Conference 18’ on 29th September. Its focus was on Jesus changing the lives of people who have drug and drink addiction problems.
The testimonies always started with ‘When they were children,’ they were abused as children and started using drugs to escape the pain of abuse.
Shelia’s testimony
Shelia said that she came from a dysfunctional family: there was violence in the home and her mum had an affair, and her mum’s partner abused her at the age of 10. Taking drugs was a way of escaping the pain of abuse.
Shelia started shoplifting to pay for the drugs, this led to prison. In prison she attended a Barry Woodward session that took place in the prison chapel and she came away thinking, “If God could do it for Barry, he can do it for me.”
Shelia said, “I wanted to get well,” she went to the Women’s Lighthouse Project in 2016. Where they valued and loved her for who she is, as a person, She was baptised, sought detox and was healed. Shelia has been free from drugs and intends to stay that way. Jesus put his loving arms around Shelia and has set her free.
The man suffered rejection by the disciples, because he was not one of them.
John said to Jesus, “Teacher we saw a man casting out demon’s in your name and we forbid him,because he was not following us.”
They turned him away, rejection makes us feel a lack of self-worth, and causes many to withdraw from socialising, for some it can result in depression. Jesus experienced rejection, Isaiah 53: 3. “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrow and acquainted with grief and as one from whom men hid their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not”
(Several people began to share their thoughts, and I responded by two of us praying for one person present before I continued with the talk.)
Jesus encourages every child of God to fulfil their potential.
Why do you think John told Jesus about this man casting out demons in his name? Was he concerned that people might start following this man?
Was he unsure that they had done the right thing in forbidding him?
Jesus replied, “Do not forbid him, for none who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon after to speak evil of me.”
‘Do not forbid him’ he’s doing it in my name, he’s on my side.’
So (soon after) in the future Just a thought that came to me this morning: at Jesus’ trial when people were asked to give evidence against Jesus, this man may well have been asked, to speak out against him, after all he had been rejected so he might have been angry and in spite responded, but we know from scripture he didn’t.
Jesus continued verse 41 “For truly, I say to you, whoever, gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ, will by no means lose his reward.”
Whoever, that could be anyone, who gives a drink to a child of God.
The Lord showed me, that he may have been referring to the Samaritan woman at the well
Jesus asked her, to give him a drink of water. The disciples marvelled that he was talking to a woman, John recorded their reaction, “But not one of them said openly what they were thinking, “Why are you talking with her?” John 4: 27.
Jesus showed her no discrimination. The woman noted that he was making the conversation with her, “How is it, that you a Jew ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria. For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans?”
In the conversation with her he discussed what united them, the hope of the coming of the Jewish Messiah and he told her that he was the one they Jews and Samaritans where waiting for. She accepted his words and she went home and reported the good news to her family and friends. We read Jesus went to visit the place where she lived and confirmed the word to them that he was the Messiah. John 4: 9, 39-42.
Jesus took what united them; they were looking for the coming of the Messiah and what divided them fell away.
This speaks to me of were there are a variety of different strands of Christianity believing and doing things in Jesus’ name, but the importance of coming together like today, is where the differences fall away.
Jesus bore on the cross all forms of rejection, discrimination or prejudice, Isaiah 53: 5 “He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities upon him was the chastisement that made us whole, and with his stripes we are healed.”
So there is healing for all, through faith in Jesus.
Prayer
Thank you, Lord for our Christian friends for the years of fellowship in your church, thank you for the steadfast holy love of Jesus given to us to share with others especially to our neighbours no matter their colour or creed.
Help us to break free of the things that divide the churches, to look to Jesus to live by his word that we cherish deeply in our hearts, help us to overcome our differences and to rest in the knowledge that you know us all individually, that you love and care for us, we are your precious children
Lord in your mercy – Hear our prayer
Lord Jesus, thank you for dying for all sin, and where there is recognition of sin and confession of it, there is forgiveness and healing. For those who have been sinned against, Jesus picks up the bruised fruit in his love and caresses it, heals and restores its’ fragrance and lustre.
Lord in your mercy – Hear our prayer
Followed by a time of open prayer.
We sang the hymn ‘The Church is One Foundation
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Continuing Mark 9: 42 – 50
Jesus we understand did not come to judge people as the Jewish leaders expected. “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women.” John 8: 1-11.
Jesus spoke of judgement here in Mark, “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung round his neck and he were thrown into the sea.” Millstones were used for grinding corn, the Greeks and Romans used a millstone as a capital punishment; the weight of the stone and the depth of the sea. Jesus was speaking of punishment beyond this life. Matthew Poole’s Commentary.
He may have been referring to the Pharisee, Sadducee, Scribe and Lawyers when he used Jewish idioms.
He said to cut off the offending hand – the hand representing power, their power and authority over others by adding laws to the laws given to Moses by God.
Foot – trampling over people’s beliefs. Pharisees stopped the followers of Jesus attending the synagogue. John 9: 22.
Eye – envy or pride, The Pharisees and scribes loved to sit in the best seats in the synagogue and being seen in the market place wearing their long robes. Luke 11:42 – 44.
Salt and fire
Salt rep dedication and fire – purification
Franklin Graham the son of Billy Graham’s Mission at Blackpool’s Winter Gardens, ‘Lancashire ‘Festival of Hope.’
He read from Mark 10: 46-52 the account of Jesus healing blind Bartimaeus.
Franklin compared Bartimaeus with the ordinary person seeking God. He said, ”Sin blinds us to God’s will and the wages of sin is death,” and God sent Jesus to rescue us.
Franklin gave his own personal testimony, The fact that his father was Billy graham made him more rebellious.
At the age of 22 he knew that there was something missing in his life and he cried out to God and asked God to pick up the pieces of his life, he was broken and he wanted God to heal him, he repented and gave his life to Jesus and God heard his prayer.”
Bartimaeus called out to Jesus, the man near him, told him to shut up, he shouted again Jesus heard his cry of faith.
Jesus called Bartimaeus to come to him and asked him what he wanted him to do for him? He replied, ‘to see’ and Jesus saying only a few words and his eyes were opened, he could see.
The day before, Saturday 29th September I attended ‘Fixed Conference 18’ at The Bridge Church, Bolton. Its focus was on Jesus transforming the lives of people who have had drug and drink addiction problems. Several people gave their testimony and gave harrowing accounts of their childhood where they suffered abuse at home at school, which led them into drugs, drink and crime. Each one their circumstance were different, but all experienced Jesus’ love picking them up embracing them and changing their lives by releasing them from drug addiction.
At the appeal 91 people responded and turned to Christ in repentance and faith.
If you want to sincerely get right with God, turn to him in faith, say sorry for your sins and ask his forgiveness and invite him into your heart.
Picture hold up – 1 cross + 3 nails = 4 given
Prayer – Father God, when we come to you in faith like Bartimaeus whatever our need may be ___________________forgive us we pray for the weight of sin________________ that would hang like a millstone binding us and weighing us down and in your great mercy reach into our heart and take from us and cleanse us of all our sin. Wash us clean in the blood of Jesus as we take hold of Jesus’ words, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” Thank you Jesus, in your name. Amen.