"Contrasts" - Thinking through the Message of Mark 10:32-52

(A) What Lies Ahead (v.32-34)

All of what had happened through Jesus’ ministry of teaching and healing was remarkable … it was unprecedented … it was great, but where was it going to lead? The disciples had repeatedly not been prepared to consider that it was going to lead to Jesus’ death. Peter especially had objected to this, and in so doing had been compared to Satan by Jesus, because Peter had had his mind on human things rather than on the divine agenda. And so as they walked along behind Jesus, heading for Jerusalem and the ultimate events of Easter, they were at the same time “amazed” and “afraid”.

How so? One can be absolutely amazed at the good things that are happening about them, but because these things are happening without having any sense of control over them, one can also experience a sense of fear about the unknown. This might be like gaining the dream job you were really hoping for, and experiencing a sense of joy; but at the same time not quite knowing what lay ahead, and what the people might be like, and feeling a sense of dread, concern, even fear.

The disciples’ fear here was debilitating. It was going to lead to the sort of inappropriate requests we read that James and John made; it was going to lead to them trying to stop a noisy blind beggar from seeing Jesus; and it was going to expose them when compared to the humble faith of one truly seeking God. Would these disciples ever get past their fear, which would not allow them to accept the implications of Jesus being a suffering servant of humankind! Can we also work through our fear concerning where Jesus is leading us, so that we can fully embrace faith?

Jesus sensed that the disciples were on an emotional knife-edge, and were experiencing such uncertainty and apprehension; so he took them quietly aside, and explained it all to them in greater detail than ever before:

"See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death; then they will hand him over to the Gentiles; they will mock him, and spit upon him, and flog him, and kill him; and after three days he will rise again."

How shocking this sounds, and we might understand their feelings; yet the disciples had heard this at least twice before, and had been unable to adjust to it. [And we might think that there is sufficient good news attached to the end here – yet if you couldn’t get your head around the first part, you mightn’t even hear the last part!] Most of us have heard the grim details of Jesus’ journey to the cross many times, yet we will need to keep hearing it so that it might really take a grip on us. The Gospel text just drops this grave news on us and seeks our response. How should we respond to this news?

Six o’clock arrives and we turn on the television news. The major lead story is phrased in a way to catch our attention and elicit some sort of emotional response:

"… the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death; then they will hand him over to the Gentiles; they will mock him, and spit upon him, and flog him, and kill him; and after three days he will rise again."

What will be our response … what will we do with this? The text of Mark then goes on to give us a couple of options (together with a little bit of further elaboration on what Jesus was on about). Can we appreciate the contrasts in the two responses here to the suffering servant ministry of Jesus?

(B) First Response (v.35-40)

What do you make of the request of James and John?

In the face of the startling news of Jesus’ torture and death, James and John vie for positions of honour and power on Jesus’ team into all eternity.

Are they seeking to get in before it’s too late … surely they couldn’t be that crass! Is it more that they have illusions of grandeur that have never abated despite following Jesus around for three years! This does beg the question as to whether we can theoretically follow Jesus without really coming to know what Jesus is about. This seems, on the basis of the explanation that follows, to have been the case for the sons of Zebedee.

Somehow, James and John had got it into their head that this Jesus movement was about position and privilege. What they hadn’t realised was that the type of followers Jesus sought were those who would adopt the same sort of ministry style as he had. And that this ministry style (as we have seen) would not be popular with certain powers and authorities because it tended to upset the status quo and turn normally accepted practices on their heads.

So when James and John said (in verse 39) that they were “able” to drink the ‘cup’ that Jesus would drink, and be baptised with the ‘baptism’ that Jesus would – they proved (as Jesus had already said to them) that they had no idea what they were asking! “Cup” and “baptism” are here used as metaphors for suffering and death. What Jesus was getting at, was whether James and John would be prepared to follow Jesus in totally the opposition direction of privilege … and actually toward suffering on a cross or a similar fate. They were clearly not ready for this yet! Their heads were not yet in the right place.

Later on, following the understanding and faith that developed after Jesus’ resurrection, James and John were actually able to take up Jesus’ “cup” and “baptism”, becoming true servants of the gospel; but they would have to learn first to accept that God would allocate the various gifts and call people to particular roles according to God’s own purposes (and not human agendas); and that all this would not be for personal aggrandisement, but rather for the common good.

If we have a sense of fear, we should not allow this to cause us to walk away, but rather seek with everything we’ve got to learn about and understand Jesus in such a way as to build our faith! Jesus never abandoned his failing disciples. Here the disciples indeed provide the model … they were human and so they experienced fear, but eleven of the twelve were able to overcome their fear through the wonder and power of the resurrection of Jesus (as we can). The same humans who were plagued by fear became magnificent examples of faith. [We are here today because of this great transformation.]

(C) Elaboration on Serving Others (v.41-45)

Such a response as we have just read would just build up anger and resentment in others (as we indeed see that it did in the other ten disciples). This is what individualistic competition for advantageous position breeds. And this is not the way of the Kingdom of God.

Whereas it is the way of the world for people to try to get on top of one another – to be promoted ahead of them, or to be seen as superior to – to be preferred over, or to be more popular than – to be in charge of, or in control over – this is not how the spiritual kingdom of God works. If one wants to be a true follower of Jesus, then they will be just as interested and concerned for the needs and well-being of others as they are for themselves. If one wants to be a true follower of Jesus, then one will have to begin from a position, not of authority, but of service. A follower of Jesus will actively look for opportunities to serve others.

This is all based on the nature of Jesus’ own incarnation and ministry … that the very Son of God did not seek to dominate or control, but to serve, and to do so at great risk. It was not from a throne, but rather through the cross that Jesus provided his ministry. It was not from the seats of power on high that Jesus ministered, but rather in the streets with the poor, alienated, lame and demon-possessed.

Where we were separated from God, lacking hope and purpose, suffering under the weight of great burden – Jesus took upon himself our brokenness and sinfulness in an attempt to lead us back to God. This is the pattern for our discipleship journey, where we seek to model the path of service to those who are likewise struggling in their need of God.

(D) Second Response (v.46-52)

What do you think of this second response to Jesus … the response of the blind beggar Bartimaeus?

Not … ‘do for me whatever I want you to’ …
but rather … “have mercy on me”!

Here was someone with a realistic view of himself and his need of God. A real ‘faith moment’ was experienced through the humility and sincere approach of one in need. This is a beautiful picture of someone throwing themselves onto the mercy of God, trusting that there will be love and blessing there.

Bartimaeus had heard that Jesus was the one who could help him. The hopeful news of the miracles Jesus had performed had reached his ears. And so when he heard that Jesus was close-by (right there in Jericho), he excitedly shouted out to Jesus. Then when certain people (possibly even some of the disciples) tried to shut him up (because he was causing an inconvenient disruption and he was only a blind beggar on the margin of society after all), he called out even louder, for he was not so easily going to miss this unprecedented opportunity – maybe the only opportunity he had left to have his circumstances changed.

Jesus heard this man, sensed a real faith in him, stopped what he was doing, and said that he wanted to see him. Now there’s a quick change of attitude in the crowd – a bit like thinking someone will have a certain opinion and then finding out abruptly they have the opposite view – those who had previously sought to block the path of Bartimaeus ironically now said “Take heart; get up, Jesus is calling you”.

Now blind Bartimaeus would no doubt have needed assistance to get to Jesus, but here we have a picture of a man excitedly and expectantly gravitating to the source of his new hope. And he did so with a level of abandon, for we read Bartimaeus ‘threw off his cloak’. This either meant that he dispensed with his only possession of value and his only protection from the ‘elements’ (contrast the ‘rich man’ of 10:21-2); or that he was giving up the whole business of begging because he knew he wouldn’t need to any more (this is where his “cloak” would have been what he placed on the ground for money to be thrown into). So in the drama of verse 50, Bartimaeus was abandoning all of his current life and placing his total trust in the person of Jesus!

Even though Jesus would have already known the answer, he conversed with Bartimaeus, asking what he needed. It was his lack of eyesight that meant that he was powerlessness and forced to beg on the streets. If only he could see again, he might have a chance to establish a normal family and community life. And he knew, he just knew, that Jesus could grant this eyesight to him. It was the faith of Bartimaeus that gave him his sight and no doubt a whole lot more besides. Bartimeaus now followed Jesus; and probably was known to Mark’s church community by name (as opposed to the ‘rich young ruler’ who was sadly never heard of again).

It is the one who had more reason to fear than anyone else, Bartimaeus, who exemplifies the possibilities of faith!

"What Might Get in Our Way" (Mark 10:17-31)

As we’ve said many times, the Gospel of Mark (especially the middle chapters) is about discipleship – how is it that we can truly follow Jesus in the post-resurrection era, or more to the point in today’s text – what can get in the way of our journey toward and with Jesus? Let’s see!

(1) Let’s look at it first from the rich man’s side of the story.

There was a certain rich man; well of course we only find out that he was ‘rich’ at verse 22. And we never find out his name … why … because he didn’t come to follow Jesus, but instead returned to obscurity! This rich man though was clearly interested in religion, the spiritual life and Jesus (which of course makes the outcome all the sadder). We can see this deep interest in that the rich man anxiously ran up to Jesus, and having reached him, knelt down before Jesus in obvious deference and respect. This rich man addressed Jesus as “Good Teacher”, suggesting that he was ready to learn from one likely to have the correct answers.

This rich man’s search focussed on how he would gain “eternal life” (and this would refer to fullness of life under God’s reign in the present as well the after-life). And so he obviously was, despite his wealth, discontented with his life, possibly recognising a spiritual void. When he was confronted with some of the ‘ten commandments’, this rich man, no doubt honestly from his own perspective, was able to say that he had abided by such commandments from his youth; indicating that from the time in his early life when he was able to start making decisions for himself between right and wrong (traditionally 13 yo for a Jewish boy), he had largely made good decisions. He knew the Hebrew laws well and had been able to keep to them; but also sensed that there was more to it than just obeying rules. And indeed there was!

When this rich man found out what that extra step he needed to take was, he was none too pleased; in fact we read that he was “shocked”, and that he went away “grieving”, for he had really desired ‘life’, yet could not bring himself to follow Jesus’ instructions. In his mind hope had been dashed, and he probably now felt worse than he did before approaching Jesus on the road; but this disappointment he had brought upon himself! This man had been given the opportunity to experience the day-by-day companionship of Jesus, and he had knocked it back.

Would this be like those people these days who are “shocked” when they find out that Christianity is not really about conforming to rules, nor about living in a so-called ‘Christian’ country, nor even about doing charitable acts, but completely about accepting and following a person … Jesus Christ (especially when they then hear that following Jesus means making significant changes). ‘Give up my possessions … and give all the proceeds to the poor … no way!’ Give up all the security and status my possessions bring to me and follow someone else’s agenda … no!

We could concede that this would be a frightening concept for the habitually rich person – becoming impoverished (at the same time as assisting others out of their poverty – turning the tables on himself it would seem). But wasn’t there a greater loss at stake? There was, and this man was going to suffer it, and it caused him to grieve! Such is the power of the things we cannot give up for those things that would be better.

(2) Now let’s look at this incident from Jesus’ side.

Jesus was heading off down the road when a man came rushing up to him. This man knelt before him, called Jesus “Good Teacher”, and asked a significant spiritual question. Now, whereas there was nothing really wrong with this form of address, it was important that this enquiring man was directed toward a response to God … the source of all goodness. It was probable that this man only saw Jesus as a learned teacher, not the Son of God. And there could be no mere human explanation of such a deep spiritual concept as “eternal life”, so this man needed to be directed to God (the author of life). This is the likely explanation for the curious verse 18. Jesus is not implying that he is in any way imperfect or less than good, but only that the focus here must be on God (who made the covenant with Israel, from which the commandments derive, and the promises of grace proceed).

Having established that God lay at the centre of all life, Jesus went about leading this rich man toward truth. Jesus first laid out some of the traditional Old Testament laws – from the more socio-ethical elements of the ‘ten commandments’; although “you shall not defraud” per se is not actually one of the ‘ten commandments’, but is included elsewhere in OT Law, and you can see why it was included by Jesus here – when we see how connected this man was to his material possessions. Financial dealings were likely to be a point of vulnerability for this man. If someone was rich it was likely they had defrauded the poor in some way somewhere to have become so wealthy. Yet Jesus heard this man honestly say that he had not infringed these commandments of old at all.

For Jesus this was a good start. From here Jesus would be able to move the conversation from where this man currently was in his religious thinking, toward where he needed to be. And Jesus looked upon this man with love (v.21)! This is a beautiful expression of the feelings Jesus has for those who are so close, yet have not fully found relationship with him. As one commentator puts it, this man is “fertile ground”. It was only because he loved this man so much, and truly desired relationship with him, that Jesus brought such a difficult challenge to him. For unless this man could fully respond to the challenge of giving up everything, there would always be too much baggage between him and the actual embracing of “eternal life”.

But we read that the rich man chose his possessions over Jesus, and so Jesus had to endure this rich man walking away unchanged. It wasn’t enough for this man just to conform to some rules – the real way to eternal life was through a change of heart as to what was important. And it’s not about following rules, but about following a person; and in so doing, making the discovery that this person Jesus truly is God (the source of all goodness)!

As an aside, we might note that Jesus did not say for the man to give his possessions directly to the poor, but rather sell his possessions and give the proceeds to the poor. Why would this be the case?? If we give the poor our possessions we are presuming what their needs are, providing them with second-hand stuff which was bought through our own preferences and life-style, and thus in a way maintaining a dominant position over them. Monetary gifts either to individuals (when appropriate) or to aid agencies, allows for needs to be addressed in the most locally appropriate, personally helpful and communally effective ways.

(3) Then we look at this incident from the view of the witnesses – the disciples.

This gospel text of course was written to challenge those already involved in the early church. Were these ones fully given over to Jesus in every aspect of their lives? We see this question put often as Jesus talks specifically to his disciples about the deeper meanings of the incidents they have just witnessed.

The disciples were “perplexed” at the words of Jesus (v.24) – that it was so very difficult, according to Jesus, for the wealthy to participate in God’s Kingdom. They were possibly already confused through Jesus expecting the rich man to give up so much. This was because wealth was considered at the time to be evidence of God’s blessing, and here Jesus was making it seem much more of a curse. [Also poverty was seen to be a judgement over sinners.] Here again was an overturning of conventional expectations. Living within a culture it is so easy to adopt the prevailing cultural norms, and even, if we’re self-deceptive enough, make the bible adaptable to such norms. We should be attentive to how Jesus in the Gospels overturns such accommodation.

In view here was the cultural acceptance that wealth was good. It was actually a curse for this rich man, because he had become so attached to his wealth, it had become so much a part of him, it defined him so closely; so much so, that when the greatest opportunity ever came to him, he had to pass on following Jesus so that he could keep his wealth.

"Watch your thoughts ; they become words.
Watch your words; they become actions.
Watch your actions; they become habits.
Watch your habits; they become character.
Watch your character; it becomes your destiny."

The disciples might have seen this great challenge to give up all possessions as putting up a barrier to gaining faith (whereas in reality it was the only path for this man to find faith). Strange that the disciples would feel this way, as they had given up everything themselves to follow Jesus; yet perhaps in their minds, ‘everything’ in this case was a lot bigger deal than ‘everything’ in their case. Yet the more deep-seated the problem is, the more drastic the remedy might have to be!

The Christian life will always be about making good decisions according to the right priorities! We know that the major issue here was that this rich man couldn’t see life beyond his possessions; however there could also be here the thought that wealth is always built at the expense of the poor. No greater example of this has been the recent prevalence of growing CEO salaries (and pay-outs) at the same time as bulk job losses in the same company. The rich man was not asked to destroy his possessions, or put them out for the council hard rubbish collection (which would have been wasteful); but rather to take proactive (and possibly repentant) action in selling them and returning the proceeds to the poor. This would not only work towards breaking this man’s addiction to wealth, but also promote a new heart understanding and practical response to the plight of others.

Plain and simple … it is impossible for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. Yet this would still be easier to achieve than someone with so much baggage and ego to be able to enter into truly following Jesus. Jesus needs his followers to be humble learners who travel light. We need to be able to follow Jesus’ leading at a moment’s notice, unencumbered by other expectations and worries. What might get in our way? Jesus says to us, ‘Deal with it – then come and follow me’.

We could see this as an impossible task, give up, and go away grieving like the rich man did. Or, we could just believe that the God, who makes what seems impossible actually turn out to be possible, can indeed help us. Many people come to “Search for Life” courses completely weighed down by their various addictions (to alcohol, pornography, work or negative behaviours of various kinds), such that they feel all hope is gone. But it is when they begin to understand how much God loves them, and the alternative power God has to transform them, that the destructive power of these addictions starts to break down. “Who then can be saved?” Everyone who allows God in! Indeed we have to make ourselves bare … to allow God to do what only God can do! The ones who can be humble and open enough to receive what God has to give them, and commit their lives to the cause of Jesus … will be saved, and will be blessed.

Not to say everything will be easy – not at all. The formerly rich man will have to live in a totally different way. Any formerly apathetic person will have to deal with purposeful expectations. The proud authorities will have to become humble servants. And because of this, there may be opposition, such as the original disciples experienced in the first century. Jesus seemed to suggest that persecution was inevitable, and so if there wasn’t any sense of persecution, might it be that we would be taking things too easily?

In conclusion ...

And so what was missing in this rich man’s mindset? What stopped him gaining “eternal life”?? Yes, he had an addiction to money and possessions; but he seemed to also have a spiritual disquiet which led him to make enquiries of Jesus. This man may have nearly been ready to deal with his addiction, but he didn’t quite trust enough that a full-on relationship following Jesus would more than adequately compensate (in some way or another, according to verse 30, a hundredfold over). These blessings will likely become evident in the new community being formed around the Gospel.

As Francis J Maloney writes, “Ultimately, it is not what you have or do not have which matters – it is your preparedness or lack of preparedness to be open to the strange ways of God; and anyone who is prepared to risk all for the sake of Jesus and the Gospel will reap their reward (vv.28-30). As with the way a disciple lives his married life (10:1-12), so also in his [or her] dealing with his [or her] possessions, to follow Jesus means to take up a counter-cultural and in many ways revolutionary position: ‘Many that are first will be last, and the last first’.” (The Year of Mark, page 60).

Stewardship & Tithing

(1) Reasons for Giving

In studying the various scriptures that deal with ‘tithing’ or ‘giving’, there are a few common reasons there why we should give. Of course, this does not just apply to monetary giving, but also to the offering of time, and the sharing of talents.

The Bible recommends that we give to the work of God’s Kingdom for at least three major reasons:

a. This is a very healthy and practical way of responding to all which God has given us; from our very lives and the created environment in which life is sustained, to the very personal efforts of God to relate to us, save us, and draw us into participation in the church.

b. The spirit of generosity is such an important part of our expression of being fully human, and defeating the power of self-centredness. To live strictly within the parameters of self, and to hold everything under individual ownership … depreciates our soul, for we were created to be relational beings – living out our lives in one another’s company. This is part of that “…what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life?” thing that Jesus taught.

Besides this, life does not bring forth equal bounty to all people; therefore there is often the need to help out, support, lift burdens … and generally to be generous towards those in need.

c. To enable God’s Spiritual Kingdom on Earth to grow and flourish. Whether this was the spiritual well-being of the people of Israel promoted in the Old Testament, or the fellowship and mission of the church founded by Jesus’ first disciples in the New Testament, God’s work needs to be invested in … if God’s will & purposes are to be addressed.

(2) Good Stewardship

This all comes down to what is often called ‘good stewardship’. This is firstly an understanding of, and then secondly the practice of, properly handling with integrity all that has been entrusted to us – ie. time/whole of our life; talents, abilities, spiritual gifts; & resources > material possessions, income, monetary reserves, assets.

A major part of following Jesus … is to have a proper attitude to all these areas of our life. We are not all called to become (materially) impoverished and embark on a mission in the streets. But we are all called to invest our earthly treasures in such a way as to build a dividend in heavenly treasures; or if you like … we are all called to invest everything we have been given toward the maximum benefit of God’s Kingdom – which means a sharing with the work of God, and, a sharing into the needs of other people … in such a way as they can experience God for themselves (as we have done).

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21).

A “steward” is a person entrusted to manage another’s property. The best example of this … is the responsibility humankind was given to look after all of God’s creation in Genesis 1:28. Human beings have been entrusted to manage all of God’s blessings on earth. ‘Good’ stewards will take this responsibility seriously and manage all of God’s provision well. Whereas we shouldn’t ever ignore the environmental aspect of this, we should also take seriously what this means for our (Christian) discipleship and everyday decision-making; repeatedly asking the question ... “How can I manage my [financial] affairs in the most Godly way?”

(3) The Hebrew Tithe

In Genesis we have texts that show that both Abraham (then Abram) and his grandson Jacob both offered tithes to the priest, or God, in response to God’s presence & blessing in their lives (14:20, 28:22).

The Law of Moses, recorded in Leviticus, mandated the tithe – which meant an offering to God of a tenth of a person’s income from the land or farming. Read 27:30-33 >

"All tithes from the land, whether the seed from the ground or the fruit from the tree, are the Lord’s; they are holy to the Lord. 31If persons wish to redeem any of their tithes, they must add one-fifth to them. 32All tithes of herd and flock, every tenth one that passes under the shepherd’s staff, shall be holy to the Lord. 33Let no one inquire whether it is good or bad, or make substitution for it; if one makes substitution for it, then both it and the substitute shall be holy and cannot be redeemed."

The not inquiring “whether it is good or bad” (v.33) refers to not just giving the least valuable tenth; what was required was more of a random offering across all of the new offspring. The manner of tithing livestock was as follows: the owner counted the animals as they passed out to pasture, and every tenth one was given to God; in this way there was no possibility of just selecting inferior animals for tithing.

Numbers 18:21-24 has shown that this tithe, at least at one time, was utilised to support the ministry of the Levites amongst the people of Israel >

"To the Levites I have given every tithe in Israel for a possession in return for the service that they perform, the service in the tent of meeting" (v.21).

These ‘Levites’ would not have the time to farm any land or earn any other income, as their functions and service within the community would consume all their time and energy.

Verse 24 > … "I have given to the Levites as their portion the tithe of the Israelites, which they set apart as an offering to the Lord".

This shows that when a tithe or offering is made to God, what it is designed to be used for, is the work (or ministry) of God through those that are called into service.

These Levites, having received the tithe of the Israelites, had to then tithe themselves in support of the priests in their ministry to the people. The Levites’ tithe was to come from the “best” of all they had received from the Israelite tithe (Numbers 18:25-29).

J.L. Mays writes, “… undergirding all these specifications is the belief that those kept from earning their own livelihood by reason of their consecration to sacred duties are to be maintained by use of part of the offerings brought to God”.

Everyone’s involvement in the tithe was God’s way of perpetuating the development of the spiritual life of the people.

There were also other offerings (or alms/charity) commanded from the people of Israel for other special purposes as well (like supporting the poor).

(4) The Practice (or non-practice) of the Tithe

There is conjecture regarding how well or consistently this tithing was practiced.

We know that Nehemiah (13:10-11) had occasion to remonstrate with the people concerning the lack of tithing toward the Levites >

"I also found out that the portions of the Levites had not been given to them; so that the Levites and the singers, who had conducted the service, had gone back to their fields. So I remonstrated with the officials and said, ‘Why is the house of God forsaken?’"

Then there is the preaching from the prophet Malachi (3:6-12) which reflects his (& God’s) view on when the tithe had been ignored >

"For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, have not perished. 7Ever since the days of your ancestors you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. But you say, ‘How shall we return?’ 8 Will anyone rob God? Yet you are robbing me! But you say, ‘How are we robbing you?’ In your tithes and offerings! 9You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me—the whole nation of you! 10Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in my house, and thus put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts; see if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing. 11I will rebuke the locust for you, so that it will not destroy the produce of your soil; and your vine in the field shall not be barren, says the Lord of hosts. 12Then all nations will count you happy, for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts."

We should note the following:

· “I the Lord do not change” (v.6) reminds the hearers/readers that there has been no change in God’s desire to care for His people; any loss of relationship has come as a result of the people ignoring God’s ways & neglecting their responsibilities;

· “you have turned aside/Return to me” (v.7) again indicates a fracture in the people’s relationship with God, caused, as we find out in verse 8, by their unwillingness to tithe, such that God sees them as robbing Him (and thus robbing God’s work);

· there seems to be a connection between the people’s willingness to tithe, and God’s ability or availability or willingness to protect the production of their crops (v.10-11); the prophet here seems to connect God’s blessing on the people’s efforts toward income gathering, with their readiness to contribute to God’s “storehouse” of resources – especially note the magnificent vision of verse 10.

The words of Malachi seem to connect well with Proverbs 11:24 >

"Some give freely, yet grow all the richer; others withhold what is due, and only suffer want."

Not that we should give for what we might receive in monetary terms, but rather we give - to open the window to God’s spiritual blessings (and wherever that leads us in the vibrant journey of life – perhaps seen in terms of inner peace, new purpose, spiritual joy, family stability or helpful friendships; blessings that may become available soon, or perhaps some years from now).

The Apostle Paul supports this thinking where he thanks the church at Philippi for the financial aid they gave him while on a missionary journey, saying to them, "Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the profit that accumulates to your account", and then defines that 'profit' to their 'account' in these terms – "And my God will fully satisfy every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:17, 19).

(5) Giving in the New Testament

The only passage in the New Testament that explicitly mentions ‘tithing’ does so in a rather backhanded way – Matthew 23:23 >

"‘Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. It is these you ought to have practiced without neglecting the others".

Here Jesus criticises the hypocrisy of going to the extreme of tithing herbs from the back garden, whilst ignoring the more weightier matters of promoting justice, challenging injustice, as well as understanding and applying grace.

However, this passage does still show that tithing was a continuing dynamic within Jewish religious activity, and seems to gain support from Jesus as a worthy and correct practice, i.e. it is not to be “neglected”.

But, certainly you would also have to say that Jesus took the basis of religion beyond the written law toward the true attitude of the heart, eg. "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matthew 6:21).

Jesus pointed out that often money was the ‘sticking point’ that got in the way of proper & fulfilling relationship with God; for example “the rich young ruler” who knew and practiced the ‘commandments’, but couldn’t see past his wealth to actually fully embrace God & neighbour in his life (Matthew 19:16-22 & parallels); also Jesus having to teach that you couldn’t serve two masters – God and money – the material lure of money was as voracious & powerful as was the spiritual lure of God (Matthew 6:24).

And Jesus did promote a revolutionary attitude of goodness towards others, especially those who had found themselves on the fringes of the community.

Jesus himself provided the perfect example of generosity to others:
· in his availability to those in need of his healing hand
· in his blessing of the gift of the five loaves and two fish, multiplying them into an endless feast for the hungry, and
· in his teaching about the importance of being neighbourly, epitomised in the parable of the “good Samaritan”.

Jesus also commended sacrifice … like in the case of the poor widow whose two small copper coins were viewed more favourably than those offerings made from abundance. And, Jesus actually provided the ultimate example of sacrificing for the good of God’s Kingdom, by giving up his very life to initiate what has become God’s church on earth.

Having experienced Jesus in our lives, we are free to respond to God’s love and goodness by returning to God’s work on earth a tithe of our income, not because of the letter of any law, but because our heart has been changed towards the needs of others. Where once we might have been focussed on ourselves, we are now centred on God’s purposes, and the Holy Spirit is developing generosity and sacrifice within us.

We can then turn to Paul in 2 Corinthians 9, where we see some helpful principles concerning our giving:

· Verse 6 > "The point is this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully."

The more we are able to give, the greater the blessing is likely to be – not in a personal nor material sense, but in a Kingdom & spiritual sense. As people give generously to God (and therefore to the work of the Church), and as the Church decides together to invest that giving into developing ministry into the community, bountiful outcomes are likely!

Tithing brings a great opportunity, for it is one of the most practical acts of worship – it both praises God, and provides gifts of grace for other people. As we pray over the tithes and offerings that come forward, may they be multiplied like the loaves and fishes, so that the benefits are spread broadly over all those who hunger and thirst for God, and also to those whose spiritual void remains as yet untouched by the Holy Spirit … and we know that all of heaven rejoices when a child of God finds their way home. There can be no better investment than this! And, God continues to trust us in being wise investors into His Kingdom.

"11You will be enriched in every way for your great generosity, which will produce thanksgiving to God through us; 12for the rendering of this ministry not only supplies the needs of the saints but also overflows with many thanksgivings to God."

We learn in these verses (11f) … that the generous giving of His people, leads to much thanksgiving to God – meaning that all those touched by the service and ministry funded by the tithing have been enabled to join the worshipping throng.

American author Haddon Robinson observes: “In society, you give to an art museum so you can have your name on the new wing, but in God’s family, you give to please your Father in heaven. The question is not ‘What do I get out of it?’ but ‘What does God get out of it’?”

· Verse 7 > "Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver."

We should get our heart right about our giving (by praying & thinking all this through), so that we won’t be reluctant or regretful about this giving, but rather give spontaneously and happily.

Tithing, so that the church will be adequately resourced to address its vision and mission, is the responsibility of all members and participants; making such contributions is just part of being family, and part of being the interconnected ‘Body of Christ’. The ultimate mindset however, is to see tithing or giving, not so much as a burden or a chore, but as a privilege … a privilege to reinvest the blessings of God given to me … toward significant ministry to others.

This text could be misconstrued to suggest that if you can’t give cheerfully, then you shouldn’t give. No! This verse is really guiding us to find the right (Christlike) attitude in our current and future giving!! Part of this attitude is an acknowledgement that as we are generous to the needs of others, God will provide for our own needs (vs.8-10) >

"And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work. 9As it is written, ‘He scatters abroad, he gives to the poor; his righteousness endures for ever.’ 10He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness."

(6) Conclusion

Tithing, and giving to the work of the church, might be a new concept for some. Others might be struggling with their faith, let alone giving to God! Some others might be struggling under the weight of great debt or responsibility [the earlier comments about being ‘good stewards’ may need to impact us if this is the case].

However, you actually can’t afford to ignore this area – as Malachi pointed out, it may be the very area that is holding you back from fully experiencing God’s blessing in your life. At the very least, you need to pray about this, search out the word of God, seek guidance as necessary, and begin to give of yourself afresh.

As the helpers gather up the tithes and offerings from the congregation week by week, the returns in those pots are a testimony to our faith and the constancy of our commitment. We are telling God, the church, the community, and the world, that our loyalty remains in place.

Samuel Young wrote, “Christian giving is getting involved in the Kingdom enterprise because we love God first and then our neighbour as ourselves” (“Giving & Living – Foundations for Christian Stewardship”, p.30).

Discipleship = Taking Responsibility

For human beings to grow and reach their potential, as well as being useful members of community, they need to take responsibility. And for those who indeed take responsibility for their life, their behaviour and their decision-making, then they need to take further responsibility for guiding others to do the same. This would be the case for pastors, parents and community leaders. We are failing others if we don't encourage (or, challenge) those under our influence to step up. This would mean dealing effectively and intelligently with the assets and resources we have, as well as being committed to taking any necessary action toward our weaknesses and liabilities. The preeminent 'discipleship' text is the Gospel of Mark in the Holy Scriptures, which teaches that a true Jesus follower takes responsibility for their actions and seeks to understand their identity in God. This is the way to making a positive difference wherever we travel.

Protecting Marriages - A Sermon on Mark 10:1-12

(1) Original Context

We have to be very careful with a passage like this to derive what is being said, and not get carried away with what is not really being addressed. Part of this is to know who is being addressed and why. Then we might better fairly apply the teaching. The first thing to note from our passage is that this discussion arises from a question designed to test (or more to the point, trap) Jesus. The Pharisees were seeking evidence on which to build a case against Jesus and be rid of him. So such a question was going to be loaded to try and show Jesus in a negative light. The loaded question in this case was, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”

Now if Jesus was to say ‘yes’, then he would be denying the Genesis argument for two becoming one flesh – a worthy and high and Godly ideal. Also if Jesus was to say ‘yes’, he would be in some way endorsing the behaviour of many men in taking their marriage vows extremely lightly and dispensing of their wives for seemingly very trivial reasons (and it was only men who had such rights in the Jewish world of the time). So again, if Jesus said ‘yes’ to this question, he would be intensifying the existing oppression and discrimination against women. No wonder that Jesus would not want to say ‘yes’ in these circumstances!

However, if Jesus on the other hand was to say an outright ‘no’ to this question, then he would be seemingly contravening the ‘law of Moses’, which would set him up for claims of heresy (and also a degree of unreasonable rigidity). Either answer would have tended to see Jesus aligning himself with the various factional groups on either side of the issue. Not being willing to be trapped like this, Jesus threw the matter back on the Pharisees and asked them to offer their understanding. As usual, Jesus wanted to cut through the political manoeuvring and make a difference in people’s lives (and of course with due regard for the oppressed).

The Pharisees having related their take on what Moses had said on the matter, Jesus made the distinction between what is ideal and what has been made permissible. Indeed it was only because of the weakness of the behaviour of God’s people (out of their “hardness of heart” – v.5) that any such concession had been made. And this is why divorce remains a realistic option today – human beings find it so hard to maintain relationships. Yet marriage should be taken really seriously because at this level of intimacy, ‘two have become one flesh’ (and this was meant to be indissolvable).

Therefore, in Jesus’ mind, it was time to call the men to account. Such a concession as given by Moses had led to many men frivolously divorcing their wives, amongst other reasons, because of their interest in another woman. This would have to stop! Divorce in this world was not a matter for a legal or civic official. The husband would simply execute a divorce by saying words to the effect, “She is not my wife and I am not her husband”, and issuing a certificate to this effect. When this was being so callously misused, no wonder Jesus would say (v.9), “Therefore what God has joined together let no man separate”.

This was like an undoing of the very principles of creation. Jesus wanted to uphold the dynamic originating deep in the heart of creation itself. God’s faithfulness to humanity should be paralleled by a husband and wife’s faithfulness to each other; the pure intimacy within the Creating Trinity of God should be replicated in the pure and unbroken intimacy of husband and wife. That is what is at stake here.

It was time for men to face their responsibilities, not to fall back onto their rights. What were these men up to? At the very least they had tired of their wives for one reason or another, but this passage suggests that it was interest in other women that drove them to divorce their wives. This was an issue of the exploitation of women, the misuse of power, as well as the undermining of marriage … that Jesus wanted to redress. And the problem in view here is not so much divorce but adultery, caused by a lack of attention to the sacredness of marriage vows … which were a spoken witness to the notion of two becoming one. [Note how ‘headings’ used in the Bible can be misleading; this context advises us against making more of this passage than originally intended.]

We can see that this is the point from verses 11 and 12, where Jesus sits down to explain more clearly to his disciples. If a man looks at another woman in such a way as to seek divorce from one to marry another, he has committed adultery. It would have been the first part of this that would have come as a shock to those of Hebrew heritage, for there was no such crime as a man committing adultery against his wife!

“For Jesus, the woman is a person in her own right and is in no way inferior to her husband. She is neither his possession nor his chattel. Marriage is a relationship of reciprocal rights, for both husband and wife.” (Athol Gill, ‘Life on the Road’, p.191)

And then with Mark’s Gentile readership in mind (those from the Greco-Roman world, who would not be so influenced by ‘Mosaic law’, and where a woman had the right to divorce), if a woman looks at another man in such a way as to seek divorce from him to marry another, she has committed adultery. Jesus takes this opportunity to challenge his disciples and all followers to come (note again that this teaching is directed first and foremost at the church), to take their marital responsibilities seriously, to not treat their relationship with wife or husband lightly.

Now we know that some terrible abuses have occurred in some marriages, and we know that human weakness has often been exposed bringing great stress to marriage, and that even a sense of incompatibility has ended some marriages (and this has even been the case in ‘Christian marriages’). Whereas it is regrettable that circumstances have led to separation and divorce in many cases, this should not be the end of the world for people in this situation, nor should it be the end of hope for these ones.

There are opportunities for confessing fault, expressing forgiveness, and finding love again (even with a different person). This is a component of God’s graciousness and gracefulness to us. For many people, despite all the sadness involved, divorce is actually a great liberation (and re-marriage a magnificent gift). Part of our duty of welcoming people and allowing them to belong is related to people who have experienced broken relationships. Such people would need our non-judgemental support.

Also, part of our duty to God and each other in the church community, is to model to the best of our ability how God can grow relationships to their utmost potential. Some church people have married previous to becoming a Christian, and this has now, because of conflicting allegiances, become problematical. Even in the less than ideal circumstances (other than in situations of abuse or abandonment), once we are married, we will have to make the best of it, seek peace as much as it depends upon us, and continue to lovingly live out our faith. We need to pray and care for these people.

With this in mind, here is some advice for young people (and thus also parents of young people). It will not be possible to know that you have found the right person unless you have first found your own place in God’s heart, and that the other person has likewise made that discovery for themselves. Anything short of this is relying on good luck. To try to make relationships work, ignoring the God component, is way too hard. You can raise examples of other paths that have led to good outcomes, but I suggest that these miraculous exceptions have occurred as a result of immense prayer and God’s outrageous generosity – such people have been exceptionally blessed. Simply, in thinking about relationships, Christian young people must only consider those who are obviously true Jesus followers.

(2) Contemporary Application

What Jesus has in view here is the biblical ideal of protecting the sanctity of marriage. The point is to fulfil one’s responsibilities before divorce ever becomes an option. Of course it takes two to tango, which is true of preserving a marriage relationship. This is an essential part of our discipleship, our following of Jesus, our spirituality. How can we go about this?

We will certainly need to be diligent and proactive concerning our relationships in a number of ways:

a. Personal Behaviour – this of course connects with the words in the previous passage talking about the need to control what we touch, where we go and what we look at (and the severity of the judgement involved when we hurt others in failing to attend to this). We have to clean up our own act so as to be fully available to our spouse. Problems that disrupt intimacy need to be addressed. We have to take responsibility for any feelings of anger or frustration and deal with them before they spill over toward negative (or abusive) behaviour. This leads on to the need to speak to one another in a courteous, respectful, loving way.

b. Communication – we have to be open and honest with our spouse about everything that is happening with us. We have to find time and ways of talking about things, and not letting secrets or private areas of life develop … for ‘two have become one flesh’. This would especially involve conversations about the time spent apart, typically about various work situations and family roles. Good communication will lead to cooperative and effective decision-making. Expressions of gratefulness always go down well (so do special unexpected surprise encouragements).

c. Becoming Better Acquainted – which will include accepting and valuing differences as well as celebrating commonalities. Time needs to be spent together in mutually appreciated pursuits; sometimes these will need to be actively discovered. But also, attention will need to be given to your spouse’s interests and hobbies even if they don’t interest you much. And then there is the growthful process of working through all of the necessary planning for the future. Developing patience with the other person and also good time management will help greatly.

d. Discipleship – be committed together to God’s future for you. There may be competing factors at times when trying to get the decisions right, but an active openness to God first and foremost should result more often than not in the right course of action. To be a Jesus follower in marriage also requires some of the central themes of Jesus’ teaching to be evident e.g. humility, honesty, gentleness, forgiveness, faithfulness. Attention should be given to whether or not couples together are growing in faith and commitment to God.

e. Ministry/Mission – working out how your marriage with one another stands united as part of God’s mission to the world through the church … this should be a strengthening and focussing experience. What role does your family unit play in God’s work? The marriage that truly serves God together stays together. Children who grow up with a sense of a wider loving purposeful community (such as the church should be) are blessed indeed. Although they may stray (there are no guarantees), they have been given the best possible foundation on which to later build.

A good place to start in all this is to look towards God’s faithfulness to us. We studied this recently when we looked at God’s progressive commitments to humanity – referred to as “covenants”. Despite humanity’s rebellion, God continued to find ways of promising blessing and connecting with us. God has shown us favour unending. Ultimately, even in the face of hostility, God sent his Son Jesus to assuredly express his love for us. We need to adopt this quality of faithfulness in all aspects of our lives, but especially in our relationships. And this would count in our friendships, study and work interactions, social and church connections, as of course in our families and marriage relationships.

I would value your comments on all this.