Loaded Questions

Mark 12:12, 13

And they were seeking to arrest him but feared the people, for they perceived that he had told the parable against them. So they left him and went away. And they sent to him some of the Pharisees and some of the Herodians, to trap him in his talk.

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Here we find Jesus in a perfect storm of circumstances. Fortunately, Jesus exemplifies complete confidence in God, even when he knows that his enemies and even his friends will soon be turning on him. It is in this context that Jesus is confronted with three loaded questions and demonstrates several traits that can help us when our faith is questioned:

1. Answer with Discernment. "And they came and said to him, "Teacher, we know that you are true and do not care about anyone's opinion. For you are not swayed by appearances, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? Should we pay them, or should we not?" (Mark 12:14 ESV). Mark has already told us that these religious leaders were trying to trap Jesus with a loaded question. By making Jesus take a stand on a hot button political issue, they were looking to discredit him and stir up the Roman authorities against him. And they start their question with flattery! It takes real discernment to know others' motives and not run headlong into a semantic trap. (However, you may also discern good motives, as were apparent in the scribe in verse 28. Here we see Jesus being sensitive to the context and encouraging the seeds of apparent faith in the scribe).

2. Answer with both Love and Firmness. Jesus would have been perfectly justified in disregarding these duplicitous questions altogether. Instead he condescends to answer even the petty question from the Sadducees about marriage in the resurrection. Petty questions about religious minutiae drive me crazy, but time after time Jesus (and later Paul) patiently redirected people to what is fundamentally important: the big picture of God's redemption through his Son. But coupled with love must be a direct firmness in correcting obvious errors. Calling out dangerous lies that threaten the core truths of the gospel is in fact the most loving thing you can do in this situation: Jesus said to them, "Is this not the reason you are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God? (Mark 12:24 ESV).

3. Answer with Scripture. The verse quoted above also points to the most powerful lesson that can be taken away from this chapter: be unashamed of basing your answers on the eternal truth of God's revealed Word. Our culture is far from the first century Jewish context, where revelation was respected as a viable source of truth. But even in a purely postmodern context, the simple statement of truth from the Bible can be unexpectedly powerful and convicting. After all, what was it that ultimately convinced me of God's love and truth? Was it not the plain statement of the gospel: that God's Son loved me in his sacrificial death, proved he was God by rising from the dead, and offers new life in the Spirit both now and in eternity? These truths are not the result of observing nature or mere abstract reasoning. The core of the gospel must be our ultimate answer, and it must always be rooted in Scripture to have any lasting affect on the human heart (see Heb. 4:12).

Lord, help me to walk in your Spirit by displaying these Christlike traits in my daily conversations. Help me to properly discern each situation, answer with both love and firmness, and be unashamed in my hope that is revealed in the written word of God. Tame this tongue, Lord, and let it serve to spread the life-changing grace of the gospel. Amen.

Authority and Agnosticism

Mark 11:28-30, 33

And they said to him, "By what authority are you doing these things, or who gave you this authority to do them?" Jesus said to them, "I will ask you one question; answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. Was the baptism of John from heaven or from man? Answer me...."

...So they answered Jesus, "We do not know." And Jesus said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things."

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The opposite of authority may be agnosticism. In this chapter, we see the authority of Jesus displayed in at least four ways:

1. Authority in Action. The triumphal entry and the cleansing of the temple are perhaps the most authoritative moments in Jesus' earthly ministry. To demand a young colt and ride him into the big city to the resounding cheers of an adoring crowd was a clear statement of kingship in the Jewish culture. This was a coronation of the highest order - the enthronement of the long awaited messianic king, the son of David. Following this, Jesus walks into the center of Jewish religious life and drives out the merchants, essentially claiming authority over his Father's house and anyone in it.

2. Authority in Word. Not only did Jesus act like God and King, he spoke in like manner:

And he said to [the fig tree], "May no one ever eat fruit from you again." And his disciples heard it...

...And he was teaching them and saying to them, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations'? But you have made it a den of robbers."

...As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots.
(Mark 11:2, 3, 14, 17, 20 ESV)

No plant or person is immune to the powerful words of Christ. We find elsewhere in Scripture that Christ in fact spoke the universe into existence and holds it all together simply with his word (Heb. 1:3). His verbal authority is unmatched and should give us pause when we disregard his words of warning or fail to fully believe his wonderful promises (Heb. 2:1).

3. Authority in Prayer. I think Jesus may want us to be less impressed with showy displays of authority, and more impressed with the kind of faith that asks God to move mountains and expects it to happen. The strength of our faith in prayer correlates directly with the genuineness of our belief in the power and goodness of God. Let us not fail to convey to the world how strong and real God is by mouthing weak and uncertain words in our prayers. In this way Jesus is calling us to reflect his authority by calling on it with confidence (Heb. 4:16).

4. Authority in Question. Finally, after these several public expressions of his authority, those who have thought of themselves as the highest authorities begin to question Jesus openly. In his own unique way, Jesus pushes the burden of proof back on them, questioning their knowledge and authority, and forces them to admit defeat in four simple words: "we do not know." Here is where I see signs that our modern world's embrace of agnosticism runs completely counter to the good authority displayed in Jesus. We have romanticized uncertainty to the extent that we have become powerless, and this has sadly affected the church, myself included. In truth, by questioning our faith ad nauseam we reflect to the world an uncertain god with an uncertain promise.

Lord God Almighty, I confess my weakness and uncertainty and today I claim your power and confidence, not because of anything I have to offer, but entirely because of your sure and certain promise of salvation. I stand on you, my solid rock. Thank you for demonstrating your love for me while I was still dead and blind in my sin. Now I am alive in You, and I walk in confident faith, and in the authority that is mine through Christ my Savior. Amen.

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus' blood and righteousness
I dare not trust the sweetest frame
But wholly lean on Jesus' name
On Christ the Solid Rock I stand
All other ground is sinking sand
All other ground is sinking sand

Shadows of the Messiah

Psalm 20:1-3

May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble!
May the name of the God of Jacob protect you!
May he send you help from the sanctuary
and give you support from Zion!
May he remember all your offerings
and regard with favor your burnt sacrifices!

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Psalm 20 is an example of a royal hymn, one of several in which the psalmist invokes the special blessing of God upon the ruler of Israel. These royal hymns are often prophetic shadows of the coming messiah, and since the New Testament writers read them this way, it is more than fair for us to do the same. Though this passage is brief, we can apply both a historical and typological interpretation in order to gain some pearls of insight here.

Historically speaking, we are listening to the voice of a young David praying for king Saul, who happens to hate David and who attempted to kill him in fits of jealous rage on several occasions. The heart of David was to honor God, who had been faithful to miraculously slay Goliath and other enemies, thus proving He was immanently more trustworthy than chariots and horses. Likewise, David honored his king as one having God's special blessing, and thus refers to him as God's "anointed." This kind of honor is often described in the biblical narrative, where David passes up several opportunities to kill Saul and take his kingdom by force, preferring instead to trust God and carry out his duty under an unjust king.

The typological interpretation could actually go two ways: both Saul and David can be in view here as types of the messiah. I include Saul because David calls him anointed, which is what "messiah" means. In this sense, we can imagine this prayer as a prayer for the messiah to reign in power, to be blessed in all of his plans and desires, and be rescued from all his enemies. (We can apply this prayer by likewise blessing King Jesus and seeking favor for his kingdom purposes on this earth.)

A second type is David himself, whose example of humble prayer and devotion to a wicked and ungrateful king so clearly reflects Christ's teaching and example of loving his enemies, even to the point of personal humiliation. Seeing my sinful self in the place of Saul, I am astonished that my Savior prays for my ungrateful heart to be fulfilled and that he even prays for my offerings to be acceptable to God - a shadow of the intercession that Christ now makes as our advocate before the Father. Even in these brief words of this ancient royal prayer, the gospel message is clear and profound.

Lord, thank you for the undeserved honor of receiving your prayers, your favor, your intercession, and your eternal blessings. All glory to you, the anointed king and humble servant - the lion and the lamb. Amen.

Salvation is Impossible

Mark 10:26, 27

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."

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Here's an encouraging sermon application: It is impossible for man to be saved! Wow, what a downer. Could you try telling me something a little nicer about myself, like how smart and clever and lovable I am? No? Oh fooey!

No, I'm afraid that any honest reading of this chapter should bring us to our knees. In Mark 10 we see several more examples of the disciples missing the point and revealing how clueless they still are:

- they don't quite get the teaching on divorce (v 10)
- they rebuke the kids who want to meet Jesus (v 13)
- they are openly afraid, apparently of the persecution they expect to face in Jerusalem (v 32)
- they make another attempt at nepotism by asking for a spiritual favor (v 37)
- they apparently join in rebuking a blind man who is openly declaring Jesus as king (v 48)

But right in the center of this chapter is where we see the disciples described as "exceedingly astonished." I honestly sympathize with the Rich Young Man who thought he was obeying God but couldn't find his heart devoted enough to sell all he had at the command of this miracle working teacher. I move from sympathy to pity when I realize that he was clinging to his self-righteous vision of the world, which could not conceive of an incarnate God who was worthy of direct obedience and honor. But I haven't always noticed that the disciples were equally stuck in a mentality that assumed salvation could be earned or obtained by human effort.

This is yet another illustration of how restricted pietism can masquerade in religious clothing but fundamentally reflect a worldview that is completely opposed to the heartbeat of God. We crave a short list of attainable goals that leaves room for our own boasting and pride; we cringe and may even walk away from a call to give up our lives and reputations for something bigger than ourselves: the kingdom of our Savior and his mission in the world.

Lord, help me to be more astonished at my self-righteousness than at the wise words of my Savior, who is graciously telling me that I can never save myself, no matter how hard I try. And let me be grateful that the bad news of my inability before God is closely followed by the good news of Christ's finished work of salvation offered and credited to my account through faith alone. All glory to Him alone. Amen.

The View from the Mountain

Mark 9:33-34, 38

And they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house he asked them, "What were you discussing on the way?" But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest....

...John said to him, "Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us."

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Chapter 9 of Mark's Gospel starts with a literal epiphany and ends with disciples who still don't get it. After rebuking Peter in chapter 8 for not accepting the prediction of Christ's atoning death, we are welcomed onto the mountain of God and given a glimpse behind the curtain of God's plan. Jesus is transfigured before the apostles' eyes, and Moses and Elijah appear in the flesh to discuss the upcoming climax of God's redemptive story. The apostles hear Jesus, Moses, Elijah, and even the booming voice of God from out of the sky, all testifying to Christ's death and resurrection, but they fail to understand! Verses 10 and 23 explicitly say that they don't get it. Then the chapter closes with two stories that really prove they don't get it.

The first story shows that the apostles were still fundamentally confused about the nature of God's kingdom: the power of God is manifested in serving, not in being served - in giving up your life rather than claiming positions of power. We are to become like children, trusting completely in Someone other than ourselves for everything. We are also to receive children and people of no reputation as if they were people of great importance, thus conveying the economy of God's love, where all are welcomed equally into his family through Christ's offer of salvation.

The second story speaks also to this fundamental difference between the mentality of the world and the mentality of the kingdom: those who are not in our clique but use Jesus' name to do good, they should be respected rather than judged. In other words, there is a fundamental graciousness extended within the church community between people of differing opinions. Working out the details of these relationships may involve some hard work and sensitivity to the Spirit, but the starting point, according to Jesus, is grace.

What's the connection between these two anecdotes in Mark 9? I think they should be viewed in light of the Transfiguration, and convict us of how far our natural worldly mentality is from the heartbeat of God - He is working out a cosmic plan to redeem humanity, and we struggle to grasp it, understand it, apply it, or let it inform our view of others. We want first place, even after seeing God in the flesh and hearing the heavenly Voice. We want to judge others, when we've got logs in our own eyes waiting to be removed.

Lord, help me to live as a childlike servant, assuming the best of others, and most of all standing in awe of Your glorious plan of redemption. Help me understand it, treasure it, and live humbly in light of it. All by your grace alone. Amen.

What is Revealed and What is Not

Psalm 19:12-14

Who can discern his errors?
Declare me innocent from hidden faults.
Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins;
let them not have dominion over me!
Then I shall be blameless,
and innocent of great transgression.
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable in your sight,
O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.

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I once had a roommate who noticed something about me and told me about it (sounds like a roommate, right?).  He told me that I seemed to struggle with guilt over sins that I hadn't even committed.  I was always questioning myself, hoping that my introspection would reveal some hidden corner of my life that contained some sinful thought or deed.  Further, I would sometimes just assume that I was sinning in some way, without even having a specific insistence I could put my finger on.

My roommate told me that such an attitude was actually not portraying much confidence in God's ability to convict me of sin.  In other words: "Don't you trust God enough to let him do His job - to convict you of hidden sin? If you know you have committed a sin, just repent and pray and turn to Christ; If not, then stop worrying about it."  Boy, did I need that kick in the pants.  And, Psalm 19 gives us a wonderful example of David's trust in the God who faithfully guides and convicts his children.

Verses 1-11 describe how God has revealed himself and his expectations - first through the natural world, then also through his written word.  The natural world "pours" forth speech concerning the majesty and holiness and creativity of God.  The written word reveals the specific nature of God and guides his children in everything pertaining to life and godliness (cf. 1 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Pet. 1:3-4).  In other words, it's God's job to reveal himself and his character.  He is more trustworthy than anyone to let us know what He expects of us.

The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law (Deut. 29:29).

This is challenging and encouraging.  It is challenging because we naturally cringe at many of God's clear expectations and commands in Scripture.  Carrying our cross, imitating God incarnate, laying down our lives, praying without ceasing, preaching the word, loving our enemies - these are not always so convenient in a fallen world that considers the cross of Christ to be foolishness.

But, Psalm 19 is also encouraging, especially for those prone to unhealthy introspection.  David considers first the clarity of God's self-revelation in nature and in Scripture, then what does he do?  He prays to God to convict him of hidden sin and save him from presumptuous thinking.  He also is concerned about the thoughts and meditations of his heart, which are potentially sinful and corrupt.  But, I believe David's prayer reflects a heart that trusts God to do his work of penetration and conviction (cf. Heb. 4:12).  Therefore, if God is silent and does not bring any of our hidden sins to light, then guess what?  There's nothing there to worry about.

At least, not for right now.

(I have a feeling that there may always be more hidden sin in us while we live this fallen life, but God, in his mercy, only reveals it to us in manageable portions, so that we do not despair, but continue to trust in the transforming Spirit of Christ, who will not rest until he has conformed us to his image.  See Romans 8:28-29)

"When The Saints" By Sara Groves