Weekly Recap
We can learn a lot about people by observing what makes them angry. In this short passage from Mark 10, the disciples get angry and Jesus gets angry - but not about the same thing. Pastor Chris pulled out four big ideas from these four little verses, showing us once again that what may seem like an insignificant incident can have major ramifications for the kingdom of God.
In verse 13, the first big idea is that pride is not just a barrier, but THE barrier to the kingdom. The root of every single sin is pride. Sin is the creation telling the Creator that it is its own god, elevating itself above the God of the universe. Even before what is often called “original sin” in the Garden of Eden, the archangel Lucifer was cast out of Heaven for his sin of wanting to be equal to God. God hates pride because it causes us to be blind toward our need for him, preventing us from receiving the gift of grace he offers us. It also gives us an inaccurate view of ourselves, causing us to look down on everyone else.
The culture of the day made value judgments based on gender, ethnicity, social status, and wealth and that hasn’t changed. When the disciples rebuked those who were bringing the children to Jesus to be blessed, they were reacting like the culture and not like their teacher, Jesus. Not only were they revealing attitudes that could potentially keep them out of God’s kingdom, but they were also trying to keep others from experiencing the blessings of that kingdom. Jesus quickly shut them down and did just the opposite, welcoming the children and drawing them close to him.
The second big idea in verse 14 is that dependence is the posture needed to receive the kingdom. Whereas pride builds walls to keep people out, dependence admits we are in need and willing to receive. When Jesus saw the disciples rebuking those who brought their children into his presence, he was righteously enraged at their actions. This reveals a complete contrast to what made the disciples angry. Although this particular instance dealt with children, Jesus was not making a point about children only. He was using the posture, position, and status of children as an example of what we must be like to enter his kingdom. The children, like many other members of society, were dependent and powerless. They had to be brought to Jesus. We all need to have the awareness that we are desperately needy and spiritually impoverished. Any kind of personal achievements and righteous deeds are nothing but filthy rags. Only empty hands can be filled, so we must all come to God with empty hands.
In verse 15, the third big idea comes down to the fact that grace is the only entrance to the kingdom. The kingdom is something we receive and Jesus told them that unless they received his kingdom like a child, they would not enter it. We can never have enough or be enough to enter the kingdom on our own. That would be as impossibly ludicrous as trying to buy a Lamborghini with a penny - because the standard for entrance into God’s kingdom is God himself. God’s grace is something to be received, an unmerited, unearned gift achieved for us by Jesus. We have all sinned so we all fall short of the glory of God.
Finally, we see the fourth big idea in verse 16 - Jesus himself is the display of the kingdom. When he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them, he was the visible picture of his kingdom of grace. The kingdom of God is where, by his grace and mercy, we are received and embraced by God. We are welcome and will be welcomed for eternity, not because we have it all together or have done enough good to outweigh the bad, but because we have admitted that we are completely dependent on our Heavenly Father. Not only is Jesus the display of the kingdom, he also models for us how a citizen of the kingdom should live. The disciples were acting within cultural norms, but Jesus did the opposite - speaking out for those who couldn’t speak for themselves and defending the poor, needy, and destitute. A proper understanding of grace leads us to a life of service and loving others. Loved people love people, especially those who are typically rejected by the self righteous.Pastor Chris urged us to consider whether we thought ourselves better than certain types of people and if so, to confess, and repent for not being shaped by the way of Jesus. Our lives should be in the process of becoming more and more like Jesus, getting angry about the things that anger him and less like the culture around us.