The calm assurance displayed by Jesus regarding His fate was lost on His disciples. To the very end, they steadfastly confused His divine office with something dreamed up by nationalist zealots who never understood the very nature of their God.
Skipping over several months of ministry, Mark summarizes a period when Jesus left Capernaum on the north shore of Galilee, and traveled down to Judea, then crossed the Jordan over into Perea, the domain of Herod Antipas. Mark's Roman audience would not likely have been aware of the dispute between two rabbinical schools regarding marriage. For them, it is enough to recognize the harassment of the Jewish religious leaders. Jesus stood in the domain of the ruler who had executed John the Baptist over preaching about marriage. The topic would naturally arise as Jesus taught near the area where His cousin John had preached a few years before.
Asking if divorce was lawful implied a much larger question of whether it was right and just. First, Jesus dispatched the surface issue by asking His examiners to quote Moses on the matter. What many in that day realized was the significant improvement Moses offered to the condition of women in the Ancient Near East. The passage in Deuteronomy 24:1-4 actually demanded a man present to the local courts a very serious charge short of adultery, not some frivolous distaste. Nor could he play her like a yo-yo. Women had been at a grave disadvantage until the Law of Moses. Still, Jesus showed how even that was really not very strict. Jewish men tended to see the whole issue as trading cattle, an investment in breeding and service, with little or no commitment on their part.
Going back to the very first mention of marriage, Jesus quoted Genesis verbatim in declaring marriage was binding before God two lives into one. There was no proper reason for separation, unless the cause was sufficient to warrant execution -- in every way a vow "until death part us." This covenant was binding before God Himself, a divine act for a divine purpose, not human convenience. Once two humans joined sexually, what was changed could not be put back. Later, as they convened in their lodgings there in Perea, the disciples asked for a fuller explanation. Jesus pointed out divorce, if allowed, was no more than a separation from the only spouse you would ever have. If you can't abide your marriage, you lost your only chance. Marrying again was adultery so long as both spouses lived.
Jesus took family seriously, so naturally the product of such a union was important. People were bringing children with them to visit Jesus and the disciples. The Twelve were grumpy at what they saw was a waste of their Master's time and energy. Jesus sharply rebuked them for trying to keep the little children away. He reminded them once again of the principle of childlike faith. If you do not come to the Kingdom with that absolute trust like a child, bearing no expectations and demanding no conditions, you do not enter. Jesus blessed the children with grand affection.
Mark doesn't bother explaining the details of the young man's background, he simply tells us a fellow knelt before Jesus on the road and asked how to find eternal life. Even the Roman readers would grasp the man's question was about finding that mystical spiritual enlightenment Jesus taught. The young man called Jesus "good." In a subtle reference to His divinity, Jesus reminded the man only God could be called "good," so he must recognize Jesus spoke for God. From that ground, Jesus began with the obvious, summarizing the Ten Commandments. The man not only knew them, but was certain he had obeyed from the moment he understood them. Yet it was obvious from his question this scrupulous observance did not bring him spiritual peace, did not quell his doubts about his standing before God Almighty.
That anyone should come to the place of conviction over sin has always been a miracle of grace. Where grace was working, so was love. This seeking heart was lovely to Jesus. He could only answer with absolute honesty. The one thing which would set the man free was to renounce his worldly attachments, sacrifice himself, and join Jesus in His impending execution. The truth of God crushes sin, and apparently the man was too wedded to his wealth to avoid being crushed with it. He could not divorce the false belief his prosperity and power were the primary evidence of God's favor. How could he throw aside the only blessings he knew? He left deeply saddened because he could not make the leap into the spirit realm. His god was too much of this world.
As the young man walked away, Jesus noted how hard it was for those of means to embrace spiritual truth. Jews around the world had become infamous by this time for serving the god of worldly wealth. It was easy to see their words about their faith were just words. For them, the one mark of God's favor was wealth, and anyone not wealthy was accursed. So the disciples had been taught. They were stunned with the idea their future with the Messiah would not be filled with this world's treasures. In the Jewish mind, it was incomprehensible anyone could enter the Kingdom if the wealthy were not favored by God.
Using a well known image of unloading one's baggage to enter a security gate -- "eye of the needle" -- Jesus noted the necessity of leaving this world and its goods behind to enter eternity. A man, by his accomplishments in this world, could not change his eternal standing one bit. It would require a miracle of God. The price for embracing that miracle offering was to leave behind all that holds us here. The Messiah did not come to save political Israel, but to save souls of men.
Peter noted they had readily left behind their careers and homes to wander the land with Jesus. While many generously supported Jesus' ministry, there was no earthly assurance they would not be sleeping in the open and waking to a breakfast of dust. Jesus responded this was a small price to pay for the riches of the Kingdom. Everything a man might value must be set aside for the calling of the Kingdom. In return, even in this world, he would receive back far more as Kingdom abundance. The spiritual family of grace would outnumber any clan, tribe, or nation. The real estate of the Kingdom was all of earth. But it was also persecution, because the world would reject that claim. But after it was all over, eternity stood at the end of the sorrow.
The nature of the Kingdom reversed everything. Fallen humanity had so perverted the true nature of things, everything which mattered here was trash in the Kingdom. Those who would lead in the Kingdom could be found among the lowest in this life.
Such talk was deeply disturbing to the disciples. As they approached what should have been their moment of triumph over evil in the world, the dawning of a new age under King David reborn, they were confronted hourly by earth shattering concepts. Once again, Jesus talked of His death, in ever more explicit details. Not only would He not vanquish the Jewish leaders and the Romans, but the former would abuse Him and hand Him over to the latter. Again, He spoke of rising the third day.
Always missing the point, brothers James and John privately asked if they could take the two highest offices in His Kingdom. Jesus warned it would be a high price to pay just being involved at any level. He used a common reference to group execution by poisoning, everyone in turn drinking from the same cup, sharing the same guilt before the law. And could they immerse themselves into this hard life of purity and sacrifice, of self-denial and asceticism, just to be on the team? They thought so, and Jesus promised they would pass through those things, dying literally and figuratively. But what they asked was hardly what they thought it was.
When word of this request got back to the other disciples, they acted like it was some dirty trick, because they weren't included in the negotiations. Jesus turned and warned them all. Rulers among Gentiles often regarded themselves as demigods. Were their expectations any less disgusting? In the Kingdom of God, serving is the measure of greatness. The most important thing is not sitting on thrones and making grand decisions, basking in the awe of others. The most important thing is how utterly one can set aside the self and serve others. Yes, even the Messiah did not come to be great in this world, but to serve everyone else, and to die for their spiritual ransom.
The next anecdote proved it. In the First Century Christian community, a legendary name was Bartholomew (another spelling of Bartimaeus). When he first met Jesus, he was blind, a beggar sitting along side the road up from Jericho to Jerusalem. He called out to Jesus using the kingly Messianic title, Son of David. While the crowd tried to shush him, this giant of faith simply got louder. When Jesus called for the man to be brought to him, gamely playing at being royalty, the man tossed aside the only thing of consequence he had. In that part of the world, having a cloak was necessary for survival, and beggars kept this thing like a small tent over them while sitting and calling out for donations. Whipping this cloak off, the beggar ran to Jesus. Still playing at the kingly role, Jesus asked the man what was his petition. Bartholomew called Jesus "Great Master" and asked to receive his sight. Since he was already by faith spiritually enlightened, it was a small thing he should be physically made to see. It was his faith that brought the healing.
Having clarity of vision and purpose, the man did what the rich young man could not: He followed Jesus. Nothing else in his life mattered. Obviously Mark remembered him, as his is the only record to offer a name for the man. Because he shares a name with one of the Twelve, it is hard to sort out the stories from the First Century Church, but one of them died in India, and the other in Armenia. Both died carrying the gospel message as the greatest treasure on this earth. This was greatness as measured by the Kingdom.
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By Ed Hurst
12 April 2008
COPYRIGHT NOTICE: People of honor need no copyright laws; they are only too happy to give credit where credit is due. Others will ignore copyright laws whenever they please. If you are of the latter, please note what Moses said about dishonorable behavior -- "be sure your sin will find you out" (Numbers 32:23)