On the Road to Jerusalem

32They were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them; they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them what was to happen to him, 33saying, “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; 34they will mock him, and spit upon him, and flog him, and kill him; and after three days he will rise again.” (Mark 10:32-34, NRSV)

What would you do if the teacher you had been following for 3 years all of a sudden started talking about going somewhere and they would be killed?

Well, Jesus didn’t all of a sudden start talking about this, Jesus had been preparing the disciples all along that this was going to happen. They just didn’t get it, but it took them by surprise or caught them off guard, and I am sure it would have done the same to all of us.

What would you have done?

How would you handle this?

It is the same for how we handle God telling us we need to go and do something we aren’t prepared to hear. How do we handle it?

Take a step in faith and know that God goes with you!

Present Sufferings, Future Glory

18I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. 19For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; 20for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; 23and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. 24For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? 25But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. (Romans 8:18-25, NRSV)

God never said in the scriptures or through any messenger that we would have a live devoid of pain and suffering.

God said that God would always be with us through whatever we went through.

God will always be there to walk with us and guide us along the way, not to take the pain away but to show us that we are loved and not alone.

Always hope in God, because God is always there for you.

Eternal Life to Come

28Peter began to say to him, “Look, we have left everything and followed you.” 29Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, 30who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age—houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. 31But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.” (Mark 10:28-31, NRSV)

It is not only about eternal life to come. It is about abundant life now.

Jesus says that those who follow will get a hundredfold in this age. We get life abundantly now.

Don’t just wait for it, live in it now.

The Love of Money

6Of course, there is great gain in godliness combined with contentment; 7for we brought nothing into the world, so that we can take nothing out of it; 8but if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these. 9But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains. (1 Timothy 6:6-10, NRSV)

Money is the root of all evil, right?

That is what we all think. Money is an inanimate object. It is not good or evil, that all depends on how we use it.

The verse above actually says the love of money is the root of all evil. Meaning if you love money and use people to get it, then that is evil.

We need to relearn to love people and use things, rather than using people and loving things.

Love as God loved you, unconditionally.

Glory

14Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. 15For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. 16Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Every high priest chosen from among mortals is put in charge of things pertaining to God on their behalf, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2He is able to deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is subject to weakness; 3and because of this he must offer sacrifice for his own sins as well as for those of the people. 4And one does not presume to take this honor, but takes it only when called by God, just as Aaron was. 5So also Christ did not glorify himself in becoming a high priest, but was appointed by the one who said to him, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you”; 6as he says also in another place, “You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.” 7In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. 8Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered; 9and having been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him, 10having been designated by God a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek. (Hebrews 4:14-5:10, NRSV)

Because of Jesus we can come to God and be bold in our coming. We can know that we are accepted because of Jesus and Gid wants to hear from us.

We can seek God and know God will hear us.

So be bold because of Jesus and go to God with all your needs.

Brothers and Sisters

10It was fitting that God, for whom and through whom all things exist, in bringing many children to glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings. 11For the one who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one Father. For this reason Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters, 12saying, “I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters, in the midst of the congregation I will praise you.” 13And again, “I will put my trust in him.” And again, “Here am I and the children whom God has given me.” 14Since, therefore, the children share flesh and blood, he himself likewise shared the same things, so that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by the fear of death. 16For it is clear that he did not come to help angels, but the descendants of Abraham. 17Therefore he had to become like his brothers and sisters in every respect, so that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make a sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the people. 18Because he himself was tested by what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested. (Hebrews 2:10-18, NRSV)

Jesus came here to help us. To show us how to live.

Jesus calls us brothers and sisters so we are a part of His family.

Lean on Him and trust in Him.

He came here for you.

Temptation

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished. 3The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” 4But he answered, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” 5Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6saying to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’” 7Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” 8Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor; 9and he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” 10Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! for it is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.’” 11Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him. (Matthew 4:1-11, NRSV)

I love this passage because of the difference of translation. The word translated as if in this passage for if you are the Son of God…

Is the devil asking Jesus who he is? Or does he know who he is? You see the word translated if can mean if but it can also be since. So is the devil questioning Jesus’ identity or saying you can do this because you are the son of God.

The devil knows who Jesus is. Do you?

Jesus Blesses Children

13People were bringing little children to him in order that he might touch them; and the disciples spoke sternly to them. 14But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. 15Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.” 16And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them. (Mark 10:13-16, NRSV)

Little children trust and believe in things they can not see or understand so much easier than adults do. That is why we must be like little children. We have to give up the need to know everything and just believe.

So believe and trust. Allow God to give you the best life ever.

A Teaching on Divorce

He left that place and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan. And crowds again gathered around him; and, as was his custom, he again taught them. 2Some Pharisees came, and to test him they asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” 3He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” 4They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her.” 5But Jesus said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart he wrote this commandment for you. 6But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ 7‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, 8and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. 9Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” 10Then in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. 11He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her; 12and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.” (Mark 10:1-12, NRSV)

This is always a hard teaching for us. In today’s world, many are divorced and remarried. As a pastor, I hope to help couples work through issues and stay married. Marriage is a commitment, and it isn’t always about love. But that being said there are reasons a couple should not be married. So now if you are divorced what does that mean?

Does God love you less? No God doesn’t love you any less. And in a world where sin is pervasive, you get to name your sin. You can tell the world one of your sins is divorce. And you are an adulterer. Own it as the thing it is. Part of our broken world in which we were made by God, perfectly as we are.

God makes no mistakes. Sometimes we do, but that doesn’t mean God loves us any less.

Share God’s love.

Helping Other Followers

38John 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.” 39But Jesus said, “Do not stop him; for no one who does a deed of power in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. 40Whoever is not against us is for us. 41For truly I tell you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ will by no means lose the reward. 42“If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea. 43If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life maimed than to have two hands and to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. 45And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame than to have two feet and to be thrown into hell. 47And if your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and to be thrown into hell, 48where their worm never dies, and the fire is never quenched. 49“For everyone will be salted with fire. 50Salt is good; but if salt has lost its saltiness, how can you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.” (Mark 9:38-50, NRSV)

Just because someone doesn’t follow Jesus the way you do doesn’t mean they aren’t following the Lord!

Treat others with the love that God has given to you.

Do not make others believe the way you believe, but give them the love God has given you and let God work in their life.