First Reading: Jeremiah 31:31-34
31{Thus says the Lord,} “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, 32not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. 33For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”
Psalm 119:9-16
9How shall a young man cleanse his way? By keeping to your words. 10With my whole heart I seek you; let me not stray from your commandments. 11I treasure your promise in my heart, that I may not sin against you. 12Blessed are you, O Lord; instruct me in your statutes. 13With my lips will I recite all the judgments of your mouth. 14I have taken greater delight in the way of your decrees than in all manner of riches. 15I will meditate on your commandments and give attention to your ways. 16My delight is in your statutes; I will not forget your word.
Second Reading: Hebrews 5:1-10
1For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness. 3Because of this he is obligated to offer sacrifice for his own sins just as he does for those of the people. 4And no one takes this honor for himself, but only when called by God, just as Aaron was. 5So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him 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, after the order of Melchizedek.” 7In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. 8Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. 9And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, 10being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.
Gospel: Mark 10:32-45
32{The disciples} were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. And they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. And taking the twelve again, he 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 delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles. 34And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And after three days he will rise.” 35And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to him and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” 36And he said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?” 37And they said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” 38Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” 39And they said to him, “We are able.” And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized, 40but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.” 41And when the ten heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John. 42And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 43But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 44and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. 45For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
He Set His Face Toward Jerusalem
In Harold Kushner’s book, Who Needs God, there’s a story about a nurse who once related a conversation she had with another young lady. This young lady’s boyfriend was dying of cancer. The nurse asked her if she could do anything for her. The young lady answered, “Yeah, remind me never to love anybody this much again.” Today we come to the third time Jesus tells the disciples about what is to come, as He sets His face toward Jerusalem and the cross. And in this story from Mark, we begin to get a sense that there’s a change in the atmosphere. There’s an underlying tension growing as Jesus begins to move away from the peaceful Galilean area and toward the tense, up-tight Jerusalem.
In Luke telling of this story, he relates, “[Jesus] steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem.” I can’t help but wonder if the disciples had, at this point, realized what would happen when they got to Jerusalem, would their time with their Master be complete? Would they graduate, as it were, and be assigned leadership positions in a new world order? The request James and John made would lend credence to this belief.
Or perhaps, something else Jesus had told them, was rattling around in their brains, something that was unsettling, and they were saying, “Remind me never to love anybody this much again.” Or, were they beginning to realize that Jesus knew what lie ahead, and maybe, just maybe, the disciples were beginning to understand that what they thought was going to happen, and what was really going to happen, were two completely different things.
Now before we go any further, I have a question to ask: did the opening verses of our gospel lesson cause you to pause and ponder what was going on in the background, and why would Mark share with us that the disciples were amazed and afraid? If you’ve asked this question, well, you’re not alone. The pastors, who were there on Tuesday, debated this statement as well. We looked back to the preceding verses of chapter 10 and the only thing we could come up with is, this could have been the result of Jesus’ encounter with the Rich Young Man.
In verses 17-31, Jesus informs the young man that he must sell everything he has and come follow Jesus. This doesn’t sound to strange, after all, the disciples had left everything to follow Jesus. However, I’m wondering if it was Jesus’ words concerning how hard it is to get to heaven. According to Jesus it was easier for a camel to crawl through a very low gate then it was for anyone to get to heaven. Furthermore, Jesus said “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For God, all things are possible” (vs. 27). You see, they were still stuck in their old way of thinking. From their Old Covenant perspective, if they followed all the rules, then they would automatically go to heaven. Furthermore, Jesus was in the process of upending their deep-seated beliefs about who and what the messiah was and was coming to do.
You see, for the average Jew, they envisioned a glorious overthrow of the oppressive Roman rule: Jesus’ words, however, seemed to be contradicting these beliefs. Jesus wasn’t talking about an insurrection; He was talking about Himself being the sacrifice. You see, Jesus knew He was faced with a great decision and He was trying to get the disciples to understand. There were two roads that lay before Him; He had to choose one of them.
He knew that if He chose the road to Jerusalem, He would be on a road of obedience to the Father, a road that led to His suffering and death, a road of no return. In reality, it was a choice Jesus had been making all along. But now was the time for Him to make it known and head that way. This would be His final trip to Jerusalem. He knew what lie ahead, that the religious leaders were finalizing their plans to be rid of Him. I’m sure it was a destination that lay heavy upon Him and even though the disciples didn’t see it, I’m sure they could sense a change.
Mark tells us that Jesus was walking out ahead of His disciples. Maybe they sensed a change, so they were lagging back a little, taking uncertain steps. Mark tells us, they were both amazed and afraid. At that point Jesus calls them to Him and tells them for the third time, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and to the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him to the Gentiles; and they will mock him, and scourge him, and spit on him, and kill him. And the third day he will rise again.”
Jesus and the disciples were headed to Jerusalem. Jesus was on the road that would take Him into the heart of that city, down its main street, into the upper room, out to the garden, into the palace, and out to a hill they called the place of the skull. Jesus knew in His heart what awaited Him. He also knew this was something He had to do. He knew there was a choice, yet, there was no choice. For Him to obey the will of the Father, He had to walk to road that led to Jerusalem and His death. This is what He had been born to do. This was the hour for which He had been living. This was the purpose for which His father had sent Him into the world. And this is what would make Him who He is, in our eyes today.
Garibaldi, the Italian patriot, once said, “It is the big demand that makes the heroic spirit. It is the big demand that makes the big soul.” Jesus turned toward Jerusalem where He faced the big demand which awaited Him there. As we think about this, perhaps if we look closer at it, we will see better the choices which are always before us. Jesus chose not the road of selfishness, but the road of sacrifice. The road to Jerusalem was the road of sacrifice.
The temple in Jerusalem was the place of sacrifice for the Jewish people. It had been that way for many centuries. But this time there was something different. This time Jesus Himself would be the sacrifice. And so He tells the twelve, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and to the scribes.” We know it would have been so much easier for Jesus to travel the selfish road. He could have used His power and ability for selfish ends.
He could have instead raised an army and gathered the masses around Himself, marched right into Jerusalem and become the King of the Jews. After all, that’s what most of the people wanted Him to do anyway. Instead, He turned away from all of that, and turned toward Jerusalem, the place of sacrifice. He walked the road unarmed, not backed not by an army of force, but an army of love and kindness, a gathering of simple folk, fishermen, tax collectors and the poor.
He was headed to Jerusalem not to wage war, but to surrender. He didn’t go to gain a political victory, but to suffer and die in momentary defeat. He was forgoing the spoils of war, in order to give Himself away. And through this selfless act, Jesus set the example of service for His disciples and for us. It’s a sacrifice that they would choose later as well. It was a sacrifice that transformed them; they too became self-giving people.
This spirit of sacrifice has always characterized Christian people at their best. True followers of Jesus have the same sacrificial spirit, and they give themselves away. It’s a choice that is constantly before us. We often, in our Christian walk, are faced with the decision to live for ourselves only, or, live for something greater than we are. This great need for people who sacrifice is part of the Christian walk. God is always calling for people who are willing to give themselves away. Yes, it’s true, we take a chance when we give ourselves away. These days we’ve become cynical to the point of not trusting many people.
Henry Ford was on a vacation trip to Ireland. While he was there, he was asked to make a contribution to an orphanage. He wrote out a check for $5,000. The next day headlines in the paper read, “Henry Ford Gives Orphanage $50,000.” Later that day the director of the orphanage called and apologized. Henry Ford said, “Never mind. I’m giving you a check for the other $45,000, but only under one condition. When the new building goes up, I want this inscription over the door, ‘I was a stranger, and you took me in.'” Even in a world filled with takers, we’re called by God to be givers.
What would have happened if Jesus had not given Himself? What if the disciples had chosen to go back to their former lives? What if you and I decide to stop following in Jesus’ footsteps? The answer is simple, the Christian church would cease to exist, and God would have no witnesses in His world. The world already has enough selfish people. What the world needs is Kingdom of God people who give themselves away.
Some years ago, in Russia, a group of Christians were meeting secretly one night. Suddenly, two Russian army officers burst into their meeting. They said to the people, “Leave immediately or we will kill you.” A few of those gathered left, but the others remained. The two officers locked the door. Then they turned around and said, “We are Christians, too. We just did not want to be with anyone not willing to pay the price.” The question is always before us, are we willing to pay the price and travel the road of sacrifice? Jesus didn’t choose the road of safety, but the road of suffering.
The road to Jerusalem was the road of suffering. That’s where it led. Jesus knew all along that’s what it meant. That’s why He also said to the disciples, “And they will condemn him to death and deliver him to the Gentiles; and they will mock him, and scourge him, and spit on him, and kill him.”
The road of safety is such an easy road to travel. It’s the road which winds and wanders endlessly with no direction to it. It’s the road of least resistance. It’s the road which does not offend, never protests, never objects. Jesus called it the wide path that leads to destruction (Matt. 7:13). Thankfully, this isn’t the road Jesus chose. He took the road which led to Golgotha, the place of the skull, the execution site for the city of Jerusalem. It was the way of the cross.
Jesus also told His disciples that if they were going to follow Him, they need not expect anything different. There would be a cross out there for them on some future lonely road or some hill of one kind or another. For us to be true to our Lord, we cannot choose the road of safety. We cannot travel the road of easy living and unconcerned attitudes. We cannot take the road of token involvement. We cannot keep Christ and the church and the world and each other all at a safe distance. We cannot protect ourselves from doing too much, giving too much, and becoming too involved in the church simply because we have other things to do, and we want to keep on living our private, self-focused lives.
We will never understand, appreciate, or live the Christian life if our main concern is our own wellbeing. We simply must give ourselves to the cause of the Kingdom of God with complete abandon. It won’t work any other way. To travel the road Jesus chose isn’t easy. But the really important things never are, are they? There’s always a burden to bear.
The Christian life is not a life of ease and safety. It involves suffering, our own suffering, and taking upon ourselves the suffering of others. It means bearing the world’s hurts and problems. Obviously, we cannot do this on our own. And the good news is, we’re not on our own. Jesus promised to never leave us nor forsake us.
Carl Michaelson, in his book, Faith For Personal Crises, told the story of Felicitas of Carthage. Felicitas was a 3rd century Christian martyr who was persecuted and placed in prison. While there she had a baby. When she cried out in pain, she was asked how she would be able to endure her death by beasts. She replied, “Now I suffer what I suffer; then another will be in me who will suffer for me, as I shall suffer for him.”
In one of his sermons Phillips Brooks said, “Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men! Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for powers equal to your tasks! Then the doing of your work shall not be a miracle. But you shall be a miracle. Every day you shall wonder at yourself, at the richness of life which has come to you by the grace of God.” The greatest miracle of the New Testament isn’t that Jesus gave sight to the blind and made the lame to walk. The greater miracle is that He gives sight to us who can already see and walks with us on the road to the crosses He gives us to carry for Him. Let me leave you with one final thought; Jesus didn’t choose the road of security; He chose the road of service.
The road to Jerusalem was also the road of service. Jesus knew all along this was what He was doing. He was serving His Father and through what would happen, He would be serving all the world. That’s why He could say about all He would endure, “And the third day he will rise again.” He knew that He was the hope of the world. That’s why He said, “I came not to be served, but to serve, and to give my life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28). He wasn’t afraid to take the risk. He wasn’t looking for security. He came to serve and give His life so that you and I can live.
Not only was this true for Him, it was also true for all who would follow Him. He reminded His disciples when two of them asked for a place of glory that “whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave.” The way of service was the only way which led to the things Jesus was trying to accomplish. He wanted His followers to know they must travel in this same path.
Let me let you in on one of the great secrets of the Christian life. Real joy comes when we give ourselves away in service to the Kingdom of God. It comes to us when we give ourselves with the same devotion Jesus had as He gave Himself. The cross isn’t just that place where we see God’s love expressed and find new life, it’s also where we hear the call to service.
Two little girls were at the movies one afternoon. It was a film on the life of Jesus. They watched it until the scene where Jesus was being crucified. Then one punched the other and said, “Let’s go. This is the place where we came in.” Jesus was clear, only those willing to take up their cross would be fit to follow Him. The cross becomes real for us when we begin to see beyond the fact that Jesus died for us there, but also when we hear our call to serve Him. Jesus calls us to choose the road of sacrifice and service, to choose the way of the cross.
Amen
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