Mark 8

Study Guide 96: Mark 8:31-10:52 TEACHING HIS DISCIPLES Overview The key to this section of Mark is the repeated note that Jesus “ began to teach” and “ was teaching” His disciples. Also, five of the six times in Mark that Jesus’ disciples call him “ Teacher” are found in Mark 9:1-50 and Mark 10:1-52. What was happening before the events reported in these chapters? Wasn’ t Jesus teaching then? Jesus did teach as He traveled from village to village, healing and casting out demons. But it was the crowds that He was teaching. Often that teaching was in parables. Mark does not report this teaching in detail. But what he does tell us suggests that Jesus’ teaching was both about Himself and about life in His kingdom. In this section there is a significant shift. The ones Jesus taught were the disciples. While He began to teach them about His coming death and resurrection, the focus of His teaching is not how to live in Israel’ s expected kingdom, but on how to live as His disciples now. The great value for us in these chapters of Mark is to be found in the fact that, as believers, we too are called to be Christ’ s disciples. How good to learn more of how to live for Him. DISCIPLE. The Greek word means “ pupil” or “ learner.” In its most intense sense discipleship suggests a total commitment to stay close to and to obey the person chosen as one’ s teacher.

Commentary In each of the synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) one question Jesus asked His disciples marks a turning point. That question is, “ Who do people say I am?” (Mark 8:27 : see also Matthew 16:13; Luke 9:18) The disciples reported what the people were saying, people who had seen Jesus’ miracles, listened to His teaching, been restored by His healing power, and eaten of the bread and fishes He had multiplied. Everywhere people were convinced that Jesus was among the greatest of the prophets, and might even be one of the ancients restored to life! And then the synoptic Gospel writers each tell us that Jesus asked His disciples, “ But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered for them all. “ You are the Christ.” What is so significant about this incident is that three Gospels tell us that from this point there was a shift in Jesus’ ministry. Only then did Jesus begin to teach His disciples about His coming death. In fact, from this point on Jesus focused His ministry more and more on instructing the Twelve. Why? Because these men acknowledged Jesus for who He is: the Christ, the Son of God. The compliments of the crowds who linked Jesus with the greatest of Old Testament saints fell far short, for they failed to acknowledge Him for who He is. Those compliments in fact constituted a rejection of Jesus, a damning with faint praise. There is no way that people who will not believe in Jesus can really profit from His instruction. Without the personal relationship with God which is established by faith, what a person does is completely irrelevant. It is only as we believe and obey that Jesus can fill our lives with newness. It is only faith and obedience that can transform. And so Jesus now turned to instruct the little core of men who did believe, as you and I believe, how to live as disciples and so to please our God.

Life Through Death: Mark 8:31-9:13 Jesus’ coming death (Mark 8:31-33). Matthew, Mark, and Luke agree. As soon as Peter expressed the disciples’ conviction that Jesus truly is the Christ, Jesus began to “ teach them that the Son of man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and teachers of the Law, and that He must be killed and after three days rise again.” This blunt, clear teaching upset the disciples. They didn’ t want Jesus to die. Peter even took Jesus aside and began to “ rebuke” Him! Christ spoke sharply. “ Out of My sight, Satan,” Jesus said. And He added, “ You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” This last phrase is especially important. What seems right and reasonable to human beings is often totally out of harmony with God’ s ways. We must learn to trust the wisdom of God, even when it seems to go against all that seems wise or best to us. Choosing “ death” (Mark 8:34-38). Jesus immediately applied what He had said to discipleship. God had determined Jesus’ own death on the cross. Through that death will come new life for Jesus (He will “ after three days rise again” ) and also new life for those who believe in Jesus. But God had also determined that the way for disciples to experience that new life was through a self-denial like Jesus’ own! He told the Twelve that if they were to “ come after Me,” they must also deny self, take up their cross, and follow Jesus. The disciple’ s cross is the choice of God’ s will for the individual, even as Jesus’ cross was God’ s will for Him. Self-denial is a rejection of human wisdom and desires that may conflict with God’ s will. And “ following” Jesus is staying close to Him, living in intimate daily relationship, by adopting His own commitment to please God. What hinges on this kind of discipleship? Jesus said that the person who rejected discipleship and held on to his (old) life will lose it, while the person who loses his (old) life will save it. While this may seem complicated, the point is simple and vital. A person who rejects discipleship will never know what he or she might have become if his or her life had been turned over to Jesus. Only if we commit ourselves fully to Him, and make the disciples’ daily choice of obedience, can we discover the new life relationship which Jesus makes possible for us! LINK TO LIFE: YOUTH / ADULT Give each person in your group a sheet of paper and have colored crayons available. Tell each that he or she is going to create a picture of the ideal person; the truly beautiful person; the person he or she would like to become. The pictures need not be portraits: they can be shapes, form, a scene, etc. However, each color and shape should represent something in a person which the artist admires and desires to see developed more fully in himself or herself. When the drawings are complete, have each show and explain his or her picture. If your group is larger than 10, divide into smaller groups for this sharing. Then raise the question: “ How can we actually become this ‘ ideal’ person we want to be?” Introduce Mark 8:31-38. Glory follows (Mark 9:1-13). Again the sequence of events is important. Jesus had just told the disciples of His coming death and resurrection, and pointed out that the disciples too could be transformed if they would only give up their old lives for Him. Then Jesus told them, “ I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God coming with power” (Mark 9:1). While many have puzzled over the meaning of this saying, in each Gospel it is followed by a report of Jesus’ visit six days later to the Mount of Transfiguration. There, with Peter and James and John watching (note just “some who are standing here” ), Jesus “ was transfigured before them. His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them” (Mark 9:2-3). The glory that lay ahead for Jesus, a glory to be visible to all when “ the kingdom of God come[s] with power,” was shown to the three disciples. The Bible tells us that Elijah and Moses appeared and talked with Jesus, while a voice from heaven said, “ This is My Son, whom I love. Listen to Him.” The disciples were given a glimpse of the splendor to come after the Cross. Death truly was the pathway to glory. The incident was intended not only to reassure the disciples. It is intended to reassure you and me as well. The daily cross of the disciple is hard to bear. Often we will be called on to make choices that seem to us to involve great cost. What we need to remember is that beyond each cross God calls on us to bear, and beyond the little death that obedience may seem to involve, lies the splendor of transformation. Just as Jesus’ cross was the pathway to glory, so obedience is the pathway to transformation for you and for me. The disciples did not yet understand the meaning of what they had seen. They had not even grasped the fact that Jesus would be crucified, and they discussed what “ rising from the dead” might mean. But rather than asking Jesus, they moved to safer ground, and raised a theological question: “ Why do the teachers of the Law say that Elijah must come first?” Theological questions and discussion surely are not wrong. But what is most important is in simple faith to take heed to the words that were heard on that mountain. “ This is My Son, whom I love. Listen to Him.” If we simply listen to Jesus, and do what He says, our lives will be transformed.

Pathways to Power: Mark 9:14-50Jesus then went on to instruct His disciples in the kind of life they would be expected to live. Mark reported just a few of Jesus’ teachings, giving us brief and pithy accounts of His sayings. Yet each is distinctively helpful as we try to live our own Christian lives in the twentieth-century world. Prayer (Mark 9:14-32). When Jesus and the three came down from the Mount of Transfiguration, they found milling, shouting crowds. The disciples and some teachers of the Law were arguing loudly, while people in the crowd shouted out their comments. But when they saw Jesus all ran to greet Him. Quickly the story came out. The disciples had been asked to cast an evil spirit from a child, but were unable to. When the child was brought to Jesus, the spirit saw Him and “ immediately threw the boy into a convulsion.” The father begged, “ If You can do any thing, take pity on us and help us.” Jesus fastened immediately on the first phrase. “‘ If You can’ ?” Hadn’ t Jesus been teaching and healing literally for years in Galilee? Could there be any doubt? The answer was, of course there was doubt! People had witnessed what Jesus did but would not commit themselves fully to Him. The man’ s response to Jesus’ statement that “ everything is possible for him who believes” was certainly true of the majority in Israel. “ I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief.” There was faith, but it was mixed with an unbelief that needed to be overcome. Jesus rebuked the evil spirit, which shrieked, violently convulsed the child, and left him. Jesus took the near-dead child by the hand and lifted him to his feet. Perhaps the first lesson for us in this story is that God does not demand perfect faith in people. We do believe. But we still need help for our unbelief. Jesus accepts even imperfect faith and generously works His miracles in our lives. As we continue to grow in our relationships with Him, He does indeed “ help our unbelief,” gradually replacing it with a more perfect trust in Him. But there is another lesson as well. The disciples who had been unable to help were troubled by their powerlessness. Afterward they asked Jesus privately, “ Why couldn’ t we drive it out?” Jesus answered, “ This kind can come out only by prayer.” For the challenges of our lives as Jesus’ disciples we must rely, not on our own strength, but completely on God’ s. And we express that dependence most perfectly in prayer. Servanthood (Mark 9:33-37). On the road to Capernaum Jesus’ disciples had been arguing about which would be greatest. Christ called the Twelve together and said, “ If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.” Greatness is not to be found in self-exaltation, but in self-humbling. Spiritual significance is not won by concern for oneself, but by concern for others. It is only as we give that we receive God’ s praise. When Jesus told the disciples to welcome the little children in His name, He illustrated the nature of servanthood. In the Roman world, the “ little child” was placed under the authority of slaves. They might be loved, but were of little account until they reached their maturity. But to Jesus, the least important in society were valuable indeed. In our servanthood, we value the least of men, not just those whom the world considers important. Nonjudgmentalism (Mark 9:38-41). When the disciples saw a person they did not know driving out demons in Jesus’ name, they told him to stop! After all, weren’ t they Jesus’ disciples? What right did anyone else have to use His name? Christ rebuked them, pointing out that no one who does good in Jesus’ name one moment can speak against Jesus the next. Even a person who does the simplest good in Jesus’ name will be rewarded. How often through church history Christ’ s people have forgotten these words to disciples. We are not to condemn others who act in Jesus’ name just because they are not part of our group, or our church. Those who act in the name of Jesus are with us, even if they are not of us. Harmony (Mark 9:42-50). Jesus warned that disciples must do nothing to cause “ one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin.” In a series of strong statements, Jesus emphasized how terrible sin is. The imagery of cutting off the hand that causes sin, etc., is not meant literally but instead emphasizes the necessity of a decisive rejection of sin. Disciples are to be “ salt,” a preservative. If the disciple does not live in harmony with Jesus and with others, but sins or causes others to sin, the disciple will be worthless as salt, and unable to fulfill his or her function. Sin, in ourselves or in others, is serious. It shatters the harmony that is to exist between us and God, and within the Christian community. How, then, does Jesus instruct His followers to live as disciples? They, and we, are to live a life of prayer and of servanthood. We are to live with our fellow believers in a nonjudgmental way, a way that promotes harmony by personally rejecting temptations to sin, and being careful not to cause brothers and sisters to sin either. LINK TO LIFE: YOUTH / ADULT Put this outline on the chalkboard: Prayer: Mark 9:14-32; Servanthood: Mark 9:33-37; Nonjudgmentalism: Mark 9:38-41; Harmony: Mark 9:42-50. Let each group member select one of these four subjects to research in a team. Each team is to identify at least one principle for living as a disciple. Then each team is to list as many situations as possible in which acting on this principle is important to Christians today. There are a number of enigmatic statements in this section, and your group members may have questions. Read the passage carefully.

Threats to Discipleship: Mark 10:1-52Jesus had shown His followers several keys to living as disciples. Now in a series of incidents that Mark linked together, Christ warned against pathways that have attracted the religious of all the ages. Jesus’ disciples, today as then, must be careful not to fall into these spiritual traps. Legalism (Mark 10:1-16). Again Jesus was met and questioned by some Pharisees. As always, they raised a legal question to “ test” Jesus. There is one Greek word that suggests a “ test” which is administered from a desire to prove the genuineness of the article tested. That word is not used here. The Pharisees did not wish to approve Jesus; they wished to discredit Him. Each of the Gospel writers reports words of Jesus on marriage. He must have spoken of it often. So when the Pharisees raised the question again to “ test” Christ, we can assume that they already knew His position. Their question: “ Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” This was intended as a trap. If Jesus said no, He would seem to speak against the Law of Moses. If He said yes, He would apparently contradict His own often-expressed commitment to a permanent relationship. Jesus answered by referring to the Law in which they claimed to trust. “ What did Moses command you?” And they spoke of the “ certificate of divorce” that the Mosaic Law permitted. Jesus’ response showed a totally different perspective on the Law than was held by the Pharisees. The Pharisees held that the Law was “ the” standard of perfection. They believed God had given that perfect standard to mark out the way of salvation. And they also believed that they, by their zealous effort to keep the Law, would win His approval. Jesus had a different perspective. He explained, “ It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law.” Look back to Creation, Jesus taught, and you will see God’ s intention. Marriage is to be a lifelong commitment. The reference to hard hearts is a reference to sin. It was only because sin warped and distorted this most intimate of relationships that Moses permitted divorce. God was willing to lower His standards, to provide imperfect human beings with a way to escape a destructive marriage. Divorce law, then, proved that Law itself was not the ideal standard the Pharisees thought it to be! In fact, Law involved a lowering of God’ s standards, permitting men who fell far short of His true ideal to continue in fellowship with Him. What Law does is to show how far short we fall of the divine ideal, and reveal our need for salvation (cf. Romans 3:19-20). The Pharisees’ assumption that one could be saved by works of the Law, or even win God’ s approval by legalistic dedication, was completely wrong! Later the disciples asked about the incident. His answer again focused on the heart, and suggested that the law on divorce was being used simply to change an older mate for a younger one. Anyone who divorces and remarries commits adultery. It is not conformity to the letter of the law, but intent, that God judges. How careful we must be not to let our living relationships with Jesus be translated into frozen rules that ignore the motives of our hearts and are insensitive to the true desires for our God. And how very careful we must be not to legalistically “ test” our brothers as the Pharisees constantly tried to test Jesus, not to approve but to discredit Him. This sequence ends with another story. People were bringing little children to Jesus. The disciples objected, and tried to send the parents away. But Jesus indignantly commanded them to “ let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” He went on to add that “ anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” What did Jesus mean? In Judaism a “ little child” was not considered to be under the Law. Not until one’ s thirteenth birthday was a person old enough to begin to relate to God through the Law. To receive the kingdom like a “ little child” meant to reject Law as a way of entering God’ s kingdom, and to rely instead as children did on the love and grace of the God who had made great promises to His people. Humanism (Mark 10:17-34). The “ rich young man” who came to Jesus addressed Him as “ good Teacher” and asked what he must “ do” to inherit eternal life. These provide the key to understanding the next danger to the disciple: humanism. Jesus immediately challenged the young man’ s assumptions. Why did he call Jesus “ good” and add a merely human title? Didn’ t he realize that only God is truly “ good” ? This is, of course, the key error of humanism. It seeks goodness in human motives and actions, without realizing that only God is good. To help the young man discover his error for himself, Jesus asked about the commands listed on the second tablet of the Law. When Moses brought God’ s Ten Commands down from Mount Sinai, they were written on two stone tablets. The first tablet contained commands that related to loving God. The second tablet contained commands related to loving other human beings. Now Jesus quoted only from the second tablet as He spoke of the commands not to murder, commit adultery, steal, give false testimony, or defraud, and to honor mother and father. This, the young man said, he had done since he was a boy. This young man was not lying. He had been a truly good person. “ Jesus looked at him and loved him.” But then Jesus spoke of a great lack. And He told the young man to sell everything, give it to the poor, and then follow Jesus. The young man’ s face fell, and he went away sad “ because he had great wealth.” What happened here? This young man who represented the best humanism has to offer — a truly “ good” (by human standards) person — had related correctly to his fellowmen. But the very first commandment says, “ You shall have no other gods before Me” (cf. Exodus 20:3). Jesus’ instructions to sell all was a vivid demonstration that this lovely young man, so sensitive in his dealings with others, actually did have another god before God: his money. When the Son of God commanded him to sell his possessions, he made his choice — money. How hard it was for this rich young man to give God His proper place. Humanistic good — an honest consideration of other people — is not really costly. But putting God first may demand our everything! The disciples again misunderstood. When Jesus remarked on how hard it is for the rich to enter His kingdom, the disciples were stunned. Surely wealth was a sign of God’ s approval! If the wealthy found it difficult, who then could be saved? Jesus answered, “ With man this is impossible.” No matter how kind and considerate the humanist may be, mere human goodness can never win entrance to God’ s kingdom. But, “ All things are possible with God” (Mark 10:27). In Jesus Himself God has made a way for His lost ones to return. Still the disciples misunderstood. Fascinated with riches, Peter wondered aloud. “ We have left everything to follow You!” Jesus nodded and made Peter, and you and me a promise. In abandoning everything we will without fail receive “ a hundred times as much in this present age.” In Christ we become the possessors of all things. But many who seem “ first” in this life will be last in God’ s kingdom, and those whom men account “ last” will be first. LINK TO LIFE: CHILDREN It’ s not wrong to possess things. What is wrong is to value earthly treasures more highly than we should. Today boys and girls are constantly tempted by sophisticated marketing to want things that have no real value. Watch a couple of children’ s TV shows and look at the back of cereal boxes to discover what advertisers are trying to make children want now. Obtain pictures of half dozen or so of the most currently wanted items. Paste one picture on one side of a 4 x 6 card. On the other paste or draw a picture to represent: friends, school, church, missions (a needy person), etc. Then play “ Choose One.” First show each side of one card. Have the children talk about why they like the thing on each side (for instance, GOBOTS, and friends). Then ask the children if they could have only one of these two, which would they choose? After the choice is made, talk about why each child chose as he did. Why didn’ t they choose GOBOTS? (Get broken, lost, can’ t talk to or care about us, etc.) How important that we learn to choose the things that are truly important to us, the good gifts God has given us rather than the things advertisers try to make us think we need. Authoritarianism (Mark 10:35-45). The third danger to discipleship is the desire for the wrong kind of authority within the believing community. James and John were eager for positions of power in Jesus’ coming kingdom. Jesus warned them that one who sought position in His kingdom must be ready to drink from Christ’ s cup and to be baptized with His baptism. In this He spoke of complete dedication to God’ s will, and the suffering that this might entail. Jesus warned them, however, to abandon the notion of “ authority” as it was understood in the secular world. There the rulers “ lord it over” others and “ exercise authority over them.” It is not to be this way in Jesus’ kingdom. The person who is great is the one who gives himself to serve others, even as Jesus came to serve and to give His life (Mark 10:43-44). There is to be no hierarchy in the church! The greatest is the lowest: the one who dedicates himself not to be served by those to whom he gives orders, but to give service that they might become all that God wants them to be. The blind see (Mark 10:46-52). Again Mark closed a section with report of a miracle. But what a special miracle. A blind man was given his sight, and was told, “ Your faith has healed you.” It is the same with us. Jesus gives us the spiritual sight to see the emptiness in legalism, the futility of mere humanism, and the error of hierarchialism. What is it that truly can heal the disciple and lead him along the pathway of power? Jesus answers us in His words to the blind who now can see. “ Go, your faith has healed you.” And as with Bartimaeus, “ immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.”

Teaching Guide Prepare In which area is your own discipleship most actively expressed: Prayer? Servanthood? Nonjudgmentalism? Harmony?

Explore

1. Ask each person to write down a single statement explaining what a disciple is and does. Share ideas and discuss your group members’ ideas.
2. What do your group members yearn to become? Help them explore how discipleship promises personal transformation, and sense what they can become through full commitment to Jesus Christ. Use the “ link-to-life” activity explained above.

Expand

1. What are the pathways that Jesus marked out to spiritual success for disciples? “ Link-to-life” above suggests a way to study Mark 9:1-50 and learn about the role of prayer, servanthood, nonjudgmentalism, and interpersonal peace.
2. Or look at the three detours that lead disciples astray as they seek to follow Jesus. Before your group meets, assign three different members one of the different detours found here: legalism, humanism, and authoritariansim. Work through the passage each is assigned with him or her. Then in class ask each for a five-minute summary of his or her theme. After reports are heard, have these three people serve as a panel, to answer any questions on the passage he or she reported on.

Apply In closing ask your group members to meditate quietly for about two minutes on the statement: Discipleship is a choice.