What do you want me to do for you?

Mark 10

October 14, 2012

Pastor Miles

1. "I want permission to do what I want"
- in the area of relationships and divorce
- do we want to truly know God's plan, or just His approval?
- if our heart isn't right, then what we desire is often not right
- do we want God's best for our lives or are we just seeking His approval?

And he left there and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan, and crowds gathered to him again. And again, as was his custom, he taught them. And Pharisees came up and in order to test him asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?" He answered them, "What did Moses command you?" They said, "Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away." And Jesus said to them, "Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. But from the beginning of creation, 'God made them male and female.' 'Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife,
and the two shall become one flesh.' So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate." (Mark 10:1-9 ESV)

2. "I want eternal life and I want to hold on to my old life"
- are we reluctant to give up our possessions, or whatever is controlling our lives?
- Jesus did not mention the first commandment about having other gods. Do we have other "gods" that we worship over God?
- if we can't give it away it owns us, we don't own them (possessions)

And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.'" And he said to him, "Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth." And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, "You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. (Mark 10:17-22 ESV)

3. "I want a special guarantee for serving you"
- are we expecting something in return for following Jesus? Eg faithful spouse, children who obey God, not suffering a health crisis or painful death
- God doesn't give us such guarantees except that He will always be with us

And 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." And he said to them, "What do you want me to do for you?" And they said to him, "Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory." Jesus 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?" And 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, but 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." (Mark 10:35-40 ESV)

4. "I want to see."
- Bartimaeus knows that he deserves nothing from Jesus. He just calls out in frank honesty. He is blind and asks for nothing but mercy. After receiving his sight, he makes the decision to follow Jesus.
- Jesus gives sight to a blind man, but there are those who can see who remain blind
- Jesus, help me to see my relationships, possessions, and service the way You see them

And they came to Jericho. And as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a great crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" And Jesus stopped and said, "Call him." And they called the blind man, saying to him, "Take heart. Get up; he is calling you." And throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. And Jesus said to him, "What do you want me to do for you?" And the blind man said to him, "Rabbi, let me recover my sight." And Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your faith has made you well." And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him on the way. (Mark 10:46-52 ESV)