Today we are continuing our conversation through the book of Mark. Mark is walking us in a process of knowing Jesus, not to give simple answers but to invite processing. The goal is not to get to a place where we remember some Jesus facts or understand the story enough in order to summarize it. It’s not to simply be able to say what we are supposed to do or apply the information about Jesus. These things are not bad! But the goal is knowing, not just learning. The goal is relationship, not just more information.
This process of knowing Jesus can not be done passively. While it’s a good thing to sit in a room with great teaching or hang out with people who have it figured out, those things alone will not lead to knowing Jesus. The author of Hebrews calls it out:
We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. (Hebrews 5:11-14)
With milk, there is no need to be mature. It’s fed to you, it’s easy to digest, it’s for the immature. But meat requires maturity. It’s challenging, it calls for process, it leads to ultimate growth. Mark is opening the door to maturity in the process.
Today as we come to Mark 9, the pull of process becomes incredibly heavy.
Have you ever felt pulled in several directions at the same time? Family and home expectations, work and school expectations, community or volunteer expectations, personal expectations, external and internal expectations… feel the pulls:
Have friends. Be a friend. Be popular or liked. Be good at something (or at several somethings). Be the best at something. Be productive. Be more productive! Be happy (maybe even be happy all the time). Be certain things by a certain age. Have certain beliefs or perspectives. Have it all figured out.
When you are pulled in several directions; when the weight of expectations is unusually heavy (or even continually heavy), how do you internally and externally respond? I am going to ask you a vulnerable dialogue question right at the get-go here:
How do you cope with feeling pulled in multiple directions and experiencing overwhelming expectations, both from yourself and from others?
In Mark 9, everything changes. Everything changes repeatedly. Can you relate to the tension and pain of everything changing under your feet? One thing can be overwhelming, but when it is happening over and over again, repeatedly, in a short period of time… AHHHHHHHHH!!!
Here’s some of what is happening in Mark 9: Jesus and some of His disciples went up on a mountain; Jesus was transfigured, and Moses and Elijah showed up–everything changed. The disciples were unable to help a man with a sick son, and while Jesus healed him, He also declared that He wouldn't be with them always–everything changed. Jesus again predicted His persecution and death–everything changed. Jesus called them out for arguing about who was going to be the greatest in Jesus’ kingdom–everything changed. Jesus, while with the children, declared that if you want to be powerful or first, you must become humble or last–everything changed. With the weight of being like a child in their heads, He declared the immense cost of hurting one of the little ones–everything changed.
What are the range of responses to moments where understanding or belief or faith in Jesus gets complicated or difficult to grasp?
One more question–an important moment of processing before we go to the text. As we walk into this question I put these verses from Hebrews 11 and 12 out there:
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. (Hebrews 11:1)
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. (Hebrews 11:6)
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. (Hebrews 12:1-3)
Start with internal processing and then talk about it together:
How does a person like you have healthy faith in Jesus when faith feels overwhelming, complicated, and/or changing?
Here is our text:
And he said to them, “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see that the kingdom of God has come with power.”
After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus.
Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.) Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!” Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus.
As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. They kept the matter to themselves, discussing what “rising from the dead” meant. And they asked him, “Why do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?” Jesus replied, “To be sure, Elijah does come first, and restores all things. Why then is it written that the Son of Man must suffer much and be rejected? But I tell you, Elijah has come, and they have done to him everything they wished, just as it is written about him.”
When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him. “What are you arguing with them about?” he asked. A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.”
“You unbelieving generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.” So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth. Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?” “From childhood,” he answered. “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”
“‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.” Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the impure spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He’s dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.
After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer.”
They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were, because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise.” But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it.
They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest.
Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.” He took a little child whom he placed among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.”
“Teacher,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.” “Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us. Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward.
“If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea. If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, where ‘the worms that eat them do not die, and the fire is not quenched.’ Everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with each other.” (Mark 9:1-50)
I can feel the disciples in one moment thinking and feeling, We are really starting to have this all figured out, and then in the next moment, Wow, everything is so much more complicated than I thought! I actually was not as right as I thought I was.
In an unimaginable moment of Spiritual clarity, it wasn’t a place for us to stay forever. We left. It was not just about recreating that extraordinary moment. In a moment of having the capability to help people, the secret to helping was not more of me, but more of Jesus. It was about belief and unbelief being brought to Jesus and Him filling the gap. In a moment of wanting to be great and powerful because of connection to Jesus, Jesus is focusing on being a humble sacrifice. In a moment of pride and exclusivity in being in relationship with Jesus, Jesus is empowering and trusting the outsider. And in a moment of pride and exclusivity, Jesus gives an overwhelming warning to those that cause those little outsiders to stumble. And then he ends with a call to not be diluted.
How was the understanding of Jesus changing for the disciples?
The disciples had it all figured out–and then they realized they were still in the process of figuring it out. They weren’t there yet. Now it’s our turn.
Where are you being refined, challenged, or focused in your faith/belief/understanding of Jesus? How is that changing things?
In what areas of your faith, belief, or understanding of Jesus are you currently experiencing growth, challenge, or greater focus? How is this transformation impacting your life?
Take It Deeper Questions
Read Mark 9:30-37.
What is a childlike quality that you would like to recapture?
How does our culture define success?
How does Jesus define success?
What becomes obvious to you as you see Jesus talking about His suffering and the disciples talking about their potential greatness?
How are you challenged, encouraged, focused, and/or confused by this text?
Bible Reading Plan
Mark 9
Matthew 17
Matthew 18
Luke 9