Submitted by admin on Mon, 07/25/2011 - 12:20pm
MP3 File:
Jesus at the Margins: Mark 10
Two stark categories of society:
The Center: on the stage, at the
microphone, holding position and title, part of the "in-crowd,"
affluent, popular, attractive, upward mobility, successful, connected,
powerful, important, wealthy
The Margins: an "outsider," a "reject," a newcomer, disabled, weak,
poor, outcast, overlooked, powerless, part of the "un-crowd:" unnoticed,
unattractive, unimportant, unpopular
Jesus focused on the marginalized of society. Jesus lived on the margins:
- born not in a palace, but in a manger;
- born to an unwed, single mother;
- accused
of eating with sinners, prostitutes, tax collectors rather than rubbing
shoulders with the religious and political elite;
- touching the unclean, blind, lame, dead with a healing touch;
- kneeling down to wash his disciple's feet;
- allowing a weeping prostitute to wash His feet in front of a room full of Centralists;
- riding in to town--not on a warhorse--but on a donkey;
- dying a humiliating death between two criminals, rather than a ceremonious death befitting a King
Mark 10 (NLT)
13 One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could touch and bless them. But the disciples scolded the parents for bothering him.
14 When Jesus saw what was happening, he was angry with his disciples. He said to them, “Let
the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God
belongs to those who are like these children. 15 I tell you the truth,
anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never
enter it.” 16 Then he took the children in his arms and placed his hands on their heads and blessed them.
21 Looking at the man, Jesus felt genuine love for him. “There is still one thing you haven’t done,” he told him. “Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
22 At this the man’s face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.
31
But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and
those who seem least important now will be the greatest then.”
42 So Jesus called them together and said, “You
know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and
officials flaunt their authority over those under them. 43 But among you
it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be
your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first among
you must be the slave of everyone else. 45 For even the Son of Man came
not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom
for many.”
46 Then they reached Jericho, and as Jesus and his disciples left town, a large crowd followed him.
A blind beggar named Bartimaeus (son of Timaeus) was sitting beside the
road. 47 When Bartimaeus heard that Jesus of Nazareth was nearby, he
began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
48 “Be quiet!” many of the people yelled at him.
But he only shouted louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
49 When Jesus heard him, he stopped and said, “Tell him to come here.”
So they called the blind man. “Cheer up,” they said. “Come on, he’s
calling you!” 50 Bartimaeus threw aside his coat, jumped up, and came to
Jesus.
51 “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked.
“My rabbi,” the blind man said, “I want to see!”
52 And Jesus said to him, “Go, for your faith has healed you.”
Instantly the man could see, and he followed Jesus down the road.
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If
our Lord lived at the margins and focused His energies on the margins,
then to be a Christ-follower means we will do the same:
- caring for widows and orphans
- befriending the unlovely and unlovable
- demonstrating God's love to the "least of these" (Matt. 25): the hungry, thirsty, stranger, naked, sick, imprisoned
- Let's join together and make a commitment to serve, rather than to be served.