Study in Mark’s Gospel

Study in Mark’s Gospel Presentation 45

God’s Failures Chap 14v27-38 Presentation 45

Introduction What the media would make of the Peter’s failure? Would the banner headline read, ‘Will Peter resign from apostleship?’ or, ‘Promise breaker grieves Master’ or, ‘Dirt dug up on Peter’ or, ‘Swearing while Master Sentenced’ or, ‘Rock cracks under pressure’? But does the past failure disqualify us from present useful and fruitful service in God’s kingdom. Fortunately, the disciples were not plaster saints but flawed men whom we can identify with. Grasping this is necessary because we discover that God can use feeble flawed creatures like you and I to accomplish his purposes. He does not wait until we are perfect before making use of us. If God were to do that none of us would ever be used! Presentation 45

The Pride of The Disciples As the disciples made their way to Gethsemane they were standing in the shadow of the most momentous event in human history. The Eternal Son of God is about to offer himself as the sacrifice for man’s salvation. As Jesus was composing himself, in the company of his friends, for that great outpouring, he was alerted to an argument that was taking place. What was the burning issue that intruded so forcibly into this great moment of history? Cf[Lk. 22v23ff]. The disciples were arguing about which one of them was the greatest. Perhaps they had been unhappy with the seating arrangements around the table! "I'm olderand more important, I should have been sitting nearer to Jesus than you." Presentation 45

The Pride of The Disciples You may ask, ‘How could they?’ Well try remembering some of the arguments that have taken place on important family occasions. A birthday dinner, a wedding reception, a hospital admission. When everyone should be concentrating attention on the person, who needs our love and sympathy, an argument can suddenly erupt over some petty personal thing. They did not plan things to work out as they did. They did not intend to be insensitive and uncaring but pride and selfishness had quickly taken control! When Jesus needed the support, love and comfort of his disciple friends he was obliged instead, to break up the fight and stop the argument! Presentation 45

The Pride of The Disciples Jesus did so first, by instruction and then, by example. Jesus told them bluntly that the standards of his kingdom were not the standards of the world. A king on earth was evaluated by the power he exercised. Some of the Egyptian and Syrian kings took to themselves the title of "Benefactor" [cfLk.22v25 ] to draw attention to their authority. Jesus’ point is that Christian behaviour should be exactly the opposite. A craving for prestige, power and authority is wrong in the world and worse in the church Christians with gifts, which make them candidates for leadership should examine their motives with particular care. Presentation 45

The Pride of The Disciples True greatness does not lie in having others serve us but in serving others. We can build our life either on giving or on getting. Paradoxically, if we build it on getting, then we lose both, the friendship of man, and the reward of God. To illustrate his meaning, John tells us in his gospel that Jesus washed his disciples feet. It was humble work and all of the disciples had studiously resisted taking up the role of menial foot-washer. They considered themselves too grand for that. Jesus the greatest of all, performed this menial task and when he returned to the table he made it clear that the greatest ones in the kingdom were the ones willing to serve. Presentation 45

The Pride of The Disciples What does it mean to be a foot-washer at home today? Suppose a mother says to her two daughters, ‘tidy up your bedroom and give it a hoover’. One sister doesn’t lift a finger but lets the other do all the work and then fails to give her sister credit for what she has done. What ought that second sister do? Complain about it? Or, might she see it as an opportunity to be what Jesus calls a foot-washer. For in doing what she does, she does it in order to please God! Or, if you find yourself doing all the dishes while everyone else is talking and no one seems to notice, then tell Jesus this is your foot-washing task and that you are doing it to please him. Presentation 45

The Pride of The Disciples We may know the theory, and know that the Christian path is one of service and of following the One who said, "I have not come to be served but to serve“. However, Jesus gives no medals to those who know the theory. Pay careful attention to what he says to his disciples, "If you know these things happy are you if you do them." When we find ourselves in situations where we seem to be landed with the menial task do not allow yourself to ask, "Just who do they think I am?" Instead, if you are asked to spend time with a sick relative, or help care for the children of someone who has been rushed into hospital then say, "Lord is this my foot-washing for you today?" Presentation 45

The Pride of The Disciples Jesus’ parable of the talents describes a person who wanted to lead a shrink-wrapped life. This picture stands in sharp contrast with that. The parable of the talents described a man who wrapped himself up to protect himself from doing something that would upset his comfortable, self-interested lifestyle. In contrast, the life of Jesus is marked by open, outgoing, caring, menial service. It is quite remarkable that Jesus taught this lesson about bowing low in the service of others on the eve of his arrest. For the next day he would stoop lower than any man has ever stooped by bearing the burden of our sin. There was nothing shrink-wrapped about Jesus’ life. Presentation 45

The Pride of The Disciples Luke tells us that Jesus, though fully aware of the many character defects of his disciples, praises them for the faithfulness they had shown him through many trialsLk. 22v28. Jesus was not unmindful of the good they had done and took this opportunity to commend them for it. What a wonderful insight this gives us into God's dealings with his children. He does not allow our failures to obscure the service we have given. Rebuke does not obliterate praise! Nor does it disqualify us from our promised inheritance in his kingdom. And so the promise of the kingdom is again extended to these frail followers Lk.22v29-30. Presentation 45

Over Confidence But before they tasted that kingdom they were to be the objects of immense and immediate pressure. Jesus told Simon Peter that he would fail him. You will remember that the name "Simon" means ‘unstable’, ‘waverer’ and by repeating this name as he does Jesus is driving his point home. What he says in fact is that Satan had asked God for permission to test the disciples very seriously. There is an O.T. parallel in the life of Job, whose faith and witness Satan tired unsuccessfully to destroy. Much of Job’s life was made a misery as a result. However, this situation, while still dangerous, offers more encouragement. Why? Presentation 45

Over Confidence The tempter had sought to destroy Peter but Jesus had ‘prayed’ for him [Lk.22v32]. We will not know in this life how much we owe to the all-prevailing intercession of Jesus on our behalf. The inference here though seems to be that the disciples would crack under pressure and that Peter although he would waver badly would help them to recover their faith. Peter's recovery was due to the prayer of Jesus! However the disciples would fail just as Zechariah had prophesied, “I will strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered” Zec. 13v7. Jesus was the centre of gravity of the disciple band, binding them together, when he was removed the disciples had nothing to hold them together. Presentation 45

Over Confidence But Peter refused to recognise and face his own weakness, “Even if all fall away I will not” v29. Can we identify with his overweening self-confidence. Peter boasted he was ready to follow Jesus to death! Matt.26v35. We must guard against saying, "That is one thing that I will never do," it points to the area in our lives where we need to exercise most vigilance. The point of our greatest confidence is often the area of our greatest vulnerability. We do not see the need of vigilance but this is often the direction from which the Enemy mounts his attack. Again and again castles have been captured because the attackers took the route which the defenders thought unassailable. Presentation 45

Over Confidence Of course there was a great difference between Peter the denyer and Judas the betrayer. Peter despite his many weaknesses was fundamentally loyal to Jesus. And it is the inclination of the heart that is vital interest to Jesus. Cf. Mk.14v38. H. G. Wells once said, "A man may be a bad musician and yet be passionately in love with music". We can apply this to Peter. However terrible his failure may have been, he was passionately devoted to Jesus. Above all else, in his heart of hearts, he wanted to be Christ’s man and that is what made the difference. Presentation 45

Over Confidence Jesus said a lovely thing to Peter, "when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers"v32. It’s as if Jesus said, ‘you will deny me and you will weep bitter tears, but as a result you will be better able to help your struggling brothers’. We can better help a man if we have been in the same furnace of affliction or as in Peter’s case the same abyss of shame. When we let Jesus down as badly and ready to throw in the towel having persuaded ourselves that we are of no use to God, then we need to remember Peter. And even our experience of shame, failure and disloyalty need not be a loss. God can take it and use it to give us sympathy and an understanding for others whom no one else might be able to reach! Presentation 45

Over Confidence Jesus concludes by warning his beloved disciples to prepare for the next more difficult phase of their lives. To date there had been special provision made for their brief spells of evangelistic activity v35 but from now on they would need to make sensible provision for their maintenance and defence v36. The disciples misunderstood Jesus’ reference to buying swords and told him that they had two. Jesus' reply, "That's enough", obviously did not mean that two swords would be sufficient to defend eleven men against all their enemies, and perhaps indicates that they should stop thinking of the kingdom in such material categories and in such an aggressive and militant manner. The kingdom of God was not to be ushered in by the sword! Presentation 45

Conclusion Throughout the gospel the picture we have of the disciples is of men who were frail, morally feeble and spiritually immature. But surely a great encouragement for us lies here, for it was to such men that Jesus entrusted the advance of his kingdom. We sometimes are tempted to believe that our weaknesses and failures rule us out of being any use to God or of any value in his service. The opposite is the case. It rules us in. It is through quite ordinary folk like you and I that God will build his church. ‘A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench’, Isa 42v3. We need to stand back an be amazed! Presentation 45

Study in Mark’s Gospel