Instruction
Scripture: Mark9:30-37
Jesus’ Transfiguration is a turning point in Mark’s Gospel.
The direction of the narrative is moving steadily to His cross, highlighting
the necessity of faith to take hold of the salvation He won there. In this
reading Jesus once again foretold His death and resurrection, but the disciples
did not understand. In fact, they go on to have an argument about who was the
greatest among them. We are presented with a picture of disciples with wrong
priorities whom Jesus must redirect in order to display the priorities of God’s
kingdom instead of the world’s priorities.
Teaching
Jesus was very clear about His purpose and He stated it to
His disciples in this reading. He came to suffer and die for our sins and to
rise again. It is not that strange that the disciples did not understand this;
it is the kind of thing that, even today, can only be understood by faith.
It became painfully clear that the disciples didn’t
understand what Jesus was about in the second half of the reading as they argued
over who was the greatest. There is something in our sinful nature that wants
to be powerful, important, and recognized by others. This is not Jesus’ way. He
shows that greatness in God’s kingdom is related to service, humbling one’s
self, and taking the last place as He Himself did.
Life
Have you ever been in a conversation where you or someone
you were with obviously missed the point? That is rather what is happening in
the reading, and it can still happen today. Even as Christ’s followers we become
concerned with power to coerce people to do what is right, prestige so that we
will be honored by the masses, and recognition of our importance and the good
we do. This is not Jesus’ way, though. He came to suffer and to die. And, yes,
He came to rise again. We too will rise because He rose. For now, though, humility
and service – laying down our lives – is the way of life.
Prayer
This prayer is written
in the themes of Instruction, Thanksgiving, and Confession.
Lord Jesus, You came for the very purpose to suffer and die
for our sins and to rise again to give us everlasting life. You show us that to
follow You is not to be great or glorious in the world’s eyes, but to be
humble, to be servant of all, and to love people that others consider
insignificant. Indeed, You show us that to welcome the unwelcomed in Your name
is to welcome You and to receive Your Father.
Thank You for calling us to follow You and for teaching us
the way of humility. More importantly, thank You for humbling Yourself so much
that You would suffer and die for us and then rise again. Thank You for the
people that You bring into our lives that the world considers inconsequential,
but You give us the privilege of welcoming them and thereby welcoming You and
Your Father.
We confess that we sometimes consider ourselves
to be the greatest, and we think we are Your best disciples. We overlook those
who are marginalized and considered unworthy of our time or attention. There
are times that we long to be first and not last; served and not servant. Change
our hearts and cleanse us of our sin with the blood You shed when You died for
us. Please forgive us. Amen.
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