The Last Week of Jesus Series: The True Teacher Sermon (Mark 12 & 13)

So by now you’ll have travelled with us for several Sundays as we have walked the last week with Jesus. We’re working our way through the last six chapters of the book of Mark which gives us a beautiful picture of where Jesus was and what he was doing for the last week of his life before the cross. And so we started on Sunday two weeks ago, as Jesus entered Jerusalem for the first time, on the back of a donkey –to shouts of Hosanna, and Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. With palm branches like the ones we see here.

Then Monday – the mood is quite different as we see his power and authority in the way in which he cleared the Temple – threw out the money changers and created pandemonium… officially starting a process whereby the leaders are looking for an opportunity to kill him.

Last week we moved onto Tuesday – the day where we spend a great deal of his time teaching the people and being challenged by the religious leaders as they look for ways to trap him. We looked at the authority with which he responded to the traps set for him by different religious leaders. I sometimes feel sorry for these men as they had no idea that they were up against God himself.

Today we continue in that vein looking at some of the teaching Jesus spoke on the Tuesday. We need to remember that in just three nights’ time Jesus is going to be arrested and taken away. Nothing that he teaches on here is going to be trivial.

Our next section runs from verse 18 all the way through to the end of chapter 13 as you will see in your hand-outs. I’m only going to pick up on three sections of this reading which I believe look at what Jesus wanted us to know about being a Christ follower – and our first one starts in chapter 12:28

One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”

“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all our heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

“Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying the God is one and there is no other but him. To love him with all your heart and with all your understanding and with all your strength and to love your neighbour as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.”

Last week we looked at a number of questions that were thrown at Jesus by the authorities – with the specific goal of catching him out – of getting him to say something that would either incriminate himself, or turn the crowds against him. The question about paying taxes is a perfect example of this – if Jesus said they shouldn’t pay taxes – then they would have something to take to the Romans to get him arrested. If he said they should, the crowd would reject him as the Romans were oppressive.

But this question, which is the last asked, comes from a completely different place – it’s as if Mark wanted us to know that not all the religious leaders were bad, but rather that there were some who still sought truth and were open to this man from Galilee. And he is not alone. At the end of Mark we hear about Joseph of Arimathea who we are told was a ‘prominent member of the Council, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God’ goes and boldly asks Pilate for Jesus body so that it might buried according the their customs. We are also told in John about Nicodemus – both asking Jesus honest questions and being there at his death.

And so this man, hearing the questions hurled at Jesus and listening to his wise answers – asks a real one.

What is the most important commandment?

In all our rules and regulations – what is it that makes us followers of our God. What is it that holds it all together?

The answer that Jesus gives comes from two places in the Old Testament, the first commandment comes from Dueteronomy 6:4-5. This is known as the Shema –which means hear or listen… - and is still recited by Jews today as an integral part of their identity. In fact it is said that when a baby is born it is whispered into their ear, and again when someone is on their deathbed this is once again recited. It is their central text…

“Hear O Israel: The Lord our God, The Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”

 and the second comes from Leviticus 19:18

“You shall love your neighbour as yourself”

Interestingly in the other gospels, in answer to the question, ‘who then is my neighbour’, Jesus follows this up with the parable of the good Samaritan – challenging them to recognise that their neighbour may not necessarily even be from their own community group. It’s again a reminder that while the Jews had become so insular and self-focused, the good news was for everyone.

In these two laws Jesus teaches about a selfless love. Love for the God that has created us, and love for those around us, whether they form part of our circle or not. And just as the question was asked – what makes us truly Jewish? – so it rings true for us today – what makes us true followers of Christ? And the first answer would be selfless love. A love that looks upward and outward. 

Our second reading is going to come from Mark 12:41 - 44

“Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.

Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything – all she had to live on.”

As ministers, we are always so hesitant to talk on the issue of money. Unfortunately since some churches abuse this area of teaching most of us will run a mile before writing a sermon on the topic of tithing. This next section of Jesus teaching deals with giving, but I believe is dealing with far more than just money. And I say just money because sometimes money is actually the easier thing to give.

Jesus has been standing in the Temple Courts debating with the religious leaders and teachers, and actually has just finished warning the people against them. He now sits down – and as he does he has a full view of the offering bag. And after watching a while he calls his disciples to him and points out a widow in ragged clothes as she makes her way home. She only dropped two small coins in the bag – mere change. Worthless really. But Jesus draws attention to her and commends her for giving more than all the others.

And this is because she gave selflessly. She gave more than she was able.

Just as selfless love is a mark of being a follower of our Jesus. So is selfless giving. Giving of ourselves to God and to others.

And yes this can be financial. But it’s also giving of our time, giving of our skill, giving of our empathy, giving of our wisdom.

And to give selflessly means to be willing to give beyond what we are able. Bill Hybels has a measure on how one should tithe – and he says pick a number, once you have a number start to raise it higher until you say “ouch” – and that’s how much you should be giving away.

If that’s the measure… what does it look like in terms of time? How do we give more than we have and yet still function effectively? How does it work in terms of emotional energy? How do we give more and not run on empty?

I believe we do this by listening well and refuelling – and both happen at the feet of Jesus. If we want to live lives that are selfless, that are giving – we need to be spending time with Jesus so that he can guide us in terms of our priorities and our time – so that we spend it wisely and are able to give more away. And by spending time with him we save ourselves from developing a Martha mentality of Lord don’t you care that I’m slaving away here? Emotionally when we set aside time to sit at Jesus feet we will have more to give away because he is the one refilling and refuelling.

Remember that the Christian life is a life where the impossible because possible because we live it hand in hand with the God of the Universe. He is the one who allows us to give – because we have received everything from him first.

Selfless love and selfless giving.

Our final reading comes from Mark 13. Now the whole of chapter 13 speaks about the end times – it contains difficult to understand passages about signs and terrors that will point towards the end of the world – and finishes on the passage which speaks about no one knowing the time or hour, but that we should be ready. I’m going to just pick out verses 5 - 13

“Jesus said to them, “Watch out that no one deceives you. Many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and will deceive many. When you hear of wars and rumours of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains.

You must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues. On account of me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them. And the gospel must first be preached to all nations.

Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking but the Holy Spirit.

Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. Everyone will hate you because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.”

Until recently, speaking of martyrdom and persecution of Christians was something we spoke about either as happening long ago or far away. We would often use the disciples as examples citing how each of them except John who was exiled, was put to death for following Jesus. We also would speak about areas in the world where it was still happening but always very hushed – and often denied.

Recently a video went viral of Isis beheading 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians on a beach this year. The title of the video is A Message signed with blood to the nations of the cross. And suddenly this whole thing becomes a whole lot more real to us all. These young men were specifically targeted for the Christian faith.

And now we believe and pray that that is something we will never have to face. But it certainly has had me re-examining my faith and what it means to me.

Because Jesus calls us to a selfless life. A life where it’s no longer about us, but rather all about him. A life where our love and our gifts are poured out in service to God and to others.

Fred Craddock, in an address to ministers, caught the practical implications of what this would mean. "To give my life for Christ appears glorious," he said. "To pour myself out for others. . . to pay the ultimate price of martyrdom -- I'll do it. I'm ready, Lord, to go out in a blaze of glory. "We think giving our all to the Lord is like taking Rl,000 cheque and laying it on the table-- 'Here's my life, Lord. I'm giving it all.'

But the reality for most of us is that he sends us to the bank and has us cash in the Rl,000 for 5 cent coins. We go through life putting out 25 cents here and 50 cents there. Really listening to the troubles of a child instead of nodding uninterestedly. Going to a committee meeting. Giving a cup of water to a shaky old man in a nursing home. Making that phone call. Reconciling with someone who hurt you. Showing grace where it isn’t deserved. Usually giving our life to Christ isn't glorious. It's done in all those little acts of love, 25 cents at a time. Martyrdom can mean living the Christian life little by little over the long haul."

The one who stands firm to the end will be saved.

And so the ultimate teacher spends his Tuesday teaching us how selfless love, selfless giving and selfless living are all bound up together and are the call we have on our lives to follow Him. It is not an easy call. It is not a call that is comfortable and nice. It is a high call. It is a call to selflessness.

But it is because we follow the teacher who was the ultimate example in selflessness. Our verse for this lent period reads, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve – and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

We too are not here to be served… but to serve. To love. To give. To lay down our lives.

And the temptation here is for me to qualify all this by encouraging you to 

say – this is the best way to live. This is the way of adventure and fulfilment. This is the way of seeing God work with you and in you and through you so that you will see Him reach a world that needs him. I could encourage you by talking about the life in abundance, and life of purpose.

And it would all be true.

Many of you have lived this way and experienced these truths first- hand and could testify to the immense joy found in this high calling.

But then it would be all about you again.

And it’s not.

It’s all about Him.

“The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all our heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’