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If you
only had a couple of weeks left to live, and you
knew it, what would you be doing with your time?
Go on a nice vacation? Have as much fun as possible?
Spend time with friends and family? In this section
of the divinely inspired Word of God, we are getting
close to the end of the earthly phase of Yeshua’s
life and ministry. He knows He only has a very
short time left. Let’s see what how He spends
His time.
10:32
And they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem.
We go up to Jerusalem - we ascend physically,
because Jerusalem is up in the mountains; and
hopefully we ascend spiritually to Jerusalem,
because the Lord and His presence and His plans
are specially connected to that holy city.
And Yeshua was walking on ahead of them; and they
were amazed, and those who followed were fearful.
They were fearful because the center of their
opposition was in Jerusalem. The opposition that
had made it clear that they wanted to kill the
very popular, wise, miracle-working rabbi from
Nazareth. The disciples were amazed because Yeshua
was fearless, determined, resolute, brave and
courageous. He is walking into the center of the
opposition, knowing their hostility and the sufferings
that await Him.
How does
the Master comfort their fears? How does He respond
to their concerns? Telling them that if they only
follow Him a little further, prosperity will overtake
them? They will have bigger houses, nicer clothes,
better chariots and a better life? Don’t worry
- life is good, and it’s about to get easier.
All is well? Follow Me and your life will get
easier and better? No, He tells them the bitter
truth, because truth is comforting, and to be
forewarned is to be better prepared to face the
trials that are ahead. And again He took the
twelve aside and began to tell them what was going
to happen to Him, saying, "Behold, we are going
up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered
to the chief priests and the scribes (the
Torah-teachers, the religious experts); and
they will condemn Him to death and will hand Him
over to the Gentiles. Jews and Gentiles -
representing the whole world, both opposed the
Son of God. Both groups were involved in the death
of the Son of God. Thank God there is forgiveness
for both!
Yeshua
was a true prophet. Again He prophesies His death.
Yeshua predicts that He will be arrested, handed
over to Israel’s religious leaders, be put on
trial, found guilty, condemned to death, and then
the Gentiles will carry out His execution.
The religious
leaders of Israel, those who should have known
God and His will and His Word the best, are the
ones who oppose the Messiah the most. The ones
that should have been His greatest supporters
were His greatest adversaries. Don’t automatically
trust your religious leaders! Make sure your religious
leaders really know God, and really follow His
Word. They can be so terribly, terribly wrong!
It is very very important that you know God and
His Word enough for yourself to be able to compare
what it says to what religious leaders are teaching.
Don’t appear before God on the Day of Judgment,
and find out that your are unreconciled to God,
and then try to blame your religious leaders for
misleading you, claiming the blind have mislead
the blind, and telling the Lord it’s not your
fault. It was my priest’s fault. It was my rabbi’s
fault. It was my minister’s fault. That won’t
work! That will not get you into Heaven. You are
ultimately responsible for the truth, and for
choosing who you listen to and whose advice you
follow.
Yeshua
Ha-Navee (Jesus the Prophet) predicts more details
about His suffering from the Gentiles. They
will mock Him and spit on Him, and scourge Him
and kill Him." And they did make fun of the
King of the Jews, because they didn’t respect
the Chosen People, and poured out their contempt
on our King. They made fun of Him, and beat Him,
and spit on Him, and whipped Him so horribly it’s
hard to describe, and then killed Him by means
of a cruel and barbaric death. Ironically, the
Romans thought that they were the civilized ones
- and in some ways they were - but they were also
barbaric in the way they treated people. They
were cruel and didn’t have compassion for the
pain of others.
But, rejection
by the Jewish leaders, and the cruel suffering
from the Gentiles is not the end of the story.
Yeshua the Prophet predicts, once again, that
He will come back to life, and be raised from
the dead. And three days later He will rise
again!
Rejection,
suffering, pain and death are difficult to face,
but the fear of them, and their sting, are greatly
lessened by the hope of the resurrection. We can
endure many sufferings, even a lifetime of pain,
if we know that we will live forever. An earthly
lifetime of suffering is nothing compared to the
resurrection and the wonders of eternal life!
Yeshua knew that, and that helped Him face and
endure His sufferings without fear, and with confidence
walk into the enemy’s camp, and fulfill the will
of God. And so can you!
Now, while
the King is trying to teach His successors these
painful truths, two of His closest men, James
and John, two of His inner circle, are not thinking
about the trials of their Rabbi, and what that
will mean for Him, and for them, but they are
thinking of their own personal advancement and
honor.
10:35
James and John, the two sons of Zebedee, came
up to Yeshua, saying, "Teacher, we want You to
do for us whatever we ask of You." (When someone
asks you to do something for them, it is always
wise to find out first what it is they want, before
you say yes.) And He said to them, "What do
you want Me to do for you?" They said to Him,
"Grant that we may sit, one on Your right and
one on Your left, in Your glory” (when You
receive honor from Israel when you are acknowledged
as King). They did have confidence that Yeshua
was the King, and the Messiah, and one day would
be recognized by all of Israel. And, they wanted
to be rewarded for following Him, and they were
part of the inner circle. Shouldn’t the sons of
thunder look out for themselves, and sit on His
right and left hand, in the places of greatest
honor? But, what about their friend Peter, the
third of the inner circle? What about the other
faithful disciples?
But
Yeshua said to them, "You do not know what you
are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that
I drink (the cup of suffering. Are you able
to suffer like I am going to suffer?), or to
be baptized (immersed) with the baptism
with which I am baptized (an immersion of
fire - very intense sufferings)?" The Lord
is telling James and John that to be honored with
Him means that you have to be close to Him, particularly
close to Him in His sufferings.
The place
of greatest honor is not for the wealthiest, or
most knowledgeable, or the best preachers, or
the most popular, but it is reserved for the most
faithful, for those who are willing to serve the
most and suffer the most, like our Lord Himself
served and suffered. Therefore we are to honor
most those who deny most, who suffer most, who
faithfully serve most.
They
said to Him, "We are able." “Yes, Lord, if
we have to, we can suffer just like You.” Again
Yeshua the Prophet predicts the future: And
Yeshua said to them, "The cup that I drink you
shall drink; and you shall be baptized with the
baptism with which I am baptized. And suffer
they did. James was the first of the Emissaries
to die. He was put to death by king Herod. John
suffered the longest, his life ending in exile
and banishment.
Yeshua
continues: "But to sit on My right or on My
left, this is not Mine to give; but it is for
those for whom it has been prepared." It is
not only those who serve best, who deny most,
who suffer most, who are worthy of most honor,
but ultimately it is for those whom God has appointed
that great honor. And, we will find out one day
if anyone will sit on Messiah’s right and left
hand, and who it will be.
The other
disciples found out about this request. Hearing
this, the ten began to feel indignant with James
and John. Desire for fame, and advancement
and power over others is part of our fallen, selfish
nature, and when we seek power and advancement
over others, it stirs up resentment in the fallen,
selfish nature of others - because they want that
for themselves too. The love of power and recognition
is what motivates people who are part of this
fallen world-system. It must not be part of our
values, as Yeshua makes clear: Calling them
to Himself, Yeshua said to them, "You know that
those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles
lord it over them; and their great men exercise
authority over them. But it is not this way among
you, but whoever wishes to become great among
you shall be your servant; and whoever wishes
to be first among you shall be slave of all.
Messiah’s
values and priorities are the opposite of the
world’s. If we are to be considered truly great,
we must serve the most, not rule the most. It
is not the one with the most authority over the
most people who is greatest, but the one who helps
others the most. It is not the one who is the
most famous, but he who is the most faithful.
Success doesn’t come from selfish ambition but
from selfless love.
If anyone
had the right to rule over others, and be served
by others, it would be the Son of God, the One
who was with the Father from eternity, the One
who shares the glory of God, who rules over the
millions of mighty angels, the One by whom God
created the universe. He deserved to be supremely
honored and obeyed by all human beings, and yet,
He goes on to say, For even the Son of Man
(who is fully human, and the perfect human
being) did not come to be served, but to serve,
and to give His life a ransom for many." The
Messiah of the First Coming came as a servant
to humanity. He came in humility, as a vulnerable
human being, to obey His Father, and to help fallen
humanity. The supreme way He served us was by
His death.
But, the
death of the Perfect Man was a unique death. It
was a redemptive death. His death provided a ransom.
It was a payment that made it possible for human
beings, who because of our sin and rebellion,
had forfeited eternal life, and were sold into
the satanic slave-market of sin and death, to
be released from there. That is our greatest need
- getting out of that satanic slave-market of
sin and death, and that is what the Son of God
came to do for us - serving us in the best possible
way. And, only He could do it. We were and are
utterly incapable of paying the price ourselves.
The price of the ransom was the blood, the life,
the death of a Perfect Man and the Son of God,
who was fully and fully Man - and that was the
price He was willing and able to pay - to serve
us in our greatest need.
He sets
us the example that we are to follow. We are to
be servants to humanity. We are to understand
humanity’s greatest need - to get out of that
satanic slave-market of sin and death, and be
reconciled to God the Father by believing in the
Son, and put our needs, our wants, our desires
aside, and serve humanity by bringing them that
message, that hope, that Good News! Don’t promise
potential converts that their life will be easier
or better, or they will be wealthier, if they
believe and follow. Disciples of the First Coming
are not promised an easy life, but a meaningful
life; not a life of power, fame and honor in this
world (that will come later!), but a life of service.
The last
part of chapter 10 shows us that even on His way
to death, which will take place in a short time,
Yeshua is not self-absorbed, but is thinking of
others. He is not absorbed with His own problems,
but in spite of His difficult personal circumstances,
makes the time and effort to serve others. He
will continue fulfill the will of God, and serve
those around Him until the very last - as should
we.
10:46
Then they came to Jericho. And as He was leaving
Jericho with His disciples and a large crowd
(not just a crowd, but a large crowd. The young
and wise and courageous miracle-working Rabbi
was extremely popular throughout Israel), a
blind beggar named Bartimaeus, (“bar” means
“son of”, which Mark then translates for us)
the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the road. We
are told that Bartimaeus had a physical handicap
- he was blind. Life was very hard at that time
for the Jewish people living in Israel. The Romans
occupied us, and in the form of taxes, they skimmed
off much of the nation’s wealth. Not only did
the Romans take our wealth, but Jewish rulers
also taxed us. And, then there were the Jewish
tax collectors who took even more, and skimmed
off as much as they could. Life was very hard
for those who didn’t have physical disadvantages.
There was not social safety-net. Life was even
harder for those with physical handicaps, like
Bartimaeus, who was reduced to begging. He was
on the low end of the socio-economic ladder, and
a person without power or influence.
When
he heard that it was Yeshua the Nazarene (who
was there in Jericho, causing the crowds to gather),
he began to cry out and say, "Yeshua, Son of David,
have mercy on me!" Bartimaeus may have been
disadvantaged physically, but he was advantaged
spiritually - which is often the case. He knew
that the young Rabbi from the north in Nazareth
was a descendant of King David, and therefore
Jewish royalty, and therefore quite possibly the
long-awaited Messiah. He also knew that Yeshua
would be able to help him in a very special way,
that few - if any, could.
But many
were sternly telling him to be quiet (after
all, this blind beggar wasn’t important. There
were people in Jericho that were far more important
than him. Why should this popular and famous Rabbi
who is visiting the city waste His valuable time
with this guy on the bottom of the socio-economic
ladder? “Bartimaeus shut up, be quiet, you have
no right to bother the Rabbi! He is here for people
far more important than you!”), but he kept
crying out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy
on me!" The pressure from the crowds around
him must have been intense, but Bartimaeus wasn’t
intimidated by the crowds, even though they may
have included family members, friends, and financial
supporters - those who gave alms to him; even
though they sternly, with emphasis, told him to
be quiet, and know his place, and tried to discourage
him from approaching Yeshua. But Bartimaeus did
not yield to the pressure of the crowds, and the
fear of man, even when they are stern, and neither
should we. Don’t give into the intimidations of
men - even if they are stern. Don’t yield to the
fear of man, though they threaten with severity.
Keep on calling out to the wonderful Messiah,
to get the help from Him that only He can give!
And
Yeshua stopped (in the midst of the crowds,
with all these people, headed toward Jerusalem
and suffering) and said, "Call him here." Thank
God that Messiah values people differently than
the world - not on the basis of their outward
circumstances, or their physical defects, or how
smart they are, or good looking, or certainly
by how popular they are in a corrupt world, or
how much money they make, but instead, He looks
in their heart, and treasures what is truly important
- their faith in the God of Israel! So they
called the blind man, saying to him, "Take courage,
stand up! He is calling for you." Throwing aside
his cloak, he jumped up and came to Yeshua. And
answering him, Yeshua said, "What do you want
Me to do for you?" And the blind man said to Him,
"Rabboni, I want money, because I am poor. You
have lots of followers, and the whole city is
here, and You can raise the funds to get me out
of poverty right now. I really need five or 10
talents of silver.” No. “Rabboni, I want
to regain my sight!" (And, if I can see,
I can work and support myself, and not be a burden
to others, and not have to lower myself by begging.
And, I know that God can use You to help me in
this miraculous way).
And
Yeshua said to him, "Go; your faith (your
confidence in God, and your confidence in Me,
and your knowledge about who I am, is enabling
God to do marvelous things for you) has made
you well." Immediately he regained his sight and
began following Him on the road - the road
toward Jerusalem, the road that would lead to
suffering.
Why did
God do a miracle for this blind man?
He had
faith.
He had
knowledge.
He was
willing to go against the crowd.
He was
persistent. He didn’t give up.
After
he was given the ability to see, he followed Yeshua
on the road to Jerusalem.
May the
good Lord give us His grace, and enable us to
embrace His understanding of reality, and His
values, and have same kind of faith in God and
in Messiah that Bartimaeus had, so that the Lord
can do great things to us and for us, and we can
see the way He wants us to see, and work the works
He wants us to work, and walk on the road with
Messiah, even if it means the road of suffering,
but also the road to resurrection, and everlasting
life and happiness!
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