Not around the pain, but through it

Rev. Travis Drake

And on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, his disciples said to him, "Where will you have us go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?" And he sent two of his disciples and said to them, "Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him, and wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, 'The Teacher says, Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?' And he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready; there prepare for us." And the disciples set out and went to the city and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover. And when it was evening, he came with the twelve. And as they were reclining at table and eating, Jesus said, "Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me." They began to be sorrowful and to say to him one after another, "Is it I?" He said to them, "It is one of the twelve, one who is dipping bread into the dish with me. For the Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born." And as they were eating, he took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to them, and said, "Take; this is my body." And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. And he said to them, "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. Truly, I say to you, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God." And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. And Jesus said to them, "You will all fall away, for it is written, 'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.' But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee." Peter said to him, "Even though they all fall away, I will not." And Jesus said to him, "Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times." But he said emphatically, "If I must die with you, I will not deny you." And they all said the same. - Mark 14:12‭-‬31 ESV 

Jesus sends the disciples out to find a man carrying a jug of water. This is a strange and very difficult task. They are in a city that is swelled with pilgrims and they are to find one man. He would be strange to be carrying water, but still a super hard task. It would have been supernatural to complete this task. Not only that, but Jesus said that they would find a larger upper room prepared and ready to go. And they found it as described.

This sets the expectations of a Passover unlike any other. There is a difference from other Passover meals they had attended, this is the first Communion. But then Jesus says that someone in this room would betray Him. The awkwardness of this meal would've been palpable. The disciples would've wondered who would do this, surely not I each would've thought.

The passover meal would consist of the following: Unleavened bread, a roasted lamb, a bowl of salt water, bitter herbs, and four cups of wine. The salt represented the tears and the bitter herbs represented the bitterness of slavery. The cups of wine represented the promises of God to the nation of Israel.

This is a set of scenes. Each one shows joy and pain in alternate fashion. The joy of passover, the darkness of betrayal. The introduction of a new passover observation, communion, followed by the pain of abandonment of Jesus by his disciples.

How would our lives look different, if we lived knowing that God will come to us in our pain, difficulties, and suffering?

Jesus shared this special meal with the disciples. He knew of their future failures. The upcoming betrayal and abandonment. He shared with those who were going to hurt him. He shared knowing this all. So it is with us, ready to sell Him out for a bit of entertainment, a bit of distraction, a little pleasure. We are ready to follow Him until he asks for something we can't or won't give up. Jesus comes with love seeing our wayward hearts and lives. He sees our brokenness and still draws near. He knows we don't deserve it, but still he hands us the bread, broken for you. He hands us the cup, poured out for you. He comes for us, even when it requires suffering for Him, because He wants to draw us near and love us still.

The woman with the alabaster jar

It was now two days before the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to arrest him by stealth and kill him, for they said, "Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar from the people." And while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head. There were some who said to themselves indignantly, "Why was the ointment wasted like that? For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor." And they scolded her. But Jesus said, "Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me.  For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them. But you will not always have me.  She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial.  And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her."  Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went to the chief priests in order to betray him to them. And when they heard it, they were glad and promised to give him money. And he sought an opportunity to betray him. - Mark 14:1‭-‬11 ESV

Rev. Ryan Egli

The people at the temple who held the authority were seeking to kill Jesus not knowing that the temple was to be destroyed.

Men don't get it

Ryan wears glasses 90% of the time. But things sometimes get blurry. And it takes a bit to figure out that his glasses were so dirty. Back when he was younger, he didn't realize his vision was getting bad and he needed glasses. It wasn't until he got glasses and suddenly everything was in HD that he realized how much he was missing. So it is with the temple authorities. They needed spiritual glasses. The scribes, the chief priests, and the Pharisees all wanted Jesus dead, but they didn't want to disturb the Passover. We don't have a modern day equivalent. The city of Jerusalem swelled five or six times. This was a tense time and the men did not want to grab Jesus out in the open. They were afraid of a riot or uproar from the people. These men saw Jesus but they didn't see him for who he was. They sought to grab him by stealth and eliminate him quietly. Judas gave them that opportunity.

A woman does

In this passage, there is a woman who was clear eyed and went down to business immediately. She comes to a dinner party uninvited. Jesus is having dinner with Simon the leper. He didn't have leprosy at the time, but rather was formerly a leper. Women were not deemed very important. They suffered from poverty and were often excluded from many areas of public life. Many rabbinic teachings sought to exclude woman and cover them up... Even imprison them. But this woman comes to Jesus and breaks open this perfume over his feet. This isn't just any perfume. This was an expensive perfume worth 300 denarii or a years wages. This was a treasure, simply the best she had to offer.

The woman was rebuked by the men at the table. They spoke of how this perfume should've been sold and money given to the poor. They sneered at her. So this attitude is still found today among the religious today. They seek to silence a voice that they disagree with. She saw clearly, even more clear than the men at the table.

Jesus response

Jesus defends her. But not simply as an act of chivalry, defending a poor woman. He affirms that she was acting rightly. She was preparing him for his death and burial. He speaks prophetically that this woman would be remembered whenever the gospel was shared. 

Jesus is not dismissing the poor. The woman's action is right for this particular time and place. Jesus is no longer around to be anointed with costly perfume, but Christians should continue to care for the poor and to preach the gospel. 

Don't. Don't be like the temple authorities looking for power. Don't be like Judas selling friends out for money. Don't be like the dinner guests sneering at the woman. Don't abuse your power and spiritual authority for selfish gain and sinful desires.

Be like the woman in loving on Jesus with your best. 

Be on guard and stay awake

And as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, "Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!" And Jesus said to him, "Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down." And as he sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately, "Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?" And Jesus began to say to them, "See that no one leads you astray. Many will come in my name, saying, 'I am he!' and they will lead many astray. And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. This must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. These are but the beginning of the birth pains. "But be on your guard. For they will deliver you over to councils, and you will be beaten in synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them. And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations. And when they bring you to trial and deliver you over, do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. And brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death. And you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. "But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven. "From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. - Mark 13:1‭-‬13‭, ‬24‭-‬31 ESV 

Rev. Dwight Yoo

This passage is often called the olivet discourse. Jesus is sitting at the mount of olives across from the temple of Jerusalem. One of the disciples comments on the beautiful temple. Jesus prophesies that everything around them would be destroyed. The temple was so central to their lives that they could not imagine a life without the temple. To lose the temple would be like losing the sun, it would be the end of the world. But this was not true. 75 years after Jesus, the Romans would come and level the entire city. This was an act of God's judgement on Israel. This passage is considered a very difficult one to interpret because it describes both the end of the temple as well as the end of the world as we know it. Jesus speaks of both and makes it hard to know which one he is talking about.

Brave yourselves for trouble

In response to the disciples question of the destruction of the temple and end of days, Jesus responds that we should beware of false teachers. He also speaks of warring nations and he calls these "the beginning of the birth pains." Why does Jesus tell us this? Jesus wants us to brace for trouble. He is trying to correct us. We see many troubling things this past year. Pandemic, natural disasters, rumors of war, and rioting may make us think that Jesus is coming back. Jesus calls this labor pains. Contractions come in waves. The baby doesn't come in the first contraction. It can be hours before the baby is delivered. This is how labor works. But Jesus is setting expectations for us, we should expect trouble. Not just the general suffering of this world, but trouble because we bear witness and proclaim the name of Jesus. The book of Acts speaks of this, but this trouble is not limited to just that time period. We were chosen out of the world and the world will hate us. God saves by grace through faith. This gospel message is foolishness and offensive to the world, both the religious and irreligious. Some may embrace being offensive, but we are not called to that. The message is offensive, but we need not add anything more offensive to it. Some, perhaps our congregation leans this way, tries to not offend at all. They point to other Christians as crazy. They are afraid to share the gospel in whole for fear of offending rather than concern for the souls of our neighbors. 

Be on guard & stay awake

There will be false messiahs, false prophets, and even miracles that point away from Jesus. There's even an antichrist. We think that we won't be led astray, but Jesus brings it up because it is a serious issue for believers. False teachers sound right, use the right words/phases, but are in error in serious ways. It won't be readily apparent, but a serious error will steer us wrong a little at a time away from Jesus and the way of life. We are called to understand the word and be wise & discerning.

We are also called to stay awake. Jesus is returning and we don't know when. If someone claims to know when Jesus will return, they are a false prophet. What does it mean to fall asleep? It means to live like this life is all there is. It's like getting an Airbnb then shopping for that rental and looking for landscaping for that rental. It's absurd, but that's what it means to fall asleep. We are to be about the kingdom of God. Either making new disciples or building up believers... That sums up the life purpose of a believer. Everything we do should fall under these things. This is not just the job of overseas missionaries. The church is to be fishers of men, rather than keepers of the aquarium. Reaching people for Christ and raising up believers is what we are called to. 

This may be overwhelming. On top of everything else that is going on right now. Why, Dwight, why are you piling on more? Because it is good for us. We may reach the end of our wisdom, willpower, skills, etc. We may find how much we need God for this work. It is by enduring that we will receive from God.

Being Seen

And as Jesus taught in the temple, he said, "How can the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David? David himself, in the Holy Spirit, declared, "'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet."' David himself calls him Lord. So how is he his son?" And the great throng heard him gladly. And in his teaching he said, "Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, who devour widows' houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation." And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. And he called his disciples to him and said to them, "Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on." - Mark 12:35‭-‬44 ESV 

Jesus is revealing the drive/motivation of the scribes. He congrats them with someone to emulate, a poor widow. This passage will be uncomfortable for us. The word of God will often cut us, but it can also be a balm to heal us. 

The Desire to be Seen

The scribes wore long robes. These robes were not normally worn. People stood and honored their presence. They were respected by the people and received the places of honor at feasts. Not only that, they preyed on widows. Jesus called people to beware of them. They were supposed to be mirrors reflecting and pointing to God's glory. But they were not, they were like windows pointing to themselves. The scribes desired to be honored, esteemed, and valued by others. This is often condemned during Sunday school. But we need to pause and consider that we ourselves have similar weaknesses, failings, and sinfulness. This desire is not a bad one, but it becomes a sin when it becomes our ultimate desire. When we give, is it for the other person? Or is it so we can be commended for being generous? When we shared on social media about social ills, is this to improve society? Do our daily lives reflect what we post online? Or do we do it just for show and the approval of men? 

If we are purely motivated based on the opinions/approval of men, we will find that we are standing on shifting sands. People's perspectives on you can change so quickly. It can make us envious of our friends success. We can't be happy when our friends are successful. Poisonous.

Freedom of Being Seen

Offerings were a very showy experience. This was before paper currency. Imagine these people dragging large bags of coin and dumping these piles of coin into a metal container. It would've been deafeningly loud. And along comes this poor widow. She has two small coins, the lowest denomination. She wasn't even named. Jesus pointed out this woman to his disciples. He commended this woman. She gave two small coins. She could've given one coin. But no, she gave both of them. What does this mean? God had all of her heart. Jesus said she gave more. What? Clearly she gave less. But Jesus was talking about her heart. Jeff Bezos is worth $200 billion. He could spend 2 million dollars without noticing at all. It would be like losing some pocket change in his car for the average American. If he gave 2 million into the offering plate, without a right heart, God would value the widows contribution more. 

We are not to look at the widow as a way of living. It is descriptive not prescriptive. We aren't all called to give everything away and live day to day. It is to show us what God values.

The Hidden revealed

God sees our heart. He sees our sinful inclinations, self-centered desires, and spiritual blindness. But God sees all this and still accepts us because of Jesus. Jesus frees us from living lives to please and gain acclaim from others. Instead we will become self forgetful. We will seek to point people to Jesus.