My church resumed its Wednesday Bible study, after a three month
hiatus. It will not meet next week, though, since the pastor will be at a
funeral.
The pastor talked about Mark 9-10. He was arguing that the pericopes
in those chapters revolve around Jesus’s teaching that people should
become like children. The world has its ideas about status, glory, and
power, as people compete to be the greatest. The Kingdom of God,
however, has different ideas about these things, as it emphasizes such
values as love, service, humility, and grace. Jesus was particularly
glorified when he was on the cross, for there he demonstrated those
values. By publicly welcoming a child, Jesus was teaching a lesson about
grace. Children lacked status in that world, which prioritized adults.
Jesus was giving status to one who lacked status. Similarly, Jesus gives
status to people who do not deserve it, who have nothing in their hands
to offer to God.
According to the pastor, the pericopes in Mark 9-10 relate to these themes as follows:
—-At the Transfiguration, Peter is presumptuous in offering to build a
booth for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. The disciples also expected Jesus
to enter Jerusalem, not humbly, but in his glorified transfigured state.
Jesus was teaching that his mission entailed a cross.
—-After coming down from the mountain, the disciples wonder why they
were unable to cast out a demon. They were able to cast demons out
before, so why not now? Jesus responds that this kind of demon can come
out only by prayer. That does not refer to a magical prayer that can
cast out a troublesome demon, but rather a humble, dependent attitude of
prayer. Humility, not pride in one’s power, is important.
—-The Pharisees confront Jesus about divorce. The Hillelites held
that a man could divorce his wife for any reason, and they thought that
their divorces were justified under Deuteronomy 24:1-4. Jesus was
telling them that the law in Deuteronomy 24:1-4 was made in light of a
fallen world, but that God’s standard was actually higher. Jesus was
seeking to humble the Pharisees by showing that they fell short of God’s
standard and thus needed a Savior. Jesus was also elevating women, who
were largely marginalized in that world. Under Deuteronomy 24:1-4, a man
could divorce his wife, but a woman could not divorce her husband.
Jesus was leveling things.