Grace Evangelical-Lutheran: Mark 10,35-45. Judica

✠ One Message: Christ crucified and risen for you ✠

The Word of the Lord Endures Forever

Verbum Domini Manet in Aeternum

Mark 10,35-45 (Matthew 20,20-28; Luke 22,24-27) 1815

Judika 28 „Vindicate me“

Nicolaus of the Flüe, Patron of Switzerland, hermit in Unterwalden, Switzerland. ✠ 1487

22. März 2015

1. O Jesus Christ, Thou Son of Man, Redeemer and Savior, we give thanks to You for drinking the cup of Your Father’s wrath and being baptized unto death so that we would receive from Your merits everlasting salvation and the glory of the resurrected life in Your Divine presence (VELKD, Prayer for Judika § 1). Amen.

2. »And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, approached Jesus and said to Him: „Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask of You.“ And He said to them: „What do you want Me to do for you?“ And they said to Him: „Grant us to be seated, one at Your right hand and one at Your left, in Your Glory.“ Jesus said to them: „You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?“ And they said to Him: „We are able.“ And Jesus said to them: „The cup that I drink you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized, but to be seated at My right hand or at My left is not Mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.“ And when the ten heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John. And Jesus called them to Him and said to them: „You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man arrived not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for all people.“«

3. Give us power, Jesus! That was the intent of the request made by James and John. O, they tactfully worded their request to be: »Let one of us be seated at Your right and the other at Your left in Your Glory.«, but their desire and request were quite clear to Jesus as it was to anyone who heard. To be at the right and left hand of the king is a position of power and prestige reserved for the king’s closest confidants. James and John craved this honor. They were not content to be merely disciples of Jesus, but they wanted to be the most prestigious of the Twelve. The other ten apostles were, as St. Mark tells us, angry with James and John. They weren’t angry at their attitude, because each and every one of the Twelve harbored a desire to sit next to Jesus in His glory. They were angry that James and John had campaigned for those positions rather than passively waiting for Jesus to inform the Twelve who would be at His side in the seats of great honor.

4. Notice that Jesus does confirm that there would indeed be two seats of honor by His side, but those places of honor were not for Jesus to grant; nevertheless, those seats of honor were being prepared for two individuals. It may strike us as odd that Jesus says He has no authority to grant who will be seated at His right and left. He is after all the Son of God and Prince of the universe. Jesus, however, is speaking about an earthly authority that has the power to determine who shall be at His right and left hands. Who, then, was this authority?

5. Let’s back up a few verses for some context on today’s pericope. Immediately before James and John make their request, Jesus has just told them: »Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the ruling priests and the scribes. They will condemn Him to die and hand Him over to the Gentiles. They will mock Him, spit on Him, whip Him and kill Him, but after three days He will rise« (10,32-34). This suffering, crucified and dead Son of Man is the very cup Jesus is going up to Jerusalem to drink and the very baptism in which He will soon be baptized. Who had the authority to crucify in Jerusalem and Palestine?

6. Pontius Pilate, Prefect of the Roman Judaea Province (Judea, Samaria and Idumea) from ad 26-36, had the authority from Emperor Tiberius to declare people innocent or guilty after a trial. When Jesus was brought to Pilate by the Sanhedrin, Pilate had already sentenced three men to be crucified the next day. These men were Barabbas, Dismas and Gestas. These men had been captured by the Romans for inciting rebellion and rioting; Barabbas may also have murdered people during this riot. Although Pilate was convinced Jesus was innocent, he nevertheless sentenced Jesus to death at the insistence of the Sanhedrin. Pilate released Barabbas and Jesus took his spot on the cross. Barabbas’ co-conspirators were seated at Jesus’ right and left on Calvary.

7. The cross was the furthest thing from the apostles’ minds. In the Gospels, Jesus tells them four times that He will be betrayed, crucified and then rise from the dead. The apostles did not want to hear this because they accepted the conventional wisdom of their day that the Christ would be a messiah who would either: wrest control of Judea from Rome and reestablish the Davidic monarchy or who would be someone who ruled in people’s hearts as a spiritual teacher.

8. The Gospels tell us that in God’s reign greatness is not achieved by being a victorious warrior or a gifted prophet. On the contrary, the Gospels teach that true greatness in God’s reign is achieved by being a steward to all others, and they reveal that Jesus Himself is our Great Steward. He did not arrive on this earth to be a Davidic king nor an astounding prophet (although He was certainly a true king in the lineage of David and gifted prophet). Jesus is a Steward who serves others: »The Son of Man arrived not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for all people.« Jesus arrived not to be crowned the earthly king of Judea, but to become God’s Suffering Servant, that steward that Isaiah prophesied about 700 years earlier. In Mark 10 Jesus journeys to Jerusalem in order to fulfill this prophecy. He knows that the Sanhedrin, the ruling priests, the scribes and the Pharisees will not bow down to Him as the Lord’s messiah and king, but that they will spit upon Him and turn Him over to the Romans for execution. Jesus said He would give His life as a ransom for all people. Ransomer is Redeemer, go’el, and the price is His life (Nagel 103,8). For everyone, as in Isaiah 53, Jesus speaks His disciples into that everyone, as He does also when He gives His body to eat and His blood to drink into our mouths this morning (Nagel 103,8). His blood is shed for the world for the forgiveness of sins (Nagel 103,8). Jesus’ own last will and testament promise is this: »This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for everyone« (Mark 14,24).

9. Many Jews expected Jesus to enter Jerusalem to take His rightful throne as the messiah. James and John wanted the seats of honor at His left and right hand when that event happened, but Jesus told them: »You do not realize what you are asking.« Eventually James, John and the other apostles would have seats of honor next to Jesus. They would drink from the cup that Jesus drank and receive the same baptism He received. The apostles would all be mocked, and persecuted for Jesus and His gospel. Only John would be spared martyrdom among this august group.

10. Suffering and death are no a mark of failure or displeasure in God’s reign. God does not judge us for His judgment has been poured out upon Jesus on the cross. Those to whom our Lord gives His body and blood can pray: »Iudica me Deus. Vindicate me, O God« (Psalm 42,1; 43,1) He cannot ignore us or deny us, for to do so would be to ignore and deny His Son, and He cannot and will not do that (Nagel 103,9). »Jesus vindicates us and defends our cause, for He is the God in whom we take refuge« (Psalm 43,1-2a). Jesus serves us and saves us, for He is the Christ promised by our Heavenly Father. Amen.

11. Let us pray. O Christ Jesus, Thou Son of Man who has ransomed all people, keep our eyes on You so that our trust is always upon You for salvation and deliverance. Amen.

To God alone be the Glory

Soli Deo Gloria

✠

All Scriptural quotations are translations done by The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind using the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, 4. Edition © 1990 by the Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart, and the Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland 27. Edition © 1993 by Deutsch Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart.

Grace Evangelical-Lutheran

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church

Monday, March 23, 2015

Mark 10,35-45. Judica

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