Sermon: The Kingdom of God and Children

Lectionary: Proper 22(B) 
Text: Mark 10:2-16

Jesus Welcomes the Children

Rather than speaking specifically on the text that was read, I will be reading extended selections from Mark 8:31 through 10:45 today. Today’s reading is a part of this extended section. The reading selections will be broken up with some comments after each.

This section of Mark’s account is this gospel’s narrative of Jesus’ final journey from Galilee to Jerusalem, where Jesus will be crucified. As such, the Passion is the background and the foundation on which this entire section is to be interpreted.

If I was speaking each Sunday from September through October, this survey of Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem would be divided among seven Sundays. There are repetitions of key thematic elements that occur in this narrative, that is difficult to see when only focusing on a single Sunday’s lectionary reading. To highlight those repetitions and gain insight into this gospel’s key themes, I am taking a 30,000 feet overview of the text today.

The text I read is from the Common English Bible translation.

8:31 Then Jesus began to teach his disciples: “The Human One^[a] must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and the legal experts, and be killed, and then, after three days, rise from the dead.” ³² He said this plainly. But Peter took hold of Jesus and, scolding him, began to correct him. ³³ Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, then sternly corrected Peter: “Get behind me, Satan. You are not thinking God’s thoughts but human thoughts.”

As Jesus begins his journey toward Jerusalem, we see several major thematic elements highlighted. These include his crucifixion and resurrection, the dichotomy between the ways of God’s kingdom vs. the ways of worldly power, and how there is misunderstandings even among those of Jesus’ inner circle. Perhaps there are lessons for present-day Christians among these themes.

The next story is Jesus’ transfiguration.

9:2 Six days later Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and brought them to the top of a very high mountain where they were alone. He was transformed in front of them, ³ and his clothes were amazingly bright, brighter than if they had been bleached white.

The glory of Jesus and his identity is confirmed by a voice from heaven. The disciples see the glory and they, especially Peter, are convinced this is the kingdom of God. But the vision fades and they return to the world as it is. Once more, is there a lesson for us here?

As Jesus and three disciples descend the mountain and return to among the people, they are immediately thrown into a tense situation.

9:14 When Jesus, Peter, James, and John approached the other disciples, they saw a large crowd surrounding them and l egal experts arguing with them. ¹⁵ Suddenly the whole crowd caught sight of Jesus. They ran to greet him, overcome with excitement. ¹⁶ Jesus asked them, “What are you arguing about?”

¹⁷ Someone from the crowd responded, “Teacher, I brought my son to you, since he has a spirit that doesn’t allow him to speak. ¹⁸ Wherever it overpowers him, it throws him into a fit. He foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and stiffens up. So I spoke to your disciples to see if they could throw it out, but they couldn’t.”

9:25 Noticing that the crowd had surged together, Jesus spoke harshly to the unclean spirit, “Mute and deaf spirit, I command you to come out of him and never enter him again.” ²⁶ After screaming and shaking the boy horribly, the spirit came out. The boy seemed to be dead; in fact, several people said that he had died. ²⁷ But Jesus took his hand, lifted him up, and he arose.

For some unstated reason, the legal experts are arguing with the disciples that remained below. Perhaps they were pointing out the ineffectiveness of the disciples in treating the boy’s condition. Here we see the thematic element of conflict between Jesus, his works, and those who see Jesus as a threat to traditional forms of order and power.

We also see arise the thematic element of a child and what children represent. Here we witness the boy as an innocent victim, the cause of his condition is unstated and frankly, it shouldn’t matter. The child is oppressed, and Jesus restores him to wholeness.

Continuing, Jesus reaffirms the reason for his journey to Jerusalem. It is to demonstrate that the ways of human power is opposed to God’s kingdom.

9:30 From there Jesus and his followers went through Galilee, but he didn’t want anyone to know it. ³¹ This was because he was teaching his disciples, “The Human One^[e] will be delivered into human hands. They will kill him. Three days after he is killed he will rise up.”

9:33 They entered Capernaum. When they had come into a house, he asked them, “What were you arguing about during the journey?” ³⁴ They didn’t respond, since on the way they had been debating with each other about who was the greatest. ³⁵ He sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them, “Whoever wants to be first must be least of all and the servant of all.” ³⁶ Jesus reached for a little child, placed him among the Twelve, and embraced him. Then he said, ³⁷ “Whoever welcomes one of these children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me isn’t actually welcoming me but rather the one who sent me.”

And we see repeated themes. The disciples are arguing about power in the kingdom. And we see the theme of the child. The kingdom of God turns upside down the human notions of power. Our understanding and practice of power is “power over.” Those who have the most power wield control over others or use the promise and delegation of power to keep underlings in their thrall. But in the kingdom of God power is earned by serving, by letting go of the need to control, and by being hospitable with no expectations of reciprocity.

The next set of texts were read last week. Here are a couple of verses to remind us.

9:38 John said to Jesus, “Teacher, we saw someone throwing demons out in your name, and we tried to stop him because he wasn’t following us.”

9:42 “As for whoever causes these little ones who believe in me to trip and fall into sin, it would be better for them to have a huge stone hung around their necks and to be thrown into the lake.

The disciples want to control Jesus’ power. They want exclusive use of it. Jesus tells them that is not how God’s power works. And once more is raised the theme of children, or “little ones” here – those who have no power in the worldly sense. They are the ones who are most valuable to the kingdom of God.

Next we come to today’s reading. Here are a few verses to remind us of the reading.

10:2 Some Pharisees came and, trying to test him, they asked, “Does the Law allow a man to divorce his wife?”

10:13 People were bringing children to Jesus so that he would bless them. But the disciples scolded them. ¹⁴ When Jesus saw this, he grew angry and said to them, “Allow the children to come to me. Don’t forbid them, because God’s kingdom belongs to people like these children. ¹⁵ I assure you that whoever doesn’t welcome God’s kingdom like a child will never enter it.” ¹⁶ Then he hugged the children and blessed them.

There is plenty of interesting details about the test that was posed to Jesus, but for now, the key point is that the questioners are asking Jesus to take sides in the ongoing debate between two or more groups at that time. Jesus refuses to do so and takes a third position by appealing to God’s original intention for loving relationships.

And again, the theme is brought up of children who exemplify the kind of individuals that will inherit the kingdom of God.

This is followed by the story of a man (sometimes identified as the rich ruler) who questions Jesus.

10:17 As Jesus continued down the road, a man ran up, knelt before him, and asked, “Good Teacher, what must I do to obtain eternal life?”

¹⁸ Jesus replied, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except the one God. ¹⁹ You know the commandments: Don’t commit murder. Don’t commit adultery. Don’t steal. Don’t give false testimony. Don’t cheat. Honor your father and mother.”^[k]

²⁰ “Teacher,” he responded, “I’ve kept all of these things since I was a boy.”

In Mark’s account, the questioner appears to be asking sincerely. Other gospel accounts turn him into a negative foil. There is much that could be said about each writer’s agenda and editing, but we will leave that for another time.

This is the first time reading this story where the man’s response, “I’ve kept all of these things since I was a boy,” struck me as fitting in with the broader theme of adults vs. children in this extended section. Jesus tells the man that he must give away his possessions, and the man’s response is to walk away in dismay because he is wealthy.

When I read this, what drew my attention was an unspoken question, “What happened to that child-like innocence where wealth didn’t matter to you? What only mattered was pleasing God.” And perhaps that is another lesson and question that we need to ask of ourselves as well.

The disciples are confused and dismayed. In response,

10:29 Jesus said, “I assure you that anyone who has left house, brothers, sisters, mother, father, children, or farms because of me and because of the good news ³⁰ will receive one hundred times as much now in this life—houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and farms (with harassment)—and in the coming age, eternal life. ³¹ But many who are first will be last. And many who are last will be first.”

Again we see the theme of the reversal of conventional (human) ideas of power.

As their journey continues, Jesus repeats the foundational theme of his death and resurrection.

10:32 Jesus and his disciples were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, with Jesus in the lead. The disciples were amazed while the others following behind were afraid. Taking the Twelve aside again, he told them what was about to happen to him. ³³ “Look!” he said. “We’re going up to Jerusalem. The Human One^[l] will be handed over to the chief priests and the legal experts. They will condemn him to death and hand him over to the Gentiles. ³⁴ They will ridicule him, spit on him, torture him, and kill him. After three days, he will rise up.”

The theme of confusion continues. The disciples still don’t understand.

10:35 James and John, Zebedee’s sons, came to Jesus and said, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask.”

³⁶ “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.

³⁷ They said, “Allow one of us to sit on your right and the other on your left when you enter your glory.”

³⁸ Jesus replied, “You don’t know what you’re asking! Can you drink the cup I drink or receive the baptism I receive?”

³⁹ “We can,” they answered.

Jesus said, “You will drink the cup I drink and receive the baptism I receive, ⁴⁰ but to sit at my right or left hand isn’t mine to give. It belongs to those for whom it has been prepared.”

⁴¹ Now when the other ten disciples heard about this, they became angry with James and John. ⁴² Jesus called them over and said, “You know that the ones who are considered the rulers by the Gentiles show off their authority over them and their high-ranking officials order them around. ⁴³ But that’s not the way it will be with you. Whoever wants to be great among you will be your servant. ⁴⁴ Whoever wants to be first among you will be the slave of all, ⁴⁵ for the Human One^[e] didn’t come to be served but rather to serve and to give his life to liberate many people.”

Following the world’s ideas of power – striving for it, acquiring it, and maintaining it – is diametrically opposed to God’s kingdom. It was human quest for power and control that led to humans murdering God.

If we want to live, to have life, and to be free, we must forsake the ways of worldly power and embrace serving and to empower others to live free from the clutches of the temptations of worldly power and wealth. We must become as vulnerable and powerless as children.

Christians, churches, and religious organizations are not immune to the appeal of worldly power. It doesn’t take, but a brief survey of the political structures around us, to see that.

Can we resist the temptation to utilize power for ourselves and to advance our own agendas through means of control, manipulation, and threats? Can we learn to rise above the methods of this world? And can we then be examples and witnesses of what it means to be fully whole and human? Through our service to those that the world often discards – the “little ones” and the “children” in the eyes of this world’s powers – can we restore dignity, agency, and hope to them? Are we prepared and willing to live out God’s kingdom in our world?

Sermon: Get Behind Me, Satan!

Lectionoary: Lent 2A
Text: Mark 8:27-9:1

Get Thee Behind Me, Satan! (Tissot)

Introduction – the Allure of Power

When we think of power and the powerful, what are the things that come to mind? Billionaires and their influence over the economy? Leaders of nations? The strength of military might? Autocrats and dictators who hold life and death in their hands? Politicians who hold purse strings? Corporate CEOs? Sports figures, entertainers, etc. that command huge followings and associated paydays? Pastors with mega and giga churches? Leaders of influential religious organizations? Love them or hate them, we cannot deny that these things are a large presence in our world and our lives.

The allure of power is strong. Whether in 1^st century Palestine, or in 21^st century America, the temptation to seize upon power or at least to be aligned with the powerful is nearly impossible to escape. Power – through position, wealth and both – is offered and withheld to influence and control outcomes beneficial to the powerful. The less powerful cling to the coattails of those with more power to attempt to ride up the ladder and share the crumbs that fall.

Are any of us completely immune to the attractions of power and what it offers? In the Christian calendar, the seasons of both Advent and Lent are times when the subject matter should lead us away from the pursuit of power. Or at least from the popular, temporal concepts of power.

Even in a common Christian phrase, paraphrased “Jesus will return in glory and power”, the common imaginations of power make its way. When we hear that, the imagination runs to a conquering general or king, slaying his enemies as he leads his victorious army.

That Jesus will return in glory and power could imply that during his time on earth as a human, Jesus didn’t have power…, or at least the kind of power that we think ultimately matters.

How we define power and how we view the power wielded by Jesus matters to what it means to be a disciple of Jesus and follow him. To get this wrong is to be on the receiving end of Jesus’ rebuke, “Get behind me, Satan”.

Recap – Gospel Reading

What did you hear when you heard today’s gospel reading? Jesus asked his disciples who others said he was, and then after receiving responses, asked the disciples who they thought he was. Peter responded (speaking for all of them) that Jesus was the Messiah, the Christ, the Anointed One. And then Jesus tells them to not say this to anyone. Immediately afterwards Jesus begins speaking plainly that the Christ must be rejected by those in power and authority, suffer, be killed, and then rise again.

It is at this point that Peter tries to correct Jesus and where Jesus rebukes Peter, saying, “Get behind me, Satan. You are not thinking God’s thoughts but human thoughts.”

Jesus then gathers the crowd together and speaks about what it means to follow him. It involves denying themselves, taking up the cross, and the following Jesus. These are common phrases that we have heard and so maybe do not resonate very strongly with us. But for those who were hearing it for the first time, it meant identifying with the cruelest, most excruciating, and most humiliating form of torture and execution. Jesus further tells the crowd that those who follow him must be willing to lose their lives, and I don’t think he meant it metaphorically. I believe Jesus meant this quite literally.

Context One – Narrative Setting

There are a couple of contexts that we need to consider. The first is the context of the setting in which this narrative takes place. Jesus and his disciples were in the region of Caesarea Phillipi. We probably gloss over this as just an interesting mention of geography. But this is a key detail vital to interpreting this narrative, a narrative that is a turning point in Mark’s gospel account.

Up to this point, Jesus had been performing miracles and winning arguments with the learned scholars and authorities. He was amazing the people. He was defeating demons and demonstrating victory over religious and political powers. Jesus’ power and influence was rising in the popular minds.

It is then that Mark’s account mentions Caesarea Phillipi. David Jacobsen, in his commentary on Mark writes about the significance of the setting:

We begin by noting the setting in 8:27-30… First, we note that the location of the action is Caesarea Phillipi. The name indicates the city was named after Caesar. However, since another Caesarea nearby shared that name, it is distinguished with the second name Phillipi, referring to Phillip, one of Herod’s nearby ruling sons. Digging deeper, one notices that this region has a symbolic significance for our revelatory interlude at the mountain of transfiguration. The region, as Adela Yarebro Collins points out, was connected not only with Mount Hermon[1], but it was also an important location associated first with ruler cults stretching back to the Ptolemies and as recent as a new Herodian temple “in honor of Augustus.” In short, this revelatory discussion is happening in a region of imperial religious significance. It is no mere bit of local color or backdrop but is central to understanding the give and take that results in Peter’s confession. Second, the narrator goes out of his way to describe Jesus’ initiatory question in the dialogue as happening “on the way” in v. 28. “On the way is” is discipleship language. We are thus engaging the back and forth of question and response, rebuke and rebuke, in the material that follows not as an intellectual exercise, nor even as one about Christological speculation, but as one connected deeply to discipleship and the nature of the gospel itself. (Jacobsen, 2014)

Considering that information, what I see is the Markan gospel informing his readers that yes, Jesus has been demonstrating his power, and one might be tempted to seize upon it to gain religious, political, and military benefits. But that is not the power of Jesus.

A few weeks ago I noted in the sermon that the Markan account of the wilderness test does not include details nor the “Get behind me, Satan” words that are recorded in Matthew, or the “Don’t test the Lord” found in Luke. But we find “Get behind me, Satan” in Mark at this midpoint of his gospel. A plausible interpretation is that this is the point in Mark’s gospel where Jesus is strongly tested to take the easier path, the path of using his miraculous powers and ability to outwit the learned minds to lead the nation, build an empire, and rule the world.

It is at this point where Christians, Christian organizations and churches throughout history have been tempted and often failed. The offer of power often seems innocuous and even beneficial. Who wouldn’t think that a little bit of gaining influence from the power-that-be wouldn’t be beneficial to the proclamation and spread of the gospel? But from gaining a little bit of help from the governing powers, it soon leads to the thought that if a little power is good, more power would be better. Wouldn’t a Christian nation that follows Christian principles be a great idea? And from there the national agenda becomes “what God wants.” (And by the way, who gets to define what is “Christian” and what isn’t?)

If Jesus were to come amongst us today, I suspect there will be a quite a lot of, “Get behind me, Satan,” coming from his mouth.

Context Two – Literary Setting

The second context to consider in reading this text is that setting in which the gospel account was weaved and edited together and the audience to whom it was written. The account was probably written not too long after the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE. Although there are no records of systematic persecution of Christians during the first century, there were sporadic, regional persecutions. The Great Fire of Rome in 64 CE was blamed on Christians.

Christians were still a small sect that was ostensibly Jewish, but the separation had begun. Perhaps some of the Jewish communities and synagogues had already begun to reject the followers of Jesus and deny the religious protections that they had been under as Jews.

In times of suffering, distress, and uncertainty, apocalyptic literature flourishes. We see this in our own history. During uncertain times, arts and entertainment tend to get darker as they utilize the apocalyptic genre to try to explain what happened, what is going on, and to offer a dark hope for the future.

It was no different in ancient times. Daniel is an apocalyptic book written sometime during the second century BCE, where the Jews attempt to explain what has happened with the rise of Antiochus IV Epiphanes of the Seleucid Empire and his desecration of the Temple.

The book of Revelation is a Christian apocalyptic literature that attempts to explain what has happened from the destruction of the Temple and the seemingly unstoppable power of the Roman Empire against God.

Here are a few features that are common through apocalyptic literature. The first is that they tend to be morally dualistic. A Yale lecture on apocalyptic literature states, “They tend to divide humankind into two mutually exclusive groups; the righteous which is always a tiny minority, and the wicked, which is always the vast majority. There’s going to be some final public judgment and the righteous will be saved and the wicked will be destroyed.” (Yale University, n.d.)

Another feature is that they tend to predict catastrophes, suffering, and persecution. “These are signs of the coming of the end, that final point in the march of history that’s being laid out. You have motifs from ancient myths very often used to describe these catastrophes.” (Yale University, n.d.)

A third feature is that they offer a “behind the scenes” look at what is going on in the supernatural realm, the divine realm, hidden to normal vision.

The last feature I will note here is that,

… Apocalyptic literature can be described as a literature of hope and despair. It’s a literature of despair or pessimism because its basic premise is that this world holds out no promise for the righteous. It’s a literature of hope or optimism because it affirms that God will intervene. He will intervene in human history, he’ll set everything right, he’ll interrupt the natural order, he’s going to destroy this broken world as we know it, and he’ll do so in order to rescue the righteous and humiliate the wicked, and if you’ve already died don’t worry there will be a resurrection, it will all be made right. (Yale University, n.d.)

Hearing an Apocalypse

Although the gospel of Mark is not strictly in the apocalyptic genre, scholars identify apocalyptic themes running through all of it, including the passage we read as our text today. The stark dualism between following Jesus and not following him is presented in the image of carrying a cross. Suffering and death are offered as the norm for following Jesus. In Jesus’ rebuke to Peter, we get the idea that something else is going on “behind the scenes” that is diametrically opposed to what is seen in the world. And finally, Jesus predicts the rescue of his followers who remain faithful to him when he returns.

Writing to a powerless, ostracized, and possibly persecuted people, I see Mark telling his audience to resist the temptation to pursue gaining worldly power to try to improve their conditions.

Jesus said, “³⁶ Why would people gain the whole world but lose their lives? ³⁷ What will people give in exchange for their lives? ³⁸ Whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this unfaithful and sinful generation, the Human One will be ashamed of that person when he comes in the Father’s glory with the holy angels.” (Mark 8:36-38 CEB) In my experience, this statement has often been applied to evangelism and witnessing. But looking at the overall context of this passage, I think a more appropriate application is found in rejecting the temptation to seek to harness powers of this world, even if it might seem to be beneficial in spreading the gospel or improving the general conditions of Christian existence in this world. That said, I don’t think there is a problem with working with modern means of governance to improve the lots of all people. But I do think that privileging Christians over others would still prompt a “Get behind me, Satan,” from Jesus.

The final sentence of today’s reading where Jesus says, “I assure you that some standing here won’t die before they see God’s kingdom arrive in power,” (Mark 9:1 CEB) has been interpreted many ways. A common one is that it refers to some of his disciples who experience the Transfiguration, the narrative which immediately follows. But many scholars accept this as an unfulfilled prediction, that perhaps Jesus got it wrong (or Mark’s editing got it wrong), or that it remains for when Jesus returns.

Conclusion – Redefining “Power”

And it is here that we see the word “power” identified with God and God’s kingdom. In isolation it is easy to interpret this as the kind of strength and might associated with rulers and armies of this world. But Jesus’ power was in his suffering, in his humiliation, in his death, and in his love for the world. The power of Jesus is to use his story to persuade listeners to follow and imitate him. History is witness to the reality that Jesus’ persuasive power is stronger than the might of armies. The persuasive power of suffering and sacrificing love changed civilization.

During this season of Lent, let us remember the power of Christ’s love for the world, that we would not just be Christians, but disciples and followers of Jesus, carrying the cross and enduring suffering, humiliation, and even loss so that we too, can become agents of divine persuasive love in the world.[2]

References

Bartlett, D. L., & Taylor, B. B. (2008). Feasting on the Word: Year B, Volume 2 (Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary). Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press.

Jacobsen, D. S. (2014). Fortress Biblical Preaching Commentaries: Mark. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press.

Jarvis, C. A., & Johnson, E. E. (2014). Feasting on the Gospels: Mark (A Feasting on the Word Commentary). Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press.

McLaren, B. (2024, February 22). Life As a Spiritual Journey: Following Jesus is A Journey. Retrieved from Center for Action and Contemplation: https://cac.org/daily-meditations/following-jesus-is-a-journey/

Whitaker, R. J. (2023). Revelation for Normal People: A Guide to the Strangest and Most Dangerous Book in the Bible. Harleysville, PA: The Bible for Normal People.

Yale University. (n.d.). Lecture 23 - Visions of the End: Daniel and Apocalpytic Literature. (Open Yale Courses) Retrieved February 21, 2024, from RLST 145: Introduction to the Old Testament (Hebrew Bible): https://oyc.yale.edu/religious-studies/rlst-145/lecture-23

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[1] Highest peak in ancient Israel, considered a holy mountain by many peoples, and location of many Roman shrines on its slopes.

[2] “The word Christian is more familiar to us today than the word disciple. These days, Christian often seems to apply more to the kinds of people who would push Jesus off a cliff than it does to his true followers. Perhaps the time has come to rediscover the power and challenge of that earlier, more primary word disciple [which] occurs over 250 times in the New Testament, in contrast to the word Christian, which occurs only three times. Maybe those statistics are trying to tell us something.” (McLaren, 2024)