Transcript:
Life is full of distractions. Parents need to spend time with their children, teaching and modeling correct behavior; but society is full of temptations to pursue wealth and pleasure which shortchanges children of the attention they need. Companies have products, services, and core practices which are essential to their success as a business, but fads often come along and trick executives into taking their eyes off of the fundamentals that are crucial for positive outcomes. Christians are commanded to make disciples, but many churches are so distracted by the pursuit of building huge organizations with multiple programs that true discipleship never happens.
In order to have success in any endeavor, we need to overcome distractions. We need to have clarity in our mind about what is important and what is inconsequential. As servants of Jesus, we need to resist allurements that remove our focus from the commands to love God, love others, and make disciples of all the nations.
The Gospel of Mark records many occasions when Jesus tried to suppress any announcements about His healings and miracles. It seems odd that Jesus would not want people to know about Him. However, Jesus knew one of His main tasks was to train His disciples. Mark 9 is an example of Him traveling covertly so that He could teach concepts that could not be conveyed amidst large crowds.
The first chapter of Mark tells us that as soon as Jesus started performing miracles, the news about Him spread far and wide and attracted huge crowds. Shortly after that initial fame, Jesus often tried to dampen the enthusiasm surrounding Him. We read in Mark 1:44 that when He healed a leper, He told the leper to tell no one; however, the leper proclaimed it freely. We know from Mark 3:12 that Jesus told unclean spirits not to reveal who He is. Mark 5:43 tells us that after Jesus healed Jairus’ daughter, He gave strict orders that no one should know about it. In Mark 6:31 we see that Jesus wanted to take His disciples to a desolate place so they could rest. Mark 7:36 records a time when Jesus healed a deaf and mute man, but told them not to tell anyone. They proclaimed it anyway. After His transfiguration, according to Mark 9:9, Jesus told Peter, James, and John not to tell anyone what they had seen until after His resurrection. Mark 9:25 is part of an account of a boy with an unclean spirit being brought to Jesus. Jesus began conversing with the boy’s father, but then when Jesus saw a crowd was gathering, He quickly cast the demon away and left the area.
Mark 9:30 ¶ From there they went out and were going through Galilee, and He was not wanting anyone to know about it.
Once again we see that Jesus was trying to travel without drawing a large crowd. The first sentence of the next verse tells us why.
Mark 9:31 For He was teaching His disciples and telling them, “The Son of Man is to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill Him; and when He has been killed, He will rise again three days later.”
Mark 9:32 But they did not understand this statement, and they were afraid to ask Him.
Put yourself in the sandals of the disciples, They saw Jesus performing all these miracles. They knew of His power. It didn’t make sense that someone would be able to kill Jesus. It is easy for us to criticize their lack of comprehension, but we read this in hindsight so it is easier for us to comprehend what Jesus meant.
Jesus wanted to travel incognito because He had things He needed to teach His disciples. Large crowds were an impediment to communicating the truths His disciples needed to hear. Jesus was more interested in completing His mission than He was in being famous.
Today, many parents, companies, and Christians are distracted from their correct mission by fame, wealth, and pleasure. People need to do as Jesus did, and make sure they do not lose sight of what is truly important. Most importantly, Christians need to focus on ignoring the diversions that interfere with making real disciples.
Mark 9:33 ¶ And they came to Capernaum; and when He was in the house, He began to question them, “What were you discussing on the way?”
Mark 9:34 But they kept silent, for on the way they had discussed with one another which of them was the greatest.
This was a very awkward moment for the disciples. It is easy to condemn them for thinking so vainly, but people are naturally selfish. It is normal, particularly for people with power and influence, to want to be greater than everyone else.
Mark 9:35 And sitting down, He called the twelve and said to them, “If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.”
This was an important lesson, and one of the reasons Jesus needed to avoid large crowds and spend time teaching His disciples. The success of the church depended on the disciples learning to be servants, not overlords.
Mark 9:36 And taking a child, He set him before them. And taking him in His arms, He said to them,
Mark 9:37 “Whoever receives one child like this in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me does not receive Me, but Him who sent Me.”
Mark 9:38 ¶ John said to Him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we tried to hinder him because he was not following us.”
The time alone gave John the chance to ask Jesus about an observation he made.
Mark 9:39 But Jesus said, “Do not hinder him, for there is no one who will perform a miracle in My name, and be able soon afterward to speak evil of Me.
Mark 9:40 For he who is not against us is for us.
Mark 9:41 For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name because you are of Christ, truly I say to you, he will not lose his reward.
John’s question gave Jesus the opportunity to train His disciples how to think about that situation.
Mark 9:42 ¶ “And whoever causes one of these little ones who believe to stumble, it would be better for him if, with a heavy millstone hung around his neck, he had been cast into the sea.
Mark 9:43 And if your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life crippled, than, having your two hands, to go into hell, into the unquenchable fire,
Mark 9:44 [and where THEIR WORM DOES NOT DIE, AND THE FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED.]
Mark 9:45 And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame, than, having your two feet, to be cast into hell,
Mark 9:46 [and where THEIR WORM DOES NOT DIE, AND THE FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED.]
Mark 9:47 And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, than, having two eyes, to be cast into hell,
Mark 9:48 where THEIR WORM DOES NOT DIE, AND THE FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED.
These were important statements regarding priorities and values.
Mark 9:49 ¶ “For everyone will be salted with fire.
Mark 9:50 Salt is good; but if the salt becomes unsalty, with what will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”
It was important for Jesus to have this time with His disciples so He could communicate some important concepts they needed to know. Jesus knew He would soon go back to heaven, leaving His apostles to form and lead the church. There was a body of knowledge and values they needed to have in order to be successful. Large crowds were an impediment to communicating those lessons, so Jesus often did what He could to avoid large crowds.
We also have many things in our lives that distract us from doing what is vital. Parents, companies, executives, and government leaders all need to resist the temptation to be follow fads, fame, fortune or pleasure at the expense of doing their duty.
We Christians in particular need to stay focused on loving God, loving others, and making disciples of all the nations. Modern church life is full of hindrances that move us away from those priorities. Just as Jesus stayed focus on training His disciples, so too we need to stay focused on living righteous lives and training the next generation to be loyal, wholehearted servants and disciples of Jesus Christ.
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“Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com.”
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