MPC, 10th December 2000.Mark 8:22-38 - See, Hear?
Phil Campbell MPC, 10th December 2000.
What has to go down as one of the years most EXCRUCIATING television moments was the night Richard Hatch was on Celebrity Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. I guess Richard didn't have to worry too much, because he's a millionaire already. He's the guy who won the SURVIVOR show, where there's a bunch of people stranded on that desert island. And with his raw intelligence and wit, he was the FINAL SURVIVOR. A million bucks. So channel 9 flew him out to be a GUEST STAR on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. The Celebrity Special. And if you saw it, you'll never forget it. Richard, for $8,000... what's 11... times 12.
He's flown all the way from America for this. It's about his third question. He's been in the chair for about three minutes. What's 11 times 12? And the four options are there on the screen.
Now I don't know how good YOUR maths is these days. Whether you still remember your 11 times tables. But quick as a flash Richard Hatch picks option B, which says ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY ONE. Lock it in, Eddie, lock in B. 121.
And Eddie looks at him; with half a smile. And he says ARE YOU SURE ABOUT THAT. Yes, of course I'm sure. Everyone knows that. 121. If you're wondering, 132 was option C. Eddie says, do you want to THINK ABOUT IT a bit longer. And Richard Hatch starts doing it on his fingers. Well, 10 times 11 is 110; So 12 times is 121. Isn't it. And the more he thinks about it, the more he gets confused. And it's another three or four minutes before it dawns on him he's got it wrong. And says, WAIT A MINUTE. WAIT A MINUTE. I don't mean B. I mean C. 132. To which Eddie says, sorry Richard; you locked in B. You've flown half way round the world to appear on celebrity WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE. And you've BLOWN IT.
Memorable television moment. A question so EASY. And everyone at home from about third grade up was sitting there KNOWING THE ANSWER. Yelling it at the screen. Saying YOU IDIOT. As Richard Hatch got an obvious question... absolutely WRONG.
Now I wonder, isn't that a little bit how you feel if you've been reading MARKS GOSPEL. Because there's a question in the air. It's the question WHO IS JESUS. And right from page 1, we've already known the answer. Mark starts off with the words, this is the story of JESUS THE CHRIST, the SON OF GOD. Christ is another word for KING. The ANOINTED ONE OF GOD. The one Israel had always been waiting for. So if the question is, WHO IS JESUS, that's the answer WE'VE KNOW from the first words Mark has written.
But as he's telling the story, as he's unfolding what happened, it's very clear that the people we're reading about have got to FIGURE IT OUT FOR THEMSELVES. And even thought from the things Jesus is doing it should be obvious, they just don't see it. Or they won't see it. Or maybe they CAN'T see it. And even when somebody finally DOES, you've still left thinking, maybe he DOESN'T REALLY SEE IT AT ALL.
BLIND EYES
If you pick up with me in chapter 18 verse 18, you can see that's exactly what's going on. Last week we saw Jesus FEEDING 5000 people with five loaves and two fish. Playing out Psalm 23, where THE LORD GOD is the shepherd of his people who sets a table before them. At the start of chapter 8 he does virtually EXACTLY the same thing again. As if the point somehow NEEDS RE-INFORCING. And now, as they head off in a boat, the disciples STILL DON'T GET IT. And look what Jesus is saying to them. It's like you're watching RICHARD HATCH getting it wrong with 11 times 12.
He says, you disciples - I mean, it's one thing for HIS ENEMIES to get it wrong. But YOU GUYS. Verse 18. He says " Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don't you remember? He says, "When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?" "Twelve," they replied. "And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?" They answered, "Seven." He said to them, "Do you still not understand?" Don't you get it?
And the fact is, they don't. Say to them, who's this Jesus you've been hanging around with, who's this Jesus you've been listening to, who's this Jesus you've been watching, and they'll say, WE DUNNO!
Which Jesus says is the worst case he's ever seen of DOMESTIC BLINDNESS; domestic blindness is the kind where the margarine is staring you right in the face in the fridge, and you say, WHERE'S THE MARGARINE. It's always the husband who suffers from it. CAN YOU HELP ME FIND THE MARGARINE. "Top shelf." And you look, and there's no way on the top shelf. And you shut the fridge, and then Louise walks over and opens the fridge. This is MAGIC. And THERE IT IS!
Well, Jesus says, you've seen what I've been doing. You've HEARD what I've been saying. You've been there when I've done the miracles. You've seen me walk on the waves and calm the storm; you've seen me play out Psalm 23 and make the crowds lie down on green pastures and set the table before them. FIGURE IT OUT. Do you have EYES but fail to see, and EARS but fail to hear?
And then will you notice Jesus goes on and does something that's really a VISUAL AID... to do with seeing and not seeing. It's a perfect partner for something he's dong back at the end of chapter 7; and you will have looked at it if you're in a home group or a growth group. There's a guy who couldn't HEAR or SPEAK. And with a touch, his EARS ARE OPENED. Now have a look at this one. Because it's no co-incidence when Jesus is talking about the HEARING AND SEEING PROBLEM THE DISCIPLES ARE HAVING.
It's like a PICTURE. A demonstration. That they need to go from NOT HEARING TO HEARING. And from NOT SEEING to SEEING.
And so verse 22 they come to Bethsaida, a little fishing village on the east side of Lake Galilee; the name of the town means HOUSE OF THE FISH. And when they see Jesus coming, there's a bunch of people who starting leading a man towards him by the hand. Blind. And they beg Jesus to touch him. Anything. To give back his sight.
And you can see there, Jesus takes the blind man by the hand. Takes him outside the village. And he spits on the man's eyes; and puts his hands on him. And says, HOWS THAT? Can you SEE ANYTHING?
Strange thing. And really the only time something like this ever happens. Because the answer isn't exactly what you'd expect it to be. By now you're expecting everything Jesus does to happen straight away. "Can you see anything?" And the answer is, NOT REALLY. Well, I can see sort of fuzzy shapes. Like trees walking around.
I sort of get it. But everything's FUZZY.
So verse 25, Jesus puts his hands on the man's eyes again. And then his EYES ARE OPENED, his sight is restored, AND HE SEES EVERYTHING CLEARLY. And Jesus sends him home.
Do you reckon - and maybe this is a bit of a long-shot - but do you reckon maybe he's a bit of a DEMONSTRATION of how it is with the disciples? I mean, think about it again, Jesus says to the disciples, DON'T YOU GET IT? Have you got eyes and YOU DON'T SEE WHO I AM? Ears and you don't HEAR? And even as we read on into the next few verses when it LOOKS LIKE at least Peter gets it right, dig a bit beneath the surface and he's still only seeing part of the picture. Walking trees. And it's going to be QUITE A WHILE before he's seeing clearly.
AN ANSWER AT LAST
But before we go too far, have a look at verse 27 to 30; because here's the place where Peter's in the hot seat in who wants to be a Millionaire. And he's asked the question. The big one. WHO DO PEOPLE SAY THAT I AM. They've left Bethsaida, the House of Fish, and they're going around the villages of Caesarea Philippi, and as they're walking Jesus asks them the question. End of verse 27. WHO DO PEOPLE SAY I AM? And they tell him. Some of the answers we saw last week that were going round the gossip network. He's John the Baptist back from the dead. He's the prophet ELIJAH back from the dead. Or others say you're one of the OTHER PROPHETS."
Every one of the saying there's something SPECIAL GOING ON. But none of them seeing HOW BIG.
But what about you.... who do YOU say that I am. You disciples. Who've been with me all the way. How's it going since we were in the BOAT at the start of chapter 8 when I said you had eyes but couldn't see? Who do YOU say I am?
And Peter says, LOCK IT IN. You're the CHRIST. You're the one the scriptures have promised. The one who's going to be KING OVER THE PEOPLE OF GOD. And he could have gone on. You're the one who's going to sit on the throne up there in Jerusalem. And get rid of all the Palestinians. And the Romans. You're the one who's going to be powerful. And important. And RICH. You're THE CHRIST WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR. But before he says any of that stuff that's in his head, Jesus stops him cold. Peter says, YOU ARE THE CHRIST. And Jesus warns them to say NOTHING TO ANYBODY. Because they still haven't got it. They've got the TITLE RIGHT. But they've missed what it means.
FORGET THE RED CARPET...
And so verse 31 to 38, Jesus starts talking plainly about the road ahead. It's not the red carpet and the big limousines and the seats of honour. But exactly the opposite.
Can you imagine a world where if they wanted to have a war, they wouldn't send in an army of thousands of little guys to get killed. But they'd send in the Prime Ministers and the Presidents and the Kings? And they'd say, YOU GUYS FIGHT IT OUT. Sounds like a good plan, doesn't it. Except you maybe wouldn't get so many people lining up for the job. You're the King... okay, YOU DO THE FIGHTING FOR US. We'll wait here. The way the real world works is the opposite, isn't it. I'm the BOSS... so I'll stay where it's safe and comfortable and there's cable television. You guys can do the stuff in the jungle.
Well, listen to Jesus. Peter's just had his brainwave. YOU ARE THE CHRIST. And Jesus straight away starts to tell them that he's going to SUFFER.. and BE REJECTED BY THE ELDERS and the CHIEF PRIESTS and the TEACHERS OF THE LAW. Which adds up to everyone that matters. And he says, I'm going to be KILLED. This is verse 31. And after THREE DAYS, rise again. Verse 32, he spoke PLAINLY ABOUT THIS... and Peter takes him aside and begins to rebuke him. See, Peter doesn't get it. He's figured Jesus is here to be KING, and he's got the Rolls Royce and the Red Carpet sort of idea in his head; which means the stuff Jesus says just DOESN'T MAKE SENSE. Rejection. And dying. Let alone the crazy sounding stuff about three days later rising again. So Peter takes him aside and says, CUT IT OUT. He says, STOP IT. That's NO WAY FOR A KING TO TALK.
And here's where Peter hasn't seen CLEARLY at all. Here's where he's saying 11 times 12 is 121. And it isn't. Because he hasn't got a clue how to do MATHS God's way. Where GREATNESS equals SERVICE. Where adding GLORY means SUBTRACTING from yourself. Rather than patting yourself on the back.
And so Jesus says some of the strongest words that ever pass his lips. Peter's been rebuking Jesus. Well, Jesus gives Peter a stinging rebuke in return. Verse 33. He turns, he looks at his disciples, and he says to Peter, GET BEHIND ME SATAN. You don't have in mind the things of God, but the things of men." You don't get GOD'S PLANS at all. You're just talking for the DEVIL.
And so he calls together the disciples and the rest of the crowd, and he spells it out. Spells out what following KING JESUS is going to look like. The path of thorns instead of the red carpet. And he says, if you're COMING, here's what you can expect.
Now we need to listen to this. On the one hand, Jesus is literally about to walk up the road to Jerusalem, and he's going to get nailed. And so for the people listening, there's something chillingly literal about what he's saying. He's saying come with me, and you'll be walking down a road with a ROMAN CROSS AT THE END OF IT. Come with me and we're walking down DEATH ROW. Come with me and it's the road to the GALLOWS. That's what he's saying in verse 34. If you're going to come with me, you've got to DENY YOURSELF, and take up your cross and follow me." And there's this COSTLY CHOICE. Literally for them. Maybe less literally for us. But still with the same sting. For whoever wants to SAVE HIS LIFE will lose it... but whoever LOSES his life for me and for the gospel will save it." For what good is it for a man to GAIN THE WHOLE WORLD... and yet FOREFEIT HIS SOUL.
I want to finish up this morning by asking you, DO YOU GET THAT? Can you see it - clearly?
See there are all sorts of ways the message gets sugar coated. But here it is. When you finally see that Jesus is King, when you finally get it CLEAR... don't think for a minute that following him is going to put you on EASY STREET.
I was browsing through a book in Koorong the other day. Written by Bobbie Houston, wife of the pastor of the huge Christian Life Centre in Sydney. Full of her little sayings for the EFFECTIVE CHRISTIAN WOMAN. And she said, a Christian woman won't LOVE MONEY... but she'll sure have a healthy respect for CHRISTIAN PROSPERITY." Which is the idea that says, if you follow Jesus, you'll PROSPER MATERIALLY. Better house. Nicer car. Great clothes. She says, okay, sure, don't love the money. But sit back and ENJOY THE PROSPERITY ANYWAY. And she says, that's how you should expect it to be. If you're a faithful Christian.
Works other ways too. I mean, are you expected if you commit yourself to following Jesus things are automatically going to go BETTER FOR YOU? With your health? With your job? I don't think Jesus is saying that at all, is he? When he says, if anyone would come after me, he must DENY HIMSELF and take up his cross. I mean, if you're following the King who's going to GIVE UP HIS LIFE FOR OTHERS, if you're following the King who foregoes the red carpet, what makes you expect the RED CARPET yourself? And more often you'll find it's just like Jesus says... if you want to GAIN THE WORLD... you end up losing your soul. Trading your ETERNITY... for a two week beach holiday in Bali.
What can you trade for your SOUL? He says, what's worth SO MUCH in THIS LIFE that it's worth trading your eternity for? High stakes, isn't it. But he says, what you really need to make sure you do, is STICK WITH ME... to the end. Even when the going is tough. He says, be ashamed of me, I'll be ashamed of you. To which the other side of the coin is, STICK WITH ME... and I'll stick with you. Even when it's tough.
I guess as we wind up there are two key things to hang on to. Number 1. Who is Jesus? And if you're still working on that one for yourself, keep chewing it over. Put yourself in the place of the disciples. Pray that the one who OPENED BLIND EYES will open YOUR EYES AS WELL, so you can see it.
But when you do see it, make sure you get it clear... that following the CHRIST who gives up his life, it's no ticket to EASY STREET. It's a way tougher road than the one you might have been walking on. But in the end - it's the path to LIFE. And what good is it to gain the world... if you're going to lose your soul doing it?