Monday, October 19, 2015

Pentecost 21B

Proper 24 / Ordinary Time 29 / Pentecost 21B

authority and servanthood; expectations and surprise

Mark 10:35-45


35James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to him and said to him, "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you." 36And he said to them, "What is it you want me to do for you?" 37And they said to him, "Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory." 38But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?" 39They replied, 'We are able." Then 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; 40but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared."

41When the ten heard this, they began to be angry with James and John. 42So Jesus called them and said to them, "You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. 43But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, 44and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. 45For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many."



Also in Matthew 20:20-28, {also immediately following Jesus' talk about his death), where the mother of the Sons of Zebedee asks Jesus. Great discussion yesterday when someone asked me why Matthew has Mom ask; I suggested with Matthew writing to a Jewish audience and bringing in features such as sacrificial law, Jesus as the new King David and new Human David, he probably felt compelled to do that Jewish Mother thing, too.

In between last week's gospel reading and this week's, Jesus predicts his betrayal, death, and resurrection. Here, in Marks' gospel, that gospel gives us no resurrection account!

Verses 10:32-34 between last Sunday's gospel reading and this one have Jesus still "on the way" and predicting his betrayal and death 10:34 "...and shall kill him, and the third day he shall rise again."

Mark 10

32They were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them; they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them what was to happen to him, 33saying, "See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death; then they will hand him over to the Gentiles; 34they will mock him, and spit upon him, and flog him, and kill him; and after three days he will rise again."

Like last week they're still on the way―to the cross, to Jerusalem, to lives of service.

"Jesus isn't merely a person; Jesus also is a road, a way." –Jürgen Moiltmann

Barbara suggested the guys who found Peter's boldness so arrogant now wanted to take their turn. How dare they? I suggested the intimacy and trust of friendship.

doxa / glory: as in doxology glory of the cross!

Two bandits will grace Jesus’ left and right in the glory of his crucifixion (15:27).

God's power, sovereignty and glory: look to the vulnerability of the bethlehem manger; look to the cross.

10:43 ethnos nations – not necessarily the Jew / Gentile dichotomy we sometimes make


ransom, lutron, to loose, set free • lutrosis = redemption

• Matthew 20:28: "to give his life a ransom for many."

• Mark 10:45: "to give his life a ransom for many."

Jesus refers to a ransom, which is a payment for the release of a slave. Charlene picked up on kinsman-redeemer. Ched Myers points out the connection between this and the exhortation to be a "slave" in the previous verse, as well as the paradox about losing life to save it (8:35).

Myers points out Jesus has transformed the way of servanthood" into the way of liberation.

servant throughout this passage is "diakonos"

We had an excellent discussion about servanthood and service.

deacons in the church?

world facing rather than church-facing, the servant class that looks for and responds to needs of the word.

Acts 6:3-6
The early church first ordained deacons, not elders or ministers of word and sacrament.

Originally deacons served the surrounding community rather than parish insiders.

this is what the early church looked like to the world looking at it, evaluating it. Followers of the way to the cross and resurrection.

worship assistant / assisting minister / liturgist at worship / deacon



notes for myself I didn't bring into the class discussion:

Ched Myers calls Mark 8:22 - 10:46 his discipleship catechism

two stories of blind men getting their sight back frame this sandwich filling section of Mark's Gospel

1. Blind man, "trees walking," 8:22-26

&

2. Blind Bartimaeus, Mark 10:46-52

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