SERMON TITLE: Jesus, I’m afraid to ask this question.
TEXT: Mark 9:30-50; 10:13-16 (ESV)
SPEAKER: Josh Hanson
DATE: 8-29-21
You can find the sermon notes here.
You can watch the sermon here.
It’s a joy to be with all of you this weekend at Gateway Church. And the one thing I always want you to know — and this is true if you’re worshipping with us for the first time or are joining us at our North Main campus — the one thing I want you to know is that God loves you and that I love you too.
We’re continuing our series in the gospel of Mark today. And — if you have your Bible — go ahead and find Mark chapter 9. Each week — we’re seeing people ask Jesus different questions. And these questions are what we’re focusing on — because — we’ve all got questions, don’t we? And the questions — we find Jesus getting asked — are questions we’re still asking today.
So let’s turn to our passage for today and — the question Jesus will be asked this week is — well — we’re going to find that his disciples are too afraid to ask him their question. So — that’s going to be our focus — what do we do with the questions we have that we’re too afraid to ask?
Here are the words found in Mark chapter 9. Beginning in verse 30.
“They went on from there and passed through Galilee. And he did not want anyone to know, 31 for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise.” 32 But they did not understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him. 33 And they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” 34 But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. 35 And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” 36 And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, 37 “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.” 38 John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” 39 But Jesus said, “Do not stop him, for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. 40 For the one who is not against us is for us. 41 For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward. 42 “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. 43 And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. 45 And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell. 47 And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, 48 ‘where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’ 49 For everyone will be salted with fire. 50 Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”” (Mark 9:30-50 ESV)
And — in Mark chapter 10 — beginning in verse 13 — we read, “And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. 14 But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. 15 Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” 16 And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.” (Mark 10:13-16 ESV)
As soon as we’re old enough to put thoughts and words together, we start asking questions. I think an experience common to many of us are the endless “why” questions of a young child: “Why, why, why?” But we never really grow out of asking questions, do we?
For example, we meet someone new and we ask, “What do you do? Where are you from? Do you have a family?” and so on. We also ask questions — and often demand answers — of those in authority — government officials, coaches, and so on. And — regardless of who we’re asking — if we like your answers — we’ll probably like you. But — if we don’t like your answers — well — at best — we’re now suspicious of you.
But fundamentally there’s nothing wrong with asking questions and wanting to find answers. This is how we grow in our understanding — this is how we eliminate our ignorance. Yet — though we love to ask questions — there are many questions we’re afraid to ask. Some questions we’d rather be blissfully ignorant of the answers to rather than be confronted by an answer that may make us uncomfortable or force us to change.
And these unasked questions can be harmful to us and to others — an easy example being questions related to our health. Yes, going to the doctor may be uncomfortable. Yes, doctors sometimes give us answers we don’t want to hear. But — not asking questions about your health — can land you in a really bad place, right? Yet — even though we know this — we often distract ourselves from the most important questions and seek out answers to less important things.
While preparing for this sermon, I googled “What are the most googled questions?” And a company (https://www.mondovo.com/keywords/most-asked-questions-on-google) that helps customers optimize their website for searches on google — lists the one thousand most asked questions on google. Are you ready to hear the questions we’re most interested in finding the answers to?
The number one most asked question — asked over three million times globally each month — is...you ready for this? “What is my ip?” “What’s my ip address” is googled another 450,000 times each month. Are you not moved by our most pressing question as a species?
What about the second most googled question — this one will impress you. “What time is it?” — that’s the second most google question in the world.
The list of answers we’re in most dire need to know continues with:
Some pretty deep, important questions we’re asking, right? Now — having already fallen down this rabbit hole — I discovered that the questions we most often google — are also listed by the type of questions, “Who, what, when, where, how, and so on.”
So what are the “why” questions we’re asking?
Makes you proud to be a human, right? But it made me wonder — where does the question “Why am I here?” rank on the list? It’s number 169. Googled 6,600 times each month. “Why do I exist?” comes in at number 923 — googled 1,600 times each month.
These two questions are googled less times each month than:
Turning to “what” questions — “what is the meaning of life” fairs a bit better — it comes in at number 25 — 110,000 searches each month. But it still falls behind: what does the fox say, what song is this, and what does “smh” mean?
“Which” questions — which religion is right or true — comes in at number 111 — 1,900 searches each month. Falling behind which disney princess are you, which pokemon are you, which harry potter character are you, which friends character are you, and which celebrity do I look like?
Are we not asking some of the most deep, profound, compelling, need to know questions? Not at all! — though I’ll give us all a pass with the “why are the Kardashians famous” question.
Why do I bring this up? Because it shows that we’re part of a society that loves to ask questions — but not very meaningful ones. We’re distracting ourselves from asking questions that really matter. Questions that — we know — if we had the answers to — well — things would have to change. They’re questions we’re afraid to ask.
And — as I said earlier — these unasked questions can end up being harmful to us and to others. Yet — what we find in the gospel — is that we don’t have to fear the answers to these types of questions — the questions — that we all know — really matter. God can be trusted with all of our questions. Yet — we can know this — and still struggle with asking our questions.
And we’re not alone. Our verses in Mark begin with, “They (Jesus and his disciples) went on from there and passed through Galilee. And he did not want anyone to know, 31 for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise.” 32 But they did not understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him.” (Mark 9:30-32 ESV)
Two weeks ago — Jesus told his disciples that he would die. That’s when we wrestled with the question, “Jesus, why must you rise from the dead?” And — here — we find the disciples still wrestling with why Jesus must die, but they’re afraid to ask him about it. And we’re at the point — in Mark’s gospel — where Jesus has turned his attention away from Galilee — away from the place that’s been the focus of his ministry — the place he’s known since he was a young boy — and he’s turning his focus to Jerusalem and the death that awaits him there. And the disciples are noticing this shift, but they’re afraid — afraid to ask him the question that’s on their mind. But why? Why are they afraid?
Though we can’t say for certain, scholars have suggested a few reasons for their fear. First, Jesus just mentioned that he’s going to be “delivered into the hands” of those who will kill him. The disciples might be afraid to ask him for clarity because they’re wondering which one of them will be his betrayer. (C. Clifton Black, Mark (Nashville: Abingdon, 2011).) Others have suggested that the disciples are afraid to ask Jesus about his death because his answer may indicate that they’re going to be killed along with him — they are his disciples, afterall. And following Jesus — to his death — would most likely mean following him to their death. 9Larry Hurtado, Mark (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2011).) Still others think they’re afraid to ask because they’ve been rebuked before — for not understanding what Jesus was saying (John MacArthur, Jr., Mark 9-16 (Chicago: Moody, 2015).) and they don’t want to get rebuked now. Whatever their reason — their fear keeps them from asking their question.
So — though they don’t ask Jesus their question — we’re going to ask three uncomfortable questions based on what we find in our verses. Questions that are easy to avoid — because — Jesus’ answer to these questions are kind of scary. But let’s continue on — we’ll all be brave together — and ask our questions.
“And the first question — Jesus — that we have for you is this: What does it mean to be great?” Let’s begin in verse 33.
“And they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” 34 But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. 35 And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” 36 And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, 37 “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.” 38 John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” 39 But Jesus said, “Do not stop him, for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. 40 For the one who is not against us is for us. 41 For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward” (Mark 9:30-41 ESV)
We all want to be great and we envy greatness in others — which we talked about weeks ago. We admire the greatness of others — and — if we’re honest — we want to be great ourselves. Great employees, great bosses, working for great companies. Great parents, great spouses. part of great families. Great pastors, great members, part of great churches. And — if we can’t be great — often — we’ll settle for the reputation of being great.
And — in this regard — we’re like Jesus’ disciples. They’ve just heard Jesus say he’s going to be killed — and are afraid to ask the right question — “Jesus, what do you mean — you’re going to be killed?” But — then — we see that they’re not afraid — they’re even eager — to ask about which of them will be the greatest. (James Brooks, Mark (Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1991). And this obviously makes no sense whatsoever. You’d think they’d be focused on Jesus saying that he’s going to be killed — but no. Not Peter, not James, not John, none of the others. Instead of focusing on Jesus — they’re focused on themselves. And they begin to argue — with each other — over who’s going to be the greatest of Jesus’ disciples.
And — again — let’s be honest. Like them — we spend way more of our time focused on our greatness — or making ourselves great — than we do on the greatness of Jesus. We’re caught up in a culture where — even as a church — we’re told to over communicate all of the great things we’re doing — all of the great programs we offer — all of the great opportunities for children and youth and married couples — in order to — hopefully — attract new people to join us or — at the very least — keep those who are already here. But what if we were simply known as the church who made much of the greatness of Christ? Would that attract new folks? Would that keep you here? Yes, we want to do our very best for God but that doesn’t mean the emphasis should be put on the great things we’re doing at the cost of the great thing Christ has done for us, right? Surely not.
And — in response — Jesus tells them what it means to be great. If you want to be first — Jesus says — be last. If you want to be great — be a servant of all. I recently heard someone give a talk on leadership. And at one point, he said — and this is me paraphrasing him, “I’m sick of hearing about servant leadership. Not because I disagree with it, but because it gives the idea that there are other — noble — forms of leadership. And there aren’t. You’re either a servant leader or you’re not a leader. Thus it’s redundant to say servant leadership.” (Patrick Lencioni)
What he’s saying is what Jesus is saying. Greatness — like leadership — isn’t about power and privilege — though that’s the world’s definition of greatness and leadership. Greatness is about serving others. Greatness is about humility. Greatness is seen in God being born as a child — thus Jesus brings a child before his disciples. Jesus didn’t come as the world would expect the All Powerful One to come into the world. But he did come in power — he came in greatness. He came to serve — not to be served. And to be his follower is to follow his example of greatness.
So what does it mean to be great? Well, we’ve already mentioned humility. And one of the ways we reject greatness is by being so full of ourselves that we think we’re the only ones following Jesus and serving Jesus the right way. We find this in our story as well. The disciples find a man doing ministry — casting out demons — but not doing so in a way the disciples determine to be the right way — “this guy’s not one of us.” So they stop him from helping others — they stop him from serving in Jesus’ name.
Similar to what they’ll do with the children — later on — “get these kids outta here” — the disciples are quick to dismiss those who aren’t part of their group. They’re concerned because others are doing ministry in the name of Jesus — but Jesus isn’t concerned.
Is this something God’s people struggle with today? Absolutely! We do this when we’re so caught up in how great we are as a church — or as individual Christians — that we’re suspicious of or unable to celebrate what other churches and Christians are doing in the name of Jesus. We like to have our own little camps — our little tribes — who think like us, behave like us, believe every point of doctrine exactly like we do — which makes it easy to judge and question what others are doing — on behalf of Jesus — simply because they’re a bit different from us.
For example…
And — I think — Jesus makes this point in how he wraps up this part of the conversation. In verse 41 he says, “For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward” (Mark 9:41 ESV)
Jesus isn’t teaching a works-based salvation — “give people water and you’ll go to Heaven” — that’s not what he’s saying. What Jesus is saying is that there aren’t any trivial tasks — no minor things we do when it comes to being servants for him. The only thing that matters is faith and obedience as we follow him. (William Lane, The Gospel of Mark (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1974, 344-345.)
So there’s his answer to our first question — what does it mean to be great? “Be a servant to all. Be humble. Follow me — the King of kings who came to earth born in a manger.”
“Jesus — the second question we have for you is this: How hard do I really have to fight against my sin?” Let’s return to verse 42.
““Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. 43 And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. 45 And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell. 47 And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, 48 ‘where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’ 49 For everyone will be salted with fire. 50 Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”” (Mark 9:42-50 ESV)
“Whoa, whoa, whoa, Jesus. Talk about extremes. See why I didn’t want to ask you this question. Self-mutilation, really?” Another Bible translation says, “You’re better off one-eyed and alive than exercising your twenty-twenty vision from inside the fire of hell. “Everyone’s going through a refining fire sooner or later, but you’ll be well-preserved, protected from the eternal flames. Be preservatives yourselves. Preserve the peace.”” (Mark 9:47-50 MSG)
Jesus wants us to see, respect, and fear his judgement against those who cause people to spiritually stumble — especially children. So how seriously should we take our sin? As seriously as Jesus does. And we should go to great lengths in our fight against our sin.
That being said — most Bible scholars agree that Jesus is using hyperbole to explain what our fight against sin is to be like. So he’s not literally meaning we should cut off our hand or gouge out our eye. In Jesus’ day — to amputate a body part — would most likely result in death — they didn’t have the medical advancements we have today. Yet — though hyperbole’s used — the application is meant to be very practical in our lives. Just like the surgeon who won’t hesitate to amputate a leg or arm in order to save a person’s life — we must be willing to cut off things from our lives that cause us to sin and especially those things in our lives that cause others to sin.
One person has said that, “Jesus forcefully warns us to take sin seriously. The temptations we flirt with will be the sins we fall to. We must not seek to explain away, excuse, rename, or minimize sin. Instead, we should call it out by name and then do whatever it takes to kill it. Eternity hangs in the balance.” (Trevin Wax, “Take Extreme Measures Against Sin,” June 9, 2008. https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/trevin-wax/take-extreme-measures-against-sin/.) He goes on to write, “Jesus [is] driving home the truth that we must deal with sin at any cost. We must attack sin at its roots before it attacks us. Better to live with less than to die with more. We must be on the offense when it comes to avoiding temptation.
For the one trapped in the sin of pornography, it may mean cutting off the internet cable. For the one often lured into places where sin reigns, it may mean handing the car keys to a friend. For the greedy, it may mean giving away entire paychecks and downsizing a lifestyle. For the glutton, it may mean fasting.
Whatever the sin may be, Jesus teaches us to take drastic measures to avoid it and conquer it. Like cancer, if allowed to spread, sin will take over our minds and hearts and then rule our very being. Often, amputation alone stops the spread of physical disease. In the same way, only ridding our lives of the practices or possessions that cause us to sin can stop evil from spreading to other areas of our life.”
To which it’s easy to think, “Well, Jesus, this all sounds awfully extreme.” “I came to earth to die on a cross for your sins. That’s extreme. What I’m asking you to do doesn't even begin to compare to what I’ve done.”
The implication for us — for those who believe in Jesus — is that we’re to take our sin seriously. We’re to fight against our sin with all of the resources we’ve been given. God’s Word. God’s Spirit. Each other. For — to not go to great lengths in our fight against sin — is to wave a white flag of defeat in our war against sin when we’ve been given the flag of victory.
“Jesus — this last question is really uncomfortable to ask — I’m not sure what you’re gonna say. But here’s my question: Do I have enough faith?” Let’s begin in verse 36.
“And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, 37 “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.”” (Mark 9:36-37 ESV)
And — in Mark chapter 10 — we read, “And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. 14 But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. 15 Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” 16 And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.” (Mark 10:13-16 ESV)
This can be a very scary question to ask — making it an easy question to ignore. “Do I have enough faith?” But — before we get to our faith — let’s appreciate the fact that Jesus loves children. They are precious to him. Two different occasions where Jesus shows his love for children.
And — in following Jesus — we’re to love children. We’re to protect them. We’re to point them to Jesus and teach them to follow him. Parent or not — if you’re a Christian — be aware of how you view and treat children. I mean — did you see Jesus’ response when his disciples tried to keep the children from coming to him? Here’s how another translation of the Bible describes the scene.
“But Jesus was irate and let them know it: “Don’t push these children away. Don’t ever get between them and me. These children are at the very center of life in the kingdom.” (Mark 10:14 MSG)
Don’t ever get between Jesus and children. Yes, this implies a responsibility to parents and family members to disciple the children in their families — to raise them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. But this was said to the disciples — not the parents of these children. So we all need to take heed of Jesus’ words and ensure that we’re not hindering children from coming to him. And — to those of you who serve the children and youth here at Gateway — thank you for doing so — thank you for not hindering — but encouraging the children and youth to go to Jesus.
But — back to our faith — here we see that our faith — no matter our age — is to be like that of a child. But — as R.C. Sproul has said — “There’s a vast difference, however, between childlike faith and childish faith, though the two are often confused. [Childlike faith] is to remain forever in a state of awe and trust of their heavenly Father, while a childish faith balks at learning the things of God in depth. It refuses the meat of the gospel while clinging to a diet of milk.” (R.C. Sproul, Essential Truths of the Christian Faith (Wheaton: Tyndale, 1992), xi.)
A young child — whose parents have proven their love and care for him — trusts his mom and dad. And childlike faith means — because God’s proven his love and care for us — we trust our Heavenly Father. Childlike faith means we accept his definition of greatness. It means we trust his Spirit’s power in us to help us fight against sin and don’t simply give up — or in — to it.
And I think the reason why we’re often afraid to ask this question — about faith — is because we tend to focus more on ourselves than on our kind and gracious Father in Heaven. His love for you is greater than your doubts. His kindness towards you is more powerful than your questions. As Paul tells us in Romans, “And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow — not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below — indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39 NLT)
This is the confidence of childlike faith. Being convinced that nothing can separate you from God’s love — not even your fears for today or your worries about tomorrow. Not even his answers — to the questions you have that you’re too afraid to ask — will separate you from his love. If you are his child — God loves you and his love for you is eternal.
So ask Jesus your hard questions — even the ones that you’re afraid to ask. Get beyond asking him yes or no questions.
Ask him questions that matter. Don’t be afraid of his answers — his answers are always for your good because he loves you. And know that — when we ask these deeper questions — we show that — more than an answer to our question — what we most desire is a deeper — more intimate relationship — with him who loves us and gave his life for us, so that we might live and trust him with all of our questions. Let’s pray.
Heavenly Father, thank you for your tenderly, gracious, never ending love for us. Though we may not all have great experiences of earthly fatherly love — through faith in your Son — we all can know and experience you — our Heavenly Father’s love.
Spirit of God, help us to live according to your definition of greatness — following in the footsteps of our great Savior. Help us to fight against sin — taking the fight seriously — just as seriously as Jesus. And help us to trust in the love and faithfulness of our Heavenly Father. Even when we are faithless — Father, Son, and Spirit — you are faithful — for you cannot deny who you are and your very character is that of being faithful to your people.
And to you — Jesus — thank you for being great. Great in your living for us. Great in your sacrifice. Great in your power over death. Great in your love for us. Great in serving the world so that all who turn to you — and turn from their sin — might become a child of God. And you never turn away the children of God. May we trust and rest and find joy in your great love for us. And we pray all of this in your name. Amen.
As we turn to the Lord’s Table, we’re reminded again of the greatness of Christ. This is a meal of hope for us — hope displayed to us in the life and death of Jesus Christ.
On the night he was betrayed, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me." In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.” (1 Corinthians 11:24b-26 (ESV))
And with these words our Lord commands all believers to eat this bread and to drink this cup in true faith and in the confident hope of his return in glory. In this meal, God graciously declares to us that our sins have been completely forgiven through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. (Adapted from the Heidelberg Catechism, Q&A 75, 80)
At this time, I’d like to invite forward those who are going to be serving us. And — as they come forward — let’s pray.
Father, we give you thanks for your Son, Jesus. For his obedience and suffering during his life on earth, and for his giving up of his body and blood on the cross. Give us assurance that our sins are pardoned through his blood and may your perfect love drive out all fear. Fill our minds with your peace and turn our eyes to Heaven, where Christ is at your right hand interceding for us. Unite us with each other through your Spirit so — together — we worship you with our lives until our Savior returns. Amen.
As the bread and cup are passed down the rows, take the bread on your own — but save the cup. Eat the bread on your own — but save the cup — which we’ll all drink together.
Take — drink — Christ’s blood shed for you. The grace of God for you.
Let’s pray. Heavenly Father, in your wisdom, you’ve made all things and you sustain them by your power. You formed us in your image, setting us in this world to love and serve you, and to live in peace with one another. When we rebelled against you — refusing to trust and obey you — you did not reject us, but claimed us as your own.
Then — in the fullness of time — out of your great love for us — you sent your only Son to be one of us, to redeem us, to heal our brokenness, to cleanse us from our sin, and to defeat our greatest enemies of Satan, sin, death, and Hell so that we might have hope. And in response to these great truths, we now praise you in song together. Amen.
May you go trusting God with all of your questions — knowing that he loves you. Amen.
God loves you. I love you. You are sent.
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