For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. Mark 8:35

CONSIDER
No one starts out in life looking to settle for the ordinary. We have hopes and plans for our life to shape the world. The funny thing is, over the course of time it becomes easy for our expectations to change. Maybe it’s a missed opportunity or failed venture. It could be a broken heart or unforeseen misfortune. However we label it, the willingness to settle can quickly overtake our dreams, giving way to identity issues, criticism, and even unbelief. But the Bible reveals that God has more for us, and he offers the ability to access the vibrant, meaningful existence that causes us to feel alive. To explore some behind the scenes content from our new series, check out this week’s video!

APPLY
What is something God is asking me to give up?

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. – Mark 8:34

GREEK
ἀπαρνησάσθω/aparnēsasthō: let him utterly disown, abstain

CONSIDER
A cursory look at the Book of Exodus reveals that human nature is fickle. We often complain about our lot in life, but as time goes on we wish for the “good old days.” Nostalgia blinds us to the reality that where we used to be was toxic and enslaving. The Israelites complained about the conditions in Egypt, and then tried to return more than once after God had delivered them!
As Claude mentioned in the message on Sunday, Peter’s confession that Jesus is the Christ is the hinge on which the Gospel of Mark turns. The action begins to shift from the rural outskirts of Judea to Jerusalem – the epicenter of Jewish cultural, spiritual, and political life. In this week’s pericope, we see Jesus shedding light on what is to come, both for the Messiah and for his followers. He prophesies that the Son of Man will suffer and die, and then declares “if anyone would come after me, aparnēsasthō (let him utterly disown, abstain or deny) himself and take up his cross and follow me.” This would have been the opposite of the inspirational rhetoric expected to come from the one who would lead his people to freedom. But Jesus implies that the Kingdom of God is going to come in a most unexpected manner. In this context aparnēsasthō literally means that we will completely and utterly disown the life we have developed ourselves without looking back. There is no room to interpret this command as accepting some short-term hardship! If Jesus is who he says he is, our job is to follow him to Jerusalem, to the Garden of Gethsemane, and to Golgotha without looking back at what we have given up. The truth is, our old way of life has nothing to offer us anyway.

APPLY
What is something God is asking me to give up?

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? – Mark 8:36

GREEK
ὠφελεῖ/ōphelei: to benefit, be useful to

CONSIDER
In the 1850s the first major discovery of silver ore in the US sent people flocking to Nevada in search of fortune. Known as The Comstock Lode, the silver extracted from this site would bring in over $500 million dollars (about $11 billion in today’s dollars) for the prospectors, miners, and developers that had flocked to the foothills of what is now known as The Silver State. But this site’s namesake – “Old Pancake” Comstock – committed suicide just three years after the discovery was made public. Although Comstock did receive a fair amount of money from his claim, the thirst for more and his subsequent disappointment that the spoils of the mine weren’t his alone to keep, ended up crushing him. Old Pancake died penniless, homeless, and frustrated that other people were getting rich from the land he had worked for years.
Financial wealth has its benefits, but it is terrible at filling in for the Savior. It promises hope but can’t deliver without the proper conditions. It assures us peace, but we quickly realize our bank account can’t stand up to heartache. That’s why today’s verse is so compelling. We often live as though more money, power, or stature is the answer to the longings of our soul. But Jesus’ rhetorical question, “For what ōphelei (is the benefit to, use is it for) a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?” teaches us that our soul is nourished by more than worldly consumption. In the larger context of the passage, we learn that we were designed to thrive on the inner freedom of knowing and following Jesus wherever he leads. Loving him and being loved by him give our lives supernatural purpose and meaning that can’t be duplicated by anything this world can offer us.

APPLY
Take time to write out a prayer of gratitude this week.

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.” – Mark 9:7

CONSIDER
One thing that we are absolutely convinced of as a church is that the text requires something of us. For the Christ follower, we don’t have the luxury of hearing God’s word communicated and then choose not to act. Being obedient means that we both listen and act, but how do we do both well when we are naturally inclined to gravitate toward one or the other of these elements? Check out this week’s video to explore more from this week’s message!

APPLY
Act this week on something you know God is directing you to do.

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, – Mark 9:2

GREEK
ἀναφέρει/anapherei: brought, carried or led up to a final destination

CONSIDER
God provided a ram in the place of Isaac on Mount Moriah when Abraham was about to sacrifice his son. God wrote on stone tablets on Mount Sinai and Moses brought the ten commandments down to the people. God revealed himself on Mount Horeb in the quietness of a whisper when Elijah was utterly discouraged. All throughout the Bible God chooses to reveal himself and his character on the mountain. So when Mark tells us that Jesus anapherei(brought or led; caused someone to follow to an endpoint) Peter, James, and John up to the mountain, we are supposed to recognize that God is about to bring a revelation of who he is. Mark goes on to report that Jesus was transfigured before them and that God’s voice was heard audibly. The revelation of Jesus as the Son of God was the consummation of a journey of faith for these disciples, but they didn’t stumble upon it on their own! Jesus had anapherei them to this place of revelation. When we declare our allegiance to Jesus as the Son of God and Savior of the world, we don’t do so because we’re smart enough or holy enough to recognize this truth with our own ability. Jesus has to anapherei us to this place of revelation. And when he does, we have access to more than mere facts about who God is. On the mountain of revelation that Jesus leads us to, we have the joy of hearing his voice and seeing his transformative power at work firsthand.

APPLY
Act this week on something you know God is directing you to do.

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.” – Mark 9:7

GREEK
ἀκούετε/akouete: pay attention, be ready to offer obedience

CONSIDER
“Americans have come to terms with the inconvenient truth that there is no such thing as electronic communication without electronic eavesdropping,”
– Brian Hochman

At this point, just about all of us have a story of having an in-person conversation with a friend or family member about wanting to purchase something, only to see advertising for the very product we referenced on our phone a short time later. Or maybe Alexa offered to add that item to your shopping list. In the age of all things digital, we are never too far from a microphone. And when the devices that house those microphones are ready to act on instructions we have yet to give them, their ability to listen attentively quickly moves from convenient to creepy.
However, if you remove all the ethical implications, this phenomenon is not too far from the meaning of today’s Greek word! When God told the disciples to akouete (pay attention, listen attentively) from the cloud, he was using the present imperative tense. This means he was giving them a command that was to be heeded as a continued action. So when Peter, James and John were told to akouete, it was an instruction to continually listen attentively to Jesus. In other words, there should never be a moment when we are not sensitive to the voice of God. The Greek word implies that our listening and our obedience will be directly connected, and when we hear his voice, it will cause us to act. God’s Word and Spirit are continually speaking to us, and when we choose to fully akouete to them we will find joy in both obeying God’s commands and knowing him more.

APPLY
Act this week on something you know God is directing you to do.

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” – Mark 9:24

CONSIDER
There are moments when it seems like God is constantly moving and working on our behalf. But there are also times when God’s work isn’t as easily recognizable and doubt wants to creep into our lives. In those moments it is good to have a concrete reminder of his faithfulness in the past. The Bible calls those reminders “monuments” but this can include so much more than statues and structures. Check out the video above to dig deeper into our series, the text, and this week’s application!

And, remember, if you choose to share what you’ve created on social media, please tag Centerway Church and use the hashtag #centerwayGEweek3

APPLY
Write a song, poem or note asking for God to help you in an area of unbelief.

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able.” – Mark 9:18

GREEK
καὶ οὐκ ἴσχυσαν/kaὶ oὐk ischysan: and they did not have the power

CONSIDER
The phrase “I can do all things” has been used by the brand Under Armour to sell t-shirts, sneakers, and more. It’s based on Philippians 4:13, where Paul declares “I can do all things through him who strengthens me” (ESV). The English arrangement of this Greek sentence sounds very inspiring, doesn’t it? At face value it almost seems as though God is interested in giving you the strength to achieve any victory you desire in your life, be it a fierce opponent on the gridiron or the guts to demand a promotion at work. It’s an apparent win-win: Under Armour motivates you to achieve your dreams, while God gets the credit for empowering you to do so.
However, based on the context of this verse, Under Armour’s interpretation might be a little questionable. Paul shares this truth at the end of a paragraph on being content in every circumstance. He’s expounding on how he can be tortured, starved, and imprisoned and still be at ease in the world. Whether things are great or terrible, the secret that Paul articulates is that “ischyō (I have strength) because there is one who is strengthening me.” In other words, he has no strength apart from God’s strength to navigate life.
That’s the heart behind Mark’s use of a similar Greek phrase in today’s verse. When the disciples were approached by a concerned Dad wanting his son to be healed of an unclean spirit, Mark records kaὶ oὐk ischysan (and they did not have the power to do so). Imagine that – these men didn’t have the ability within themselves to exercise a demon! They tried to muster it up by saying and doing the right things, but it didn’t work. This is a critical lesson to grasp as we give our lives to Jesus. Without him, not only can we not do all things, but we won’t be able to handle the work God assigns us. In other words, if we try to navigate life without the understanding that we will need his strength, we could end up like the disciples did by providing false hope to those God places in our lives. Seeking his power in every endeavor reminds us that we are not equipped to ischysan, and it also makes us better followers of Jesus.

APPLY
Write a song, poem, or note asking for God to help you in an area of unbelief.

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” – Mark 9:24

GREEK
βοήθει/boēthei: to relieve a weight from someone; to respond to an urgent need in battle

CONSIDER
Private First Class Harold Agerholm never lived to see his 20th birthday, but the Battle of Saipan in WWII may have been markedly different if it hadn’t been for his heroism. When a neighboring battalion was overrun, Agerholm volunteered to enter the fray and evacuated 45 casualties, enduring heavy mortar and rifle fire in order to do so. Exhausted but undeterred, he was killed on his 46th reconnosance trip by an enemy sniper. Agerholm was posthumously awarded several medals, including the Medal of Honor and a Purple Heart.
What caused Harold Agerholm to rush to the front lines and ultimately make the ultimate sacrifice? While we will never fully know his reasons, one thing is certain: he responded to the call to boēthei (to relieve a weight from someone; to respond to an urgent need in battle), just like we see Jesus doing in today’s verse. In Greek literature, this word came to mean more than “help” does in our language. It became a military term to respond to a critical, urgent need. To the father in this passage, this is what unbelief is like, and he pleads with Jesus to boēthei with it. He believes, but is also saddled with unbelief. In this way, Mark is also bringing out another aspect of boēthei. It also means “to relieve of a weight that has weighed down.” This father recognized unbelief for what it really was – a weight that kept him from fully engaging in the work of caring for his child. That’s why he could articulate belief and unbelief at the same time! Sometimes we think of faith as an all or nothing proposition; we either have all we need or we don’t have any. But Mark reminds us that faith is more like a spectrum. Just like we can be simultaneously brave and scared, powerful and sickly, or joyful and heartbroken, the weight of our unbelief can impact the weightlessness that our belief affords us. Thankfully, all it took was a single plea to the One who invites us to cast our cares upon him. Jesus came to this dad’s rescue, and in so doing revealed the heart of our Heavenly Father, who rushes to our cry for boēthei.

APPLY
Write a song, poem, or note asking for God to help you in an area of unbelief.

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

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.” – Mark 9:35

CONSIDER
How do you define success? It’s possible that there are as many answers to that question as there are people reading this sentence! It should come as no surprise that Jesus has something to say about where true success can be found. Check out this week’s video to dig deeper into our series, the text, and this week’s application!

APPLY
Intentionally serve others out of love for them and Jesus.

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

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.” – Mark 9:31

GREEK
παραδίδοται/paradidotai: to surrender, yield up, transmit

CONSIDER
The first time the phrase “foregone conclusion” was used was in Shakespeare’s Othello. Iago and Othello were having a conversation about inevitability, and ever since then the English language has been able to clearly articulate a result that can be predicted with certainty. We might say it’s a foregone conclusion that our team will win, or that gas prices will go up. However, when we use this phrase we most often mean to say that we hope something will or will not happen. Othello’s statement is not meant to be a substitute for a guarantee because the future is unpredictable.
When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the Gospel of Mark turned an important corner. The action in chapters 1-8 was always fast-paced, but now we get the sense that the activity is furiously and intentionally moving toward the cross. In fact, today’s verse shows that Jesus predicted his betrayal and death to be a foregone conclusion. When explaining to his disciples what was going to happen, Jesus told them, “The Son of Man is paradidotai (surrendered, yielded up, transmitted) into the hands of men and they will kill him.” Interestingly, Jesus used the present tense to express this surrender into the custody of people who would wind up killing him. So although most English translations take the liberty of changing the tense to reflect a future event, Jesus was really saying “The Son of Man is delivered into the hands of men…” For Jesus, the process had already begun and yet he still chose to walk in lockstep with his Father’s plan! It’s difficult to sustain the narrative that Jesus was caught by surprise when he was betrayed by Judas and arrested by the authorities. The Son of Man loved us so much that despite paradidotai being a foregone conclusion, Jesus continued to walk the path that would lead to our freedom.

APPLY
Intentionally serve others out of love for them and Jesus.

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

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.” – Mark 9:35

GREEK
ἔσχατος/eschatos: ranked last or graded lowest

CONSIDER
“Last but not least.” “Save the best for last.” In our culture, we have idioms that attempt to rescue the place of final rank. This happens because our world deems the last place the least desirable. It makes sense, right? Who wants to lag behind, be left out, or feel like they’re not getting everything they have worked for?
The fear of missing out on a position that we’ve earned with our own ability is a universal condition. We would never admit to wanting preferential treatment or having a “win at all costs” attitude. Still, we also grimace at the thought of someone receiving what we’ve earned, and compare being overlooked to being treated like a doormat. As a result, it can be tempting to justify selfishness and modify or dilute what Jesus said so that being eschatos (ranked last or graded lowest) is equated with being nice. When Jesus taught that the way to become first in life was to be eschatos of all and servant of all, it was in the context of an argument about who among the disciples was the greatest. We aren’t told expressly, but human nature allows us to assume that each disciple was making a case for himself to get the top spot based on their accomplishments. So when Jesus flipped greatness on its head, he was likely offering a commentary on watching someone else obtain the position you feel you deserve. So, how exactly does this help us achieve greatness? When we become okay with being eschatos, even when we’ve earned the right to greatness by human standards, we are really declaring that our identity is not found in what we have earned. Instead, we are confident that the One who exchanged his crown for a cross will lead us to a place of greatness in his timing and wisdom. When we understand this, we are freed from suspiciously watching to see if we’re getting the respect we deserve. Even better, we are free to focus on loving Jesus and helping those around us achieve greatness as well.

APPLY
Intentionally serve others out of love for them and Jesus.

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

For the one who is not against us is for us. – Mark 9:40

CONSIDER
Knowing how best to encourage others in their pursuit of what God has asked them to do begins with knowing where God is uniquely leading us. Check out this week’s video to dig deeper into our series, the text, and this week’s application!

APPLY
How can we encourage others to do what God has asked of them?

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

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.” – Mark 9:38

GREEK
ἠκολούθει/ēkolouthei: joining or accompanying

CONSIDER
Like any institution that is made up of humans, the church has had its share of highs and lows. One of those low moments is known as the Great Schism of 1054, which saw the church officially divide over matters of limited importance. The primary church leaders in Rome and Constantinople took turns excommunicating each other, primarily over their use (or lack thereof) of the word filioque. And while it’s true that some distinctions matter when it comes to church polity, the Great Schism seems to be one of those instances in which a bit of dialogue could have saved nearly one thousand years of bad blood among Christ’s family.
In the context of our own family, this illustration may hit close to home. Chances are you could share a story about how something minor ended up creating a temporary (or perhaps even permanent) rift in your family. In this week’s text, we see that the disciples have found themselves in a similar situation. While Jesus was elsewhere, they spotted someone casting out demons in his name. After trying to stop him because he was not ēkolouthei (joining or accompanying) them, the disciples brought the matter to Jesus. Isn’t it interesting what this reveals about their heart? They weren’t excited to see their message spread, their leader bolstered, or the kingdom of darkness lose ground. Instead, they focused in on this person doing miracles without being an “insider,” and assumed this disqualified him from ministry. Jesus then rightly explained to them that such a myopic view of the Kingdom of God was inappropriate because there are many others who were not ēkolouthei the disciples, but nonetheless trusted the Lord and desired to serve in his name. They may not have attended the same functions or performed the same roles as the disciples did, but their faith in Jesus was alive and active. When Jesus explained that the one who is not against us is for us (verse 40) he was expressing the truth that our relationship with him is not proprietorial! We are to celebrate the advancement of the Kingdom of God regardless of our minor points of theological disagreement. What a great reminder that what unites us is far greater than what separates us!

APPLY
How can we encourage others to do what God has asked of them?

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

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

GREEK
μισθὸν/misthon: payment that appropriately compensates a particular decision

CONSIDER
It’s tempting to assume that Jesus’ use of the word misthon (the appropriate reward or punishment for one’s actions) proves that we earn our way into God’s good graces based on how well we minister. This Greek noun is inextricably linked to the concept of earning. In other words, every time misthon is used in literature it’s in the context of getting what a person deserves. So it seems natural to either become filled with pride or fear when Jesus teaches that anyone who even gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ won’t ever lose their reward. And if Holy Week never happened, humanity would be left to wonder if we are doing enough to earn our cosmic paycheck.
In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus did more than make a decision to give himself over to earthly authorities. When submitting to his Father’s will, Jesus the righteous gave himself over in exchange for the filthy rags of our unrighteousness. As 1 Peter 3:18 reveals, Christ suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring us to God. Through that divine exchange, the reward that Jesus earned through perfect obedience is now conferred to us. Now as we follow him and obediently serve others in His name we will by no means lose the misthon that Good Friday reminds us is ours.

APPLY
How can we encourage others to do what God has asked of them?

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

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 9:50

CONSIDER
Jesus’ resurrection has implications beyond Easter Sunday. How does it impact your Monday? What will it cost you? Are you willing to risk something (and be hopeful) as you live like the tomb is empty? Check out this week’s video to dig deeper into our series, the text, and this week’s application!

APPLY
How will I respond to what Jesus has done?

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

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. – Mark 9:43

GREEK
ἄσβεστον/asbeston: perpetual or unextinguishable

CONSIDER
While the word asbestos now has a very negative connotation, there was a time in history when it was known as a miracle substance. With fire being insidious and terrifying the world over, a material that could withstand a blaze was considered an other-worldly wonder. Over the centuries asbestos has been used in items from pottery and candle wicks to burial shrouds and bags of flaming tar in a catapult. The fibers will perpetually burn but not be quenched. It wasn’t until medical technology advanced in the last century that humanity fully recognized just how deadly asbestos can be.
In some ways, sin is a lot like asbestos. We sometimes handle it like it’s the answer to our fears and can meet a wide array of our needs, but every time we get close to it we risk facing deadly consequences. Jesus taught that sin is so abhorrent that it needs to be opposed at all costs. In today’s text, he warned us that a lifetime of significant limitation would be much better than being whole in earthly terms and yet go to the place of asbeston (perpetual, unextinguishable) fire. This Greek word is where asbestos comes from, and is intended to show how permanent the consequences of sin are. Jesus wants us to understand that treating sin casually isn’t just dangerous because it’s a bad idea; it’s deadly because sin robs us of perspective! Who in their right mind would trade eternity for a quick fix? But all too often, the reality of the asbeston is eclipsed by the false promise of the temporary. In heeding the admonition of Jesus, we are pursuing a life of perpetual health while leaning on his grace for our moments of weakness.

APPLY
How will I respond to what Jesus has done?

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

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 9:50

GREEK
εἰρηνεύετε/eirēneuete: to be a peacemaker; lit. “bring the peace”

CONSIDER
We all want to end our day on a good note. More than enough sleep studies have been conducted to reveal that dwelling on bad news before bed impacts the quality and quantity of sleep a person gets. Over the centuries, a Jewish tradition arose that synagogue readings of scripture were only to end with a note of hope, joy, or peace. For example, the last verse of Isaiah (66:24) declares that God’s enemies will be doomed to such terrible destruction that “their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.” So in order to end the reading on a positive note, the priest would re-read verse 23, which declares that all flesh will worship the Lord. This way the people leave with some good news to meditate on!
When Jesus quoted Isaiah 66:24 in this week’s passage, he followed Jewish tradition and refused to end his teaching on a low note. But one of the most hopeful aspects of his instruction is that we are a crucial element of his encouragement! Jesus’ final command to his hearers in this passage was to eirēneuete (be a peacemaker, bring the peace) with one another. Literally stated, Jesus directed his followers to bring the peace to our relationships. Eirēneuete is written in the active voice, which means that instead of waiting for something to change in the life of the people we are connected to, our job is to actively provide them with the tools necessary for peace to flourish. But perhaps you know yourself well enough to ask “what do I have to offer others that is powerful enough to accomplish this?” The answer to that is nothing lasting, unless you are in a life-giving relationship with the Prince of Peace. It was his sacrifice that ensured we have peace with God, and now as we eirēneuete to one another we have the privilege of reflecting his character to a world that desperately needs to see it.

APPLY
How will I respond to what Jesus has done?

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” – Mark 10:15

CONSIDER
Many of us recognize the need to submit to Christ’s plan for our lives because he is trustworthy. But Jesus is looking for that trust to be formed out of a growing relationship with him. Check out this week’s video to dig deeper into our series, the text, and this week’s application!

APPLY
Where in my life do I need to let God’s priorities reorder mine?

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

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. – Mark 10:14

GREEK
ἠγανάκτησεν/ēganaktēsen: to be incensed, irritated; experience pain caused by emotion

CONSIDER
No matter the background we all know the feeling. It’s infuriating, exhausting, and perplexing all at once. We try to comprehend why it’s happening – even putting ourselves “in the shoes” of those who cause us to feel that way, but it’s no use. I’m talking about the exasperation of not being heard by those who we love the most. Psychologist David Ley and his team have found that the more comfortable we are around people the easier it becomes to treat their words casually. So a paradox emerges: we’re thrilled to be getting closer to a person, but that proximity can easily make us feel less understood.
Theologians have wondered for centuries what specifically caused Jesus to become ēganaktēsen (incensed; stirred to pain by negative emotion) in this week’s passage. Perhaps it was because the disciples were keeping people from coming to Jesus. Maybe it was the fact that they were establishing a hierarchy of merit that created “insiders” and “outsiders.” Or it could simply be that the disciples took it upon themselves to conduct business for Jesus without consulting him at all. But the Greek word Mark uses is so rarely used and elicits such powerful emotion that many scholars point to a more relatable reason. In the chapter before, Jesus taught the disciples that “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me…” (Mark 9:37). So when they refused to receive children in this week’s text, we can almost picture Jesus facepalm and ask, “Do you guys remember me teaching you not to turn children away?” Those closest to Jesus seemed to have not heard what he just taught. Our Lord rejoiced that these marginalized children and their families were coming to him, but the disciples apparently assumed he was too important, busy, or disinterested to welcome them. This exchange can serve to remind us that there is a real temptation to allow our proximity to Jesus to give us a sense that we know him so well we don’t have to consult him. In those moments it’s critical to pause and reflect on the teachings his word presents us with. May we be the type of followers that don’t contribute to his ēganaktēsen, but that we both listen to and remember the instruction of our Lord!

APPLY
Where in my life do I need to let God’s priorities reorder mine?

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them. – Mark 10:16

GREEK
κατευλόγει/kateulogei: he was continuing to bless

CONSIDER
Those poor disciples. It seems that we’re constantly judging them for their bad decisions and inability to grasp what should be obvious. But that’s not really fair, because we are looking back from a perspective that they weren’t privy to. It took some time for the disciples to shake themselves free of the cultural expectation that the Messiah would wield political and military power to liberate his people. So we can’t really blame them for trying to keep kids from the important work Jesus was doing. An emperor and field general just wouldn’t have time to play with children.
But after Jesus chided the disciples for keeping the children from coming to him (see the devotion from Wednesday for more on that), Jesus proceeded to take them in his arms and kateulogei (he was continuing to bless) them. This word appears nowhere else in the New Testament, and its meaning in this context is quite remarkable! Because it’s written in the imperfect indicative active, kateulogei implies a continual and repeated past action. So Mark is remembering with fondness that Jesus spent a good amount of time repeatedly blessing the children and families that longed to be in his presence. Isn’t it encouraging to see that people with little to offer Jesus would garner so much of his time and attention? This is how the Gospel changes our perspective. We receive the continual blessing that Jesus offers simply by pursuing his presence! We don’t need to be important enough or skilled enough, because our value lies in who he is and what he’s done.

APPLY
Where in my life do I need to let God’s priorities reorder mine?

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” – Mark 10:27

CONSIDER
Jesus showed us how to balance tough truth and authentic love when he challenged the rich young ruler. The implications of that interaction still resonate with us today. Check out this week’s video to dig deeper into our series, the text, and this week’s application!

APPLY
Where do you need to replace a lie with truth?

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” – Mark 10:21

GREEK
ἠγάπησεν/ēgapēsen: To wish the best for; take pleasure in

CONSIDER
Whether you grew up in a church setting or not, there’s a good chance you’re familiar with John 3:16. It’s one of the first verses taught to children, and the reference has been posterized and given a front row seat at countless football games. It’s a famous verse for good reason: in it Jesus expresses the lengths that God went to in response to his love for humanity. But the concept of love is so broad, textured, and sometimes hijacked that we all likely have different ideas of what this looks like. The very specific Greek word Jesus uses for love in John 3:16 is the same word Mark uses to describe how Jesus felt about the wealthy man in today’s verse. In the midst of a challenging conversation, Jesus looked at this man and ēgapēsen (longed for someone to experience the best thing possible) him. Something stirred in Jesus when this man approached him, and it caused him to experience a distinct aspect of love that sometimes gets overlooked. When Jesus looked at this affluent leader and ēgapēsen him, he longed for this man to experience the best thing possible for his life. Jesus then goes on to invite this man to sell all he has (so that he will have treasures in Heaven) and follow him. This means that wealth and the resources that come with it actually were not the best thing that could happen to him! As Claude mentioned in this week’s message, this guy’s financial situation was placed in front of his pursuit of Jesus, which is the functional definition of idolatry. When we reflect on our lives, are we able to give up anything that Jesus would ask us to so that we can properly follow him? If our honest answer is unclear, we likely have been believing a lie that needs to be replaced with truth.

APPLY
Where do you need to replace a lie with truth?

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. – Mark 10:30

GREEK
Μετὰ διωγμῶν/meta diōgmōn: with persecutions

CONSIDER
“Unless one is wealthy there is no use in being a charming fellow. Romance is the privilege of the rich, not the profession of the unemployed. The poor should be practical and prosaic. It is better to have a permanent income than to be fascinating.” – Oscar Wilde, The Model Millionaire

Although Oscar Wilde likely intended this writing to be satirical, his thesis about the importance of wealth in a person’s life reflects society. Basically, Wilde is indicating that without money a person has nothing to contribute to their relationships or the culture at large. Now, chances are we vehemently disagree with this idea in principle, but it’s easier than we’d think to subconsciously accept this as truth. How often have we, or someone we care about, made a life-altering decision because it would mean a pay increase? Can you think of a conversation you’ve had that did not end well because of a financial disagreement? All too often, we buy into the lie that money is the litmus test of divine blessing and approval.
Jesus addresses this lie in this week’s passage, and he uses a surprising tactic to emphasize it. In Mark 10:29, we see a list of blessings that people who follow Jesus might have to give up in their pursuit of him, yet in the very next verse Jesus shares that these lost blessings will be recovered one hundred-fold! However, these recouped blessings will also come meta diōgmōn (with persecutions). It’s as if Jesus is saying that diōgmōn is an inevitable byproduct of our commitment to him. Why can’t the reward for our sacrifice be a life of ease and good fortune? Meta diōgmōn is typically used in Greek to describe a hunter stalking and chasing after their prey. So Jesus is giving an honest assessment of what to expect when a person commits to his leading. A great way to tell if we still believe the cultural lies told around money and wealth is if our expectations of following Jesus are transactional. Are we willing to endure diōgmōn while pursuing him because we assume the material benefits will be worth the risk? Is it possible our commitment to Christ would only extend to the point that we weren’t too inconvenienced? Because we are committing to be counter-cultural in our thoughts and actions, we will consistently be pursued by the lies that culture presents as truth. In the end, however, we can take heart that God has provided us with the truth of his word and the lies that diōgmōnare powerless to destroy us when we prioritize his voice.

APPLY
Where do you need to replace a lie with truth?

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave  of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” – Mark 10:43-45

CONSIDER
What an incredible series this has been! As we follow Jesus into Jerusalem and toward the cross, we become keenly aware that our expectations need to take a back seat to the message of the gospel. Check out this week’s video to dig deeper into our series, the text, and this week’s application!

APPLY
Write down three ways you can use your influence to help another person.

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. – Mark 10:42

GREEK
Οἴδατε/Oidate: a matter of common knowledge; a truism
κατακυριεύουσιν/katakyrieuousin: overpower, master, subjugate

CONSIDER
Our vision statement at Centerway reads like this: Developing healthy influencers and organizations in every environment God leads us. We authentically believe that Centerway can be a place where people use their influence to initiate healthy change in others. A vision of that scope may seem lofty (and hopefully compelling), but in the 21st Century, it certainly isn’t shocking. Back in Jesus’ time, however, leveraging influence to support and transform others just wouldn’t make sense.
Mark uses the Greek word oidate (you all realize as a matter of common knowledge) to show Jesus articulating a shared understanding. This word carries the idea of undisputed truth like he’s saying, “it’s a fact!” And the truism he is expressing is that leaders outside of the Jewish community use their position to katakyrieuousin (overpower, master, subjugate) those they influence. Traditional leadership structures were hierarchical, meaning they were ordered by rank. The higher a person climbed up the hierarchy, the more clout, leverage, and control they had. Jesus’ response to leadership wasn’t to abolish authority altogether (re Mikhail Bakunin & the collectivist anarchism of the Russian Revolution) nor was it to commandeer the structure and fill its positions with people of similar ideology (re 21st Century American politics). Jesus instead flipped the structure upside down and taught that the person in leadership will not katakyrieuousin but will voluntarily fill the lowest rank to serve those they influence. In this kind of structure, we don’t need to wait for a position or a promotion to lead well. All we need to do is start serving!

APPLY
Write down three ways you can use your influence to help another person.

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart. Get up; he is calling you.” – Mark 10:49

GREEK
Θάρσει/Tharsei: to radiate warm inner confidence because of outside encouragement

CONSIDER
In the Gospel of John, we get a glimpse of Jesus being honest with his followers about the reality of life. John 16:33 records him telling the disciples that experiencing trouble is an unavoidable truth, but to tharsei (show forth an internal confidence because of some external encouragement) because has overcome the world. English translators often covert this word into the phrase “take heart” as seen in today’s verse, but this is not a direct rendering. To communities in the 1st century, the seat of your emotions was thought to be your gut, and translators seek to highlight the emotional aspect of tharsei. However, Mark seeks to communicate something more than emotion with his use of this word.
By nature, this blind beggar lived a passive existence. He relied on others to help him navigate through life safely, and in a world in which your value was wrapped up in what you could offer, Bartimaeus didn’t amount to much. So it’s interesting that instead of using a noun to describe pure emotion at Jesus’ calling, Mark picks an active verb! Bartimaeus was encouraged to tharsei at Jesus’ call, an action word that invites him to actively respond rather than passively perceive.
Jesus’ call to us still carries with it an active responsibility today. We all have moments, days, or even seasons when the troubles of life make it feel like we’re passively coasting through, unable to gain any traction. We want our lives to make an impact but it seems impossible without something changing in it. The good news is that Jesus’ call to us is enough encouragement to cause us to act. He speaks a word and our hearts are called to attention, so that we no longer need to be defeated by what feels inevitable.

APPLY
Write down three ways you can use your influence to help another person.

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!