It does not fit our Plans

Mark 10:26-34

When Jesus speaks it leaves us astonished; we often are left wondering how to apply His words to how one lives life on planet earth.  Such is the case in these verses, and the question asked of Jesus, “Then who can be saved?”  Let’s examine the account in verses 27-31, “Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” ²⁸ Peter began to say to him, “See, we have left everything and followed you.” ²⁹ Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, ³⁰ 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. ³¹ But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

First and foremost one must look to the Father, for Jesus has made it clear that if you have seen the Son, you have seen the Father and all who have entered into a relationship with Jesus are given the Holy Spirit.  As one follows Christ into the ministry they are called, and we are all called and will have many sisters and brothers and mothers and fathers and children.  That’s the good news but why persecution, the human part of us does not do persecution very willingly?  But when we have gone through persecution, we find that our dependence and faith have grown, and we have a more in-depth trust in our Lord.

Now when Jesus makes this statement, it sends our flesh into a tizzy and what was it, ^“ But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”  I’m not sure about your flesh, but I want to be first, and it’s a battle to let others go first, to serve others, to come in second place.  So what is one to do, allow the flesh to win and seek my will or to enable the Spirit that is in me to win and to deny my desires?  That is the battle each one of us faces, not being served but serving others, giving of self and loving those who will never be able to return the favor.

As we began, Jesus’ disciples were astonished by what Jesus had told them and for the third time He tells them what is going to happen to Him.  These are Jesus’ words:  “We are going up to Jerusalem,” he said, “and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, ³⁴ who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise.”

If you think they were astonished at the above statement, they must have been traumatized when Jesus told them for the third time about how He was going to die.  You see it did not fit the plans they had for Jesus, and often we forget who we're called to follow, for it does not fit our plans to die to our fleshly desires.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice