April 21 - Pay Attention!

April 21 - Pay Attention! - Mark 10:32-52

Jesus had not been shy about telling people what His ultimate fate would be. The disciples were astonished that He would head toward Jerusalem with determination and other followers were simply afraid. Jesus needed the twelve to understand what was to come. The verb tense that He uses in Mark 10:32-34 implies a certainty of action. We ARE going, the Son of Man WILL be betrayed ... they WILL condemn him and WILL hand him over to the Gentiles, who WILL mock him and WILL spit on him, WILL flog him and WILL kill him. Eight different verbs are used to ensure that they are understanding what Jesus is telling them. (Mark 10:32-34)

Three days later he will rise.

Finally, it's someone other than Peter. But, James and John seem a little presumptious. Not only do they think that they can ask Him to do whatever they want, they presume to believe that He will offer them positions of power when He comes in glory.

The cup of His suffering ... the baptism of God's judgment on sin. Can you face that? They simply didn't understand what it was that was required. But, Jesus did.

Jesus goes on to tell them that the places at his left and right hand belong to those for whom they have been prepared (Mark 10:40). Who is this? Turn to Revelation 3:21. In the last letter that preceded the vision, Jesus told John, the man who asked for the right, who would be sitting there on the throne with Him. It is the overcomer. It is you and me. This becomes easier to comprehend when we read Revelation 21:22, "I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple." Revelation 22:1 shows that the throne of God and of the Lamb are in this icty. We will all be there as overcomers as servants. John will be there as well, but will find that it is no longer necessary to achieve status or power. (Mark 10:35-45)

This chapter ends with the story of Bartimaus. Jesus is about to enter Jerusalem for the last time. He has been healing people throughout the last three years, giving them immediate relief from all sorts of maladies. This man was not going to let Jesus pass him by. He was insistent that he be heard. The more that people tried to shut him up, the louder he became.

Jesus stopped. And with that, the crowd encouraged him.

What do you want Jesus to do for you? Do you have the courage to ask for it when the crowd tells you to leave Him alone? When He finally asks you what it is that you want Him to do ... what do you say?

Jesus didn't make a spectacle of healing Bartimaus ... there was no spitting or mud, simply an acknowledgement of the man's faith.

Call out for Jesus today!