Proper 24; Pentecost 23
Preaching
Preaching Mark's Gospel
A Narrative Approach
The first thing to note about the appointment of today's text from Mark's Gospel is that which is omitted. Last week's text ended at Mark 10:31. This week's text begins with Mark 10:35. Mark 10:32-34 is omitted from the lectionary. These omitted verses are among the most important verses in Mark's Gospel. They compose the third "passion/resurrection" prediction of Jesus. (See Mark 8:31; 9:30-31.) These texts were treated as a whole in chapter 21. It would be well if you would re-read that chapter in preparation for this week's sermon work. Jesus' "passion/resurrection" predictions and the "glory" response of the disciples are at the very center of Mark's theology of the cross! If you haven't treated this material as a whole before, this would be a good occasion to do so.
Mark consistently portrays Jesus "on the way" to the cross. The disciples who travel "on the way" with Jesus never seem to understand the matter of the cross. These rocky-ground disciples are deaf and blind to the words and actions of Jesus (8:17-21). Every time Jesus points them to the cross they talk about glory. This is true in this week's appointed verses from Mark. The response of the disciples to Jesus' third "passion/resurrection" prediction is a clamor for glory. James and John ask Jesus: "Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory" (Mark 10:37).
Jesus, in reply, asks the disciples if they are able to drink the cup that he will drink. (On the image of the cup see: Isaiah 51:17, 22; Lamentations 4:21.) He asks them if they are able to endure baptism with him. "We are able," they say. Jesus acknowledges that they, too, will endure the cup and the baptism; "ƒ but 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" (Mark 10:40). Those for whom it has been prepared are two criminals. Criminals are the ones at the right and left hand of Jesus in the glory of the cross (Mark 15:27).
Jesus then proceeds to teach his disciples the true nature of his ministry, the true nature of servant leadership in his community. "ƒ whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all." This is not what Jesus' disciples had in mind when they asked about sharing in his glory! The disciples think glory. Jesus thinks cross. This is an absolute base conviction of Mark's Gospel. We are at the heart of the matter here! Jesus has come to die. Jesus has come to make a journey "on the way" to Jerusalem and Golgotha. "ƒ 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; they will mock him, and spit upon him, and flog him, and kill him; and after three days he will rise again" (Mark 8:33-34).
On the other side of the cross there is the hope of resurrection. The resurrection will validate Jesus' way to the cross as God's way in the world. God's way in the world is the way of giving one's life. "For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45). The Greek word for ransom denotes the price paid for the redemption of a slave. It is a word that has figured strongly in the church's attempt to understand the ministry of Jesus. We are familiar with the "ransom" theory of the atonement. Jesus had to pay with his life to redeem us from the manifold forms of slavery that bind us.
Mark 10:45 is Mark's only use of the word ransom. Matthew 20:28 is the only other use of this word in our Gospels. Saint Paul does not use the word at all, though he does refer to the "price" that had to be paid for us and to Jesus' work of redemption (Romans 3:24-25; 1 Corinthians 6:20; Galatians 1:4, 3:14). Commentators often look to Isaiah 53 as the Old Testament background for the work of Jesus' ministry that is presented to us in today's verses. Some believe that these verses from Mark are a kind of summary of his understanding of Jesus. It is not surprising that such a summary comes on the brink of Jesus' entrance into Jerusalem!
Homiletical Directions
It is absolutely imperative that our sermon work for this week center in Mark's theology of the cross. This week's verses explicate this theology very well. This "cross theology" was difficult for Jesus to explicate to his disciples; it was difficult for Mark to explicate to us; and it is difficult for us to explicate it for our hearers today. So many modern-day hearers of the gospel are just like the disciples. No matter how much we may talk of cross „ they think glory! There are many Christian teachers among us today who have simply sold out to "glory theology." They present the Christian life as a glory road! If you truly believe in Jesus your life will be wonderful. If you truly believe in Jesus you will live beyond want. If you truly believe in Jesus you will live a glory-filled life in all of its aspects.
How different this is from the message of the Gospel of Mark! Mark paints the picture of a Savior "on the way" to Jerusalem, on the way to the cross. Mark paints the picture of true disciples as those who "ƒ deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it" (Mark 8:34-35).
We have suggested above that one possibility of preaching this text would be to set it in context with the other "passion/resurrection" texts. Chapter 21 treats these texts in their overarching unity.
Our sermon work could also focus on the words about ransom. One or two stories would lead us to the key text (10:45). Story One would be a brief summary of the flow of the three "passion/resurrection" predictions and the disciples' continued response of glory. Today's text needs this whole contextual background even if it is just briefly told.
Story Two could highlight the great vision of Isaiah (52:13„53:12). Israel's hopes were shaped by the expectation of a Suffering Servant who "ƒ was despised and rejected by others; a man of suffering and acquainted with infirmity; and as one from whom others hide their faces he was despised, and we held him of no account" (Isaiah 53:3). This is the One who was prophesied. This is the One who will give his life as a ransom for us. "Surely he has borne our infirmities and carried our diseases; yet we accounted him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us wholeƒ" (Isaiah 53:4-5).
Story Three would be the story of the text leading to the Son of Man who gives his life as ransom. The best way to treat Jesus as the "ransom for many" is to do so through proclamation. Try to avoid theories of atonement. This is not class time. This is sermon time. This is proclamation time.
A word of proclamation to come at the end of these stories would be something like this: "Through these stories Jesus speaks to us this day. He says, 'I have come to fulfill Isaiah's dream. I have come to bear your infirmities. I have come to be wounded for your transgressions. I have come to bless your life with the blessing of God. You may not want my blessing. You may wish to condemn me. You may wish to kill me. Very well. Have your way. Push me out of the world and onto a cross. I will go through the cross to bless you. I will go through hell itself to bless you. I have come to give my life as a ransom for many.' Amen."
Another way to come to the ransom aspect of today's text would be to retell many Markan stories that demonstrate the captivity of people who come to Jesus. Mark 1:21-28 tells the story of a man in captivity to demonic powers. Mark 1:40-45 tells the story of a man in captivity to the dread disease of leprosy. Mark 2:1-12 tells the story of a man captive to sin and paralysis. Mark 5:25-34 tells the story of a woman captive to a twelve-year flow of blood. There are many other stories as well.
You might prefer to tell stories of modern people in their multiple captivities rather than biblical stories. In either case the proclamation which closes this sermon would go something like this: "I am the Son of Man who has come to serve you. I have come to give my life as a ransom. I have come to redeem you from all your captivities. I have come to ransom your life from sin. I have come to ransom your life from the powers of evil. I have come to ransom your life from death. I have come to suffer and die that you might live and serve under the sign of the cross. Amen."
Mark consistently portrays Jesus "on the way" to the cross. The disciples who travel "on the way" with Jesus never seem to understand the matter of the cross. These rocky-ground disciples are deaf and blind to the words and actions of Jesus (8:17-21). Every time Jesus points them to the cross they talk about glory. This is true in this week's appointed verses from Mark. The response of the disciples to Jesus' third "passion/resurrection" prediction is a clamor for glory. James and John ask Jesus: "Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory" (Mark 10:37).
Jesus, in reply, asks the disciples if they are able to drink the cup that he will drink. (On the image of the cup see: Isaiah 51:17, 22; Lamentations 4:21.) He asks them if they are able to endure baptism with him. "We are able," they say. Jesus acknowledges that they, too, will endure the cup and the baptism; "ƒ but 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" (Mark 10:40). Those for whom it has been prepared are two criminals. Criminals are the ones at the right and left hand of Jesus in the glory of the cross (Mark 15:27).
Jesus then proceeds to teach his disciples the true nature of his ministry, the true nature of servant leadership in his community. "ƒ whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all." This is not what Jesus' disciples had in mind when they asked about sharing in his glory! The disciples think glory. Jesus thinks cross. This is an absolute base conviction of Mark's Gospel. We are at the heart of the matter here! Jesus has come to die. Jesus has come to make a journey "on the way" to Jerusalem and Golgotha. "ƒ 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; they will mock him, and spit upon him, and flog him, and kill him; and after three days he will rise again" (Mark 8:33-34).
On the other side of the cross there is the hope of resurrection. The resurrection will validate Jesus' way to the cross as God's way in the world. God's way in the world is the way of giving one's life. "For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45). The Greek word for ransom denotes the price paid for the redemption of a slave. It is a word that has figured strongly in the church's attempt to understand the ministry of Jesus. We are familiar with the "ransom" theory of the atonement. Jesus had to pay with his life to redeem us from the manifold forms of slavery that bind us.
Mark 10:45 is Mark's only use of the word ransom. Matthew 20:28 is the only other use of this word in our Gospels. Saint Paul does not use the word at all, though he does refer to the "price" that had to be paid for us and to Jesus' work of redemption (Romans 3:24-25; 1 Corinthians 6:20; Galatians 1:4, 3:14). Commentators often look to Isaiah 53 as the Old Testament background for the work of Jesus' ministry that is presented to us in today's verses. Some believe that these verses from Mark are a kind of summary of his understanding of Jesus. It is not surprising that such a summary comes on the brink of Jesus' entrance into Jerusalem!
Homiletical Directions
It is absolutely imperative that our sermon work for this week center in Mark's theology of the cross. This week's verses explicate this theology very well. This "cross theology" was difficult for Jesus to explicate to his disciples; it was difficult for Mark to explicate to us; and it is difficult for us to explicate it for our hearers today. So many modern-day hearers of the gospel are just like the disciples. No matter how much we may talk of cross „ they think glory! There are many Christian teachers among us today who have simply sold out to "glory theology." They present the Christian life as a glory road! If you truly believe in Jesus your life will be wonderful. If you truly believe in Jesus you will live beyond want. If you truly believe in Jesus you will live a glory-filled life in all of its aspects.
How different this is from the message of the Gospel of Mark! Mark paints the picture of a Savior "on the way" to Jerusalem, on the way to the cross. Mark paints the picture of true disciples as those who "ƒ deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it" (Mark 8:34-35).
We have suggested above that one possibility of preaching this text would be to set it in context with the other "passion/resurrection" texts. Chapter 21 treats these texts in their overarching unity.
Our sermon work could also focus on the words about ransom. One or two stories would lead us to the key text (10:45). Story One would be a brief summary of the flow of the three "passion/resurrection" predictions and the disciples' continued response of glory. Today's text needs this whole contextual background even if it is just briefly told.
Story Two could highlight the great vision of Isaiah (52:13„53:12). Israel's hopes were shaped by the expectation of a Suffering Servant who "ƒ was despised and rejected by others; a man of suffering and acquainted with infirmity; and as one from whom others hide their faces he was despised, and we held him of no account" (Isaiah 53:3). This is the One who was prophesied. This is the One who will give his life as a ransom for us. "Surely he has borne our infirmities and carried our diseases; yet we accounted him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us wholeƒ" (Isaiah 53:4-5).
Story Three would be the story of the text leading to the Son of Man who gives his life as ransom. The best way to treat Jesus as the "ransom for many" is to do so through proclamation. Try to avoid theories of atonement. This is not class time. This is sermon time. This is proclamation time.
A word of proclamation to come at the end of these stories would be something like this: "Through these stories Jesus speaks to us this day. He says, 'I have come to fulfill Isaiah's dream. I have come to bear your infirmities. I have come to be wounded for your transgressions. I have come to bless your life with the blessing of God. You may not want my blessing. You may wish to condemn me. You may wish to kill me. Very well. Have your way. Push me out of the world and onto a cross. I will go through the cross to bless you. I will go through hell itself to bless you. I have come to give my life as a ransom for many.' Amen."
Another way to come to the ransom aspect of today's text would be to retell many Markan stories that demonstrate the captivity of people who come to Jesus. Mark 1:21-28 tells the story of a man in captivity to demonic powers. Mark 1:40-45 tells the story of a man in captivity to the dread disease of leprosy. Mark 2:1-12 tells the story of a man captive to sin and paralysis. Mark 5:25-34 tells the story of a woman captive to a twelve-year flow of blood. There are many other stories as well.
You might prefer to tell stories of modern people in their multiple captivities rather than biblical stories. In either case the proclamation which closes this sermon would go something like this: "I am the Son of Man who has come to serve you. I have come to give my life as a ransom. I have come to redeem you from all your captivities. I have come to ransom your life from sin. I have come to ransom your life from the powers of evil. I have come to ransom your life from death. I have come to suffer and die that you might live and serve under the sign of the cross. Amen."
