Let's read together from God's word. Mark chapter 10, verses 32 to 52.
This is the word of the Lord.
And they were on the road going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them.
And they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid.
And taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him, saying,
See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priest and the scribes,
and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles.
And they will mock him and spit on him and flog him and kill him.
And after three days, he will rise.
And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to him and said to him,
Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.
And he said to them, What do you want me to do for you?
And they said to him, Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.
Jesus said to them, You do not know what you are asking.
Are you able to drink the cup that I drink or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?
And they said to him, We are able.
And Jesus said to them, The cup that I drink you will drink,
and with the baptism with which I am baptized you will be baptized.
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.
And when the ten heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John.
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.
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.
And they came to Jericho,
and as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples,
and a great crowd, pardon me, let me back up.
And as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a great crowd,
Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, the son of Timaeus,
was sitting by the roadside.
And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth,
he began to cry out and say,
Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me.
And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent.
But he cried out all the more,
Son of David, have mercy on me.
And Jesus stopped and said, call him.
And they called the blind man, saying to him,
Take heart, get up.
He is calling you.
And throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus.
And Jesus said to him,
What do you want me to do for you?
And the blind man said to him,
Rabbi, let me recover my sight.
And Jesus said to him,
Go your way.
Your faith has made you well.
And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him on the way.
This is God's holy word.
Well, we begin this evening,
a new series over these summer months,
looking at some of the questions that Jesus asked.
And perhaps we're more likely to think of Jesus as the man with all the answers.
And while I don't think we're wrong to do that,
it is striking to note that more than any other person in the Bible,
Jesus asks questions.
There are, I think, more than 300 questions asked by Jesus in the four Gospels.
So this could be quite a long series.
Jesus asks questions of his disciples,
religious leaders, critics, rich and poor,
men and women, powerful as well as the powerless.
Why so many questions?
Well, frequently Jesus asks questions as a teaching tool,
to help people discover the truth about themselves,
the truth about God,
the truth about God's kingdom.
Sometimes he asks questions to enable others to see things from a very different perspective.
And the questions Jesus asks are often the first step in drawing people into a relationship with himself.
His questions are an invitation to us to come to him and to get to know him.
And in this new series, we'll be taking one of Jesus' questions each week.
And we'll try and understand the story, the context in which those questions occur.
We'll look at what that question tells us about Jesus
and what it means for us to be in a relationship with him.
And tonight we begin with the question,
what do you want me to do for you?
And you'll notice in our reading that that question is asked not once,
but twice in this short section of Mark's gospel,
both in verse 36 and 51.
It's asked of two of Jesus' very closest followers.
And then the very same question is asked of a blind beggar at the roadside.
What do you want me to do for you?
And that's the question before us this evening.
Because the same Jesus who asked it then asks us tonight.
He stands before us in the preaching of the word.
He says, what do you want me to do for you?
It's a soul-searching question that challenges us to stop and think about the desires that are driving and shaping our lives.
Some of those may indeed be honoring to God,
but others, of course, may not be.
And sometimes the desires of our hearts are tainted by depravity and pride.
And so they need to be challenged and indeed changed.
And you'll notice here that the backdrop against which we must understand this particular question
is the backdrop of the cross.
The context here is Jesus making his way towards Jerusalem.
At this point in the gospel, the dark shadow of the cross looms ever larger.
And Jesus is marching, as it were, into the very jaws of death.
They were on the road going up to Jerusalem.
Jesus walking ahead of them.
They were amazed.
Those who followed were afraid.
Taking the twelve, he began to tell them what was to happen to him.
See, we are going up to Jerusalem.
The Son of Man will be delivered over to chief priests, scribes, and they will condemn him to death,
deliver him over to the Gentiles, mock him, spit on him, flog him, and kill him.
And after three days, he will rise.
Here in Mark's gospel, this is the Jesus' third prediction of his death in just these three chapters.
It's the most graphic of the three, the most violent.
He's going to be delivered up and condemned to death.
He's going to be mocked.
He'll be spat on.
He'll be flogged and killed before rising on the third day.
Jesus is not a comfortable teacher offering us up self-help advice.
He is the suffering servant, pouring out his very soul to death for the sins of many.
And here in this gospel, on the two previous occasions that Jesus has spoken about his death,
his words are met with disbelief and misunderstanding.
After the first, Peter sought to take Jesus aside and to rebuke him.
And after the second, we discovered the disciples squabbling over which of them was to be the greatest.
And now here, once again, we discover the way of the cross reveals the all too shallow and selfish attitudes of his followers.
So what I want to do tonight, just from this passage, is kind of look at it by way of contrast.
These two questions, the same question asked twice of two very different people.
And in the first section, we have James and John.
And we discover that they are looking for glory, for glory.
James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to him and said,
Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you, verse 35.
These two disciples, they had been witnesses of the transfiguration of Jesus earlier in the gospel.
They'd already been privileged to see something of Jesus' glory.
And they no doubt saw themselves as amongst Jesus' closest, most favored disciples.
And they come to Jesus with this quite astonishing request.
Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask.
It's an amazing prayer.
Jesus, we want you to give us what we want.
They don't even reveal their demands up front.
It's almost as if they want to manipulate Jesus into serving and obeying them.
They're desperate to feed their own egos.
Jesus has been speaking about his suffering and death,
and yet they're more interested in what they can get for themselves.
Oh, yes, Jesus, we hear what you're saying about what is going to happen to you,
and suffering, and death, and flogging, and all of that.
But actually, what's in it for us?
What's in it for me?
Unfortunately, there is much that passes for Christianity today
that exudes a kind of similar attitude.
It's not about Jesus.
It's about me, my wealth, my health, my success.
And yet, perhaps even more remarkable than the question of these disciples is Jesus' response.
He said to them, verse 36,
What do you want me to do for you?
It's fascinating.
Jesus doesn't rebuke them.
He doesn't put them in their place.
He doesn't get on his high horse.
He simply asks them what it is they want.
He draws out their request.
He gets them to say it out aloud.
He gets them to reveal what is really going on in their hearts and minds.
And they said to him, verse 37,
Grant us to sit, one at your right hand, and one at your left, in your glory.
They're looking for glory.
If I can paraphrase that well-known pop group, the Spice Girls.
This is what they want, what they really, really want.
And when Jesus comes into the fullness of his kingdom, when he comes to be glorified,
they want the places of power and honor at his side.
When Jesus takes the throne, they want to be one on his left, one on his right.
They're unashamedly, brazenly asking Jesus for positions of power and status and glory.
To be right and left of the king was to be in the place of his most honored advisors or counselors.
And they were anticipating that possibility of sitting on thrones.
They rather fancied having a throne each, one either side of Jesus.
And perhaps from those seats of authority,
they were intending to exercise power and authority.
And although Jesus has been telling them that God's kingdom will come about by him going to die in Jerusalem,
these disciples, it seems, have only their own agenda in mind.
And the irony here is, of course, as Mark will later reveal to us,
that the one place where Jesus will come into his glory is the cross.
At the moment of Jesus' greatest glory, there will be somebody on his right and left,
but they will be crucified criminals.
And so Jesus tells the brothers that they have no idea what he is talking about,
what they're talking about.
Jesus says to them, you don't know what you're asking.
Are you able to drink the cup I drink,
be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?
Verse 38.
The Old Testament, that cup, common metaphor for God's judgment or wrath.
The baptism language, I think, has a similar meaning,
conveying the idea of being overwhelmed by water,
like Noah's Ark and the flood,
or the Egyptian army being drowned in the Red Sea.
In each of those cases,
the water represented the overwhelming power of God's judgment,
from which only a few were saved.
This is what Jesus was going to the cross to achieve.
He was going to take upon himself the judgment and wrath of a holy God,
that we might be saved from sin.
And yet James and John, they just don't get it.
We are able, they say.
And Jesus said to them,
the cup I drink, you will drink,
with the baptism with which I am baptized,
you will be baptized.
But to sit at my right or my left is not mine to grant.
It's for those for whom it has been prepared.
When the ten heard it,
they began to be indignant at James and John.
James and John,
their hearts are desperate for prestige and glory.
They think nothing of exploiting their relationship with Jesus
for their own ends.
And Jesus tells them that they will indeed come to know something of his cup
and his baptism.
James, we know, would be martyred,
John exiled.
But those places of honor that they've set their hearts upon
have already been allocated.
And unsurprisingly,
the other disciples are left angry and indignant
by the brother's request.
The world loves power and glory.
And if we have an eye for what's going on around us,
I think we can see this lust
for power and status and glory almost everywhere.
In some circles,
everything appears to be reduced
to a power play of one kind or another.
We certainly see it in politics
and in public life.
But we also see it in big business and industry,
science and the media.
All too often,
people are not there to serve others
with their skill,
but are there for power and status.
It's interesting,
this whole idea of public service
is fast disappearing
in our post-Christian society.
Because more often than not,
people seem to be out for themselves
to pursue their own agenda.
And sadly,
sometimes we see it in the church.
We can see it in the pulpit.
The pulpit can be a dangerous place to occupy.
And at times,
it can be easy to turn it into a throne
of authority and power
where you lay down the law,
dominate,
exercise control over others.
Yes,
it may be done with good intentions,
but it's a dangerous road
for any minister to travel.
And one where many become intoxicated
with their power and influence.
And you'll notice here
how Jesus uses this exchange
with James and John
as a kind of teaching opportunity.
He calls the disciples around him,
starts to instruct them.
He desperately wants them to understand
what it means to belong in his kingdom.
It's not about power and glory.
It's about being a servant,
he says.
He called them to him.
He said,
you know that those who are considered rulers
of the Gentiles
lord it over them,
and their great ones
exercise authority
over them.
Verse 42.
The disciples of Jesus
are not to be characterized
by selfish pride,
but by selfish,
selfless humility.
They're not to be rulers,
but servants.
And he draws a kind of contrast.
The Gentile world of his day
in the Roman Empire,
power and influence
were everything in that society
to be a great person
was to be someone with authority
and power and control,
and that is the way of the world still.
And yes, of course,
authority in and of itself
is not wrong.
Jesus himself
was a man of authority.
Matthew 28,
even tells us
that all authority
in heaven and earth
has been given to me.
You see,
the issue is rather
how that authority
is exercised.
And the great danger
is that it's used
selflessly,
selfishly
rather than selflessly.
That's why often people covet
power and authority
means they get their own way.
And to do that,
they have to climb
to the top of the ladder
to be number one.
Money,
connections,
influence,
position
become the sought-after
idols of their lives.
Rapacious egos
must be constantly
fed and fueled.
Delighting
to lord it over
others.
And as I say,
you only need
to look at politics,
business,
any large institution
to see this kind
of pattern
at work
in the lives
of many people.
Some people spend
their whole lives
seeking after
these things,
believing it will
give their lives
meaning and purpose
and direction.
salvation.
But Jesus says
in verse 43,
but it shall not
be so
among you.
Whoever would be
great among you
must be your servant.
Whoever would be
first among you
must be slave of all.
Not
so
with
you.
Because in
Christ's kingdom,
to be great
is to be a servant
and to be number
one,
you must be the
slave of all.
They're quite
astonishing words.
The very
antithesis,
the very
opposite
of what our
world believes.
Intensely
counter-cultural.
They were then,
they are now.
Jesus is not
looking for
rulers
and lords.
He's looking
for servants
and slaves.
because for
disciples of
Jesus,
the way of
influence in
this world
is not by
taking power
and control.
He calls
us in a
different
direction.
He calls
us to serve
others,
not to use
them.
He calls
us to love
others,
not abuse
them.
Our
influence
in the
world is
to come
from the
winsomeness
and beauty
of our
service.
Not
from
attempts
to
coerce,
manipulate,
or control.
This is
the way
of the
kingdom,
friends,
because this
is the
way
of the
king.
Jesus
is our
model
and pattern.
He's the
one who
took the
very nature
of a
servant,
the Lord
of glory,
who stooped
down into
the squalor
and filth
of a
Bethlehem
cattle shed,
the great
I am who
took the
servant's
apron and
a basin
of water
and knelt
down on
the ground
and washed
his disciples'
feet.
The king
of love,
who in
Calvary's
cross gave
his life
blood for
sinners like
you and
me.
From heaven
you came,
helpless babe,
entered our
world your
glory veiled,
not to be
served,
but to serve
and give
your life
that we
might live.
For even
the son
of man
came not
to be
served,
but to
serve and
to give
his life
as a
ransom for
many.
What do
you want
me to
do for
you,
says
Jesus?
What does
your heart
say tonight?
Do you
want him
to make
you a
ruler or
a servant?
What do
you really
want from
Jesus?
Comfort
without
cost,
honor
without
humility,
blessing
without
brokenness?
Are you
willing to
drink his
cup and
share his
baptism?
Here's the
question.
Do you
want to
be like
him?
Do you
want to
be like
Jesus?
So here
are James
and John
and they're
looking for
glory.
And then
we have
this other
encounter
in which
we discover
Jesus asking
the self
same
question.
And here's
blind
Bartimaeus
in verses
46 to
52.
And he's
looking for
what?
He's looking
for mercy.
This healing
of blind
Bartimaeus
closes,
I think,
a section
of the
gospel.
It runs
way back
from chapter
eight.
And one
of the
key themes
that runs
through this
section is
the blindness
really of
the disciples.
Chapter
eight, the
disciples have
had their
eyes opened
to Jesus'
identity,
and yet no
matter how
clearly Jesus
speaks about
the cross,
they are
blind really
to the
purpose of
his mission.
And this
incident
provides a
very clear
contrast to
what has
gone on
beforehand.
James and
John bring
the requests
for the
best places
in the
kingdom.
But here
is another
person bringing
his request
to Jesus.
Bartimaeus is
the only person
healed in the
synoptic gospels
who is named.
And this is the
last healing
miracle of
Mark's gospel.
Here is a
man who,
for all his
lack of
eyesight,
proves to
have great
insight.
Here is a
man who
sees with
the eye of
faith.
Here is a
man who
is beside
the way,
and yet
through the
gracious
ministry of
Jesus,
soon finds
himself following
Jesus on
the way.
Here is a
poor man in
great need
looking for
not glory,
he's looking
for mercy.
They came to
Jericho, and
as he was
leaving with
his disciples
and a great
crowd,
Bartimaeus,
a blind
becker,
son of
Timaeus,
was sitting
by the
roadside.
Here is a
man who
lived his
life in
darkness.
His condition
meant he
was utterly
dependent on
other people.
He was not
an independent,
self-sufficient
man.
He was on
the margins
of society,
he was reduced
to begging
by the
roadside,
he was
someone that
other people
looked down
on with
pity.
In the
eyes of
many,
he was a
nobody.
And yet,
though he
could not
see with
his eyes,
his hearing
was excellent.
When he
heard that
it was
Jesus of
Nazareth,
verse 47,
he began to
cry out and
say,
Jesus,
son of
David,
have mercy
on me.
Many
rebuked him,
telling him
to be silent,
but he cried
out all the
more,
son of
David,
have mercy
on me.
As the
crowd of
pilgrims
made its
way from
Jericho,
it passed
Bartimaeus
and his
begging
bowl.
And here
he hears
of Jesus.
And perhaps
he'd heard
about Jesus
before,
his teaching,
his miraculous
works,
and so on,
and yet,
almost in a
kind of act
of desperation,
he decides
to shout
out and
call upon
Jesus and
seek his
help.
Jesus,
son of
David,
have mercy
upon me.
And it's
interesting,
that title
he gives
to Jesus,
son of
David.
There were
lots of
different ideas
about the
Messiah in
first century
Israel,
but one that
was common
to all of
them was the
understanding
that the
Messiah would
come from
the house
of David.
The promise
of Samuel
7 was that
God would
raise up the
offspring of
David,
establish the
throne of
his kingdom
forever.
And so,
this title
that Bartimaeus
ascribes to
Jesus was
an explicitly
messianic
one.
Bartimaeus
is here
calling upon
Jesus as
the promised
Messiah,
as God's
true king,
great David's
greater son.
He sees
Jesus for
who he really
is, and he
calls out to
him in faith,
Jesus, son of
David, have
mercy.
It must have
been an
embarrassing
sight for
many.
Poor blind
beggar shouting,
crying out,
calling on
Jesus.
And such
is the
commotion that
the folks
around, you
know, they
tell him to
zip it, keep
quiet, stop,
shouting out,
shut up.
But Bartimaeus,
rather like
James and
John, is
utterly
shameless.
He is not
the least bit
embarrassed.
He's not
bothered about
what others
think or
say.
Many rebuked
him, telling
him to be
silent, verse
48, but he
cried out
all the
more, son
of David,
have mercy
on me.
And that
little phrase,
have mercy
on me, one
that we find
repeatedly in
the book of
Psalms, Psalm
4, Psalm
6, 41, 51,
109, 123.
Every instance,
the one
addressed is
Yahweh
himself.
And Bartimaeus
takes that cry
of a sinner for
mercy, and he
directs it
directly to
Jesus Christ.
Lord, have
mercy on
me.
This is what
he was looking
for.
He was looking
for the mercy
of God in
his life.
James and
John looking
for glory.
Bartimaeus,
mercy.
In some way,
it seems
Bartimaeus
understood himself
to be a
guilty man.
His self-pity,
his pride,
his lust,
his greed,
his short
temper, his
contempt,
his jealousy,
all the sins
that he had
that as a
blind man he
was guilty
of.
And yet,
here was the
one who could
show him
mercy.
Mercy he
looked for.
Mercy he
sought.
Mercy he
cried for.
Have you
ever asked
the Lord
Jesus for
mercy?
Because mercy
is the only
basis in
which we can
enjoy a
relationship with
God.
Not the
basis of
our good
works,
our good
name,
our good
standing,
our religious
pedigree.
Only by the
mercy of God
can we come
to know him.
We are not
morally superior
to others.
When all is
said and done,
we're all
blind and
bankrupt
sinners.
I don't
think I've
told this
story here.
I may have
done.
I tell so
many stories
I begin to
lose track
of when
I've told
them and
where I've
told them.
But many
years ago
there was
a minister
in Tarbert
on the
Isle of
Harris.
He was in
the Church
of Scotland.
He was
a man with
Reverend
Donald
Angus
McRae.
He was
an interesting
character.
When he
died there
was an
obituary
written I
think by
John
MacLeod
in the
Herald
newspaper.
In that
obituary it
tells the
story of
how just
a few
days before
he died
a friend
from
Stornoway
called in
to see
Mr.
McRae.
And though
he was
very weak
Donald
Angus was
awake and
alert and
he eyed his
visitor
whimsically and
seized his
hand.
And what
will you
have to
say to
the Lord
he whispered
on the
day of
judgment.
Well the
elder
who'd
visiting him
was quite
disconcerted
by this.
Well he
said you
know you
you're the
minister and
on the
good way
many years
what will
you say
yourself?
Oh said
Mr.
McRae
mercy
friends we
must never
forget that
the basis
of our
relationship
with God
the basis
of our
belonging
in the
family of
God
is nothing
more nothing
less than
the mercy
of God.
Paul writes
he saved us
not because of
works done
by us in
righteousness
but according
to his own
mercy.
Titus 3
5.
I love the
words of
John Stocker's
hymn
The door of
thy mercy
stands open
all day
to the needy
and poor
who knock
by the way
no sinner
shall ever
be empty
sent back
who comes
seeking mercy
for Jesus
dear sake.
Jesus
stopped and
said call
him.
They called
the blind
man
take heart
get up
he's calling
you
throwing off
his cloak
he sprang
up and
came to
Jesus.
I love
that little
detail
that Mark
records
throwing off
his cloak
he sprang
up and
came to
Jesus
probably
an outer
garment
maybe even
his bedroll.
It's
suggestive
of this
man's
eagerness
to desire
to come
to Jesus.
I wonder
if there's
an eagerness
and a desire
that we
share.
When Jesus
calls us
what is
our response
I wonder
if there's
a spring
in our
step.
Perhaps
we've become
more like
James and
John
looking to
see what's
in it for
us
rather
than
like
Bartimaeus
eager
to run
to
and run
after
Jesus.
And Jesus
said to him
what do you
want me to
do for you?
And the
blind man
said
Rabbi
let me
recover
my sight.
You see
the difference
to James
and John
yes they
wanted glory
and thrones
and cabinet
seats in
God's
kingdom.
This blind
man
asks
simply
to
see.
And that's
the great
irony
because it's
the disciples
really who
are the
blind ones.
Bartimaeus'
cry is not
for power
and status
it's for
mercy.
And even
when the
people tell
him to
be quiet
he keeps
on asking
for mercy.
He's seen
who Jesus
really is.
He's not
for giving
up.
It's the
disciples
who are in
the dark.
Notice what
Jesus says
in verse 52
to him
go your
way
your faith
has made
you well.
Immediately
he recovered
his sight
and followed
him on
the way.
Word there
healed
made you
well.
Same word
in the New
Testament
for salvation.
Literally
your faith
has saved
you.
Praise the
Lord
his mercy
is more
stronger than
darkness
new every
morn.
Our sins
they are
many
his mercy
is more.
What are
you looking
for this
evening?
What are
you living
for?
What do
you want
Jesus to
do for
you?
Some of
us are
like James
and John.
We come
to Jesus
with ambitious
hearts.
We want
success in
our church
recognition
amongst
others.
We want
the crown
without the
cross.
Jesus
says you
do not
know what
you ask.
The way
to glory
is the
way of
the servant.
The path
to honor
is the
path of
the cross.
The crown
is always
preceded
by the
cup.
And the
throne
is only
reached
by way
of
Calvary.
Or are
you more
like
Bartimaeus?
You know
your blindness.
You know
your need.
You know
that you
need the
mercy of
God.
You want
Christ
himself
to see
him more
clearly,
to follow
him more
nearly,
to love
him more
dearly.
Your
cry is not
for position
but for
pardon.
Not for
prestige but
for purity.
Not for
power but
for the
presence of
the Savior.
What are
you looking
for this
evening?
What are
you asking
for?
What do
you want
Jesus to
do for
you?
Looking
for yourself?
Looking for
number one?
Looking for
glory?
Or are
you looking
for mercy
from Jesus
the son
of David,
the servant
king?
Which path
will you
tread?
Will you
tread the
way of
the cross?
Will you
tread the
way of
the king?
Will you
tread the
way of
the great
servant?
What do
you want
Jesus to
do for
you?
What do
you want
to be
like?
Do you
want
to be
like
this
world?
Or do
you want
to be
like
Jesus?
Let's
pray.
Lord,
grant us
the help
of your
Holy Spirit.
Work in
our hearts
what is
pleasing in
your sight.
Give us
desire and
motivation
not to
prioritize
ourselves,
but to
put you
first,
to love
you,
and to
love our
neighbors
as
ourselves.
Lord,
make us
a people
always
thankful
for your
mercies
that are
new every
morning.
Make us
a grateful
people.
Make us
thankful
as blind
Bartimaeus
was,
and help
us to
live our
lives out
of the
soil of
your
grace,
and so
to live
always
for your
glory.
In
Jesus'
name,
Amen.