Tag: Sermon

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Silly Love Songs

Title slide with photo of the two churches where the sermon is to be preached

Jeff Garrison
Mayberry and Bluemont Churches
Isaiah 62
January 19, 2025

At the beginning of worship: 

The first book I read this year was Delila Owen’s Where the Crawdads Sing. Some of you may have read it. It was a best seller a few years ago. I’m not sure why it took me this long to get around to it. After all, the book is set in the North Carolina salt marsh, something I’m familiar with from my childhood. 

In the book, Kya, the Marsh Girl, is shunned by “polite society.” Everyone abandons her, but because of Tate, one of the town kids, she learns to read and draw. Over time she becomes knowledgeable about the salt marsh. She even publishes books on the marsh, which is impressive for a girl who only went to school for one day. 

I got to thinking about how, in a way, this story could be a variation of Cinderella. The forsaken child becomes incredibly blessed and, in the end, marries well. I never spent much time pondering Cinderella; I always thought it to be a girl’s story. I did, however, do a google search and discovered there are variations of the Cinderella which goes back to the ancient Greeks. Adaptations of the story are found over Europe and Asia.[1] While each story has differences, they’re essentially about a forsaken girl marrying royalty. Isn’t that what fairytales are all about? Someone down and out ending up in a position of honor.[2]

And there’s a part of such fairytale stories which applies to the Christian faith. God lifts us when we’re down and out, adopts us through Christ, and lead us into an enviable position of joy. 

Before the reading of Scripture: 

Today we’re exploring the 62nd chapter of Isaiah. Chapters 60 to 62 are individual oracles which focus on the release from exile and the return of the Hebrew people to Zion. God removes the shame of his people and restores them to position of glory. 

Mostly, this chapter involves God speaking through the prophet, but in verse 8 and 11, instead of God speaking, the prophet recalls God’s promises from the past.[3] I want us to consider this passage in its original context, then ponder what it might me to us today. 

Read Isaiah 62

Do you remember the song by Paul McCarthy and Wings, titled “Silly Love Songs?” It was number one of the billboard charts for several weeks in 1976 and written by Paul for his wife at the time, Linda. The opening line went “You think that people would have had enough of silly love songs, but I look around and see it’s not so.” Then he sang repeatedly, “I love you” before going on to other verses.

In a way, it’s too bad we’re not looking at this text on a Sunday around Valentine’s Day. This passage is God’s silly love song to the Hebrew people. 

But the people don’t feel loved. They’re down and out. A generation earlier, their armies were decimated by the Babylonians. Jerusalem was laid to waste. The magnificent temple, built by Solomon 400 years earlier, had been destroyed. The people find themselves exiled 800 or so miles from home. 

For many ancient nations, such an experience would result in their disappearance as a nation. But not Israel, for their identity wasn’t primarily to the land, but to Almighty God, creator of heaven and earth. 

God, in this love letter, expresses his affection for the Hebrew people and encourages them not to give up hope. Instead, they are to prepare to receive back all who have been in exile. 

Think for a moment, have you ever done anything foolish for love? Maybe you sang an off-key love song to woo another? Tried your hand at poetry? Written a sappy letter? Or made a fool out of yourself as you yelled into a crowd, proclaiming your devotion to your beloved.[4]

In a way that’s what God does. Others may despised these people. But God risks looking foolish to proclaim his love for them. 

“For Zion’s sake, I will no keep silent,” God shouts at the beginning of the passage. Another translation has it, “I can’t keep my mouth shut.”[5]

No one, watching this rag-tag group of people making their way back to Jerusalem from Babylon would have considered them valuable or important. They were just another conquered people by the Babylonians, struggling to cross the desert to make their way back to their ancestorial home. But God sees value in them. 

Furthermore, God wants other nations to see their glory. God will give them a new name. Naming, in the Old Testament implied ownership. God claims these people as his own. They’ll be a crown in his hand, a delight for all to see. 

Verse 5 describes God’s faithfulness as a marriage. God claims his people as his bride. God, who refers to himself as the builder (and as the Creator, God is the ultimate builder), plans to marry and rejoice over his bride. 

In verse 6, we learn God posted guards upon the walls of Zion, to be on duty day and night. Oddly, these guards are not to call out an alarm about the approaching of a hostile army. Instead, God sets them up as his alarm clock. They remind God of the wedding vows he made and keep doing this until God completes his task of restoring Jerusalem.

Verses 8 and 9 brings up a frequent concern in the Old Testament. None of us like the thought of working hard and not being able to enjoy the fruits of our labor. But it happens. For Israel it may be the result of disobedience, as when foreign armies strip the fields of all the produce or command the houses of the people to serve as barracks.[6] Or, as Solomon mumbles in Ecclesiastes, because of aging.[7] We all know someone who worked hard and had a heart attack a month after retirement. But God promises this will not continue. In the restored Jerusalem, the people can enjoy the fruit of their labors. No more will their enemies take what they’ve worked hard to produce. 

But while much of this promise involves God’s actions, God also calls the people to action. In verse 10, with a series of imperatives (go, prepare, build, clear, and lift), God commands the people to get ready for those returning from exile. They’re to clear and build up highways. They’re to raise flags over the gates as a sign of welcome. While God works for us, we also to do God’s work. It’s to be a team effort. 

As this next group of exiles return, they’re to proclaim God’s work. In my previous two sermons from the prophets, we saw how God pays the ramson for the people’s freedom.[8] Again, that’s a theme here as God provides the recompense needed to free and compensate the people. 

Our passage ends with the giving of a new name which had been promised in verse 2. This name refers to Israel’s relationship to God. A “Holy People,” can also be translated as “people who belong to the Holy One.”[9] As the “Holy People,” they’re also known as “The Redeemed of the Lord.” Again, this new name indicates Zion’s dependence upon God. Because of this transformation, the city which was desolate will now be sought out and no longer seen as forsaken.

As I said earlier, this all applied to Jerusalem coming out of exile. But how might this be applied today to our lives?  While Isaiah speaks to the community of Jerusalem, can we apply the meaning of this text to our own individual lives? 

I think so. This chapter encapsulates the gospel. When we are down and out, without any hope, we’re not abandoned. God still loves us and wants to lift us up and restore us into a community where people will marvel at our transformation. We see this with alcoholics and drug addicts who go through recovery. People who make bad choices in life, and while they must deal the consequences (as did Jerusalem in exile), they turn their lives around and become model citizens are another example.


We worship a powerful God who loves us. As Paul McCarthy sings later in the song I referred to earlier, “when I’m in love, it isn’t silly at all.” Our God through this silly love poem gives hope to the down and out. And that’s not silly. And as a church, we need to clear the way for such people to enter. We should raise banners. Our task is to welcome them into the fellowship. After all, we are all indebted to the triune God, our Creator, our Redeemer, and our Sustainer. Amen.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinderella

[2]  Fredrick Buechner, Telling the Truth: The Gospel as Tragedy, Comedy, and Fairytale (1977). This little book describes fairytale as I use the term. The book consist of Buechner lectures at Yale’s Beecher Lectures. 

[3] Walter Brueggermann, Westminster Bible Companion: Isaiah 40-66 (Louisville, KY: John Knox Press, 1998), 219. 

[4] For the idea of reading this passage as a love song see Meg Jenista, “Isaiah 62:1-5 Commentary” https://cepreaching.org/commentary/2025-01-13/Isaiah-621-5-4/ .

[5] The Message translation.

[6] Deuteronomy 28:30, Amos 5:11, and Isaiah 65:21-22. 

[7] Ecclesiastes 2:18-23. 

[8] See https://fromarockyhillside.com/2025/01/12/is-gods-punishment-and-grace-a-package-deal/ and https://fromarockyhillside.com/2025/01/05/god-helps-those-who-cant-help-themselvs/

[9] Brueggemann, 224. 

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Is God’s punishment and grace a package deal?

title slide with photos of the two churches in winter

Jeff Garrison
Mayberry and Bluemont Churches
Isaiah 43:1-7
January 12, 2024

Sermon recorded at Mayberry on Friday, January 10, 2025. I apologize that the audio is a little scratchy.

At the beginning of worship: 

As part of the human race, it seems we’re inclined to compare ourselves to others. Such behavior is widespread. I have a sneaky feeling it has something to do with original sin. 

When I compare myself to a murder, I feel pretty good. So far, I have resisted the temptation to kill even those whom I felt, at the time, deserved such a fate. If I stack myself up against murderers and other dregs of society, I come out looking good. But what about when I compare myself to Jesus? Or, as we witnessed at his funeral this week, Jimmy Carter? Yet, we should not forget, even Jimmy acknowledged his sinfulness. 

We can’t understand who we are if we only compare ourselves to others. If we consider Paul’s words, “all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory,”[1] we might realize the danger of comparing ourselves to others. In fact, it would make us no better than our peers. Who wants to be average. Furthermore, it could allow us to commit injustices without even considering what we’re doing. 

I recall Jimmy Carter’s book, which came out the year before he was elected President. It’s title, Why not the Best came from a question asked of him. It’s also a question we should all ask ourselves. Being our best means we do what is right and, instead of following the crowd, keep our eyes on the perfecter of our faith, our Savior. 

One book, about following the crowd, has stuck with me over the decades. It’s by Christopher Browning a historian and titled:  Ordinary Men: Reserve Police Battalion 101 and the Final Solution in Poland.[2] Police Battalion 101 was a group of regular working-class guys from Hamburg, Germany. They were not political. A few had even opposed the rise of Nazism, but mostly they ignored it. 

These men were mostly too old for the regular army, so they were put into a National Guard type unit and sent into territories in which the army had already conquered. This battalion of 500 men became responsible for 83,000 deaths of innocent Jews in Poland. 

In the closing of the book, Browning discusses the haunting implications of his study. How can a group of men who, at first, were repulsed at the thought of murder, become willing participants in the holocaust? After all, these were not hardcore Nazis.  Peer pressure is a terrible thing. That’s why we shouldn’t compare ourselves to others, but only to Christ.


One of the things several people in Carter’s funeral reminded the crowd is how Carter often did things which he knew would hurt him politically. One was to appoint Paul Volcker as the Chairman of the Federal Reserve. Volcker warned Carter of his intention to raise interest rates to curve inflation. In the short run, he said, it would hurt the economy. And there was an election coming up, Volcker reminded him. 

Carter told him, “You take care of the economy, I’ll deal with the politics.” Of course, the rates rose, and it didn’t help Carter’s economy, which was one of the reasons he was so vulnerable in the 1980 election.[3] But, by doing what’s right, Carter picked a man who set the course for our nation’s economic growth in the 1980s and 1990s.

We need to do what is right. We need to strive to be our best, which means we should compare ourselves to Jesus and none other. 

Before reading the scripture: 

As I announced last week, I plan to preach on the Old Testament passages from the lectionary, a suggestive set of passage to preach, between last Sunday through the middle of February. At that time, I will return to Mark and finish up my work through that gospel during Lent. 

I often criticize the lectionary.[4] I know some preachers who prefer it and suggest it forces them to preach on passages they’d often skip. I, on the other hand, often find myself critical of the passages used and the parts left out. That’s true in our passage today. So, before I read it, let me inform you that this lovely piece of hopeful poetry stands in sharp contrast to the passage immediately before it. 

We’re looking at the first seven verses in Isaiah 43. This is a passage, in which God blesses and restores Israel, ironically comes on the heels of the last five verses of 42. There, we’re told of Israel’s disobedience. Israel has been blind and deaf to God’s pronouncements and stand in need of punishment.  

To gain a full understanding of God, we need both parts[5]. In our lives there are a chasm between who we are and who God created us to be. We live in a paradox. Yet, God loves us. We can’t separate our shortcomings and God’s grace. The two must be held in tension. In this manner, we won’t be tempted to seeing God’s blessings as a stamp of approval for our behaviors. No, God loves us despite who we are. That’s the good news. Seeing both sides—our failures and God’s faithfulness, should humble us. After all, without God’s grace, we’d truly be lost. 

Read Isaiah 43:1-7

The 43rd Chapter of Isaiah opens wonderfully. The God who created us, who formed us out of the earth, also redeems us. Therefore, we shouldn’t fear. God through the prophet commands, “fear not.” 

As I indicated before the reading of the passage, in the previous chapter, God pointed out Israel’s sin and need for punishment. You know, it’s fearful to be called into the principal’s office, or your bosses office for a redress. God authority is far greater than the principal or boss.  God created us; God knows our name, so there’s no escaping responsibility for our sins. 

I have struggled all my life to remember names, but I know it’s important. It feels good when someone important calls us by name.  

In 1988, as a seminary student, I attended the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church. It was held in St. Louis that year and the first order of business was the election of a moderator. That year, Ken Hall, pastor of Hill Presbyterian Church in Butler, Pennsylvania was elected. 

I had spent the previous two years working for Covenant Presbyterian Church in Butler and had done some joint youth events with the Hill Church. I always worked with the associate pastor, and had only met Ken, the pastor there, once.

The Pittsburgh Theological Seminary contingent at General Assembly in 1988 I’m on the left, with hair. This would be one of the last photos taken of me without a beard as I grew a beard back the next month and haven’t shaved since.

The night after the election, there was a moderator’s reception. I went with a bunch of other seminary students from around the country. We were in the receiving line. When we got up to Ken, I put my hand out to shake his. But instead, he stepped forward, saying “Jeff, I didn’t know you were going to be here,” and hugged me. All the other seminary students were impressed. It felt good. 

God knowing name is not like the principal knowing my name. Instead, it shows that God cares. 

There is a lot of theology packed into the first two verses of our passage. God created us, forms us, redeems us, knows our name, call us his own and refuses to abandon us when life becomes difficult.  In verse two, we’re told that when we pass through the rivers, God is with us. This may draw for us images of baptism, and that’s okay, but think about the people in Western North Carolina, who lived along the Swannanoa River during Hurricane Helene. While baptism doesn’t promise us a carefree life, few expect the terror of those who endured the floods in Western North Carolina.

God also promises to be with those walking through fire. Certainly, those poor souls in Los Angeles this past week need to feel God’s presence. In this life we’re not promised a world without peril. But God promises not to abandon us. Furthermore, God promises to redeem us, to buy us back, which as I spoke of last week, is what Jesus did. 

In a way, this passage repeats itself. In verses 2 and 5, we’re told not to fear. And after each, God provides a similar promise. The first is more general and is a reminder that as Israel goes into exile, they’re not abandoned. God stays by us during times of turmoil. The second involves God bringing us back home, which the descendants of those sent into exile experienced. After all, as the passage ends, God formed and made us for his glory. Ultimately, God’s grace isn’t just about us, it’s about God’s glory.[6]

If you think about this passage, you get a sense of the triune workings of God. God creates and forms us, as individuals and into a family of believers. When we stray from God’s path, God redeems us through his Son and our Lord, Jesus Christ. And finally, when we experience trouble, God through the Holy Spirit abides with us. 

These are wonderful promises in Scripture. The God who chastises us, also lovingly rescues us.[7] In chapter 42, we see the trouble we’ve gotten ourselves into. We’re not deserving of God’s grace, but that doesn’t matter to God. God redeems us, not for what we’ve done, but for his own glory. That’s grace. For God loves us still. Amen. 

In your prayers today, please remember those caught in the California wildfires. If lost for words, click here for a prayer to pray.

[1] Romans 3:23.

[2] Christopher Browning, Ordinary Men: Reserve Police Battalion 101 and the Final Solution in Poland, (NY: HarpersCollins, 1992). 

[3] I think this was in the eulogy by the late  Walter Mondale, which was read by his son. Of course, there were other reasons for Carter’s weakness in the 1980 elections, most notably the Iran Hostage Crisis. 

[4] There are several lectionaries available for use. The one most protestant churches use is the Revised Common Lectionary. To learn more, check out this link: https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu

[5] Paul D. Hanson, Isaiah 40-66, Interpretation, a Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching (Louisville, KY: John Knox Press, 1995), 59 

[6] Claus Westermann, Isaiah 40-66, The Old Testament Library translated by David M. G. Stalker (1966, Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1969), 118-119. 

[7] See Meg Jenistra, “Isaiah 43:1-7.” See https://cepreaching.org/commentary/2025-01-06/isaiah-431-7-4/.

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God helps those who can’t help themselvs

title slide with photo of churches in winter

Jeff Garrison
Bluemont and Mayberry Churches
January 5, 2025
Jeremiah 31:7-14

Sermon recorded at Bluemont Church on Friday, January 3, 2025

At the beginning of worship.

How many of you agree with this statement: “God helps those who help themselves?” Too many mistakenly attribute the statement as coming from the Bible, even though the Holy Book contains no such proverb. God helps those who help themselves may be the identifying proverb of American civil religion, but it has nothing to do with Christianity (or Judaism for that matter). 

Instead, Scripture provides a picture of a God who helps those who can’t help themselves. If you are a member of this church, you have affirmed this by admitting your sinfulness and your need for a Savior. You can’t save yourself. As humans, we are frail; only with God are all things are possible.

Walter Bruggerman, a retired Old Testament professor, once proposed a twofold task for a preacher… On the one hand, the preacher’s task is to reach those who are only concern are themselves, those who think only about “me.” We live in a conceited age and many of us are caught in this trap where we think so ourselves, leaving little room for God. This results in a trap within our own limitations. In the end we are alienated from each other and from God.

On the other hand, Bruggerman identifies an opposite group of people, those who cease to think of themselves as important and exaggerate God to such a degree in which Almighty is so big and tall that we, as mere mortals, have no real contact. Faced with the goodness of such a God, we see ourselves as inept, often leaving us with a feeling of rage. God became a person in Jesus Christ especially to reach this latter group of people.

However, in front of God, both groups—those who exaggerate the self and those who exaggerate God, those who experience alienation and those who endure rage—are reduced to silence. We cannot have a conversation with each other or with God when we’re locked into our own little worlds, nor can we talk to God when we feel God is so big he does not care about us. 

Yet, deep inside this silence many in our society experience is a longing and yearning for communion. We need to address such yearnings.[1] We speak to the human desire to reconnect to the Creator. After all, God is the only one with the power to redeem and sustain life.  

Before reading of the scriptures:

After spending last year working through the gospel of Mark, I will spend some time in the Old Testament for the next few weeks. It’s important that we balance the two, for only then can we come to a more complete understanding of God. 

Our morning reading from Jeremiah affirms a basic Christian belief, one at the heart of Presbyterian theology. The God who gives us the breath of life is also the God who, when we find ourselves alienated from him, calls us back to speech. We’ll hear this in the opening verse when the Lord, through the prophet, calls on Israel to “sing aloud, raise shouts, proclaim and give praise.” 

But let’s put this reading into context. Jeremiah was a prophet of doom. His words mostly fell on deaf ears. Other prophets promised good things happening to Israel, even while the nation rotted, and the armies of Babylon laid siege to Jerusalem. They threw Jeremiah into a cistern because the people grew weary of hearing his negativism. But as the siege continued to strangle Jerusalem, and the court prophets were proved wrong, Jeremiah seems to switch. He offers a hopeful word for the future.[2]

Some probably laughed at Jeremiah. They knew the Babylonians would break through the walls at any moment. Jeremiah’s words are a hopeful dream, with a promise in the distant future. God, speaking through Jeremiah, assures Israel there will be a new day coming. Only God has the power to restore, and Israel is reminded, once again, not to lose faith, but to draw close to God.   

Read Jeremiah 31:7-14

Jeremiah emphasizes salvation comes from God. God offers salvation to those unable to help themselves. Jerusalem faces death and exile soon. God, however, promises to gather and lead back to the Promised Land, the blind, the lame, the children, and women who are in labor. Each of these groups are people dependent on others, who can’t survive by themselves. They depend upon the mercy of others and when there is no one to help them, God is the one who hears and answers their pleas for help.[3]

In verse 11, we hear of the Messianic hope we have in Jesus Christ. God plans to ransom back his people. Jesus, we believe, atones for our sins.[4] In other words, Jesus pays the ransom for our release from bondage.

As we come to the end of the passage, we witness the joy experienced by the remnant of Israel who will be saved. As we’ve seen, they dance and sing and make merry; they are satisfied with the bounty provided by God.

Against the backdrop of our relative wealth, I wonder what this passage might say to us. After all, we pride ourselves on self-sufficiency. We have a difficult time understanding Jesus’ words from the beatitudes, “Blessed are the poor for theirs is the kingdom of God.”[5] It’s hard for you and me to see how someone poor can be blessed; they’re not exactly complimentary terms. Jesus also tells us how hard it is for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven.[6]

Turning our lives over to God isn’t popular nor is it seen as necessary in a society priding itself on wealth. It’s harder to see the need for God in our lives and often, it’s only when someone is deathly sick or when misfortune strikes that many people see the light.  

We’ve been blinded from the source of life. As Brueggerman, whom I spoke about earlier, points out, our alienation and rage keep us from seeking such a source. We either think we’re self-sufficient or that God doesn’t care, both of which bar us from the foundation of life. 

Maybe we’re like Frank, in the Frank and Ernest comic strip. After a date with Francine, Frank gloated about how he was sure she was going to be true. After all, she told Frank, “You are the last man I want to see at my door.” We don’t experience the world the way it truly is…  We all need to wake up and accept our dependence upon the author of life and salvation.

The longest held hostage in Lebanon. Terry Anderson asked another hostage, Catholic priest, if he could confess his sins to him. The priest was shocked and remarked, “This is interesting, you being an innocent victim, wanting to confess your sins.” Anderson replied, in a way that exposes his understanding of God and the human condition, “well, there’s quite a few of them in need of confession.”[7]

All of us, whether we realize it, need God in our lives. And we must make room for God by confessing our self-centeredness and our rebellion against God to open in our lives a place for God to exist. Only then will we hear that call of God to join in song, to dance and to be merry. Only then will that yearning inside of us, a yearning often speechless, be given voice.

Salvation is from God for those unable to help themselves. If we feel alienated and cut-off from God, like those whom Jeremiah addressed, we need to hold on to the hope God is with and for us. We need to let God know our dependence on him in all things. Those dependent on God receive an invitation to be in communion with the one who request our presence at his table which is a foretaste to what is to come. Let us celebrate the Lord’s Supper. Amen.

Note: I edited this sermon from one I preached on January 5, 2003.

[1] Walter Bruggerman, Finally Comes the Poet, (Minneapolis: Fortress, 1989), 43-47.

[2] Creating a timeline for Jeremiah and Jerusalem’s fall is difficult as the prophet’s book appears mixed up. Jeremiah ends up in the cistern in chapter 38.

[3] See Exodus 22:21-24.

[4] See Matthew 2:21

[5] Luke 6:20.

[6] Mark 10:25, Luke 18:25.

[7] National Public Radio, December 1993.

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Christmas Eve 2024

Jeff Garrison
Mayberry Church
Christmas Eve 2024
Luke 2:1-20

This is my favorite service of the year. The candles, the carols, at night, it all comes together as we celebrate Christmas. 

The birth of a child opens new possibilities, and the child whose birth we celebrate this evening offers us a glimpse into the workings of God. Through Jesus, we experience grace, forgiveness, love, and hope. We live in a troubled world. It was that way when Jesus was born, too. But Jesus’ coming provides us with meaning and hope for today and eternity. May your celebration tomorrow be filled with joy. 

photo of book "A Ukrainian Christmas"

During Avent, I often read a book about Christmas. This year it was A Ukrainian Christmas. Ukraine is a country where the east and the west collide. We see this collusion in the current war, but the Christmas season is another example. It’s resulted in Ukraine kind of having two Christmases, the Western’ world’s celebration on December 25 and the Eastern world’s celebration on January 6. 

One of the influencers on Christmas in Ukraine came from German settlers who brought Christmas tree with them. In this way, Ukraine is like us, for Christmas trees in our county also came from German settlers in the first half of the 19th Century. 

But many churches in Ukraine added their own twist. They leave the lights off the tree in church and have the church’s members bring lights to hang on the tree. They do this because they believe the light belong with the members, not within the church. We’re supposed to take the lights with us when we go out in the world, not hid them under a basket. Or to paraphrase Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, “lock them up in a church”. Think about this evening when you drive home together and see all the lights on homes. We are to be the light in the world. 

This evening, I am reflecting on Luke’s account of the Christmas story which we’ve heard. I want to highlight three items this evening: 

the role of Caesar, 
the message of the angels, 
and the significance of the shepherds.  

Luke begins by informing us who’s in charge of the empire, Caesar Augustus. His birth name was Octavian, and he was the son of Julius Caesar’s nephew. On the Ides of March, 44 BC, Julius Ceasar was assassinated. 19-year-old Octavian set off with Mark Antony to defeat those who killed Julius Caesar. Two years later, they defeated the opposition forces and killed Brutus and Cassius. Octavian then ruled much of the empire. A decade later, after Antony joined with Cleopatra, he defeated their armies and gained control of the entire empire. Much of this is remembered through the plays of William Shakespeare.

In 27 BC, the Roman Senate gave Octavian the venerated name of “Augustus,” which means “reverenced.” As his rule continued, a cult arose about the belief he was divine. There was even a myth, like that of Alexander the Great two centuries earlier, that his father was a god.

By the time Jesus was born, some were proclaiming Augustus birth as the beginning of the “good news.” The same word, “good news, from which we get evangelism, was applied to Augustus as to Augustus may have been the most powerful person in the Western World up until this point. He controlled the empire. Rome entered a long period without wars with the empire’s external enemies subdued.  Unlike Julius Caesar, who was a warrior, Augustus was seen as a man of peace. Of course, it was a brutal peace, enforced by Roman legions and terrible executions of those who dared challenge Rome’s authority. But that’s a story for Good Friday.

What’s important to understand is the world in which Jesus came already had someone whom people considered the bearer of good news, the prince of peace. 

This brings me to the second move I’d like us to consider. The angels use that same language which referred to Augustus to refer to the child born in Bethlehem. The singing angels proclaim to the shepherds “good news for all people. A child who will bring peace to those he favors. 

In a subtle fashion, Luke introduces conflict into his story. Who will win? The empire? Or the poor child born in obscurity in a far unknown region of the empire? One who some think is divine, or the one who is divine? Time will tell. 

Then comes the third move, the shepherds check out the baby… We have tended to romanticize shepherds… with shampooed sheep munching on grassy hillsides. But reality isn’t nearly as pristine. It was a dirty business. When it rains, they get muddy. You deal with poop. You live outside with the animals, moving them from one grassy pasture to another. Showers are only available during the rainy season. The life of a shepherd was anything but romantic. Shepherds were dirty and looked down upon by the rest of society. Society placed them right up there with gamblers and tax collectors. Some Jews maintained they didn’t know the difference between mine and thine. People considered them thieves and some probably were. They were so looked down upon they weren’t allowed to serve as a witness in court. 

The contrast between the shepherds and Caesar couldn’t have been more distinct. And who received the message that first Christmas morning? Not those in the royal courts. What does this tell us about the gospel?

One more thing… You know, the temple in Jerusalem required a lot of animals for sacrifices. There was a zone around Jerusalem, which included Bethlehem, in which the animals raised were selected over for the temple’s altar. So, these shepherds were most likely raising animals bound for the temple. With their dirty job, they help people obtain atonement for their sins, but now they rejoice for the one who will truly atone for our sins. 

And finally, what did the shepherds do when they encountered Christ. All our nativity scenes show them bowing in reverence, and that may have been the case for they wouldn’t want to wake the sleepy baby. But when they got out of sight, on their way back to their flocks, they joined the angels in praising God. 

So let me go back to the story I began with, about the churches in Ukraine not putting lights on the trees. It’s because they know we all should be one flicker of God’s light in the world. We’re to praise God for what God has done for us and to let our lights shine to show God’s work. The shepherds did that, and so should we. 


So, when, in just a minute, we light the candles and cut down the lights, look around at the lights within this building and remember we’re to take those lights out into the world, where they belong. Amen. 

Resources:

Edwards, James R., The Gospel According to Luke, Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2015. 

Gerbish, Nadiyka and Hrytsak, Yaroslav; A Ukrainian Christmas, Nadiyka Gerbish and Yaroslave Hrytask, translators, Sphere, 2022.  

photos of candlelight service at Mayberry Church

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You Try to be Cheerful

Title slide with photos of churches in winter

Jeff Garrison
Mayberry & Bluemont Churches
Mark 13:14-27
December 15, 2024

Sermon recorded at Bluemont on Friday, December 13, 2024

At the beginning of worship:

I recently read American Ramble by Neil King. Jack Betts, who attends Mayberry, lent me a copy of this book. An editor for the Wall Street Journal, King battled cancer and Lyme disease. Then came COVID. Then he sets out to walk from his home in Washington, DC to New York. It’s not a long walk, when compared to the the Appalachian or Pacific Crest Trail. But it’s long enough for him to meet some interesting people and to reflect on our nation’s history, the glorious and the infamous. 

After making the walk, he returned to visit some of the folks he met along with way. One was Neal Weaver, an Amish man with a large family, in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.  As they watched his children playing, Weaver said. “Humanity at its core hasn’t changed really since the Roman Empire, or whatever empire you choose. We’re facing the same challenges they faced. And in response you try to be cheerful. You try to be a good neighbor. You try to be loving.”[1]

That’s good advice for Christians. While at times the world seems to be descending into hell, we do our best to help and encourage one another. During the Christmas season, people become generous and gracious. Let’s make sure we’re that way for the rest of the year. 

Before reading the Scripture:

We’re continuing our Advent exploration of Mark’s “Little Apocalypse,” from the 13th chapter. As I’ve tried to emphasize in my first Advent Sermon, the season in which we prepare for Christmas is also a season to be reminded of our Savior’s return. We’ll hear about this in today’s scripture reading. 

The first third of this chapter began with the disciples’ awe of the temple and Jesus’ raining on their excitement by informing them of the temple’s demise. Then, four of the disciples (Peter, James, John and Andrew) corner Jesus to ask him when these things will take place. Jesus foretells all kinds of troubles: from wars to earthquakes to famines. 

But instead of saying he’ll return then; Jesus says it’s just the beginning. Wars, earthquakes, and famines are illusions to general calamities which have faced humanity since the beginning of time. Much of the purpose of the opening of this chapter is to encourage the disciples to remain faithful and not lose hope. 

Jesus, who has three times in Mark’s gospel foretold his own betrayal, suffering, and death, then informs the disciples of how they’ll experience their own betrayals and suffering. But Jesus suggests this is a positive thing for the disciples will be able to share the gospel even into the highest halls of government. We might recall Paul’s story of taking the gospel all the way to Rome and perhaps even to Caesar himself.[2]

While the troubles in the opening part of this chapter are more general and describe things experienced throughout history, in today’s passage we see a more specific example. Things look bad. After the opening of this chapter, we could almost wonder if they could get worse, and the answer is yes. But even here, there’s hope, as we’ll see. 

Read Mark 13:14-27

Evil in the gospels is personalized.[3] The battle Jesus engages in on the earth, as we see from his temptation right after his baptism, is Satan.[4] Satan hides through much of the gospel, with his minions doing his bidding.[5] But here, in the 13th Chapter, Jesus foretells of him making a grand entrance, through another surrogate. It’s a sign for believers to take cover. 

As I mentioned in my last sermon, on the first 13 verses of this passage, Jesus insists his followers not use the troubles in the world—whether war, earthquakes, or famine—as a sign of his return.[6] They’re just birth pangs. But this changes in verse 14. Evil appears where it shouldn’t be. 

I’m sure that the disciples listening to Jesus assumed this to be in the temple. There was a precented for this. In the 2nd Century BC, a Syrian king placed his own idols in the temple and sacrificed a pig on the altar, a very offensive act against the Jews. It riled up the Jews so much which led to the Maccabean rebellion which cast off the Syrian occupation. This was also mentioned in the book of Daniel[7] and is also from where the Jewish holiday Hannukah comes.[8]

While Jesus says, “Let the readers understand,” the interpretation of this passage isn’t so easy. After all, that sacrilege of the temple occurred nearly 200 years earlier. So, what it be?  

Some point out that Caligula, one of the evilest of Rome’s emperors, who wanted to place his own statue in the temple roughly 10 years after Jesus uttered these words. But this never happened. His general in Palestine, knowing what would likely happen if he carried out the order, refused. Obviously, that general was one who understood history of the Maccabean revolt. Caligula was murdered before he could force his decree. 

Most likely, what Jesus refers to here is to the destruction of the temple in 70 A.D. by the Romans. However, not everything jives with that account. Jesus doesn’t mention the temple itself, only that place where the evil one shouldn’t be. 

We have no record of Titus, the Roman general who re-conquered Jerusalem, appearing inside the holy of holies. Furthermore, when he conquered the city after having cut-off all escape routes, there was no way for people to flee. However, by this point, most of the Christians had already fled. And everyone remaining behind suffered, especially pregnant women.[9]

It’s also difficult to reconcile the false messiahs, whom Jesus speaks of, coming after the fall of Jerusalem, although there were a few such false messiahs, even then.[10] But most of the false messiahs came before the Jewish revolt of 66 A.D. and the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. 

But perhaps Jesus here, isn’t giving us a direct timetable as he insists no one will know when he comes. The whole purpose of the 13th chapter, which is reiterated in verse 23, is to be ready, to be alert, and not to be led astray by some charlatan. We’re to look for Jesus’ coming, no other.

In verse 24, Jesus moves to his own return. After all the troubles he recently mentioned, the trouble takes on a cosmic perspective. The sun no longer shines, which causes the moon to go dark as the stars fall from the sky. Of course, they had less knowledge of astronomy than us. The idea of falling stars as opposed to meteors being space debris, wasn’t fully understood. 

But the point Jesus makes, I think, has to do with darkness as in there being no hope. And against this darkness, Jesus returns. His brilliance, against the dark sky, will be impossible to miss. Jesus second coming is different than his first in that all will see and understand. And the purpose of his coming is to save the elect, those whom God has chosen. 

While there appears much to be concerned with this text, we’re given two bits of hope. First, God isn’t going to let the troubles of the world continue for too long. Second, in the end, Christ returns. 

Of course, without the sun providing our planet with warmth and light, the world wouldn’t last very long. But then, as the faithful, we know that without God’s light, whom Jesus brought into the world,[11] we’d be hopeless. So, we wait, knowing that in the end, God will make all things right. 

Interestingly, while the sacrilege in the opening of our passage could also be interpreted as the antichrist and antichrists spoken of in the Epistles of John,[12] Mark doesn’t go into his judgment of this person. 

Mark concerns himself with the faithful, God’s elect. Mark informs and proclaims Jesus’ gospel in a way that those of us who listen, may believe and follow. That’s what’s important. Do we accept what God through Jesus Christ, has done for us? If so, we should not be tempted to run after others who make great promises. Instead, we keep our eyes focused on Jesus, especially in times of trouble. And, as Mr. Weaver suggested, we try to be cheerful, a good neighbor, and loving. Amen.

[1] Neil King, Jr., American Ramble: A Walk of Memory and Renewal (New York: Mariner Books, 2023), 344. 

[2] Upon Paul’s arrest, as a Roman citizen, he appealed to Caesar, which resulted in his trip to Rome (described in Acts 21-28.  At the end, we’re told that Paul spent two years in Rome, but we’re not told of him having an audience with Caesar. 

[3] “In the New Testament, the devil is a leading character.” Fleming Rutledge, “Something Evil The Way Comes,” in Advent: The Once & Future Coming of Jesus Christ,  (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2018 ), 63.

[4] Mark 1:13. 

[5] Consider the accounts of the demons who recognized Jesus.  See Mark 1:21-24 and 5:1-20

[6] https://fromarockyhillside.com/2024/12/01/well-always-have-troubles/

[7] Daniel 9:27, 11:31, and 12:11. To see my sermons on these sections of Daniel: https://fromarockyhillside.com/2022/02/20/5529/and https://fromarockyhillside.com/2022/02/27/the-conclusion-of-daniel-promised-rest/

[8] See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanukkah

[9] For the background of these possibilities, see James R. Edwards, The Gospel According to Mark (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2002), 396-397. 

[10] Simon Bar Kokhba was claimed to be the Messiah. He led the revolt against Rome from 132-135 A.D.

[11] See John 1:1-5, 3:19-21. 

[12] 1 John 2:18, 22; 4:3; and 2 John 1:7. 

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We’ll Always have Troubles

Title slide with winter photos of the two churches

Jeff Garrison
Mayberry & Bluemont Churches
December 1, 2024
Mark 13:1-13

Sermon recorded at Mayberry on Friday, November 29, 2024. It was late in the day and the setting sun in some places was intense, whiting out parts of the pulpit.

Comments at the beginning of worship:

Advent always seems to pop up unexpectedly when it immediately follows Thanksgiving. We don’t have a buffer between giving thanks and focusing on the coming of Jesus. It’s as if the dining room table hasn’t even been cleaned as the Christmas music begins. 

I often read a book about Advent or Christmas during this season. This year it will be a book on Ukrainian Christmas celebrations-if it arrives on time. In 2022, it was Fleming Rutledge’s Advent: The Once and Future Coming of Jesus Christ.[1]I still go back to that book. It’s a collection of sermons and lectures given by an Episcopal priest whose theology is steeped in the Reformed Tradition. I like her title. 

Yes, we remember as we prepare for Christmas during Advent that the Jews waited for years for the Messiah. Jesus came and we celebrate his birth every year.  But the other part of Advent is also important. Jesus will come again. During Advent, we hold these two themes in tension—the coming and the return of Christ.  It’s not just about celebrating the past; it’s about being ready for the future.

Before reading the Scripture:

We will still be in Mark during Advent. But I’m skipping over the 12th chapter, in which Jesus teaches through a parable and some encounters around the temple. I’ll pick up those stories during Lent of 2025. In the 13th chapter, Jesus speaks about the end of history and the things which must happen before his return. These are Advent themes: the first coming of Christ and his triumphant return. 

This chapter begins by focusing on the temple in Jerusalem, which we first saw in the 11th chapter.[2] Jesus, who in Mark only spends a few days in the temple, leaves its walls for the final time.[3] The disciples, country-bumpkins from Galilee, are in awe. They’re kind of like us, walking around New York City and looking up at the buildings in amazement. But Jesus has some bad news. 

Afterwards, he and the disciples make their way to the Mount of Olives, which stands about 300 feet higher than Jerusalem.[4]There, with a perfect view of the temple below, four of the disciples ask Jesus about the prediction he made when they were leaving.

While this chapter contains some disturbing themes, it also has an important message for followers of Jesus. Things may get worse, but we hold on to hope and continue to proclaim Jesus as Lord.  


Read Mark 13:1-13

When I was in the sixth grade, finishing up my last year at Bradley Creek Elementary School, I was sad walking down the halls and stairs and out the front door for the last time. I boarded the oversized orange snub-nosed Bus 6, which waited to take us home for the summer. I realized when taking those steps that I may never walk those halls again. 

Ever since that early June day in 1969, I have had similar feelings as I obtained diplomas or said goodbyes to places of employment, along with apartments and houses around the country. There is something nostalgic knowing it’s your last time at a particular place. As for Bradley Creek, where I spent grades 4 to 6, I never did go back. The next year, I started Junior High. Because of redistricting, my brother and sister who were a year and two years behind me, moved to Winter Park Elementary. So, I didn’t even have a chance to go back and see them. 

And later, after we all moved on, an arsonist burned the school to the ground. I was glad for those years between being a student and the flames because, like most 12-year-old boys, I’d fantasized about the school going up in smoke. I didn’t want to be a suspect. 

Do you ever have nostalgia knowing you’re moving on and won’t ever have an opportunity to relive the past? 

But I’m not sure Jesus had such feelings when he left the temple for the final time in our passage this morning. Jesus wants the disciples to focus and trust him, but they are in awe of the temple. After all, the massive 35-acre structure had been built using huge stones. The retaining wall on the east side incorporated chiseled out stones which were up to 45 cubits or 67 feet long.[5] When the disciples attempt to get Jesus’ take on the magnificent temple, he pours on cold water. See these great buildings, they’ll be all torn down. 

After that, I imagine the walk down into the Kidron Valley and up to the Mount of Olives was a bit subdue. How can this be, they pondered. Once they arrive, with a majestic view of the temple before them, four of the disciples—Peter, James, John, and Andrew—corner Jesus. “Tell us,” they insist. “When will this happen?” 

As often is his manner, Jesus doesn’t directly answer their question. He doesn’t say, “well, in 70 AD, Rome with have had enough of the Zealots in Israel and a mighty army will put down a revolt and burn the temple. And afterwards, just to make sure it’s gone, they’ll break apart the stones and wipe away any evidence it ever existed.” 

Instead, Jesus uses this opportunity to teach them about what to expect. “Beware that no one leads you astray,” he begins. 

Jesus knows, and history proves, there were others who came after him claiming to be the Messiah.  After all, the type of Messiah Jesus turned out to be didn’t meet their criteria for David’s successor. Some would come, insisting on kicking out Rome, which scratched the itchy ears of the Jews who longed for revenge and to be made “great again.” And, in 66 AD, they did kick out the Romans, but it was a short-lived victory. 

While Jesus speaks of false Messiahs, he essentially speaks about religious insiders who lead the faithful astray. These could be those within the church, who mislead people for their own potential gain. They could be those espousing a Christian nationalist viewpoint… Or a David Koresh, Jim Jones, or those within the Heavens Gate movement wanting to catch a ride on the Hale-Bopp comet. We must be careful not to follow such and maintain our focus on Jesus.

After teaching about insiders who endanger believers, Jesus continues by looking at the international scene, things in which most individuals have no control over. Wars will continue. Human history has had few periods without a war somewhere. He encourages the disciples not to panic. 

As if troubling news on the international scene isn’t enough, Jesus also suggests there will be other problems. The world will shake and fail to feed… Earthquakes and famines. Even this isn’t the end. It’s important to understand, Jesus does not provide a timetable for the future here. It’s all just the beginning.

In verse 9, Jesus shifts and begins to discuss our responsibility as his followers. I can pictured Jesus humming Lynn Anderson’s song from when I was in Jr. High. Do you remember “I Never Promised You a Rose Garden?” Too often we think that once we accept Jesus, everything will be peachy. Scripture tells us otherwise. 

Jesus speaks of his followers being hauled before leaders and into courts. As frightening as this sounds, Jesus suggests it’s an opportunity.  We have an opportunity to give our testimony. We can tell Jesus’ story! And we shouldn’t worry about what to say. Instead, we depend on God’s Spirit. 

And then it gets worse as even family members betray us, even to death. Think of those living in the Soviet Union or Nazi Germany and the betrayals which occurred. Yet, we’re to endure, to stick to Jesus[6] to the end. If we do that, we’ll be saved. 

In some ways, the first events happening in this section of Mark 13 occurred in 70 AD, when the temple was destroyed, after a period of both famine and earthquakes in the region.[7] It was a time when people felt their world was ending. But there have been believers in almost every age who have gone through similar situations and the world continues. As bad as the first three centuries were for Christians, the 20th Century had more Christians martyrs than previous 19 Centuries combined.[8] While we in the United States, along with Canada and the United Kingdom have been spared from the worse persecutions, Christians in Europe, Asia, South and Latin America, and Africa all have faced great challenges. 

The disciples asked the wrong question. Instead of when will this occur, the right question has to do with how we respond. What do we need to do to ensure we remain faithful? Of course, there seems to be no way to prepare other than trusting. We trust God to give us the words when needed. This section of Mark 13 is all about God’s work being done and we’re not directors but actors on the world’s stage. Do we keep our eyes on Jesus or are we lured away by false prophets and fears?  

We should consider what we might do if we had to choose between Jesus, the truth of the gospel, and the lies of the world. Perhaps, if we find ourselves in such a situation, we should recall how Jesus taught us not to judge others.[9] We don’t know what others are going through.[10] Instead, we should focus on ourselves and our own salvation. Are we being true to the Jesus of Scripture?  Amen. 

[1] Fleming Rutledge, Advent: The Once and Future Coming of Jesus Christ (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2018). 

[2] See https://fromarockyhillside.com/2024/11/24/what-does-jesus-have-against-fig-trees/

[3] At least the final time as a free man, if part of his trial that took place in the courtyard was on the temple. See Mark 14:53f. 

[4] James R. Edwards, The Gospel According to Mark (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2002), 389. 

[5] Morna D. Hooker, The Gospel According to Saint Mark (1992 Hendrickson Publishers 1997), 304. 

[6] The Message translates “endure” as “stay with it.” 

[7] Edwards, 391-392 (see also notes 17 and 18).

[8] This was recently reported in a news article, but I was unable to locate it. 

[9] Matthew 7:1-2. 

[10] As an example of such focus, see John P. Burgess, Holy Rus’: The Rebirth of Orthodoxy in the New Russia (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2017), 192. 

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What does Jesus have against fig trees?

title slide with photo of two churches

Jeff Garrison
Bluemont and Mayberry Churches
November 24, 2024
Mark 11:12-25

Sermon recorded at Bluemont on Friday, November 22, 2024. I changed the ending, as shown below in the text.

Comments at the beginning of worship:    

“Be as strict as possible with yourself but as generous as possible with others,” an Orthodox priest taught.[1] Good advice and Jesus shows us an example of this in today’s text. Jesus could be harsh and strict with the faithful (or so called faithful as they were mostly hypocrites), while encouraging his often-clueless followers to forgive and be generous. We should learn from his example.

Before the Scripture reading: 

As we continue to work our way through Mark, we find ourselves on the day after Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. If you remember from last week, Jesus came into the city late in the day, looked around a bit, then headed to Bethany for the evening. Our reading today begins with them going back to the Jerusalem on the next day. 

Mark tells this story slightly different that Matthew and Luke. The other two synoptic gospels have Jesus cleansing the temple immediately after entering Jerusalem.[2] Instead, in Mark, Jesus has a night to sleep on things before he acts. Also, in Mark, on the way to the temple, Jesus has an encounter with a fig tree. 

In this text we see one of Mark’s familiar types of construction: the sandwich, which were popular earlier in the gospel.[3] Mark starts with one topic, then moves to another, before going back to complete the discussion of the first topic. In our passage today, the fig tree serves as the bread for the sandwich with the cleansing of the temple in the middle.

Unlike some of the other sandwich constructions in Mark, this one comes with a pickle on the side, a proverb which focuses on prayer and forgiveness. That proverbial ending, we’ll see, shifts the meaning, from judgment to the power of God and our role as disciples.[4]

The fig tree story, an enacted parable, is also miraculous. In fact, it’s the only negative miracle in the gospels. Other miracles bring about healing and life, positive things. But here we end up with a dead tree.[5]  Some criticized Jesus for being vindicative, but I’m not sure that’s the point.[6] Let’s look at the text. 

Read Mark 11:12-25

It may be hard for us to comprehend the size of the temple. This was no little church in the wildwoods surrounded by a graveyard and with an adjacent picnic pavilion. The third temple, which Herod the Great had begun constructing in 20 BC, was massive. The temple consisted of four sections. Three of the sections excluded all but the faithful. The Court of the Women was for Jewish women and the Court of Israel was for circumcised Jewish men. And the innermost section of the temple, “the holy of holies,” was reserved for the high priest to make atonement for the people’s sins. 

But around the temple was the massive Court of the Gentiles. It was 500 yards long and 325 yards deep, roughly 35 acres. Here, anyone could come, including gentiles. This area was also where the faithful Jews, who had traveled long distances and wanted to make a sacrifice, could purchase a spotless animal to be offered to God. Sacrifice was a big business. According to Josephus, an ancient Jewish author, in 66 AD, the year the temple was completed, a quarter million lambs were sacrificed during Passover! In a way, the Court of the Gentiles was a stockyard. 

In addition to unblemished animals for sacrifice, proper coinage had to be used in the temple. Coins could have no graven images on them and were to be pure metal. Roman coins with Ceasar’s head had to be exchanged for more appropriate coins to use inside the temple. Moneychangers lined up to do a brisk business, making a profit as they collected the more valuable Roman coins and issued those approved for temple use.[7]

Now, because of the sheer size of the temple and Mark’s wording, it seems unlikely Jesus cleared the entire 35 acres of moneychangers and livestock brokers. Mark says that “Jesus began to drive out those selling and buying,” not that he drove them all out. Furthermore, Mark only mentions those who sold doves, just one of the animals offered as a sacrifice within the temple, and one generally used by the poorest of pilgrims. 

If Jesus had cleared this entire 35-acre court, he would have likely drawn attention to the Roman garrison stationed just to the north of the temple at Antonia Fortress. These soldiers would have intervened to keep the peace.[8]


While Jesus didn’t appear to draw Roman attention at this point, he did catch the attention of the chief priests and scribes. They sense danger at his display of anger. After all, they made a profit from this activity. They could have wondered if Jesus was the Messiah, as he was cleansing the temple. But Jesus isn’t driving away the gentiles (although he drove out some who were sellers as well as some Jewish buyers). But what he expresses is for the temple to be a safe place for all people to come and pray. Instead of excluding the gentiles, Jesus expresses a desire to open the temple to them.[9]

The story of Jesus cleansing the temple is merged between the two halves of the story of the fig tree. On their way to the temple, we’re told Jesus was hungry and he hoped there will be some fruit left of a fig tree. Our text makes us wonder why Jesus would have even looked since it was not the season for figs. And why is the tree punished? 

The fig harvest was normally from mid-August to mid-October. However, after the harvest trees often sprouted buds, calledpaggim in Hebrew, which remained undeveloped throughout the winter. These were eatable and probably was what Jesus looked to find and eat as a snack. The death of the tree reminds us of God’s judgment coming to the temple and to Israel. Five of the prophets speak of fig trees in relationship to judgment.[10] Jesus himself speaks of the destruction of unproductive fruit trees, torn down and burned, as a sign of judgment.[11]

After the encounter in the Court of the Gentiles, Jesus and the disciples again leave the city for Bethany, where the spend the night. Then, on the second day, as they return to the city, Peter sees the cursed tree and points it out to Jesus. Jesus uses this as a lesson for the disciples about faith, prayer and the need to forgive others. The tree isn’t just about judgment, but also encourages them to have faith in God.

The idea of having enough faith to move a mountain into the sea may have come from Herod having built a fortress south of Jerusalem, but within eyesight. He had removed a hill and used it as earth to circle his fortress on the mountain with a large wall.[12]Herod could remove a hill, but the disciples could do even greater things, Jesus suggests. 

Jesus realizes the temple’s days are numbered. Judgment is coming. But he wants his disciples to place their faith, not in a structure like a temple or a church building but in God. And as we know, Jesus reveals God to us. We’re to have faith in Jesus. We’re to follow him regardless of what danger exists. Faith is our source of strength. 


Then Jesus adds what I’ve referred to as a pickle as a side to his sandwich. Perhaps he was afraid of the disciples only wanting to obtain things through prayer and missing an important part of following Jesus. While Mark’s gospel doesn’t include the Lord’s Prayer, that’s found in Matthew and Luke,[13] he does remind us of the importance of forgiving others. As Jesus does in the Lord’s prayer, here he reminds the disciples of the link between our willingness to forgive and God forgiving us. 

What does this passage mean for us? Certainly, we need to protect the worship of God so that it focuses on the Almighty and is not used to human benefit. But with that understanding, we should understand that Mark focuses less on Jesus’ anger in the temple than the other gospels.[14] By the end of the passage, Jesus encourages the disciples to have faith. Our faith in Jesus goes hand in hand with our willingness to forgive as he has forgiven us. Amen. 

[1] This quote was from Ioann Krest’iankin, a Russian Orthodox Priest and the quote found in John P. Burgess, Holy Rus’: The Rebirth of Orthodoxy in the New Russia (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2017), 191. 

[2] Matthew 21:12f and Luke 19:45f.  The synoptic gospels place Jesus’ adult visit to Jerusalem during this last week, John’s gospel has Jesus in and out of Jerusalem several times. His cleansing of the temple story comes earlier in Jesus’ ministry. See John 2:13-22. 

[3] For examples, see Mark 3:20-34 or https://fromarockyhillside.com/2024/04/07/the-unpardonable-sin-baseball-doing-the-will-of-god/; Mark 4:1-20 or https://fromarockyhillside.com/2024/04/28/the-parable-of-the-sower/; Mark 5:21-42 or https://fromarockyhillside.com/2024/06/09/7247/ ;  Mark 6:1-44 or https://fromarockyhillside.com/2024/06/30/a-grand-picnic-and-a-call-to-feed-the-hungry/ and https://fromarockyhillside.com/2024/06/30/a-grand-picnic-and-a-call-to-feed-the-hungry/.

[4] Douglas R. A. Hare, Westminster Bible Commentary: Mark (Louisville, KY: WJKP, 1997), 144-145. 

[5] Morna D. Hooker, The Gospel According to Saint Mark (1991, Hendrickson Publishers, 1997), 261. 

[6] Bernard Russell was one to criticize Jesus for being vindictive here. See James R. Edwards, The Gospel According to Mark (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2002), 339. 

[7] For the size and layout of the temple and information about animals and coins, see Edwards, 340-342. 

[8] Hare, 143. 

[9] Edwards, 343. For the expectation the Messiah would open the temple of gentiles, see the Psalms of Solomon, 17:22-30. 

[10]  Edwards, 339-340. See Isaiah 34:4, Jeremiah 29:17, Hosea 2:12, 9:10, Joel 1:7, and Micah 7:1.

[11] See Matthew 7:19 and Luke 13:6-9. John the Baptist also speaks of Jesus bringing such judgment. See Matthew 3:10f. 

[12] Edwards, 347. 

[13] Matthew 6:9-15 and Luke 11:2-4.

[14] John depicts Jesus’ anger more than the other gospels, as Jesus makes a whip of cords and drives out not only those doing business but also the cattle and sheep. See John 2:15. 

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Following Jesus

Title slide with photo of two rock churches where the sermon will be preached

Jeff Garrison
Mayberry & Bluemont Churches
November 18, 2024
Mark 11:1-11

Sermon recorded at Mayberry on Friday, November 15, 2024.

At the beginning of worship: 

“I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo in Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring.

Some of you may be feeling that way today. Listen to the wise words of Gandalf. “So do I, and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time given us.”[1]

It’s been years, decades, almost a half century, since I read Tolkien. But this passage, which was shared widely by many on social media over the past few weeks, rings true. We don’t get to choose the time in which we live. But what’s important is how we live during the time we’re given. Do we follow Jesus? Do we live the virtues and values he espoused: loving others, protecting the vulnerable, caring for those in need, and speaking the truth? 

Or do we give in to the fleeting values and flashy ideas of the present age? There are always challenges to the gospel, but our calling as followers of Jesus is to the heavenly kingdom. 

Before the reading of scripture

One of the interesting things about working through a book of scripture, chapter by chapter, is that you have little control over what comes up when. We will see this today. This will be the first time I have preached on a passage normally reserved for Palm Sunday at another time during the year. I did the same thing a few months ago. Then, I preached on the transfiguration in summer and not as the lectionary would have it, the Sunday before Lent.[2]But that’s okay. We may be better able to understand the passage without the trappings of a Palm Sunday service. 

In a way, Mark’s story of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem is anticlimactic. About half of the story focuses on acquiring the beast, which in Mark is an unbroken colt.[3] Then there is the focus on getting ready for the parade from preparing the beast and dropping cloaks and branches along the roadway. Then they entered the city singing from the 118th Psalm. For Mark, this is the first time we hear of Jesus being in Jerusalem.[4] Then Jesus and the disciples then quickly leave the city and head over to Bethany for the night. Perhaps, like today, rooms were cheaper in the suburbs than in the city center. 

While we are not given the exact time, the entry into Jerusalem could have occurred on the same day as Jesus healing Blind Bartimaeus in Jericho. It seems to be late in the day when they enter the city, for they quickly leave as evening approaches. If this is the case, they’d had time to make the 15 mile walk earlier in the day.

But another option suggested by some (and supported by the Gospel of John),[5] has Jesus in the city longer than just the week recorded in the Passion. This would allow him time to meet and get to know the owner of the animal he rode the day we’re reviewing. Furthermore, the cries of Hosanna and the recitation of Psalm 118 was more in line with the fall harvest festival than the Passover.[6] But that’s a tidbit that we can’t settle, so I’ll stick to Mark’s week timeline. 

Let’s listen to Mark’s report of this eventful day.

Read Mark 11:1-11

Something seems to be missing from this passage. We have Jesus, the disciples, a parade, and a crowd. But where are the authorities? Where are those in charge of crowd control? Where’s the chief priest wanting to know what’s up with this new fangle religious group?[7] Where are the Roman soldiers standing by to ensure things stay orderly? The other gospels, who tell this story, go into more detail. But Mark is sparse on details. 

We always image the day to be picture-perfect. The sun shines. Wind blows just enough to keep the bugs away and to cool those marching up to the city.  People pour into the Holy City for the upcoming holiday.

Jesus and his gang also come up to Jerusalem. When a few miles from town, Jesus sends his disciples into the next village to procure a colt. It sounds like Jesus had worked all this out in advance. He gives the unnamed disciples an address to find this unridden colt. And he lets them know that if challenged, they should just say, “Master needs the colt and will return it afterwards.”

The two disciples head off, find the beast, and as they are leading it back to Jesus, sure enough someone challenges them. It doesn’t sound like it’s the owner, but maybe a neighbor. And once they say, “The Master needs it,” they’re allowed to lead the animal back to the disciples’ camp. 

This whole procurement of the beast may have several meanings. Does Jesus know even trivial things about the future. Not only does he know about his upcoming death, but where to find a beast and what to say when challenged for taking it. In addition, the borrowing of a horse is a pejorative of a king… And having an unridden horse could be another subtle hint of Jesus’ royalty. King’s horses were generally off-limits for everyone else.[8]

When the two disciples get back to Jesus, they place some cloaks onto the beast to serve as a saddle. Others placed their cloaks on the ground in front of Jesus, kind of like Walter Raleigh did for the Queen to earn the title Sir. Other’s place leafy branches on the ground in front of Jesus’ path. If you want to read about palms, check out John’s gospel.[9]

Jesus must have been one brave hombre, riding an animal that hasn’t been broken. But the beast seems tame. At least we’re not told of it rearing up like a bucking bronco in a rodeo. As he makes his way toward the gates of Jerusalem, the people sing the 118thPsalm, a revolutionary Psalm for it hails a new king coming on the scene. 


But then Jesus goes into the gates of the city, looks around for a bit and visits the temple before heading off to Bethany. Supposedly, the two disciples returned the colt to where they found it. 

Since the 8th Chapter, everything has played out with Jerusalem in the background.[10] Now they have arrived at the holy city. Jesus comes in, not as a warrior, but still honored. But the disciples, like us, have heard that Jesus isn’t going to sit on David’s throne. Instead, he’s come to the city to suffer and die. Knowing this, do we stick around with Jesus? Or would we be like the disciples and scatter when things go south while the rest of the crowd cry out for Jesus’ crucifixion? 

Real transformation takes place at the cross, not in the hype of a parade.[11] Perhaps this is why Mark plays down Jesus’ entrance to Jerusalem, as compared to the other three gospels. For a religion which only stresses “feeling good” is a Palm Sunday religion and does not take seriously our human condition toward sin. Our faith must be grounded in Jesus’ death and resurrection. 

Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem is about politics. In a way, Jesus mocks other politicians who entered the city with pomp and circumstance. As Jesus enters the city, at least two other significant political figures are either already in the city or will arrive shortly after Jesus. Pilate and Herod were both in the city during the Passover. While we don’t know, we could easily imagine there would have been a parade for the two of them. Such a parade would have involved fancy horses, chariots, soldiers with shinny brass, and perhaps a band. 

Pilate and Herod’s arrival displayed the powers of the kingdom. Jesus’ entry displays the power of a mysterious kingdom, one not of this world

Would we have been lured by Jesus riding bareback on a colt or by the fancy horses decked out for Rome?  

As we have worked through the gospel of Mark, seeing how Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem comes to nothing, perhaps we should recall the seeds which fell on rocky soil. The soil received the seed with joy, but it lasted just a short period of time before the challenges arose and without root, the plants wilted.[12]

Mark warns us. Our loyalty belongs to Jesus, not to anyone or anything else. He is the only one who can forgive our sin and heal our souls. But we must accept him on his terms, not to attempt to make him into the Messiah we want. We follow him, not the other way around. And remember, his entry into Jerusalem is but the calm before the storm. Amen. 

[1] J. R. R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Rings. This quote has been reposted many times on Facebook and Twitter over the past few weeks. 

[2] See https://fromarockyhillside.com/2024/09/01/the-transfiguration/

[3] Matthew 21:2 speaks of a donkey and a colt. Luke 19:30, like Mark, speaks of an unridden colt.  John 12:14 and 14 speaks of a donkey and a donkey colt. 

[4] In Luke, we’re told of Jesus being at the temple on the 8th day after his birth and again when he was 12. Matthew, like Mark, only puts Jesus in Jerusalem at the end of his life. John has Jesus in Jerusalem many times before his “Triumphant Entry.” See John 2:13, 23, 4:45, and 5:1. 

[5] John 10:22, puts Jesus in Jerusalem for the Feast of Dedication (Fall festival) and then across the Jordan but still in Judea (John 10:40 and 11:54), before his entry into the city. James R. Edwards, The Gospel According to Mark (Grand Rapids, Eerdmans, 2002), 333.

[6] Edwards, 332.

[7] Matthew 21:10 speaks of the city being in turmoil after Jesus’ entry.  Luke 19:39-40 tells us the Pharisees asked Jesus to have his followers to quiet things down. John’s gospel (12:19) records Pharisees throwing up their hands in resignation with all who are following Jesus. 

[8] Morna D. Hooker, The Gospel According to Mark: Black’s New Testament Commentaries (1991, Hendrickson’s Publishing, 1997), 258, and Edwards, 336.

[9] John 12:12. 

[10] The first of three predictions of Jesus going to Jerusalem to die was in Mark 8:31-33. 

[11] This quote comes from me, which I used in a sermon on this same passage. I preached the sermon at First Presbyterian Church of Hastings, Michigan on April 13, 2014. 

[12] Edwards, 338. See also Mark 4:6, 16-17.  See also https://fromarockyhillside.com/2024/04/28/the-parable-of-the-sower/

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Those who see, follow

title slide with photos of the two churches

Jeff Garrison
Mayberry & Bluemont Churches
November 10, 2024
Mark 10:46-52

Sermon recorded at Bluemont on Saturday, November 9, 2024

At the beginning of worship: 

Back in the good old days (the fall of 1992, the last time the Pirates played for the National League Pennant), I meet up with friends in Pittsburgh for a game. Sadly, they lost the series in seven games to the Braves, but at least I was able to watch them win one. On this night, as it was an evening game, we carpooled together and parked in one of the many parking decks in downtown and walked across the 6th Street Bridge to Three River Stadium. We were not the only ones who decided to do this. There were hoards crossing the bridge filling not only the sidewalks but also part of the roadway. 

I was out in the edge of the road and couldn’t help but notice through the people to my left, a beggar in ratty clothes and a cup, sitting up against the bridge’s railing. I was shocked to see people just step over him. The crowd was so large there was no way they could go around. I have no idea if anyone dropped any coins into his cup. The noise was so loud I couldn’t have heard the jingle. Besides, we were all so excited to get to the game. The man was just in the way and those close to the edge of the bridge had no choice but to step over him.[1]  

As you know, we frequently see homeless people in urban areas. And when there is a crowd, it is easy to rationalize that someone else will help, or so we assume. Besides, the crowd swept everyone along toward the stadium. I hope there will be grace for the crowd because that ignored man was also a child of God.

Before the reading of scripture:

As we’ve seen over the past month, the tenth chapter of Mark is full of advice on discipleship. We had the rich young ruler, who just couldn’t leave his wealth behind to follow Jesus.[2] If you are going to follow Jesus, you must be all in. You can’t hedge your bets. And we had James and John, as we saw last week, try to use Jesus for their personal greatness. They learned that’s not what Jesus’ kingdom is about.[3] If you come to Jesus to get ahead in the world, you’re in for the wrong reason.

The 10th chapter ends with an example of a true disciple, one who was at rock bottom and is appreciative of whatever Jesus could do for him. And the man is not only healed but also follows Jesus. The word Jesus uses for Bartimaeus’ healing also means to be saved.[4]

Interestingly, Bartimaeus is the only person healed in the synoptic gospels named.[5] Maybe he’s also an example of the last being first.[6] A nobody depending on the generosity of strangers, until Jesus comes along. Now he’s a somebody with a name! He credits Jesus. We should do likewise. 

Read Mark 10:46-52

The story I told you about the beggar along the 6th Street Bridge in Pittsburgh was like what happened in Jericho some two thousand years ago. Jesus and the crowd head to Jerusalem. Excitement fills the air as pilgrims, hoping to spend the Passover in the holy city, make their way through the last major urban area, and of the oldest cities in the world, on their journey to Jerusalem. 

I imagine it’s morning. After all, they’re a good day’s hike from their destination and a steep climb ahead. There will be few places to stop, until they get to the villages surrounding Jerusalem.[7] So an early start assures their arrival before dark. And we know what happens to lone hikers in this curvy stretch through the hills. Recall the story of the Good Samaritan.[8]

So, they head out early and in a crowd. Perhaps they sing the fifteen Songs of Ascent, which we know as Psalm 120 through 134. It’s part of the Psalter sung by Pilgrims heading to Jerusalem.[9] Leaving Jericho, they look up to the hills ahead, as we hear in Psalm 121: 

I lift my eyes to the hills.

From where does my help come?
My help comes from the Lord,

Creator of heaven and earth.

It should be noted the pagan believers around Israel often worshipped Baal or other idols on the high points of hills and mountains. But for the faithful Jew, they didn’t see the mountains as a place of worship but as an indication of the greatness of their God, the creator of all. The mountains instill awe. 

So, among the singing and the talking along the way, the multitude, like those of us going to see the Pirates play, totally ignore a blind beggar sitting on the side of the road at the edge of town. That is, until he learns Jesus is in the crowd. Bartimaeus must have heard about Jesus, who had previously given sight to the blind.[10] So, he begins to make a fuss, shouting, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me.” 

But the crowd has no time for this. They tell him to hush, not to bother Jesus for he is a busy man with a long walk ahead. But the blind beggar only shouts louder. Now we have our first miracle of the story. Jesus hears the man! Over the singing and the excitement of the crowd and the hum of a busy city waking up, Jesus hears the man’s cry and stops. Imagine the crowd so thick that Jesus must ask those near the man to bring him over. 

At this point, the crowd stops their rebuke of the man. Essentially, they say, “Dude, it’s your lucky day.” A path opens for him to travel through the crowd. The man throws off his cloak and makes his way to Jesus. 

Standing in darkness before Jesus, our Savior asks the man, “What is it you want me to do for you?” We’ve heard that question before, haven’t we?  Well, yes, in our text last week, just before this passage. James and John asked Jesus to grant them a wish and he responded with this same question, “What is it you want me to do for you?”[11]

But the answer Bartimaeus gives couldn’t have been more different that the one given by the two disciples. The disciples wanted fame, honor, greatness, and all that would go with being next to the king. They could become wealthy from such a position! But this man doesn’t take Jesus for granted. Instead, he addresses him reverently and only asks to be made whole, that he be given his sight so that he could live, not as a beggar, but as productive citizen of society. 

You know, we should try to place ourselves into the position of the blind man sitting on the side of the road or even the homeless man sitting against the railing on the 6th Street Bridge in Pittsburgh. Life often beats us down. Yet, on these days, both men had a good spot. Because of the crowds, it’s the perfect place to beg. 

But is that the life we want? We really want more from life than that, don’t we? But if we’re in their places, we’re desperate. We see no way out (after all, the man in our story is blind). But then a glitter of hope arrives. We hear about Jesus. This is our opportunity. The question to ask, “are we willing to risk it? To make a fool of ourselves to catch Jesus’ attention?” 

Bartimaeus is desperate. He may have felt this was his last chance. So far down on his luck, he ignores the crowd’s insistence that he keep quiet and in his place. He cries so loudly that he makes a fool of himself. And Jesus hears. 

The good news of this story is that Jesus hears Bartimaeus and responds. Even in the turmoil and confusion of the world, God can hear our cries, our pleas. But for us to find help like Bartimaeus, we must be willing to risk it all. 

Bartimaeus tosses down his cloak, possibility his only possession of value, because he needs to quickly make his way to Jesus. He risks losing it because he has an opportunity. He trusts this man whom he’s heard so much about that he acts like a fool and then is given an opportunity. And, unlike James and John in the previous story from Mark, Bartimaeus is not greedy.  

You know, Jesus tells us to pray for our daily bread.[12] We’re not to pray for full pantries or wealth or fame, but just what we need to get by. And we’re to pray daily because that’s how we learn to trust, not in ourselves, but in the one who has created and redeemed us. 

In our journey through Mark’s gospel, the twelve disciples continually trip over themselves because they don’t yet fully trust Jesus. So here, at the end of the chapter on discipleship, we’re given an example. It’s not one of the twelve. Nor is it the rich man. It’s the blind beggar. He had hit rock bottom and calls out to the only place he can find help. And when Jesus answers, unlike the rich man, the beggar follows and I expect he continued to follow, telling others about when he met Jesus. 

When we are at wits end, we can call out to Jesus. And when he answers, when he lifts us up, we should continue to follow him, humbling giving thanks for the blessings we’ve experienced. Amen. 

[1] I told this story before, with a slightly different focus, in a sermon on November 2, 1997.

[2] Mark 10:17-31. See https://fromarockyhillside.com/2024/10/20/with-god-all-things-are-possible/

[3] https://fromarockyhillside.com/2024/11/03/the-demands-of-discipleship/

[4] James R. Edwards, The Gospel According to Mark, (Grand Rapids, Eerdmans, 2002), 331. 

[5] Ibid.

[6] This appears a common saying of Jesus. See Matthew 19:30, 20:16; Mark. 9:35, 10:31; and Luke 13:30. 

[7] Jericho is located 840 feet below sea level and 3500 feet below Jerusalem. Edwards, 329. It’s 18 miles from Jerusalem. William L. Lane, The Gospel of Mark (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1974), 386. 

[8] Luke 10:25-37. 

[9] For insight into the Psalms of Ascent, see Eugene H. Peterson, A Long Obedience in the Same Direction: Discipleship in an Instant Society (InterVarsity, 1980).

[10] Mark 8:22-26. See https://fromarockyhillside.com/2024/08/18/open-our-eyes/

[11] Mark 10:36.  See https://fromarockyhillside.com/2024/11/03/the-demands-of-discipleship/

[12] This petition is in the Lord’s Prayer. See Matthew 6:11 and Luke 11:3

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The Demands of Discipleship

Title slide with photos of the two churches

Jeff Garrison
Mayberry & Bluemont Churches
Mark 10:32-45
November 3, 2024

Sermon taped at Mayberry Church on Friday, November 1, 2024

At the beginning of worship: 

I’ve struggled what to say today as we are on the cusp of a major election. Many, on both sides, say this is the most important election of our lives. The stakes are high. I’ve heard preachers, again on both sides, say their way is the only way you must vote to be a Christian. They can’t all be right, can they.

While I don’t want to deny the importance of what will happen on Tuesday (or has already happened as so many of us have voted already), we need to remember that our most important election involves God voting for us. That vote, as we’ll be reminded of in today’s scripture, was counted when Jesus ransomed his life for ours. Regardless of what happens on Tuesday, God remains with us.

As Christians, we live in this world and are called to be good citizens of it. We’re to work for the good of all.[1] However, we must never lose focus that our true home isn’t among worldly powers, but with our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ. Furthermore, we must remember that even those with whom we disagree have been created in the image of God. Everyone has value. None of us have no right to devalue others with whom we disagree or dislike. Respect and character are important traits for us and our leaders.

“What would our Savior and Lord, the gentle and humble Jesus, want us to do?” That’s a decision you will have to decide. I have my convictions, which I have shared with some privately. But my calling is to point to Jesus Christ. That’s all I will do from the pulpit. The only other things I will do is remind you that your salvation isn’t built upon the choice you make on Tuesday. All candidates have flaws, some more than others. Only Jesus is perfect. Again, thankfully, our hope is in God’s election, not ours. 

Before reading the Scripture:

We’re back on our journey through Mark’s gospel. One of my professors in his commentary on Mark suggests the gospel is primarily a passion narrative with a very long introduction.[2] The passion has to do with Jesus’ suffering and death in Jerusalem. We’ve seen over the past two chapters Jesus dropping hints as to his upcoming suffering and death. The disciples struggle to understand. 

Our reading today, Jesus and the disciples are on the road to Jerusalem. He provides the third prediction of the passion. 

In our previous passage, Jesus reminded us of the Kingdom’s unusual economy. The first become last, and the last become first. Our passage ends with a saying which builds upon that message, one which Jesus places himself in the equation of the last being first. As Paul writes to the Philippians:

Jesus “didn’t regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave… humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross.”[3]

Read Mark 10:32-45

Three strikes and you’re out. We won’t hear those words for a few months as the World Series ended this week with a Dodger’s win. By March, Spring Training will be in full swing and maybe you can catch a game and maybe the Pirates will play consistently better. 

Today, it’s the disciples who strike out. Three times they swing for the fence and fail to connect. Each strike was right after Jesus predicted his coming passion. It’s not something the disciples want to hear. 

Peter took the first swing when he challenged Jesus’ prediction of his suffering and death. This can’t happen to the Messiah, Peter insists. Jesus calls Peter Satan and tells him to get back in line. Peter is a follower, he’s not to be making the rules.[4]

The second time when Jesus shares with them about his upcoming passion, the disciples not understanding, argue about who’s the greatest. Jesus again sets them straight.[5]

In today’s text, it’s James and John who takes the strike. Amazing, isn’t it. Jesus tells the disciples all that’s going to happen once they reach Jerusalem, and the disciples are still worried over what they can get from following Jesus. 

Sadly, we’re also like that, I think. We look out for ourselves. The Jesus, whom we are called to follow, wants us to trust him and look out for others. Jesus, building on our text from two weeks ago, where he told the disciples about the last being first, places himself in his game. He came to serve, to give us life for the life of many.[6]

This all took place while Jesus and the disciples are on their way to Jerusalem. We’re given a picture of Jesus, out in front, leading the way, while those who followed him lag, afraid of what’s ahead. While the text doesn’t give us a number of those following Jesus, it sounds as if there are more than just the twelve, as Jesus must cull the twelve out from the crowd to teach. 

Jesus provides his third prediction of his death. When something is repeated three times, you should realize it’s important. It’s like the old saying, “Tell them what you want to say, tell them, and then tell them what you said.”  Jesus makes sure it’s clear. Here, in his third prediction, he provides more details. He’ll be betrayed to the religious leaders and sentenced to death, then handed over to the gentiles (the Romans) who will mockingly carry out the punishment. But, as Jesus has also reminded them, on the third day, he will rise. 

Jesus couldn’t have been clearer. He’s not raising an army and conquering Rome. He lays down his life for the world. This makes me shake my head at James and John. Afterwards, they ask Jesus for a favor. Perhaps they ask for the favor without telling Jesus what’s involved to trap Jesus. “Oh, I’ll do anything for you,” they hope Jesus will say. But Jesus is clever and asks what it they want.

We should note that James and John are in the inner core. They, along with Peter, were the three in attendance at the transfiguration.[7] So perhaps they think they have a right to be given key positions in the kingdom, even though they slight Peter. But they also don’t understand what Jesus’ glory will entail. Jesus tries to straighten them out, speaking of the cup or the baptism he’s to endure. Let’s pause to consider the meaning of the cup and baptism.

The cup—in the Old Testament—was something provided by God. It could be joy or prosperity (as in “my cup runneth over” in the 23rd Psalm). But, more often, cup means judgment as in Psalm 11, which speaks of the scorching winds as the cup of the wicked.[8] Jesus also refers to the cup as woe, when he prays in the garden before his arrest.[9] Jesus’ cup contains our sins.

As for baptism, it might be pointed out that Jesus has already been baptized as we’ve seen in the first chapter of Mark’s gospel. But baptism symbolizes both death and resurrection. Descending into the water suggests death; being lifted out of the water symbolizes resurrection. Paul makes this point in Romans; in a passage I recite at almost every funeral at which I officiate: 

Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.[10]

It’s clear that the cup and baptism of which Jesus speaks has to do with his death and resurrection. Are James and John really willing to go through such? They say they are, but even then, Jesus can’t promise them the coveted seats because that’s not what his kingdom is about. 

As we might suspect, the remaining ten of the disciples are not very happy with James and John going behind their back to obtain special favors. Mark, however, doesn’t identity their problems with the two. After all, it’s quite possible they are upset that James and John got a jump start on them, for they all seem self-centered. They haven’t learned the key to the gospel any better than most people today. 

So, Jesus gathers the 12 back around him to discuss things out. He points out how the gentile rulers are tyrants over others. We’ve not changed too much, have we, considering the rhetoric of our current election. Nor has the world changed much if you consider how Putin can invade another country and have the blessing of the Russian Orthodox Church. Our world, and our nation, seems only to understand might and power. The virtues of service service and gentleness remain hidden. 

But in God’s kingdom, our values are turned on their head. What’s important is serving others. Jesus identities service with himself, the one willing to give his life to save us.  

The last verse in our passage helps us understand Jesus’ nature. The ramson for many doesn’t mean a limited number. According to one scholar, in “Semitic grammar the many normally stands for totality,” for all.[11] The phrase in the Orthodox communion liturgy rings out, “Jesus Christ gave his life “for the life of the world.”[12]Jesus’ willingness to pay the price opens all the world to God’s kingdom, to a new way of living and of being. 

This passage reminds us to be careful of our egos. We shouldn’t let the powers of the world tempt us or draw us away from our focus on the cross and the realization of all it entails. Jesus died that we might live. That’s the good news. And he calls us to be willing to put our own wellbeing behind that of others, so that his glory might be revealed. Are we up to it? Amen.

[1] See Romans 13 and Jeremiah 29:7.

[2] Douglas R. A. Hare, Westminster Bible Commentary: Mark (Louisville, KY: WJKP, 1996), 127.

[3] Philippians 2:6-7. 

[4] Mark 8:31-9:2. See https://fromarockyhillside.com/2024/08/25/who-do-you-say-that-i-am/

[5] Mark 9:30-37.  See https://fromarockyhillside.com/2024/09/22/welcoming-the-vulnerable/

[6] Mark 10:31. See https://fromarockyhillside.com/2024/10/20/with-god-all-things-are-possible/

[7] Mark 9:2-8. See https://fromarockyhillside.com/2024/09/01/the-transfiguration/

[8] James R. Edwards, The Gospel According to Mark (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2002), 322-333. 

[9] Mark 14:36. See also Matthew 26:29 and Luke 22:42. 

[10] Romans 6:3-5, RSV. 

[11] Edwards, 327.

[12] See Alexander Schneemann, For the Life of the World: Sacraments and Orthodoxy (St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 1975).