On Sunday Pastor Ray preached from Mark 9:30-50 about the heart of a true leader.

In this passage we see how Jesus address three mistakes that we as humans are prone to. These are:

1.“Believing that I am the greatest” (9:33-37)

The disciples are embarrassed when Jesus asks what they have been discussing. Mark tells us that “they had argued about who was the greatest” (34). Jesus uses this as a teaching opportunity and explains that servant-hood is the hallmark of greatness (35). And Jesus uses a small child as a powerful visual aid: people who think themselves important have no time for “unimportant” children, but his disciples are to be different (36-37).

2. “Believing that we alone of all people have the right view on things” (9:38-41)

“Teacher’, said John, ‘we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us'” (38). “Do not stop him”, says Jesus (39), “for whoever is not against us is for us” (40). The disciples must learn not to be proud and exclusive, but to be open to all those who follow Jesus. We should also notice here that Jesus refers to future rewards for faithful disciples (41). The vision of future glory will give his followers courage to live for him in the present.

3. “Thinking that Sin doesn’t matter” (9:42-50)

Sometimes we cause others to sin, says Jesus (42), and sometimes we cause ourselves to sin (43-49). Jesus makes it clear here that to say “Sin doesn’t matter” is to play with fire (almost literally, 43b, 48). His comments about cutting off a hand or a foot and gouging out an eye are deliberate exaggeration to emphasize the need for radical action against sin. The hand may refer to something I do, the foot to somewhere I go, and the eye to something I look at. But, whatever the situation, disciples must not take sin lightly.

I for one am grateful that Jesus took the time to point this out to His disciples and challenge them to do better than simply follow their inbuilt human nature.
And we do better because of the transforming power of the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus.

His power is at work in us to change us and to transform us and so change our world.
God bless you as you work for good and for God this week.

Pastor Ray.