Mark 10:35-45
Radically Dissimilar Hearts
James Sledge October
18, 2015
Our
gospel reading this morning would probably benefit from a bit of context. It
takes place shortly after Jesus’ encounter with a rich man who works hard to
keep God’s commandments yet feels there must be something more. But Jesus’ call
to sell what he owns, give the money to the poor, and become a disciple, is too
much.
Then
Jesus and his followers hit the road again, headed to Jerusalem. The disciples
don’t come off all that well in Mark’s gospel, repeatedly misunderstanding what
Jesus teaches. But that is not to say that they are total idiots. They have
clearly begun to grasp that danger lies ahead. The gospel says that as Jesus
walks ahead of them, They were amazed, and those who followed
were afraid. To these amazed and frightened followers, Jesus explains
for a third and final time what will happen to him in just over a week.
Then
James and John come to see him. Their request seems the epitome of the
disciples’ cluelessness. James and John, along with Peter, form Jesus’ inner circle,
a privileged trio who’ve seen things the others have not. Now they take
advantage of this. They appear to realize there is something unseemly in their
request, but they make it anyway.
But
perhaps this is not merely arrogance or an attempt to turn their inside
connection into special favors. What if this is simply two terrified followers
trying to save their own skin? They’ve started to understand that this trip to
Jerusalem is not going to end well. Jesus is not going to overthrow the Romans.
In fact he keeps saying people will kill him. In some ways it’s amazing that
the disciples stay with him as he leads them toward Jerusalem and the cross.
Maybe because they’ve followed him this
far, they decide to see it through. Maybe because he keeps talking about rising
again, they hope there might be something beyond the horrible events that await.
If there really is something after Jerusalem, maybe they can be part of it. “Grant
us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.”