Thoughts on Relativity July 9
Mark 9:33 Then He came to Capernaum. And when He was in the house He asked them, “What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?” 34 But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest.
Still nearer the northern end of the lake, they arrive at the household where they usually stay in Capernaum.
The disciples are troubled by the last two events on their journey – their inability to heal the boy’s fits, and then Jesus’ repetition of His impending arrest, death, and resurrection.
They direct their attention to themselves rather than examine the hard issues. They have been discussing which of them would be the greatest, who is most favored.
This theory of relativity has been the bane of mankind since the Garden. Eve, and then Adam, each made the decision to alter their position relative to God. Rather than submit, they rewrote His one rule as if they were the legislators. They equated themselves with God.
The disciples, perhaps subconsciously, are vying for position relative to the others. Who will be the greatest? Rewrite this as, “Who will lead in the future, be above others, in Jesus’ kingdom?”
We are all equal before God. Is anyone of us greater or lesser than another? We each have our unique gift that may make us superior at tiddlywinks or nuclear fission, but we have our weaknesses in other areas, and there we will be the “least.”
There is little consolation in being the greatest among those without understanding. The disciples keep silent, seeing the smallness of it relative to Jesus.
The “greatest” is an illusion based on a small pond. The only One who is greatest is the Creator of the small pond and everything else.
The Actuality of Relativity July 10
Mark 9:35 And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.”
On the road of life, we may boast as did the disciples about our own greatness. Jesus turns thoughts of greatness upside down.
“If anyone desires to be first….” To be first is to be foremost in importance, to be the best. Again, this is a question of comparing self to others or against some standard. We control the comparison by establishing the object or definition against which we compare ourselves.
Jesus is using the word in the absolute sense, not in the comparative sense. Jesus’ statement, “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all,” is a contradiction if taken in the sense of a competition. One cannot be first and last in a race….unless there is only one runner.
The apparent contradiction is actually two foundational principles of kingdom of God living. Being first in the kingdom of God is also to be last. The goal of kingdom living is to be first and last.
First, Jesus continually demonstrates the principle of humility: He is obedient to the Father. Jesus accepts His role beneath the Father.
Last, His demonstration of humility is an active pursuit. He shepherds the flock toward the kingdom, using His gifts in service of those whom He leads. Being last places Him behind the others, urging them forward, or beneath them, lifting them up.
Each of us is first and last in the eyes of God. Because He creates and loves individuals, each unique, there is no true comparison that establishes one as greater than another. Differences are external and superficial.
A Lesson on Relativity July 11
Mark 9:36 Then He took a little child and set him in the midst of them. And when He had taken him in His arms, He said to them, 37 “Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me.”
Relationships with others come easily for some and with more difficulty for others. Serving, helping others and lifting them up, comes easily for some and with more difficulty for others. Agape love comes easily for some, and with more difficulty for others.
Jesus gives us an object lesson in relativity when He takes a child into His arms. Taking a small child into the agape relationship is generally easy.
Note that Jesus says, “Whoever receives one of these little children in My name….” In other words, whoever receives one of these little children, not out of a natural impulse or instinct, but out of love for God and Christ, will receive the Son and the Father.
Consider the child as someone in a less fortunate state than ourselves at a particular moment, as with the good Samaritan and the wounded Jew.
In the story, the Samaritan tends to the wounds of his Jewish enemy. The Samaritan goes out of his way to find help for the wounded man at the Samaritan’s own expense. The Samaritan’s natural impulse might have been to be glad at his enemy’s misfortune, but he answered to a call greater than a petty emotion.
To take on the yoke of service in spite of our natural inclinations is to answer Jesus’ call to become the intersection of the greatest and the least, both together in one.
First and Last Again July 12
Mark 9:35 And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.”
Some are not comfortable with the comments on 9:35, so let’s look at this verse in the traditional way.
Those desiring to be first in a secular manner will be last of all in the spiritual realm. In the kingdom of God, there is no “greatest” other than God, no “I AM” other than God.
To enter the kingdom of heaven with a secular mindset is to enter a realm with a very different perspective. What is counted as gain in the secular world is usually counted as loss in the spiritual realm.
To be first on earth often is measured in terms of power and material wealth. To be first in the kingdom of heaven means to be equal with all of the citizens of heaven in humility and service.
The coins with the face of Caesar are as worthless as Temple coins in the kingdom of heaven on earth. Agape love is the universal coin of heaven. There is no exchange rate between the earthly and heavenly coins.
We may all be in the kingdom of heaven, but we can be neither first nor last until we have become kingdom citizens.
Only when a person becomes a citizen of the kingdom of heaven, one who acknowledges the one God and submits to His authority, does the person experience the benefits of citizenship.
Only when the ego dissolves and becomes one with God do we begin to understand the peace of the reality in which we have been immersed. First and last become one.
Another Perspective July 13
Mark 9:35 And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.”
One final perspective on the kingdom of God:
Some cannot understand this saying, “are least in the kingdom of God.” Their experience is the secular world and they dwell in it exclusively. They are most – or first, or the greatest part – in the secular world. They are least – or last or the smallest part – able to experience the kingdom of God.
How can the world be in the kingdom of God and someone not know it?
Earth exists in the vacuum of space, but this is not obvious and we do not think about it.
We live in a sea of relationships, but we do not realize that we control whether our ship is calm or distressed.
We can be happy in poverty or depressed in wealth when the circumstances of reality do not overcome the enduring reality of character that governs our perception.
There are larger forces at work than what our physical senses tell us. In faith, we come to our spiritual senses to experience a higher reality.
Rather than swim in the limited pool of physical reality, we rise to walk in freedom on the unlimited foundation of the spiritual world.
We Forbid July 14
Mark 9:38 Now John answered Him, saying, “Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us.”
John is one of the disciples closest to Jesus, and we can see in the Gospel of John the whole-hearted commitment of this disciple. His logic in forbidding an outsider, someone not in the group traveling with Jesus, from casting out demons in Jesus’ name is understandable.
Those not sincerely committed to Jesus are a danger to themselves and others, as with the posers in Acts 19:11-15. The man of whom John speaks here in Mark is successful in casting out demons, proof of his sincerity, as opposed to the men who fail in Acts.
The disciples do not remember Jesus’ teachings as recorded in Mark 3:20-27 - “How can Satan cast out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.
From our later perspective, we may be reminded of Paul in 1 Cor. 1:10-17, “Is Christ divided?” Those who are in Christ and in whom Christ dwells are one, regardless of the route that has brought them to this unity.
Note that this remark by John is not long after Jesus had chided His disciples for being unable to cast out the mute and deaf demon (Mark 9:14-29). Is there a hint of jealousy in John’s reproach?
The disciples are all too human, little different from ourselves except that their misconceptions and doubts on their journey to understanding are recorded whereas our own often are hidden within ourselves.
Forbid Not July 15
Mark 9:39 But Jesus said, “Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me. 40 For he who is not against us is on our side.”
Jesus commands John, “Do not forbid him….” There is no equivocation, only an explicit command.
Jesus’ reasoning is another way of stating, “How can Satan cast out Satan?” To work a miracle (dunamis, miraculous power) is proof enough of the man’s allegiance.
Mark 9:40 appears to be at odds with Matt. 12:30, “He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.” This apparent contradiction shows the importance of context.
The man of whom John speaks in Mark is doing work as Jesus and His disciples would have done, casting out demons. In Matthew, Jesus is speaking of the Pharisees, men who are decidedly opposed to Jesus. The man casting out demons in Jesus’ name and the Pharisees are at opposite points, as light and dark. There is no middle ground, no shade between these two can exist.
Paul in Philippians 1:18 speaks of the different motives men may have for preaching Christ, and summarizes, “What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice.”
Variations in doctrine do not override a sincere faith in the love of God and the gift of His Son.
Next day
Mark 9:33 Then He came to Capernaum. And when He was in the house He asked them, “What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?” 34 But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest.
Still nearer the northern end of the lake, they arrive at the household where they usually stay in Capernaum.
The disciples are troubled by the last two events on their journey – their inability to heal the boy’s fits, and then Jesus’ repetition of His impending arrest, death, and resurrection.
They direct their attention to themselves rather than examine the hard issues. They have been discussing which of them would be the greatest, who is most favored.
This theory of relativity has been the bane of mankind since the Garden. Eve, and then Adam, each made the decision to alter their position relative to God. Rather than submit, they rewrote His one rule as if they were the legislators. They equated themselves with God.
The disciples, perhaps subconsciously, are vying for position relative to the others. Who will be the greatest? Rewrite this as, “Who will lead in the future, be above others, in Jesus’ kingdom?”
We are all equal before God. Is anyone of us greater or lesser than another? We each have our unique gift that may make us superior at tiddlywinks or nuclear fission, but we have our weaknesses in other areas, and there we will be the “least.”
There is little consolation in being the greatest among those without understanding. The disciples keep silent, seeing the smallness of it relative to Jesus.
The “greatest” is an illusion based on a small pond. The only One who is greatest is the Creator of the small pond and everything else.
The Actuality of Relativity July 10
Mark 9:35 And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.”
On the road of life, we may boast as did the disciples about our own greatness. Jesus turns thoughts of greatness upside down.
“If anyone desires to be first….” To be first is to be foremost in importance, to be the best. Again, this is a question of comparing self to others or against some standard. We control the comparison by establishing the object or definition against which we compare ourselves.
Jesus is using the word in the absolute sense, not in the comparative sense. Jesus’ statement, “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all,” is a contradiction if taken in the sense of a competition. One cannot be first and last in a race….unless there is only one runner.
The apparent contradiction is actually two foundational principles of kingdom of God living. Being first in the kingdom of God is also to be last. The goal of kingdom living is to be first and last.
First, Jesus continually demonstrates the principle of humility: He is obedient to the Father. Jesus accepts His role beneath the Father.
Last, His demonstration of humility is an active pursuit. He shepherds the flock toward the kingdom, using His gifts in service of those whom He leads. Being last places Him behind the others, urging them forward, or beneath them, lifting them up.
Each of us is first and last in the eyes of God. Because He creates and loves individuals, each unique, there is no true comparison that establishes one as greater than another. Differences are external and superficial.
A Lesson on Relativity July 11
Mark 9:36 Then He took a little child and set him in the midst of them. And when He had taken him in His arms, He said to them, 37 “Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me.”
Relationships with others come easily for some and with more difficulty for others. Serving, helping others and lifting them up, comes easily for some and with more difficulty for others. Agape love comes easily for some, and with more difficulty for others.
Jesus gives us an object lesson in relativity when He takes a child into His arms. Taking a small child into the agape relationship is generally easy.
Note that Jesus says, “Whoever receives one of these little children in My name….” In other words, whoever receives one of these little children, not out of a natural impulse or instinct, but out of love for God and Christ, will receive the Son and the Father.
Consider the child as someone in a less fortunate state than ourselves at a particular moment, as with the good Samaritan and the wounded Jew.
In the story, the Samaritan tends to the wounds of his Jewish enemy. The Samaritan goes out of his way to find help for the wounded man at the Samaritan’s own expense. The Samaritan’s natural impulse might have been to be glad at his enemy’s misfortune, but he answered to a call greater than a petty emotion.
To take on the yoke of service in spite of our natural inclinations is to answer Jesus’ call to become the intersection of the greatest and the least, both together in one.
First and Last Again July 12
Mark 9:35 And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.”
Some are not comfortable with the comments on 9:35, so let’s look at this verse in the traditional way.
Those desiring to be first in a secular manner will be last of all in the spiritual realm. In the kingdom of God, there is no “greatest” other than God, no “I AM” other than God.
To enter the kingdom of heaven with a secular mindset is to enter a realm with a very different perspective. What is counted as gain in the secular world is usually counted as loss in the spiritual realm.
To be first on earth often is measured in terms of power and material wealth. To be first in the kingdom of heaven means to be equal with all of the citizens of heaven in humility and service.
The coins with the face of Caesar are as worthless as Temple coins in the kingdom of heaven on earth. Agape love is the universal coin of heaven. There is no exchange rate between the earthly and heavenly coins.
We may all be in the kingdom of heaven, but we can be neither first nor last until we have become kingdom citizens.
Only when a person becomes a citizen of the kingdom of heaven, one who acknowledges the one God and submits to His authority, does the person experience the benefits of citizenship.
Only when the ego dissolves and becomes one with God do we begin to understand the peace of the reality in which we have been immersed. First and last become one.
Another Perspective July 13
Mark 9:35 And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.”
One final perspective on the kingdom of God:
Some cannot understand this saying, “are least in the kingdom of God.” Their experience is the secular world and they dwell in it exclusively. They are most – or first, or the greatest part – in the secular world. They are least – or last or the smallest part – able to experience the kingdom of God.
How can the world be in the kingdom of God and someone not know it?
Earth exists in the vacuum of space, but this is not obvious and we do not think about it.
We live in a sea of relationships, but we do not realize that we control whether our ship is calm or distressed.
We can be happy in poverty or depressed in wealth when the circumstances of reality do not overcome the enduring reality of character that governs our perception.
There are larger forces at work than what our physical senses tell us. In faith, we come to our spiritual senses to experience a higher reality.
Rather than swim in the limited pool of physical reality, we rise to walk in freedom on the unlimited foundation of the spiritual world.
We Forbid July 14
Mark 9:38 Now John answered Him, saying, “Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us.”
John is one of the disciples closest to Jesus, and we can see in the Gospel of John the whole-hearted commitment of this disciple. His logic in forbidding an outsider, someone not in the group traveling with Jesus, from casting out demons in Jesus’ name is understandable.
Those not sincerely committed to Jesus are a danger to themselves and others, as with the posers in Acts 19:11-15. The man of whom John speaks here in Mark is successful in casting out demons, proof of his sincerity, as opposed to the men who fail in Acts.
The disciples do not remember Jesus’ teachings as recorded in Mark 3:20-27 - “How can Satan cast out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.
From our later perspective, we may be reminded of Paul in 1 Cor. 1:10-17, “Is Christ divided?” Those who are in Christ and in whom Christ dwells are one, regardless of the route that has brought them to this unity.
Note that this remark by John is not long after Jesus had chided His disciples for being unable to cast out the mute and deaf demon (Mark 9:14-29). Is there a hint of jealousy in John’s reproach?
The disciples are all too human, little different from ourselves except that their misconceptions and doubts on their journey to understanding are recorded whereas our own often are hidden within ourselves.
Forbid Not July 15
Mark 9:39 But Jesus said, “Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me. 40 For he who is not against us is on our side.”
Jesus commands John, “Do not forbid him….” There is no equivocation, only an explicit command.
Jesus’ reasoning is another way of stating, “How can Satan cast out Satan?” To work a miracle (dunamis, miraculous power) is proof enough of the man’s allegiance.
Mark 9:40 appears to be at odds with Matt. 12:30, “He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.” This apparent contradiction shows the importance of context.
The man of whom John speaks in Mark is doing work as Jesus and His disciples would have done, casting out demons. In Matthew, Jesus is speaking of the Pharisees, men who are decidedly opposed to Jesus. The man casting out demons in Jesus’ name and the Pharisees are at opposite points, as light and dark. There is no middle ground, no shade between these two can exist.
Paul in Philippians 1:18 speaks of the different motives men may have for preaching Christ, and summarizes, “What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice.”
Variations in doctrine do not override a sincere faith in the love of God and the gift of His Son.
Next day
