What Do You Long For?
Notes from a talk presented by Jonathan Singh
(Activity: List out 5 things that you most long for in your life)
James & John
Reference: Mark 10:35-45
What did James and John long for?
They longed to sit at the right and left of Jesus in his Kingdom.
What do you think they meant?
Jews hold the view that the Messiah will be a King from David’s line associated with a specific series of events that have not yet occurred, including the return of Jews to their homeland and the rebuilding of The Temple; an era of peace and understanding during which the knowledge of God fills the earth.
James and John, I presume, were expecting the same and wanted to be neIxt to him. They thought that God’s kingdom would begin on earth immediately. It was like a request for an important job in government.
But Jesus replies saying: “You do not know what you are asking for.” Jesus says: “Can you drink?”, and they replied: “We can.” They asked this with all there heart even though they didn’t understand the true meaning of what Jesus said until after Jesus' resurrection. But they just wanted to be with Jesus after hearing from Him and seeing all that he had done. They didn’t even ask what he meant.
Then Jesus said to them: “You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, but to sit on my right and left is not for me to grant.”
The image of the cup is important.
- Psalm 23 – Cup of Joy and Favor
- Jeremiah 25 and Matthew 26 – In the Garden of Gethsemane and in Jeremiah – Cup of Wrath and Death.
Christ is going on with his undertaking for the salvation of mankind. He was, is, and will be the wonder of all his disciples. Worldly honor is a glittering thing, with which the eyes of Christ’s own disciples have many times been dazzled. Our care must be that we may have wisdom and grace to know how to suffer with him; and we may trust him to provide what the degrees of our glory shall be. Christ shows them that dominion was generally abused in the world.
If Jesus gratifies all our desires, it would soon appear that we desire fame or authority, and are unwilling to taste of his cup, or to have his baptism. But he loves us, and will only give his people what is good for them and much more than they expect. The image of the cup here is life and suffering and death. James and John both did suffer ultimately. James dies a Martyr (Acts 12:2). John was forced to live in exile.
They both suffered and were heavily persecuted but at the same time they had the favor of God.
Next you see the disciples angry with James and John. They get into a squabble. But Jesus tells all of them that they are missing the point. If they want to follow Him, they cannot lord over others, dominate over others, or try to make their authority felt.
“If you want to share my life”, Jesus says, “you have to become a servant, and serve people.”
Jesus asks us to long to serve people, to give our lives in proclaiming the Gospel.
Bartimaeus
Reference: Mark 10:46-52
What did Bartimaeus long for?
Bartimaeus longed to see.
(There’s irony here. He could see even though he was physically blind.)
Do you think Jesus didn’t know that?
Look at Bartimaeus' perseverance in verse 48:
“Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!”
Bartimaeus knew Jesus was the messiah. He believed and he had faith, which comes from – hearing the Word of God. (Romans 10:17)
We are justified by faith. (Romans 5, Galatians 2:16, Ephesians 2:8-9)
Faith comes through the word of Christ. (Romans 10:17) Bartimaeus had faith because he longed to hear the Word of God.
We must long to hear the Word of God; to see, no matter how much people put us down.
Don’t Be Conformed to This World
Reference: Romans 12:2
Paul focuses on one essential means of transformation — the renewal of the mind.
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.”
Paul says: “Do not be conformed to this world”. But at the same time Paul says: “I try to please everybody in every way.”
To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.
Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God ,even as I try to please everybody in every way.
Is this possible?
Andrew Walls, in his book, The Missionary Movement In Christian History says: We areindigenous (native – in the world), yet we are pilgrims (strangers – not of the world). (John 17:14-16)
We can even look at it this way: we accept the Gospel no matter what our culture is. The Gospel is accepted all over the world in different places, different cultures; but once we accept it and begin to understand it, we realize that it corrects us and shows us the various aspects that are not right with not just our culture but also ourselves. We soon begin to feel like we are strangers in this world. We’re made for another Kingdom.
We Adapt
“Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before. Then people who are not Christians will respect the way you live, and you will not need to depend on others.”
Yet we Confront
Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him. Don’t participate in the things these people do. 8 For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light!
- Do you long to break loose from conformity to the world?
- Do you long to be transformed and new from the inside out?
- Do you long to be free from mere duty-driven Christianity and do what you love to do because that’s what you ought to do?
- Do you long to offer up your body as a living sacrifice so that your whole life becomes a spiritual act of worship, and displays the worth of Christ above the worth of the world? • Do you long to be with Christ.?
Then give yourself with all your might to pursuing the renewal of your mind. Because the Bible says, this is the key to transformation.
The Holy Spirit renews the mind. It is first and decisively his work. We are radically dependent on him.
Conclusion
Go back to your list and check again; do you really long for the things you listed out?
Do you long to become a leader? To outdo your friends in college? To outperform your colleagues at work?
Do you long to be cool? Hang out with friends who are cool in the eyes of the world?
Or do you long to serve God; hear from His word and just be with Him?
(Photo by Ferran)
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