Mark

James and John had just asked to be on the top table at Jesus' victory banquet: to be the most senior members of His government (Mark 10:35-37).  But they had no understanding of how God works.  They did not realise that, for the Christ, the prelude to glory would be suffering (Isaiah 53:1-3).  It was the pattern of Messianic ministry: the cross comes before the glory (Luke 24:26)  It was all there in the Old Testament, but they were not thinking biblically.  Indeed, all ideas about Jesus that are not shaped by God's Word will inevitably miss the mark.

When James and John pushed themselves forward to have the highest places of honour next to Jesus (Mark 10:35-37), there was a backlash from the other disciples.  Why should they be disadvantaged?  What right did James and John have to ask for special honour and authority?  Certainly, Jesus had often taken Peter and James and John to witness special events - although the 'James' of that trio may have not been the brother of John (Matthew 17:1).  We know that Peter was excluded from the brothers' request to Jesus.  Peter was known to be outspoken and so may have voice

Timaeus was a man with disappointed hopes.  His name meant 'highly prized'; presumably he was the joy of his parents.  But his own son (Bar-timaeus) was blind.  We do not know how he became blind but his best economic hope was to be a beggar, using his sightlessness to stir charity.  Whatever his family's social status, Bartimaeus was despised and ridiculed, a grown man treated like a child.  Certainly not highly prized - at least, not by the standards of the day!  

Jesus never rejects a call for mercy.  It was why He came (1 Peter 1:3).  Bartimaeus was a blind beggar.  Despite God's command not to insult or abuse those who are disabled (Leviticus 19:14), the arrogant crowd told the beggar not to shout out to Jesus for mercy (Mark 10:46-48).  But Jesus heard him.  Instead of rejecting him, the Lord called him and treated him with special dignity (Romans 9:25).  The crowd changed their tune when Jesus ordered that Bartimaeus be brought to Him.

Although we know this passage as the prelude to Palm Sunday (Mark 11:8-11), these disciples were living one day at a time.  Even though Jesus had told them three times about His forthcoming death (Mark 8:31; 9:31; 10:33), they did not understand what was going to happen.  So, one day at a time, one instruction at a time, was enough.  The orders were clear and precise.  All they had to do was to do exactly what Jesus had told them, trusting that He always sees the next step in the plan.  The fact that they did not understand Jesus' plan or the purpose behind the requ

It should not surprise us that Jesus knew exactly what His commissioned disciples would encounter, during His time with them and also all through their apostleship later.  God, in a human body, did not need to guess or remember how things were last time.  He is ahead of every game and on top of every situation - before it happens.  But we will do well to be amazed that Jesus, who demonstrated that He knew what was ahead during His time on earth, is the same God who sees us.  Such amazement should keep us from complacency in our relationship with Him.

So much Old Testament prophetic history is tucked into these verses.  Jesus had carefully prepared the timing of this event, which many know as Palm Sunday.  It was a week before the Passover when He would be slain as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29).  Never before in His ministry had Jesus claimed to be King, and not even on that day, but He allowed the symbolism of riding the donkey to stimulate the Biblically literate crowd into proclaiming Him as God's King.  

This episode is in two parts. We read the first bit today; and its sequel is in Mark 11:20-21, sandwiching (and amplifying) the account of the cleansing of the temple.  Like many things Jesus did and said, this was shocking to His trainee apostles.  But like every shock, it was memorable; which is what Jesus intended as their apostleship needed to be framed not just by glory but also the judgement to come.  

If anyone asks, "What makes God angry?", a good first answer is: "Taking God's holy things and using them for selfish purposes".  The temple was intended to be the place where the world could see the greatness of God, and submit to Him.  Instead, Caiaphas, the High Priest had recently licenced a commercial market in the Outer Court of the Gentiles, selling ritually pure items and animals for sacrifice.  Not that God is against trading, provided it is fair (Leviticus 25:14); but this was grossly unfair - on God!  To take the worship of God as an opportunity for personal f

The truth has interesting properties. Those who submit to it are blessed: but those who resist it, are not only cursed themselves, they want to destroy the truth-tellers.  Whistle blowers are rarely appreciated.  In this phase of Jesus' ministry, He was announcing the end of centuries of religious farce, graphically predicting the judgement to come (Mark 13:2).  The power-holders hated Him for it, but the ordinary people were amazed at the authority of His teaching (Mark 1:22).  Jesus taught truth because He is the Truth (John 14:6).