Serving the Saviour - Studies in the Gospel of Mark - 9
The Characteristics of the Servant
We are studying chapters 11 and 12 of the Gospel of Mark. These chapters identify for us the things that should characterise the servants of God. The first thing is obedience. Jesus said to his disciples in verse 2, "Go into the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, 'Why are you doing this?', tell him, 'the Lord needs it'". The disciples obeyed immediately. Verse 4 says, "They went". Are you as quick to obey the Lord when he asks you to do something? As the disciples unloosed the Colt verses 5 and 6 tell us, "Some people standing there asked, 'What are you doing untying that colt?' They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go". They obeyed willingly. There was no argument. Jesus wanted the colt. That was good enough. A colt was an expensive item. Yet the owners were happy to give it to Jesus.
How willing are we to give to Christ anything he asks for, no matter what the cost might be? We read in 2 Corinthians 9 verse 7, "God loves a cheerful giver." Christ says of the widow woman in chapter 12 verse 43, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others" She gave two small coppers. The amount was not important. The sacrificial love for God that lay behind it pleased the Lord.
The servant of God should always be careful to be right in God's sight. Jesus went into the Temple in Jerusalem. Verse 11 says, "He looked around at everything". He examined the Temple. He saw the people preparing to buy and sell in the Temple area. The next day Jesus went to Jerusalem again. We read in verse 15, "Jesus entered the Temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there". He said in verse 17, "Is it not written, My house shall be a house of prayer for all nations, but you have made it a den of robbers ".What does Jesus see when he examines your life? Is sin there that needs to be forgiven and forsaken? We read in 1 Corinthians 6 verses 19 and 20, "Do you not know that your body is the Temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought with a price." Therefore, honour God with your body".
The servant of God will bear fruit. The Lord looks for fruit. He sought it from Israel. The fig tree represented Israel. We read in verse 13, "Seeing. a fig tree ... he found.....nothing but leaves'. Israel, for the most part, did not believe that Christ was who he claimed to be. There was no real vital faith. In verse 14 Jesus said to the fig tree, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again". The next morning Jesus and his disciples travelled along the same road. Verse 20 says, "They saw the fig tree withered from the roots." Israel had withered because of unbelief. They had become barren and unfruitful. Jesus said to his disciples in verse 22, "Have faith in God". Living faith in Christ will show itself in fruitfulness. This will especially be seen in an effective prayer life. Jesus said in verse 24, "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours."
The servant of God will be forgiving. We read in verse 25, "And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your father in heaven may forgive you your sins". We must reflect God's grace and mercy in our dealings with one another. God's servants should not hold grudges. Could it be that your not seeing wonderful answers to prayer, because you have not put things right between you and your brother or sister in Christ?
The servant of God will recognise the authority of Jesus Christ. The chief priests were always seeking to undermine Jesus. They challenged his authority. We read in verses 27 and 28, "The chief priests the teachers of the law and the elders came to him. 'By what authority are you doing these things?', they asked. 'And who gave you authority to do this?’". Jesus turned the tables and asked them about the origin of John the Baptists authority. They would not answer because they saw the predicament they were in. Verse 31 says, "If we say from heaven, he will ask then why didn't you believe him? But if we say from men...... they feared the people, for everyone held that John was a prophet. So they answered 'we don't know'". Jesus' reply is in verse 33 is this, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things". We challenge the Lord's authority when we fail to yield to his claims, and his Lordship over our lives.
We see this illustrated again in the first 12 verses of chapter 12. This passage deals with the parable of the Tenants. Here we see Israel's constant opposition to the servants God. Many were sent to speak to them. We read of their behaviour in verse 5, “Some of them they beat, others they killed”. Then he sent his much loved son and they killed him. Christ's authority was rejected by Israel. We read in verse 9, "What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others". The Gospel went to the Gentiles who received it with joy. Let us be sure we submit to Christ as our Lord every day.
In verses 13 to 17 Christ answers a question about paying taxes to Caesar. He identifies the responsibility we have to God and to rulers. Jesus said in verse 17, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's". We must be honourable citizens. We should submit to government providing they do not contradict God's law.
The servant of God will know the Scriptures. The Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection. Jesus said to them in verse 24, "Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God?". We will make sure we are guided by God's word as we seek to serve Him. In verse 28 Jesus asked a teacher of the law, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?" Would you be able to give a biblical answer to that question? Or when Jesus referred to Psalm 110 verse l, where we read, "The Lord said to my Lord, sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet." He asked in verse 37, "David himself calls him 'Lord' How then can he be his son?". Do you know enough about Scripture truth to answer that? Let us be students of the word of God mastering its teachings and doctrine.
May all these characteristics be found in you every day.