16) The Sword (Mark 14:43-52)

Quotes: “The pattern of the Cross means that the world’s glorification of power, might, and status (the sword) is exposed and defeated. On the Cross Christ wins through losing, triumphs through defeat, achieves power through weakness and service, comes to wealth via giving all away. Jesus Christ turns the values of the world upside down.” Tim Keller, The Reason for God, 2008, 196

"On the cross, Jesus is getting what we deserve so we can get what he deserves. When we see that this great reversal is for you...it changes you." (191) "Jesus is not a revolutionary you can stop with swords, because he's not about the sword at all." (188) Judas didn't get it. Neither did his own disciples (Mark 14:47).

"An ethical system based on honor is a self-regarding ethic, while one based in charity is an other-regarding ethic... With honor goes a concentration on pride rather than humility, dominance rather than service, courage rather than peaceableness, glory rather than modesty, loyalty rather than respect for all, generosity to one's friends rather than equality." C. John Summerville, professor emeritus of history (184).

Chap 1: The Dance (Trinity) (Mark 1:9-11): Do you expect others to dance around you?
Chap 2: The Gospel, The Call (Mark 1:14-20): Is your gospel good news or good advice?
Chap 3: The Healing (Mark 2:1-5): Are your sins against God or people (Ps 51:4)?
Chap 4: The Rest (Mark 2:23-3:6): Are you desperately seeking significance?
Chap 5: The Power (Mark 4:35-41): Do you enjoy goodness and calm in a storm?
Chap 6: The Waiting (Mark 5:21-43): Do you have peace when God delays?
Chap 7: The Stain (Mark 7:1-23): Do you feel unclean, insignificant?
Chap 8: The Approach (Mark 7:24-37): Do you know you’re a dog, yet loved?
Chap 9: The Turn (Mark 8:27-9:1): Why is forgiveness so hard?
Chap 10: The Mountain (Mark 9:2-29): What if you are filled with doubt?
Chap 11: The Trap (Mark 10:17-27): Is money just money to you?
Chap 12: The Ransom (Mark 10:45): Is Jesus all you want and need?
Chap 13: The Temple (Mark 11:1-18): Are you both a lion and a lamb?
Chap 14: The Feast (Mark 14:12-26): Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Chap 15: The Cup (Mark 14:32-36): Are you suppressing your desires/detaching yourself?

Intro: Why wouldn't take a purse from a little old lady? 2 possible answers: 1) Shame and honor. 2) Love (Consider her hardship). Most choose the 2nd answer, for our morals have been shaped by Christianity (without us realizing it). The ethical system based on shame and honor was the system that dominated many civilizations before Christianity arrived. Though many today are very critical of Christianity, their moral orientation is Christian. What are these distinctly Christian ideas that still have such power to shape our own consciences and imaginations today?

Through out the 4 gospels, Jesus is constantly talking about "the kingdom of heaven/God," and "the kingdom of this world." A kingdom is an administration, a way of ordering things and getting things done (as would happen with a new coach, a new boss). What distinguishes a new administration from another is its list of values, from most important to least. The old order of things is abolished, while a new order of things is instituted so that you reorder your values, your goals.

Of all the texts where Jesus contrasts the kingdom of this world with the kingdom of God, the most succinct is Luke 6:20-22; 24-26. Michael Wilcock (biblical scholar) observes that in the life of God's people there will be a remarkable reversal of values: "Christians will prize what the world calls pitiable and suspect what the world calls desirable." The things the world puts at the bottom of its list are at the top of the kingdom of God's list (and vice versa).

• In the kingdom of this world, power and money (Luke 6:24), success and recognition (Luke 6:26) are at the top.
• In the kingdom of God, weakness and poverty (Luke 6:20), suffering and rejection (Luke 6:22) are at the top.

These 2 kingdoms, these 2 administrations of reality, these 2 sets of priorities and values meet dramatically in the Garden of Gethsemane (Mark 14:43-46). The term kiss of death came from this incident. It means an intimacy with something that subsequently causes your destruction. Intimacy with Jesus is always the kiss of life, never the kiss of death. Judas' problem is that he's intimate with swords and clubs.

Mark 14:46-49 records how the King reacts to this kiss and to his arrest. Judas was expecting armed resistance, otherwise he wouldn't come in this fashion. Jesus responds, "Am I leading a rebellion?" (Mark 14:48) "Rebellion" means a guerrilla movement that is using violent tactics (the sword) to overthrow the existing order of things and bring in a new order--a revolution. Jesus is saying, "You don't understand me at all. The kingdom of God is different from the kingdom of this world."
Jesus us leading a different kind of revolution, one that history has never seen. Revolutions in the kingdom of this world keeps the same old order, and is always the same: what's on top is always money, power and politics. But Jesus isn't just putting a new set of people in power; he is bringing a totally different administration of reality--the kingdom of God.

Are we not like Peter (John 18:10)? When challenged, "we merge the kingdom of this world--sword on top, then money, power, success, and recognition--into our philosophy, whether it's Christianity or something else." (189)

Jesus is saying, "My kingdom is not of this world" (John 18:36). It's completely different. Jesus will change things by putting others ahead of himself, by loving his enemies, by serving and sacrificying for others, by not repaying evil with evil, but overcoming evil with good, by giving up his power, his life. "Weakness, poverty, suffering, and rejection will now be at the top of the list." (189) Jesus' revolution comes without the sword; it is the first true revolution.

The Inversion of the Revolution

What did the disciples do as Jesus was arrested and led away (Mark 14:48-52)? At the first real test of their fortitude, they deserted him. Everyone failed Jesus. Mark fleeing naked from the garden (Mark 14:52), reminds us of another garden--Eden--where there too, people who were given a test, failed. They were exposed as naked and fled in shame. Centuries later, another garden and another test, and everybody fails in one way or another. They're either waving swords around or fleeing in naked shame.
But something is different. In the middle of this garden there's someone who is passing a test. To those fleeing and failing, their only reality is the world's sword. They're afraid someone is going to arrest and kill them, or remove them from power. But Jesus is standing firm, and he's facing something even worse than the world's sword.

When Adam and Eve were expelled from the garden, they saw the flaming sword of justice, keeping them from ever going back (Gen 3:24). "There's no way back into the presence of God unless someone goes under the sword of divine justice. Jesus was in the garden facing the ultimate sword of divine justice, and he stood firm, for Adam and Eve, for me, for you." (191)

The world--the "right-side-up kingdom"--emphasizes power and recognition, which seems "right" and natural, while Jesus' approach of service and sacrifice (the "upside-down kingdom") seems totally impossible and unnatural. It's unnatural biologically, for who ever heard of the survival of the weakest?

It's unnatural psychologically. When Jesus prizes weakness, poverty, suffering, and rejection, we say it's psychologically unhealthy, and that it's impossible to live like that. And it is kind of impossible to live like that.

When Jesus cared for the poor, forgiving his enemies without bitterness, sacrificing his life for others, living a perfectly loving and sinless life, we say, "I can't do that. No one can." That's why Jesus as only an example will crush you; you'll never be able to live up to it. But Jesus as the Lamb will save you.

"The kingdom of this world teaches you to base your identity on status, money, and power. Without them your identity is gutted." (192) When an adversity happens, we come to grips with our real treasure, our real identity. Only Christians are truly "free to take or leave money, power, recognition, and status." These things at the top of the kingdom of this world don't have to control us the same way anymore. When we understand what Jesus has done for us, it frees us. "When you realize that you are made righteous by his grace and not by your achievement (work), and that you are loved in Jesus Christ, it changes the way you look at power, money, and status; they don't control you anymore." (192)

"If you're trying to save yourself, trying to earn your own self-esteem, trying to prove yourself, you'll either hate money and power too much or love them too much." (192) When we hate those with money or power, we're a self-saver, just as much as those who need money and status. "You may despise other kinds of self-salvation more than yours, but you're basically doing the same thing in a different way. But if you're a sinner saved by sheer grace, you can take it or leave it. You're free." (192) If money comes, there is much we can do with it. If money leaves, there's also a way God's Kingdom works in our lives. When we know this, the sword is exiting from our life. The compulsion is dissipating. "You work but your work does not define you. You work but it's not driving you into the ground. And you're going to be so content, you'll almost look reckless." We're no longer controlled by people, or by fears, or by "things" anymore. God is enabling us to replace the kingdom of this world with the kingdom of God.

When we are controlled by the kingdom of this world, our days are numbered, like Belshazzar (Dan 5:22-28). When we strive for power, success, recognition, etc, even as a Christian, we may succeed. But the days of that kingdom are numbered.

Question: Does status, power, honor, money (the sword) define you?

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