DAY 66

DO I GET IT – REALLY?

Deuteronomy 1, 2 & 3 and Mark 10:32-56

The English Standard Version of the Bible provides this introduction: “The name “Deuteronomy” derives from the Greek for “second law,” an early mistranslation of “copy of this law” in 17:18. In fact, Deuteronomy emphasizes that its laws are not new laws but rather the preaching of the original law given to Israel at Sinai.”

And so we are off, to hear again the story. It is an important story. The Exodus, the Passover, the Law, and the shaping of a people in the wilderness – all of it the defining story of Israel, and so it is important to hear it again.

I commented a few days ago that “I am trying to get it right in my head” and by that I meant the story of God and humankind. How it is a story about how we are to be God’s people, and not a story about how knowing God results in us getting everything we think we need or want.

Jesus in Mark 10:32-56 foretells his death a third time, receives a request from James and John, and heals a blind man named Bartimaeus. In some ways these three events in Mark point out why Deuteronomy needs to be read, and reread, and re-reread.

Consider that Jesus for the third time explains how it is going to “play out”; he is going to suffer and die. James and John’s reaction? They ask, “Hey boss, when you throw out the Romans and become king, can we sit at your left and right?” I am surprised Jesus didn’t ask, “What part of “suffer and die” don’t you understand?”

Mark masterfully juxtaposes a “seeing” blind man with "blind" disciples – Bartimaeus! “Son of David have mercy on me” he cries. The blind man sees who Jesus really is while the disciples are blind by their own image of Messiah.

Jesus therefore tells them (and us) again – He came not to be served, but to serve, and He tells them (and us) not to lord anything over others – in other words serve.

Serving is hard. Serving requires sacrifice. Serving without complaining, or feeling as if you are not getting a fair deal is near impossible for some. It is impossible without God. In many ways, once we know that we can be secure in our relationship with God because of what Jesus has done in and through the Cross, then we are free to really live for God, not thinking we are trying to earn our way into heaven, but rather in response to His great love. We become agents of His transforming love. You might think by now the folks in the Old Testament, after 40 years of His caring in the wilderness with food and water would have "gotten it", but they haven't. 

You would think I would have gotten it by now as well.

The reality is that this picture involves serving, sacrificial serving. It is why we need to plant deeply in ourselves the story, and then live it. So therefore we are off to learn again the story, and I pray not learn it only in our heads, but live it in our lives.