MARK 11:24. “Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.” WORDS DO COUNT. TWO MEN WITH A MISSION: “Loose him and bring him hither.” Who would think the Lord would use an untried donkey! Yet even the most useless creature in the sight of men, has value in the sight of God. All it had ever done before was to take and never give. But the first act of usefulness was for the King of kings. The first useful act of my life was when I was loosed by men with a mission and brought to the Savior.
A MUTITUDE WITH A MANTRA: “Hosanna, blessed is He that cometh…” It’s a funny thing about a crowd. In spite of ourselves we can get caught up in words that sound good but we are just repeating what someone else said. “Buzz words” that come and go in a short period of time or for some special occasion, are generally not sincere words. It must’ve sounded wonderful and it impacted some people in one way or another, but it didn’t last. Words that are copied are not usually thoughts from the heart.
THE MASTER AND A FRUITLESS TREE: “No man eat fruit of thee…forever.”
To some who don’t think much, it might have sounded peevish. But when the Master-Owner- Creator-Sustainer of a tree is looking for fruit, He has a right to expect something from it. It was His possession and was created to bear fruit. When anything of God’s creation, be it a tree or a man, does not produce fruit for His glory, He has full right to deal with it as He sees fit.
THE LORD AND FAITHLESS MEN: “My house… ye have made it a den of thieves.” To desecrate any thing that is holy, is a personal affront to God. He is the Holy One who seraphim fear with extreme reverence. For mere men to question God and by actions, call into question His very being, is rank and obvious unbelief. His House, His Word, His name, His works all bears testimony as to who He is and why we should follow Him without reservation.
THE TEACHER AND THE DISCIPLES: “Have faith in God.” The practice of faith and the principle of faith are really inseparable. Faith by its very nature produces action. The doubts in the heart can paralyze a person and leave us timid and helpless rather than strong in faith, serving the Lord. Confidence because of God’s evident dealings with us in the past, enable us to ask in confidence with the appropriate attitude of forgiveness and expectation.
“Father, I have experienced all of these things in one way or another. Being loosed, makes me feel less useless. Words without heart, make me feel guilty. Fruitlessness scares me in the sense that I know it can happen. Irreverence comes at times so quickly and I am ashamed. Faith is still being learned but I am glad to be able to be used in any way that seems fitting to Thee. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.”
MARK 11:27- 12:34 FOUR QUESTIONS There are various reasons for which people ask questions. Some are asked to remove ignorance about a matter and often are from a sincere desire for information. Others are asked to determine interest and the degree of commitment. Some people ask trick questions just for the fun of it. Three out of the four questions asked the Lord Jesus Christ in one day had a deceptive calculated intent behind them. The questioners wanted to find a reason to condemn Him - hopefully to death - and regain their unquestioned authority they had profited from before. The fourth question was quite spontaneous and revealed a degree of honesty in the man.
"By what authority doest Thou these things? And who gave Thee this authority?" This was a question of unbelief. They probably thought He would answer He was acting on His own authority. It that was the case, people who listened to Him might think He was an independent free-lance who could not be counted on to lead the nation to freedom from the Romans. If He said His authority was from God then they had an excuse to condemn Him to death because of the law. The Lord's answer in the form of a question put an end to their question. John the Baptist said Jesus was greater than he was. The ordinary people believed John was sent from God. The Pharisees could not answer because they were unfit to receive an answer from Him. They had been dishonest regarding John and they knew the Lord saw through their scheming question to their plan to have Him killed. There are those we will meet who think more of their religious life than they do of the truth of God and God's will. It is up to us who believe on the Lord Jesus to represent Him as the eternal God who has all authority in heaven and in earth.
To clarify the whole event and awaken their consciences He told the story of the husbandman and the vineyard. In this way He let them know He read their intrigue and murderous intention. He gave the background clearly. Israel was the vineyard. The owner was God. The laborers were the religious leaders. The messengers were the prophets who were ignored, despised and killed. Now God made His final move - He sent His Son. Then the Lord gave the rest of the story - God was not done with them. Payday was coming!
"Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar or not? Shall we give or not give?" This second question is one with evil intent behind it. The coalition of Pharisees and Herodians united in their opposition to the Lord Jesus indicates what we are up against when we follow Him. People are prepared to bury their deep-seated differences when it comes to opposing God. "We wrestle not with flesh and blood, but with principalities and powers..." The question was obviously a loaded one. If He said, "No," then He would be taken by the Roman authorities. If He said, "Yes," then the people would consider Him a traitor to the Jews. By asking for a coin and identifying the coin as belonging to Caesar and yet being used by them to meet their obligation to pay for the benefits they received, they were submitting to him. Now He challenged them to give God what they owed Him. The emperor claimed to be divine and they were going against their own law that condemned idolatry. There were demands the state makes that really do not infringe upon the rights God has on us. We must meet those demands. The question really is answered in relation as to who has the supremacy. The questioners knew that God is supreme. His claim to being the Messiah which they had recognized when He came into the city the day before put things into proper perspective. It is right to give Caesar what is his right which they did. It is right to own Christ as the Sent One from God, which they did not. They had not given God what was God's.
"In the resurrection therefore, when they shall rise, whose wife shall she be?" To trivialize what is important is not uncommon among those even today who consider themselves rational thinkers. Sadducees denied the immortality of man, the resurrection, the fact of men having a spirit and the existence of angels. These are the "If I can't see it, I don't believe it" people. This is a widespread opinion among so-called educated people today. There is a flippant cynical attitude towards holy things now and a fatalistic view of the future. They really have no real purpose in living, so would just as soon die (they say!) because there is nothing after life. These aristocrats used the law of Moses, the scriptures, to form their foolish question. It was a very absurd question which showed their ignorance of the scriptures. Similar questions are asked by people when they ask where Cain got his wife or blame God for the bad results of a sinful life. The Lord Jesus answered their question by quoting Moses' writing of the Living God being the God of those who had lived on earth hundreds of years before. God used the present tense in speaking of those ancient men who knew Him personally. He is the God of living people even now. His answer showed their ignorance of the scriptures and the foolishness of their imaginations.
"Which is the first commandment of all?" The man who came out of the crowd and asked this question, asked this as an honest and sincere question. He wanted to know what was the real greatness of the law, not just to compare one law with another. The Lord responded to this man without rebuke, but by quoting the central principle of the law from another place in the scriptures rather than the 10 Commandments. "Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind ... and thy neighbor as thyself." This answer stopped and amazed the man who realized this was the final answer. The law was inspired by God and we are to obey it. The Lord Jesus Christ could sense the sincerity and reality of the man's comment and let him know he was near the door of salvation. No one asked questions after that because it was clear to all questioners, the Lord read them like a book.
It is not uncommon for mortal men to misunderstand God's mind. Most think within their own intellect is where the answers to their life they will find. Occasionally someone will ask a question that seems so removed from faith, That we scarcely know whether to answer them or how the question we should face.
We can learn from the Lord by listening and watching how He did respond. He didn't seem resentful to them or felt He was being put upon. But with insight He knew the reason such questions were being asked. To look beyond the words, is the responder to questions first task.
Then it is right to give an answer, but avoid the argumentative way. Listen to what the question really means, then be careful as to what you say. In as few words as you possibly can, answer with honest clarity. The attitude and tone of voice will show up the obvious disparity.
Some answers can be illustrated by showing similar situations in life. Evil intended questions deserve short answers that cut off the tendency to strife. Foolish, cynical questions can be exposed when to them scriptures we apply. It is hard to argue against the written word even though they might give it a try.
When a sincere question is asked and we know the person's intent Is to try and find the right answer as to the problem or the event - Then take all the time that is needed to give the answer needed, And God can add His own blessing when the answer you gave is heeded.
"It has happened a lot of times in my life, Father. People do have questions. Some are genuine and some are skeptical. Some want a true answer and others want an argument. Give Thy servant I pray the understanding needed to discern the reason for a question, and by Thy Spirit give through clay lips an appropriate answer. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen."