Sermon Sandwich

Mark 9:30-50—Sermon Sandwich

Trinity Church, 1589 Hwy 174, Edisto Island, SC 29438
www.trinityedisto.com  843-869-3568
18th Sunday after Pentecost, September 26, 2021
Holy Eucharist - Renewed Ancient Text; 2019 BCP, p.123

Mark 9:30-50

Who is the Greatest?

Believers who are last of all and servant of all.

Then Jesus went on to name three groups of Believers that are very difficult to put first/serve.

1. Baby Believers - young and immature in the faith

Mark 9:36-37 And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them 37 "Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me."

taking him in his arms - enfolding, wrapping his arms around in a warm and loving embrace.

2. Unconnected Believers - not participating in a local church

Mark 9:38 - John said to him, "Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us."

The question is Who is the Greatest? but the issue is Who is in control?

3. Sinful Believers - those who engage in sin

Mark 9:47-48 It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, 48 where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.

Who can do that? Even try to do that? Only those who have Received.

The Inverted Life - The Son of Man

Mark 9:31-32 "The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise." 32 But they did not understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him.

Daniel 7:13-14  "I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. 14 And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.

The Son of Man is one who is described with divine nature and attributes, he is given dominion and kingdoms. Jesus is claiming to be that Son of Man.

But also a common usage of the term Son of Man - someone who is disposed, wretched, ostracized by society, a tragic figure, utterly disdained, marginalized and cast aside.