Chapter # 10 Paragraph # 4 Study # 1
September 19, 2023
Moss Bluff, Louisiana
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Thesis: The essential characteristic of the King of the Kingdom is that He is "generous".
Introduction: In our last study, we concluded our examination of the attitude which blocks participation in the Kingdom of God.
This evening we are going to at least begin to consider the opposite reality: the attitude(s) which cause(s) the acquisition of "treasure" in heaven. Jesus had summarized this truth in general terms in His conversation with the rich man by asserting that "following Him" would result in "treasure in heaven". In that paragraph, the issue of treasure in heaven was included because the thesis was that the man had an "attitude" that would keep him from such treasure.
- I. Round Two: The Kingdom's Practice Of Reward.
- A. In Mark's chiastic structure, this is the second time that he addressed the issue of the "Future Kingdom's Response To Actions Taken In The Present".
- 1. The first round (9:38-50) developed when John told Jesus that "he/they" had told an exorcist to "cease and desist" because he was "not following us".
- 2. The large issue in both "rounds" is the disciples' insistent desire to elevate themselves above "the others".
- B. This issue of "Rewards" is a crucial concept because of the way it "colors" the disciple's "T"heology and, consequently, how he/she responds to God.
1. This, necessarily, affects the "Love/Faith" construct in every disciple's "heart/mind" and "Soul/Spirit" way of looking at his/her circumstances in light of the way he/she reacts toward God-in-his-circumstances.
- a. It is significant that this short paragraph falls immediately upon the heels of the rich man's refusal to "sell his possessions" and give the proceeds to the "poor" in order to come into possession of "treasure in heaven".
- b. It is also significant that it was "Peter" who laid claim to "having forsaken all things".
- 1) He is one of those who takes every opportunity to claim a superiority to "others" because he "does", or "does not" act "better than..." [Note John 13:37 as well as Mark 10:41 as Mark's description of the reaction of "the ten" to James and John as they go to Jesus to seek the "best" positions in the Kingdom].
- 2) He is the one who denies his relationship to Jesus three times and goes out to weep because he was exposed as "boastful" and significantly flawed (14: 72).
- 2. Jesus' immediate response is to declare the impossibility of "sacrificing".
- a. There are "sacrifices" to be made.
- b. But the outcomes make their identity as "sacrifices" relatively insignificant [This is the "Love" aspect wherein "significance" is assigned; Matthew 13:44].
- c. And the outcomes require "acceptance" [This is the "Faith" aspect wherein "believing" goes far beyond the mind and deeply into the heart].
- 3. This is, inescapably, an integrated aspect of both "Time" and "Eternity".
- a. Jesus splits the issues of "outcomes".
- 1) He addresses "in this time"; an aspect that He did not bring up to the rich man.
- 2) He addresses "in the coming age"; an aspect referred to by Jesus as "in heaven".
- b. Jesus presents the "outcomes" in significantly general terms.
- 1) In respect to "time", He uses concrete issues, but uses them in metaphorical terms and inserts "persecutions".
- 2) In respect to "eternity", He uses the generalized "Eternal Life" concept without any other details.
- c. Jesus also makes "motives" a crucial factor.
- 1) "My sake".
- 2) "the Gospel's sake".
