Introduction
Some people questioned me about the title of this sermon, “Strong Drink.” How much do I know about strong drink? Actually, nothing; not because of virtue so much as repulsion. Those shows that show a guy tossing down a jigger of whiskey, then shaking his head and letting out a gasp – they make me less inclined to give it a try, rather than tempt me. I once had a jigger of whiskey in my hand, determined to drink it down, and I couldn’t bring myself to do it.
Jesus knew about strong drink. His whole life was but a preparation to drink, not a jigger, but a full cup down to the last dregs. It was not whiskey that he was to drink, but something far more powerful.
The Drink 32-34
32 They were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way, and the disciples were astonished, while those who followed were afraid.
That is a curious sentence: why the astonishment and fear? There is no mention of danger, and yet, there is great danger. Jesus is walking into enemy territory, and his disciples and followers know it. They know that the religious leaders hate Jesus, and Jerusalem – the home of the temple, the city of God – is also the headquarters for these enemies. They include the conservative Pharisees and teachers of the law who have been his enemies from the beginning of his ministry, because he has exposed their hypocrisy. They include the aristocratic Sadducees who enjoy their position of power under the Romans and are threatened by Jesus’ popularity and talk about a kingdom. And they include the Herodians, a political group aligned with the Herods, and who also would have felt threatened by Jesus. Jesus has spent most of his ministry either in his home territory of Galilee or in Gentile territory far away from Jerusalem. Now he is walking resolutely to the city.
Again he took the Twelve aside and told them what was going to happen to him. 33 “We are going up to Jerusalem,” he said, “and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, 34 who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise.”
This is the third time Jesus has spoken about his sufferings. The first time, Peter rebuked him; the second time, the disciples were afraid to ask for clarification. For the third time, Jesus speaks plainly. Actually, coming down from the mountain of his transfiguration, he made reference to his suffering again. So four times Mark records Jesus’ teaching about his suffering, death, and resurrection. This must be an important subject, and, indeed, it is the most important subject of all, for it is the mission of the Messiah.
We see this in Jesus’ manner. He is leading the way to Jerusalem. No doubt Jesus’ own resolute demeanor creates the dramatic tension felt by all. And we, of course, see this in his words. “We are going up to Jerusalem for me to die,” he plainly tells the disciples. “I will be betrayed by the very men responsible before God to declare me as the Messiah. Those who should have led me to my throne will condemn me to death and turn me over to the Gentiles.”
This is humiliating. The Jews were looking for the Messiah to come and conquer the Gentiles. But they will instead turn him over to their enemies to humiliate and kill him. Is it no wonder that the disciples did not want to hear this message, that it scared them? Surely they are astonished and frightened by his resolute march to such a terrible end. No wonder that the comment of rising from the dead never has the effect of heartening them. Jesus presents them with an image of horror that they cannot handle. If the person whom you loved with all your heart and who also was your hero whom you believed could never be defeated – if that person started to tell you about the torture that he would soon be going through because of the betrayal of his and your people, could you listen without it driving you crazy? No, no, no! I don’t want to hear this!
Again, now, they have learned not to talk back to Jesus about this subject. Ignoring the subject apparently works best. So, the matter ends and we go to another subject. Surely, then next scene takes place some time later, although Matthew, who also records the conversation, has it following directly after Jesus’ teaching about his death as well.
35 Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.”
Parents, you’ve heard that one before! They are trying the old get-a-commitment-before- we-tell-what-we-want trick. Jesus was not a parent, but he was close to it with his relationship to his disciples. He does not fall for the trick. 36 “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.
37 They replied, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.”
Do you understand what they are asking for? They want the top two positions in God’s kingdom, which they are still expecting Jesus to bring soon. They ask this after Jesus teaches about his own suffering and death to come. Just to understand how galling this request is, remember that after the last time Jesus talked about his death the disciples got into an argument over who was the greatest. Jesus then admonished them that the greatest is the one who serves everyone else and desires to be last. It doesn’t matter what position they have as long as they are known by Jesus’ name. After hearing this teaching and Jesus’ talk about his own humiliation, they then make this request. Hasn’t anything that Jesus has taught them sunk in? Are they really so dense and hardhearted?
That is the response I would have made in Jesus’ place. Nothing frustrates me so much as to make a statement or teach a lesson, and then one of my listeners make a statement that reveals he has heard nothing that I just said. Teachers know what I mean. We have no problem when a student says, “I don’t understand” or even “I didn’t catch what you said.” We have no problem when a student disagrees with us. It is when he reveals that he has been ignoring all we have said. “What homework? I didn’t we had homework.”
But Jesus has greater self-control than I.
38 “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said. “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?”
39 “We can,” they answered.
They have no clue to what Jesus means. “Oh sure, we can do it. No problem.” Yeah, right! That cup is the cup of suffering and death. That baptism is not getting wet with water; it is the baptism of blood and burial. Jesus is speaking of the cup and baptism of martyrdom. Horrifying torture and death is the strong drink that he will drain from his cup. It is this, James and John foolishly boast they can handle unaware of what they are affirming.
Again, if I were in Jesus’ place, I’d let them have it. “You don’t know anything! You have not been listening to me. If you had, you would be begging that you be spared what you so confidently embrace.”
But he doesn’t. And the reason he doesn’t is that, as true as everything I’ve said about the disciples is, when the times comes and Jesus has left them alone, they will come through. James will be the first apostle martyred, and John will have more than his share of suffering for his Lord. Jesus knows that, and I think at this moment he feels love for them, knowing what they will suffer on his behalf that they don’t even suspect.
Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, 40 but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.”
Everything will take place according to God’s purpose, including who will hold what position in God’s kingdom. Where we fit is not something left up to us to jockey for. We certainly don’t need to try and sneak in ahead of other disciples to get special favors.
41 When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. I bet they did. They wanted those places! See the insidious effect of ambition. These twelve men have been together for nearly three years, ministering together, learning together at Jesus’ feet, and going through some harrowing experiences together. And the ambition to get ahead threatens to break their fellowship.
42 Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. What is Jesus talking about? He is not denying the right or necessity of authority. He himself is a man of authority. What he is holding up as a negative illustration for his disciples is the pride and greedy ambition of Gentile rulers. What images would pop into the disciples’ heads? Perhaps Matthew, the former tax collector, is thinking of the coins stamped with the head of the emperor and inscribed, “He who deserves adoration.” Perhaps Simon the Zealot is thinking of the Roman soldiers pushing Jewish citizens aside to make way for a Roman official. Perhaps others are thinking of the show of wealth and power that measured the amount of authority an official possessed. Or perhaps they thought of how a man’s authority could be measured by whom he could be rude to. The higher the status of a person that the one in authority could treat arrogantly, then the greater he must be.
This attitude of arrogant authority was woven into the fabric of ruling. Remember, the officials were not elected to their positions; they were appointed by officials over them. They needed to prove they were deserving of their position; one did that, not by humbling himself before those lower than he, but by demonstrating that he was greater than others. He showed himself to be superior by his manner.
The disciples are Jewish commoners on the low end of the social ladder. They should know the wicked effect authority can have on those who seek it, and here they are doing the same, trying to get it for themselves. Glory is in their eyes, and they want to grab it while they have the chance.
43 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.
Jesus has already said this to his disciples. He said it the last time they were arguing about who was greater than who. “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all” (Mark 9:35). “Let’s try it again, fellows. In the kingdom of God, which you are so anxious to be rulers in, the characteristic of the rulers is their servant hearts. They might desire authority, but it is for the very purpose of using it in service to everyone. The idea of basking in the glory of authority is repulsive to them. They want to serve. They delight in being regarded as slaves.”
Make sure you get the point. Jesus is not telling the disciples or us to regard ourselves as nobodies. We are not to regard ourselves as worthless slaves. But what we are to regard ourselves as, and take delight in, is serving in the kingdom of God as productive slaves. We should delight in the idea that our great Master gives us work to do and makes us productive and helpful to others. Service is good, and whatever service God has provided for us to do is good.
Do the disciples need a model of such an attitude? He stands before them. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Even the Messiah – the most exalted figure that the Jews have waited centuries for – even he came to serve. He has been serving all along, but they will see that service at its highest level soon, when he gives his life as a ransom for the souls of many.
He has been trying to get this message across to his disciples. He has come to serve, not to rule. This talk about dying is not a matter of being morbid and discouraged; he has been presenting his game plan for the ultimate service he has come to do. That is his glory!
And the kingdom of God is at hand, not because Jesus is about to lead forth legions of warriors against the Roman oppressors, but because even now he has gathered his leaders about him to train them to be servants. It will be through loving and sacrificial service that the kingdom of God will be established and spread to the ends of the earth. It will be through giving the cup of cold water to the thirsty; through visiting the prisoners in jail; through clothing the naked and feeding the hungry; through holding children and blessing them; through touching the untouchables and sitting down for dinner with the outcasts. This is what will mark the kingdom of God, and make it so powerful that it will be unstoppable in its spread through every country and empire.
Lesson
The glory of the church is its role as servant of the world. The badge of honor for the Christian is the mark of a servant. The most powerful illustration that Jesus gave about this was during his last supper with his disciples.
It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.
2 The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”
7 Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”
8 “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”
Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”
9 “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”
10 Jesus answered, “A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” 11 For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.
12 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. 13 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them (John 13:1-17).
You will be blessed. Service is blessing. We know that. It feels great to do something that makes a difference in the life of someone else, whoever it may be. It feels good to be useful.
And it is a feeling of wonderful freedom not to have to worry about getting your due notice. How wonderful it is not to care whether I’ve been recognized enough or am treated with enough regard. I remember once a man showing me a picture of himself in the local paper, upset that the caption had someone’s name by mistake. The picture was a shot of recipients for service awards. He told me how upset he was that such a mistake would be made. He had worked hard to receive that award! But what freedom he would have had if he could have shown me the picture chuckling over the mistake.
Do you want happiness? Then serve and take joy in the serving alone, not in receiving recognition. Then you will find true and lasting happiness. Well, wait a minute. You should look for someone to notice. You should desire to hear your Master say to you, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Now that is good, strong, satisfying drink.
