Loopholes -- Mark 10 (New Creation Project)
We want to obey God, but we don’t want it to be too costly, or too inconvenient, or too complicated. That’s why we need loopholes.
Sure, we’ll keep our marital vows, but not if it gets too hard. We’d like an escape clause if necessary. Sure, we’ll honor God with our wealth, but not if it gets too costly. We’d like to keep our standard of living if possible. Sure, we’ll follow Jesus, but not if we don’t get something out of it….
These are not just contemporary problems: they confront every generation. In fact, they are evident in the 10th chapter of Mark.
It begins with a thorny question about marriage: “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” (10:2). It continues with the heartfelt question of a wealthy man: “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” (10:17). It concludes with a searching question for some power-hungry disciples: “What do you want me to do for you?” (10:36).
The first question involves sex and marriage. The second involves money and wealth. The third deals with power and leadership. To put it in contemporary parlance, these are ancient questions about the very modern issues of money, sex and power.
In the first instance, religious leaders come to Jesus with a question about divorce. Their interaction with Jesus is very telling. Notice how the question is framed: “Is it lawful … to divorce?” Jesus says, “What did Moses command you?” They respond, “Moses allowed….”
Do you catch what is happening here? They are looking for loopholes in the marriage covenant. Jesus asked for Moses’ command; they reply with Moses’ concession. In response, Jesus affirms God’s original creational intention: “From the beginning of creation, God created them male and female…. What God has joined together, let not man separate.”
In Matthew’s account of this event, the disciples are horrified by Jesus’ strict enforcement of the marital vow. “If such is the case,” they say, “… it is better not to marry!” Many modern Christians feel the same way. Isn’t Jesus a bit harsh? After all, God doesn’t want me unhappy, right? And what’s so bad about living together?
In the second instance, a wealthy young man asked Jesus, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus, “looking at him, loved him,” and told him to give all his money to the poor, and then follow him. The man walked away disheartened, unwilling to pay the price of following Jesus.
Again, the disciples were astonished. They assumed, as most of us do, that wealth is a sign of God’s blessing. Wasn’t Jesus being a bit unreasonable with this sincere young man?
In the final instance, it is the disciples themselves who must be taught a hard lesson. Knowing that they are headed for a showdown in Jerusalem, two of them seize their chance, asking Jesus to appoint them to the leading positions of power.
This isn’t the first time the twelve have jockeyed for position (see 9:32ff), so Jesus – again – has to set them straight. They think that power leads to privilege and position; Jesus tells them that in his kingdom power leads to service and sacrifice: “Whoever would be first among you must be slave of all.”
These three instances, occurring just before Jesus’ crucifixion, uncover the utter dissimilarity between Jesus’ way and the ways of the culture. They all involve very devout people, revealing that even (or especially) within the circle of faith, we struggle to navigate our way through issues of money, sex and power.
Why are these three things so problematic? Each one of them can become a false god in our lives. Why? Because humans are hard-wired for worship, and money, sex and power offer something of the security, the intimacy, and the transcendence that we crave. As a result, they are tempting substitutes for worship.
Until we learn to worship the One who died for the sake of his Bride (Eph 5:25), the One who for our sakes “became poor so that [we] … might become rich” (2 Cor 8:9), and the One who demonstrated his power by laying down his life on a cross (1 Cor 1:17f), we will find sex, money and power to be appealing substitutes for the real thing. And they will destroy us in the process.
So let us not make the mistake of the Pharisees, who were looking for loopholes. Let us not be like the wealthy man who was eager to have his cake and eat it too. Let us, instead, be like those bumbling and selfish disciples, who, despite their weakness and failures, never lost their willingness to follow Jesus no matter what (10:28), and who were always open to his loving correction (10:42ff). For them, as well as for us, that made all the difference in the world.