Mark 9:1-32, Who’s It For?

Mark 9:1-32, Who’s It For?

Mark chapter 9 verses 1 to 23. Hear the word of the Lord and He said to them truly I say to you There are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.

And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John and led them up a high mountain by themselves and he was transfigured before them and His clothes became radiant intensely white as no one on earth could bleach them and there appeared to them Elijah and Moses and they were talking with Jesus and Peter said to Jesus Rabbi, it is good that we are here Let us make three tents one for you one for Moses and one for Elijah.

For he did not know what to say. But they were terrified and a cloud overshadowed them and a voice came out of the cloud. This is my beloved son listen to him. And suddenly looking around they no longer saw anyone with them, but Jesus only and As they were coming down the mountain he charged them to tell no one what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead and They kept the matter to themselves questioning what this rising from the dead Might mean and they asked him.

Why did the scribes say that first Elijah must come and he said to them Elijah does come first to restore all things and how is it written of the Son of Man that he should suffer many things and Be treated with contempt but I tell you that Elijah has come and they did him whatever they pleased as it is written of him and When they had come to the disciples They saw a great crowd around them and scribes arguing with them and immediately all the crowd When they saw him were greatly amazed and ran up to him and greeted him and he said to them What are you arguing about with them and someone from the crowd answered him teacher?

I brought my son to you for he has a spirit that makes him mute and Whenever it seizes him it throws him down and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. And so I asked your disciples to cast it out and they were not able and he answered them Oh faithless generation How long am I to be with you?

How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me. And they brought the boy to him and when the spirit saw him immediately it convulsed the boy and he fell on the ground and rolled about foaming at the mouth and Jesus asked his father how long Has this been happening to him?

And he said from childhood and it is often cast him into fire and water to destroy him. But if you can do anything have compassion on us and help us and Jesus said to him if you can All things are possible for one who believes.

Immediately the father of the child cried out and said I believe help my unbelief. And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit saying to you Saying to it you mute and deaf spirit.

I command you come out of him and never enter him again. And after crying out and convulsing him terribly it came out and the boy was Like a corpse so that most of them said he is dead. But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up and he arose and when he had entered the house His disciples asked him privately Why could we not cast it out.

And he said to them this kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer and They went out on from there and passed through Galilee and he did not want anyone to know for he was teaching his disciples saying to them 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.

But they did not understand the saying. For they were afraid to ask him. May the Lord add his blessings to the reading of his Holy Word. But you get a lot of presents this last Christmas. Do you do one of those Christmas present opening events?

We know on Christmas morning with the gifts under a tree you gather around maybe still all in pajamas distribute the gifts maybe send a child to go fetch the wrap boxes. And the inevitable question over and over again is Who's it for?

Look at the label. It's for mommy or daddy or grandma or junior or a little sissy next one. Who's it for? Oh. This one's for me. It's important to know what something is for. If you take a gift that doesn't belong to you, you could end up with a piece of clothing.

That's too small for you or not for your gender. If you eat a spring roll that was for your wife, you could make her very unhappy. If you take something from a store, that's not for you. You could be charged with theft and go to jail in Older law here in the USA.

Maybe it's still in the books in some states if you get in an affair with a married person the spouse of that person could sue you. For a quote alienation of affection you took affection. It wasn't for you.

The narcissistic person thinks everything's for him. Every present every bit of food every relationship all affection. It's about me. The narcissist thinks. I've seen a boy get upset at the presence for another boy or girl.

Upset that the gift was it for him? How do you think the boy got that way? Because the parent scrambles to comfort the brat with the promise. I saw it myself. I'll get you. Whatever that other boy got as soon as the party is over.

That's horrible. Parenting the parent should teach the kid. Some things are not for you. What about you? You think everything is for you. I Hope not. Who is it for. You know, the pandemic has shown that a lot of people don't know what things are for.

We close schools and now make the kids wear masks for disease that hardly ever affects kids. Even teenagers who are getting closer to being adults physically have very little risk from kovat. About a one in a million chance of dying if they catch it.

They have a greater risk. They have more danger from riding in a car than they do from kovat and it's even lower for smaller children. But if you try to explain that I've mostly given up trying. If you try to explain that assuming that someone will listen.

They'll say. But what about the teachers? Schools are not for the teachers. Well others seem to think their life is for above all right. The way they respond to the pandemic shows that above all their life is to be lived for the goal of not dying.

They're going to certainly fail. What's your life for? Well for some it's about making money, you know, they live for the dollar. But most people figure that doesn't make much sense in the long run. They know they'll die and the money will do them.

No good. They might still live though. They know that but they'll still live day in day out. To make money that they say now they say they're doing it for their family. They might not even get to enjoy their family much because they're working all the time.

But they comfort themselves with the thought that they're providing for their family in the TV series Breaking Bad. Gus who's the drug kingpin? I use the head of the drug network. He talks Walter White recruits Walter White the chemist into making meth.

With a moral lesson. How do you talk someone into making meth. You teach him morals? Quote a man provides and he does it even when he's not appreciated or respected or even loved. He simply bears up and does it.

What's a man to do. Walter a man provides. For his family, so we have people who call themselves Christians, but say they can't go to church. They can't serve the Lord. Not yet. Anyway, because first.

They've got to provide for their family. They've got to bear up and do it. Even if their family doesn't care. The drug kingpin would agree. What's it for? We see the answer to that here in three parts first the Sun then the self and finally the suffering.

What's Jesus for? Well, that's the question that Peter doesn't understand. He's already confessed at the end of chapter 8 because this story just flows from into chapter 8. We're kind of jumping back to the middle of it here, but he's just confessed that Jesus is the Christ.

That means he's the Messiah. He's the anointed one empowered by God. To bring God's kingdom. That's God's rule. God's government on earth. What's the kingdom for? Like a kid seeing presents under the tree.

Who thinks it's all for him? He thinks is Peter thinks is the kingdom is all for him or at least it's all for us our people. Maybe for us Jews or maybe for our disciples of Jesus. It's he's for our team our nation.

It's gonna make us kingdom is gonna make us glorious and powerful and rich again. And Peter's probably thinking, you know, and I'll personally get some of that too because I'm Jesus's right-hand man.

I'm set and. So Jesus says in chapter 8 verse 34 if you want to be my follower. You're going to have to deny yourself so that not everything is about you and take up your cross your own personal instrument of execution and Follow me.

Make your life about Me he says do that. He says in chapter 8 verse 37. Because it doesn't make any sense to give up your life. You're gonna give it up for something or another doesn't make any sense to give up your life your soul for anything else.

It doesn't make sense to spend your life for money. Even if it's money for your family or you're just trying to save your life somehow thinking that you won't die. Then when you inevitably die. What will you have to show for your life?

What did you live for? For money, they won't do you any good for kids who will then Follow your example and they too will be living for making money for their kids and when it goes on forever and ever a generation After generation all just meaningless.

Maybe you you know that. You know all that and you believe in Jesus sort of help your unbelief. But you're ashamed. Chapter 8 verse 38 end of chapter 8 you're ashamed to live for Jesus when everyone around you isn't when when they measure you by.

Your success at making money for yourself or your family you're ashamed to be seeking first the kingdom of God when you're in and what he but Jesus calls an adulterous that is an unfaithful a self indulgent and sinful generation.

What is your life for? No that Jesus says that he will show. Next he'll demonstrate What is for and he says that in chapter 9 verse 1 some standing here? Among his disciples Who will not taste death? They're not gonna die until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.

Now some of these very disciples will see with their own eyes What it's for. So after six days very unusual to give an exact time lapse. Showing the connection here that this this is what he was talking about before the story that begins in verse 2 now if you read the Bible is just disconnected verses or Disconnected stories you lose the connection that is purposely made between here.

Between the promise in verse 1 and the fulfillment beginning in verse 2 and you get caught away by speculations. You're asking yourself, what's this story for is about our future. Somehow about us because we always assume Everything is for us.

Or is it about 80 70 maybe some ancient history that's no longer really relevant to us. What's this promise for in verse 1? Well, it's about Jesus. What's Jesus for something he's about getting your best life now about making us Wealthy or healthy or helping our marriages just helping us better.

Psychologically adjusted to reality help us raise good kids who will take care of us when we're old. He's about us. Is that what he's for? Well here he takes Peter James and John. It's his inner core up to a high mountain by themselves there.

They could see who Jesus was and what he was for. You'll recognize the Greek word. You all know a little bit of Greek even if you don't know it. You'll recognize the Greek word used near the end of verse 2.

He was metamorphic a. That's the Greek word metamorphosis transfigured. Verse 3 describes it. His clothes became radiant intensely white white whiter than No one on earth could could bleach them. But what's this for to show who Jesus is.

Jesus has come veiled in flesh the incarnate deity but here the veil is pulled back and Peter James and John could see the inner nature resplendent beaming shining forth. To further show his glory, you know, like any glorious man has an entourage right glorious people always have an entourage and Jesus's entourage appears here.

Moses the lawgiver and Elijah that the leader of the prophets. So you have the law and the prophets which is normally what the Jews called. What we call the Old Testament. Here in the persons of Moses and Elijah.

They're talking with Jesus in verse 4 because the Old Testament is about Him. What's the Old Testament for? Jesus. But what's this transfiguration for. Oh Peter thought it must be about us. It's about our kingdom how we can establish it now.

No one will be able to deny it now. I Guess he's assuming Jesus will stay shining like this. Peter didn't know what to say, but he said it anyway. It's way people's often are you don't know what to say?

They'll say it anyway. Let you know rabbi master. It's good that we are here. Yeah, of course it is. It's just running his mouth. Let us make three tents or three tabernacles to be translated one for you.

One for Moses and one for Elijah. It's like he wanted to start a building project. You know. Just start building the headquarters to our new kingdom right now on this mountain make this permanent. But no, it's not about let's build something for him.

Jesus is already God in human flesh. Tabernacling among us. He doesn't need your building project. Peter and so they are enveloped by a cloud and a voice speaks. It's the father. This is my beloved son.

Listen to him. Stop talking. Listen. He's not for you to work for. He's not for you to build for. Not to you to try to set up your kingdom on earth. With your labor and you conveniently getting to be you know up there in the top of this new organization.

He's for you to listen to. And suddenly no one was left. Not Moses or Elijah. But Jesus only. What's your life for. Probably not money. You think it's all about family, you know. Even if you have to sacrifice your family in order to provide your family.

You'll you'll do it because you think that's what life is for or do you think it's about not dying? And so you're in fear of any threat to it. When it all is done and everything is stripped away. And you'll have no money.

You'll have no family with you. You won't be able to save your life. Like here all else will be gone and there will be Jesus. Only as they're coming down the mountain after this mountaintop experience Jesus instructs him to tell no one about this.

Not yet because all this is for. After he's raised they ask him. Why do the Bible scholars say that Elijah must come first and Jesus says well, they're right. They're absolutely right. We saw Malachi just two weeks ago that the Old Testament ends with the promise that Elijah will come here at the Transfiguration.

That happened that happened literally here. Elijah literally came. Just like Malachi said he would but Jesus says that's not all how the promise about Malachi is fulfilled. It was fulfilled by John the Baptist he prophesied.

John the Baptist did prophesied with the spirit of Elijah to turn the hearts of the people to family and to God. To restore all things in verse 12 restore all things. What's Elijah for. Well to restore all things and they think they know exactly what that means.

Restore all things that means. We get to go back to the way things were with with David means glory and and power. Like King David and Solomon like they had being triumphant being the head not the tail.

Ruling over the Gentiles not being ruled by them. That's what it's for. Let's restore all things they think. Then oddly at the second half of verse 12 Jesus asked a jarring question I just struck when I was reading this this week.

Why is that question there at the end of verse 12? He asked how is it written of the Son of Man that he should suffer many things and be treated with contempt? Well, Jesus has been using Son of Man to refer to himself and to connect Himself with the one like a son of man who brings in God's kingdom in Daniel chapter 7 who was worshipped.

It was God here. He connects the Son of Man himself the divine kingdom bringer with the servant in Isaiah 53. Right who he describes here is treated with his killed treated with contempt who is despised in this theme.

Now think of this realize what's going on here. Look at the flow of the ideas here verses 11 and 12 and 13 because they asked him in verse 11 about Elijah then in verse 12 Jesus begins to answer their question.

Right so far. It looks very normal. Elijah comes that comes first to restore all things and then he interjects This question this odd Jarring question why the servant of the Lord who is now called the Son of Man is a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.

Why is the Son of Man like that like Isaiah 53. And then He goes back to talking about Elijah in verse 13 making plain that John the Baptist fulfilled the promise about Elijah. Why that question? Seemingly just unrelated like it's Just stuck in there.

With no relationship with anything else around it. But of course it's not why though is it in the middle at the end of verse 12 about him suffering and being rejected. Why is he asking that? Here. Well, Jesus is trying to break through their assumptions.

They think they know what the Messiah is for. He's for glory. He's for triumph. That's what restoring all things means means getting back on top again. Just. Like people today think they know what life is for.

Even the drug kingpins know that life is not just about money. It's about family. Here they think they know what restoring all things is for. It's for getting back on top of the world being the leaders again, but here Elijah John the Baptist came restored all things.

Right. Did he do what he was supposed to do? Yes. He restored all things. He turned the hearts of God's people to God and to their families and yet still He was killed. Still the Son of Man the one who brings in God's kingdom the Messiah.

Will suffer and be treated contemptuously. How is it written that that will happen because that's what he's for. What are you for? Hopefully not just money or things you can get in a rat box. Good Christmas or birthdays.

Maybe you're not so narcissistic as to get upset when someone else gets a gift. We even like seeing other people get gifts. Maybe you like Christmas or even other people's birthdays for the joy of seeing someone else get something they like, especially if you gave it.

You're more long-range. You you know that if you win someone's favor by doing favors for them by giving them gifts they like. They'll be more likely to To do favors for you one day when you need it. You think if you raise your kids by giving them what they need.

They'll respond by being good to you. Especially when you're old and decrepit, you know, they won't put you in a nursing home unless they absolutely have to. But it's still all about you, isn't it? It's more long-term you're planning.

For the long range, maybe you even think like a lot of people that that Jesus is about you. You think all of this. What we're here for Jesus the Bible the faith the prayers worship the church, it's all for Self.

Just last Friday. We were going for a New Year's Eve meal and listen to K love radio heard this song. I know I've heard it many times before but never paid any attention to his words and It begins I keep hearing voices in my head that I'm not enough.

Every single lie that tells me I will never measure up and in the song. No, those are lies. You're not enough. You'll never measure up in the the refrain goes over and over again. I believe I believe believe what and Herself the singer.

That I do measure up the that I am enough. I was thinking listen to that song I keep hearing voices in my head that I'm not a bad voice is probably the Holy Spirit. Actually telling you you're not enough using the Word of God you fall in short of God's glory in the sin and you need to repent.

Yeah, that's those are lies. Those are the truth. But that's what we're fed today. Sometimes in Christian radio and songs you believe to believe believe in yourself. Well, Jesus comes directly from the Father declaring that he is the that he is my beloved son.

To it comes from that on the mountaintop. To dealing with the devil just like before after his baptism remember the baptism same way. This is my beloved son. Whom I'm well pleased and then goes into the desert to be tempted here.

He hears God saying the mountaintop my beloved son and then he goes and deals have to deal with the devil. He comes in the mountaintop of glory to the valley with Satan and Unbelief with people who think life is all about Self.

Maybe they've been singing that song to themselves all day long. The first of those people are his own disciples those he left behind. When he went up to the mountaintop and while he's on the mountaintop there in the valley.

They're wrestling with Satan. They're trying to cast out demons in Mark chapter 6 verse 7 when Jesus called the Apostles He gave him authority over evil spirits to cast them out. And so they should be able to cast them out but here.

They can't. Why? Well, Jesus comes down from the mountain to see in the in the valley his other disciples because they have a crowd around them. That's kind of interesting. If a crowd around them tried to cast out these demons out of this boy and they're they're doing in front of an audience.

Interesting that Jesus remember we were before in Mark almost every time he did some miracle for someone. He would take them away from the crowds. Do it in private. Well here there's a crowd around the disciples and the scribes the Bible scholars.

They're arguing with them probably about why they can't cast out the demons out of this boy. And when the crowd sees Jesus they they run to him. They turn their attention to him. Something amazing about Jesus being there in verse 15.

They're flocking to him and Jesus asked him what they're. What's this argument about? What's this debate you've been putting on here a man speaks up the father of the boy. He calls Jesus teacher rabbi.

It's a master. It's a term of respect. So he's being very respectful to Jesus. He says in verse 17 that he brought his son to him to Jesus. And of course Jesus wasn't there. He was away on the mountaintop and the man describes the problem verse 18.

The boy has an evil spirit that gives him seizures and the man asked the disciples to cast this the spirit out of out of his Son, but they weren't able. Again, why? Why weren't they able. When Jesus has already given them authority to do it.

Jesus then in verse 19 laments that generation. That that culture of people that society. He says that they are faithless. Now this is very much like what he said at the last verse of chapter 8. Just before the transfiguration he described the generation as Adulterous and sinful.

To be adulterous is to not know what someone is for not to know what you are for. You're for your spouse not someone you're not married to. The adulterous person thinks you're narcissistically. Anyone I want is for me hearing verse 19 the same generation.

Adulterous now faithless basically the same thing to be faithless to be unbelieving to be faithless as it's not to have faith faith in who though. Disciples had some kind of faith. They had enough faith to try to cast the demon out.

And when the father asked them to do it, they didn't throw up their hands and say no way we can do that. What do you what do you who do you think we are? No, they they thought they could do it. They tried to do it.

They're gonna they're not even understanding why they're not able. They tried to because they had faith in something. Maybe they had faith in their authority. Jesus had told them I've given you authority or maybe in their goodwill.

We're good people. We're religious. Their religion maybe their faith. Their faith in themselves is what they had faith in. They just didn't have faith in the right thing. So they were faith less like that generation like our generation.

And so Jesus asked for the boy and they bring him notice the verse 20 when the evil spirit saw Jesus and convulsed the boy. It's in them into a seizure. He's rolling around on the ground. He's foaming at the mouth and Jesus asked the father how long the boy has had these kind of seizures.

He says from early childhood and the the spirit makes the boy try to throw himself into fires or underwater to kill him. But trying to make him commit suicide and the father pleads pathetically in verse 22 if you can do anything.

Have compassion On us and help us. It's a faithless generation the man and the disciples are raised in an atmosphere of unbelief. That's the culture of that and of our generation, but he's desperate and so as Jesus.

If you can do anything. Have mercy and that provokes Jesus's response in verse 23 if you can. If you can't you're not sure that I can do it and yet you're asking me to do it. That's the faithless generation speaking questioning if Jesus is able to overcome this evil spirit to do the miracle to do anything and then Jesus says.

All things are possible for one who believes. Now this verse is popular with the prosperity gospel people that they'll say if you want something. You're crippled and bound to a bed or you're poor you have cancer.

You want to be healed or you want to be made rich then all you have to do is believe have faith. Don't be part of the faithless generation. All things are possible for one who has faith but faith in what?

Believes in who. You know faith has to be in something. Has to be focused on someone what or who? Notice how the prosperity preachers they got a smuggle in their assumption, you know, they don't really explain it.

They just sort of assume it. Faith and whatever you want to have faith in faith in yourself you choose to be healthy or wealthy or powerful and. You have faith in what you and your sovereignty choose and your faith in yourself.

Makes it come to pass but that's not what Jesus is saying here. Jesus has challenged this man. What do you mean if I can have faith faith in who. Believe not just in anything not just have a positive mental attitude, you know be be more optimistic fella.

Things will get better in 2022. Have faith faith in self you can do it. You just set your mind to it. Have faith in me Jesus says. What's faith for? Well, not for ourselves. Whatever we want is for relying on Jesus.

And so immediately the man cries out in verse 24. I believe he means I believe you Jesus but help my unbelief. What's faith for? Well, that depends on what it is. Many people think it's something they they gin up with their willpower.

They choose to believe in one thing or another. Maybe against all evidence. That faith can get you whatever you want and we're sold this all the time and we're we're told. You can be anything you set your mind on.

Really. No, even if you can barely jump and you have really poor coordination still. You can be an NBA star if you just set your mind to it. Just believe. Now it's like to play the music man. Some of you've seen that the Mary and the librarian chooses to believe in the music man against all evidence and that faith Transforms him and makes him into the kind of man.

She wants him to be. People take verse 23 here and make it about self-faith and self not the Son and they think they Can do anything but here the man says he has he has some faith in Jesus he's just asked Jesus if you can.

That's who his faith is in as partial as it is Jesus if you can and he confesses also to some unbelief help my Unbelief. Oh, it's helped me believe you more. I Need to believe you better. I just believe what I want.

I need to believe in you better pure stronger. But we've been told that faith is something that we will ourselves to have. No, but we manufacture it in our minds we determine to believe and what we want to believe in and Somehow with that we can make ourselves get anything we want.

And so why does he ask here? But if that's true, why here does he ask Jesus for help? For his unbelief. Now faith is just something that comes from his will his mind. Depends entirely on him. Then why does he ask Jesus for help for it?

But he does he's actually right the man is actually perfectly right because that's not what faith is for. It's not what faith is and it's not what it's for is a gift that comes from God and it's focused on God here on Jesus and so he pleads for help to believe.

Because our faith comes from him and is about him. It's for him help my unbelief. It's a great prayer. And verse 25 the crowds that were around the disciples are now gathering around Jesus. What are miracles for over and over again in Mark Jesus doesn't do miracles just for the publicity.

And so now he hurries up. He rebukes the spirit you mute and deaf spirit I command you come out of him and never enter him again and like a spoiled child being overpowered. It throws a fit but it has no choice but to obey.

Now some thought the boy was dead. He's kind of lying stiff on the ground and but Jesus takes him up by the hand. He's restored and The disciples later asking verse 28, why couldn't we cast it out? We were asking that of ourselves earlier.

Why couldn't they cast it out? And Jesus says in verse 29 this kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer. What's prayer for now many people assume that prayer is like making a wish at a wishing well you throw in your coin and You wish for what you want.

Prayer they think the same way you pray and ask for what you want. You don't even have to give a coin. It's for you. It's for Self, it's about changing. Something out there changing what you want changed in the world in your life, but did you notice that Jesus doesn't pray.

That's odd, isn't it? There's no count of here him praying here. Yet he says that it can't come out except by prayer, but he didn't pray. The disciples couldn't cast it out because they didn't pray that's because prayer is supposed to make us depend on God.

Prayers is for God not for changing God for changing us. To be more like God for us focusing on God. God is already focused on God. Jesus doesn't need to pray. He's already focused on God. We're not we need to pray to get our eyes off ourself to stop believing in ourselves to come to God with honest humility.

Spreading out our needs. I need this. I want this admitting our dependence on him. Maybe he'll change what we want. Then We can overcome the devil. But if we think it's all about us. Everything is all about us.

We're actually like the devil that's why we can't overcome him because we're like him. Now if we think Jesus is his authority is Prayer the Bible faith the church is about us. It's about self to get what we want.

I will get this so I'm gonna use this Bible. I'm gonna use faith. I'm gonna use whatever to get what I want. I will I will well within we're a lot like Satan. Satan said in Isaiah 14 I will ascend. I will set my throne.

I will I will I will make myself like the Most High. Satan is about self. Are you? What is Jesus for? I'm any soon just assume That he's for them. He's their ticket to the easy life wealth health popularity a comfortable stress free Trauma free life even if they're not a Kind of simplistic quid pro quo prosperity believers who promised that if you give a dollar you'll get ten dollars back, you know that kind.

If they're not simplistic like that, maybe they have a kind of a general you scratch my back I'll scratch yours kind of prosperity doctrine that that he's for you. He's for your comfort. He's for your best life now.

That's what Peter thought. That's what all the disciples thought. Jesus is for triumph. He's not for suffering. What sense does it make for a Messiah? You are the Messiah the Son of the Living God. What sense is it make for him to be for suffering?

And so Jesus teaches them as they're walking through Galilee. The Son of Man me it's going to be delivered to the hands of men and they will kill him. They're going through Galilee's this time. He's not teaching other people not doing big meetings.

He's not praying for other people. He's focusing in on these disciples to get that lesson through to them and he can't be any plainer. But they're so certain That he's for their ease. He's the Messiah.

That's what he exists for. He's for their triumph. They can't believe it. They can't understand it. He's focusing on his disciples. So at least they'll Understand out of all this self-indulgent Faithless generation.

We just finished with Christmas was the world loves and Many Christians think Christmas is a great time the world now has his attention on Jesus. So it's a great time to talk about you get people to talk about him and focus on him.

Well sort of maybe I'm not sure. Now the world loves Christmas. Because it's about a baby. It's about comfort and joy. It's not about suffering. It's not about nails spears piercing him through the cross he bore for me for you.

Jesus tells them plainly he will suffer they will kill me he says. Then he'll be raised from the dead. But they couldn't understand. Because their minds are so full of the idea that he Jesus. The faith the promises the kingdom of God the Bible it's all for self no suffering.

They couldn't hear him and they were afraid to ask What's your faith for. It's a forgetting the stuff. The things the life you want is it to avoid suffering? So you pray to get what you want. You believe you think you believe to get God to act for you to move him you give to get more back.