The Great Reversal / Mark 10:13-52

Introduction: The Servant Messiah

Well, hello, church. How are you? We’re live, that’s good! That’s a good start. My name is Mike. I am an eleven-year staff member here at The Well Community Church, and it is my great privilege to be here. I have the incredible opportunity to teach our residency program with some remarkably talented guys, and I’ve had an absolute blast doing that.

If you’ve been with us this summer, you know that we’re in the Gospel of Mark, so I invite you to turn there with me. We are in Mark chapter 10 this evening. We’re going to pick up right where Shay left off last week after that amazing message on divorce and God’s true heart for marriage. We will pick up in verse 13 and move from there.

If you’re new or maybe just returning from summer vacations and catching up with us in the book of Mark, I want to tell you a little bit about Mark’s style. You need to understand this as we step into this text tonight. Mark portrays an aspect of Jesus that is unique among the Gospels: he is demonstrating to his readers that Jesus is the ultimate Servant. In fact, we are going to look at the theme verse of the entire Gospel of Mark, found right here in chapter 10.

Mark 10:45 (NASB)

‘For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.’

All the passages we have read so far, and everything we will read in the coming months, revolve around that central theme. Mark’s deep hope is that we would truly engage these stories. As we hear them, he wants us to paint ourselves into the narrative. And not only does he want us to see it and interact with it, but Mark wants us to leave changed. He wants us to be impacted in such a way that we are forced to make a definitive decision about who Jesus is—as Servant, as Messiah, and as our Savior.

Tonight, we are going to look at four distinct stories. On any other week, these could easily be four different sermons, but at the pace we’re moving through Mark, we’re jamming through all of them!

First, we’ll see Jesus interact with little children and teach a vital kingdom lesson. Second, we’ll examine Jesus dealing with the rich young ruler—a man PJ introduced us to two weeks ago. Third, we will see Jesus heal a blind beggar named Bartimaeus. And lastly, Jesus pulls His twelve disciples aside to teach them a lesson with eternal consequences for you and me.

At each one of these turns, I want to pull back to a 30,000-foot view and draw out two key takeaways: what each story teaches us about Jesus, and what it teaches us about the gospel. Notice the urgency here—next week, as we jump into chapter 11, we enter the Passion Week. We are literally a week and a half away from the cross.

1. Welcoming the Least and the Last

Let’s jump straight into Mark 10, beginning in verse 13.

Mark 10:13 (NASB)

And they were bringing children to Him so that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked them.

People were bringing children to Jesus—not just infants, but kids all the way up to twelve years old. But the disciples stepped in and rebuked the parents. They thought, for whatever reason, that this was a terrible idea. In that ancient culture, children were viewed as lowly, powerless, and having nothing tangible to offer society. They represented the least, the last, the insignificant, and those who had nothing to bring to the table. But look at how Jesus responds in verse 14.

Mark 10:14-15 (NASB)

But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and said to them, ’Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. ‘Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it [at] [all].’

Jesus was indignant. That is an extraordinarily strong, emotive word in the Greek. He was righteously angry! He told His disciples, “Stop getting in their way! Let them come to Me.” In verse 16, He takes them into His arms, lays His hands on them, and blesses them.

Why did Jesus do this? These children represent everyone in the world who is overlooked and devalued. From this first story, we learn two profound lessons. About the gospel, we learn that we must approach Christ with childlike trust, dependence, and an empty-handed posture. And about Jesus, we learn that the very people our society devalues, Jesus elevates.

2. The Rich Young Ruler and the Cost of Discipleship

Now, if the kingdom of God belongs to people like these children, who does it not belong to? Look at verse 17.

Mark 10:17 (NASB)

As He was setting out on a journey, a man ran up to Him and knelt before Him, and asked Him, ‘Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?’

Here comes the rich young ruler. The other Gospels tell us he had wealth, youth, power, and high social standing. He is society’s poster child—the exact opposite of the children. He is the guy everybody wants to be. We look at him and say, “Man, if I only had that kind of money, that car, that career, that influence—and all the hair still on my head—that is what success looks like!”

Notice his posture. He runs to Jesus—which was undignified and culturally shameful for an elite man—and he falls on his knees in deep respect, calling Him “Good Teacher.” In verse 20, we see that Jesus genuinely loves this man. He is a moral, sincere guy. But like a master surgeon, Jesus is about to peel back the layers of his heart to expose what he is truly trusting in.

Mark 10:19-21 (NASB)

’You know the commandments, ‘DO NOT MURDER, DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, DO NOT STEAL, DO NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS, Do not defraud, HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER.’’ And he said to Him, ‘Teacher, I have kept all these things from my youth up.’ Looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him and said to him, ‘One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.’

Jesus lists six commandments—the outward, measurable ones dealing with our neighbors. The young man answers, “Teacher, I have kept all these from my youth.”

Is Jesus teaching works-righteousness here? Absolutely not. He is exposing the man’s self-righteousness. He says, “One thing you lack: go, sell all that you possess, give it to the poor, and come, follow Me.” Jesus asks him to abandon everything he finds his security in—his money, his status, his safety nets—and place his full, undivided trust in Christ alone.

Mark 10:22 (NASB)

But at these words he was saddened, and he went away grieving, for he was one who owned much property.

PJ made a fantastic observation two weeks ago: people who walk away from Jesus usually don’t do so because they don’t understand what He wants. They know exactly what He demands. This man saw the fork in the road, knew what Jesus was asking, and simply refused to let go of his self-sufficiency. He walked away grieving because there was no transfer of trust.

Jesus then turns to His disciples in verse 23.

Mark 10:23-25 (NASB)

And Jesus, looking around, said to His disciples, ‘How hard it will be for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God!’ The disciples were amazed at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, ’Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! ‘It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.’

Is Jesus saying money itself is inherently evil? No. He’s saying that anyone who has earthly wealth and self-reliance faces a massive barrier: the temptation to trust in their own resources rather than in God.

When Jesus repeats this, the disciples are astonished. It’s like Jesus just finished an incredible sermon and the disciples are nodding along saying, “Wow, great point, Jesus!” And Jesus thinks, The lights are on, but nobody is home. They still don’t realize He is talking to them. They have their own pride and self-interest standing in the way.

As my friend Rick Taylor teaches on the Sermon on the Mount: “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” It literally means the spiritually bankrupt—those who know they have nothing to offer God. When you recognize your spiritual bankruptcy, you are finally ready to place your complete trust in Christ.

Mark 10:26-27 (NASB)

They were even more astonished and said to Him, ‘Then who can be saved?’ Looking at them, Jesus said, ‘With people it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God.’

Finally, the gears start turning, and the disciples ask the right question: “Then who can be saved?” Jesus looks at them and says, “With man it is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”

What do we learn from the rich young ruler? About the gospel, we learn that it demands a complete transfer of trust from self to Christ alone. You cannot trust in your own goodness and in Jesus simultaneously. And about Jesus, we learn that what He asks of us is simple, but it is not easy. It demands our entire lives.

3. Bartimaeus: A Picture of True Faith

On one end of the spectrum, we have a child who comes with empty hands and simple trust. On the other end, we have a wealthy ruler clinging tightly to his self-reliance. Now, let’s skip down to verse 46 to see the living object lesson of what true saving faith looks like in practice.

Mark 10:46-48 (NASB)

Then they came to Jericho. And as He was leaving Jericho with His disciples and a large crowd, a blind beggar [named] Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the road. When he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene, he began to cry out and say, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’ Many were sternly telling him to be quiet, but he kept crying out all the more, ‘Son of David, have mercy on me!’

As Jesus leaves Jericho, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus hears that Jesus of Nazareth is passing by. He begins crying out at the top of his lungs, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” The crowd tells him to shut up and stop making a scene, but he only yells louder.

Mark 10:49-52 (NASB)

And Jesus stopped and said, ‘Call him [here].’ So they called the blind man, saying to him, ‘Take courage, stand up! He is calling for you.’ Throwing aside his cloak, he jumped up and came to Jesus. And answering him, Jesus said, ‘What do you want Me to do for you?’ And the blind man said to Him, ‘Rabboni, [I want] to regain my sight!’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Go; your faith has made you well.’ Immediately he regained his sight and [began] following Him on the road.

Look at verse 50: throwing aside his cloak, Bartimaeus jumps up and comes to Jesus in the dark. A blind beggar’s cloak was practically his only worldly possession and his means of gathering alms. He casts it aside, completely abandoning his former life.

Jesus asks him, “What do you want Me to do for you?” Bartimaeus replies, “Rabboni, I want to see.” And Jesus tells him, “Go; your faith has healed you.” Immediately he receives his sight and follows Jesus on the road.

Bartimaeus is the living embodiment of the children Jesus blessed. He is the least, the last, the blind beggar with nothing to offer. He recognized his complete bankruptcy, cast aside everything, put his whole trust in Jesus, and was wonderfully saved.

4. The Upside-Down Kingdom

Now, let’s step back into the middle of this chapter, to verses 32 through 45, where Jesus addresses His disciples’ lingering ambition.

Mark 10:32-37 (NASB)

They were on the road going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking on ahead of them; and they were amazed, and those who followed were fearful. And again He took the twelve aside and began to tell them what was going to happen to Him, [saying], ’Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and will hand Him over to the Gentiles. ‘They will mock Him and spit on Him, and scourge Him and kill [Him], and three days later He will rise again.’ James and John, the two sons of Zebedee, came up to Jesus, saying, ‘Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask of You.’ And He said to them, ‘What do you want Me to do for you?’ They said to Him, ‘Grant that we may sit, one on Your right and one on [Your] left, in Your glory.’

For the third time, Jesus plainly tells the Twelve that He is heading to Jerusalem to be mocked, scourged, crucified, and resurrected. And immediately after hearing that Jesus is going to die, James and John pull Him aside for a private request: “Teacher, grant us to sit, one on Your right and one on Your left, in Your glory.”

Talk about missing the point entirely! They are basically saying, “Jesus, we know You’re the CEO, but can James and I be the Senior Vice Presidents? After following You for three years, what’s in it for us? How can we be exalted?”

Jesus asks them the exact same question He asked blind Bartimaeus: “What do you want Me to do for you?” But can you imagine the difference in tone?

Mark 10:38-41 (NASB)

But Jesus said to them, ‘You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?’ They said to Him, ‘We are able.’ And Jesus said to them, ’The cup that I drink you shall drink; and you shall be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized. ‘But to sit on My right or on [My] left, this is not Mine to give; but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.’ Hearing [this], the ten began to feel indignant with James and John.

Jesus asks if they can drink the cup of divine wrath and endure the baptism of suffering He must face. They glibly answer, “We are able.” When the other ten disciples hear about this, they are furious with James and John. Not because the ten were spiritually enlightened, but because James and John beat them to the punch! They all wanted the top spots.

So Jesus gathers the Twelve around Him to cast a completely revolutionary vision of leadership.

Mark 10:42-45 (NASB)

Calling them to Himself, Jesus said to them, ’You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them; and their great men exercise authority over them. ’But it is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all. ‘For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.’

Jesus tells them that earthly rulers lord power over others, treating people as stepping stones for their own ambition. But in the kingdom of God, greatness is defined by servanthood. If you want to be first, you must become the slave of all.

In Exodus 21, God gave a provision for Hebrew bondservants. After six years of service, a servant was legally free to leave. But if that servant loved his master and said, “I love my master; I will not go out free,” the master would take him to the doorpost and pierce his ear with an awl. That servant became a voluntary bondservant for life. Jesus says, “That is the kind of willing, loving devotion I am calling you to.”

And why? Because Jesus went first. The Creator of the universe did not come to be served, but to serve, and to lay down His very life as a ransom for many.

The Heart of the Servant King

To fully grasp the magnitude of what Jesus did, we need to turn to Philippians chapter 2.

Philippians 2:5-8 (NASB)

Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, [and] being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Although Jesus existed in the very nature of God, possessing 100% deity, He did not cling to His divine privileges. He emptied Himself, taking on the form of a bondservant, and humbled Himself to the point of a criminal’s death on a cross.

Have you ever seen the television show Undercover Boss? A few weeks ago, I watched the very first episode featuring Larry O’Donnell, the CEO of Waste Management. It is a fascinating concept. The CEO goes undercover inside his own company disguised as an entry-level worker named “Bob.”

He leaves his tailored three-piece suit in a locker room, puts on Carhartt pants and a Dickies work shirt, grabs gloves and a shovel, and goes out to clean up trash heaps and empty porta-potties. Imagine that—the head of a multi-billion dollar corporation cleaning porta-potties! Nobody knew who he was. He watched how employees treated one another. Some people worked hard with golden hearts, while some middle managers treated their workers like dirt.

At the end of the week, he flies back to corporate headquarters, puts his executive suit back on, and brings those employees into his boardroom. When they walk in and realize that “Bob” the trash collector is actually the CEO, the look of sheer terror on their faces is priceless! He rewarded and promoted the humble workers, and he severely rebuked the arrogant managers.

As I watched that, I thought: That is a picture of the gospel! The King stepped off His throne, laid aside His royal garments, took on the form of a humble servant, lived among us, and served us at the lowest level. And one day, He will be revealed in all His glorious majesty.

Conclusion and Application

Why did Mark string these four stories together? Because together, they drive home two essential truths:

First, regarding Jesus: to truly follow Him, we must completely abandon hope in our own self-righteousness. Like the rich young ruler, we must see the fork in the road, turn away from our self-reliance, and cast all our hope on Christ alone.

Second, regarding the gospel: how we treat other people reveals what we truly believe about the grace of God. If we look down on people, view others as stepping stones, or treat them as inconveniences, we have missed the servant heart of Christ.

I have to confess, I struggle with this all the time. I so easily see people as a nuisance. I get frustrated at four-way stops when people don’t know whose turn it is. I get irritated when I’m driving down Shepherd Avenue at 5:30 in the morning for our residency program and someone is driving 30 mph in a 50 mph zone.

While I was preparing this very message, I was sitting at a red light at Blackstone and Herndon. I saw a homeless man standing on the corner with a shopping cart, wearing every layer of clothing he owned, holding a cardboard sign. I had a dollar and some change in my cup holder, and I thought, I should probably give this to him. But then I started debating in my head: What if he buys alcohol? What if he buys cigarettes? Should I really give him this?

While I was rationalizing why I shouldn’t serve this man, a minivan pulled up in the lane next to me. I watched the woman driving frantically search her car—opening the glove compartment, checking the sunglass holder, reaching into the backseat to grab a bottle of water and a handful of change. She rolled down her window with a smile, handed it to the man, and drove away.

As I sat there, it was as if God tapped on my window and asked, “Mike, who has a better understanding of the gospel? You—the pastor about to preach on servanthood—or her?”

Church, Jesus came not to be served, but to serve. As we enter a time of worship, ask yourself: Is there something you are clinging to, like the rich young ruler, that you refuse to surrender to Jesus? Or is there an area in your relationships where you need to lay down your pride and take on the heart of a servant?

Let’s pray.

Father, we thank You for Your Word. As we reflect on the servant heart of our Savior, search our hearts. Expose any self-righteousness, pride, or self-reliance that keeps us from trusting You fully. Forgive us for the ways we devalue and overlook others. Grant us the childlike faith of Bartimaeus, the humility of Christ, and hearts that long to serve our neighbors. We commit our lives into Your hands. In the precious name of Jesus, our Savior and King, Amen.