Thursday + The Voice of the Disciples + Mark 14:12-16

When considering a new job it’s important to look at the expectations expected for the job. As a friend has said to me, “be careful of those job descriptions that say, ‘other duties as assigned’”.

Amen.

When considering the life of a follower of Jesus there are tasks, duties, commands, and expectations that come with titles such as, “redeemed”, “saint”, "born again”, and “saved”, among many others.

Therefore I want us to listen to the voice of the disciples today so that we might peer into the day to day life of a follower of Jesus Christ with the hopes we would listen, learn, and do.

Have you considered what you are to do as opposed to what Jesus is to do?

The reason I ask flows out of this passage. In vs. 12 the disciples ask Jesus, “where shall we prepare the Passover for you.” They didn’t ask Jesus what time they should show up for the meal he was preparing. No, instead, they knew they were to do something for Jesus.

I can’t help but push this Scripture up against John 14:3 when Jesus tells the disciples, “If I go and prepare a place for you…”

Did you catch what Scripture is doing? There are tasks for humans to do, which humans can do and there is work for Jesus to do that only Jesus can do. Now, please hear me, they are not the same, Jesus is on another level.

The disciples cannot prepare the place Jesus was talking about in heaven, but the disciples can prepare a meal for Jesus on earth.

Every Sunday morning in the life of the church I serve called Nashville Methodist, we, very rightly so, celebrate the Lord’s Supper at our contemporary services. Every Sunday morning real, live, breathing human beings come very early in the morning, ready the bread and juice and prepare the table so that the church might feast upon Christ.

While God could just zap down some juice and bread (it would be Welch’s and King’s Hawaiian, I’m sure of it) and place it on the table, that’s not the way God works.

We prepare the table - that’s what we can do.

We ask God to anoint the elements - that’s what God does.

Each Sunday, during the Epiclesis when the presider hovers his or her hands over the elements and we begin praying, “Holy Spirit pour out your anointing upon these elements…” we are asking and trusting God to infuse the elements in a way that they are no longer merely bread and juice. What are they? That’s another story.

Think about the servants at the wedding in Cana of Galilee, servants filled up the jars (John 2:7) or when Jesus needed the donkey, he asked his disciples to get it ready (Matthew 21:1) or when he raised Lazarus, those nearby had to unbind him (John 11:44).

Saint, God loves to partner with his kids in his work, not because he needs us, but because he loves us.

God calls you because he loves you. God invites you to serve because he loves you. God invites you to be like him because you were made to be like him. 

On a personal level, this past Sunday I did something I had not done in my 15 years of ministry, however I knew it was done by the saints who had gone before me and is found in Scripture (Leviticus 8:23-24). I anointed the ears of my brothers and sisters. It was one of the holiest times of my life.

What was happening there? I was touching their ears with anointing oil, trusting God to do what only God can do - give us ears to hear him.

It’s all throughout Scripture.

We bring the wood. God brings the fire.

We bring our sins. God brings forgiveness.

We prepare the table. God brings his presence.

The One who has prepared a place for us when we die has also prepared a life for us to live while we live. Saint, if you truly know your future is secure, your past redeemed, enter the freedom of giving Jesus your present by serving him with your life.

The voice of the disciples remind us that there is stuff to do. Jesus has and will always do his part. We are the ones on trial. Will we do this stuff? While we offer our bodies as a living sacrifice? Will we prepare the table? Will we hold babies in the nursery? Will we teach the children the stories of Jesus? Will we sit with the elderly who are often forgotten? Will we offer our time to be part of Bible Study? Will we serve on church committees? Will we set up the Fellowship Hall? Will we do the stuff?

Will we do with our lives what we were saved to do with our lives?

Amen. Amen. Amen.