Luke 19:41-48 (NRSV)

As he came near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, "If you, even you, had only recognized on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.  Indeed, the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up ramparts around you and surround you, and hem you in on every side.  They will crush you to the ground, you and your children within you, and they will not leave within you one stone upon another; because you did not recognize the time of your visitation from God."  Then he entered the temple and began to drive out those who were selling things there; and he said, "It is written, 'My house shall be a house of prayer'; but you have made it a den of robbers."  Every day he was teaching in the temple.  The chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people kept looking for a way to kill him; but they did not find anything they could do, for all the people were spellbound by what they heard.

‘Rampart’ is the word that stands out.  I also feel that it is central to the reading.  Some people don’t know what a rampart is.  It is a fortified wall or barrier.  Jerusalem of antiquity is a fortified city with a wall around it to protect it.  Jesus has arrived at Jerusalem and the first thing he does is weep for the city and the people that he loves.  To me this is in direct contrast to the thought of “ramparts.”  I will say more about that in a bit.

Even though this isn’t the Gospel according to Mark that we have been reading through, it seems fast paced to me and gets very quickly from his arrival to him driving out the sellers from the temple.  I feel that Mark offers more detail even though Luke has the reputation for detail.

From the onset of this passage, Jesus offers a ‘prophecy’ of the destruction of the fortified city of Jerusalem.  He shows emotion, a deep sadness and weeps because the people are destroying themselves by turning away from God.  They fail to recognize that God is with them in the person of Jesus.  When he enters the temple, his sadness turns to anger and he drives out the merchants and moneychangers.  This confirms his feeling that the people are destroying themselves.

Sadness and anger are very deep human emotions.  Jesus opens up and displays these emotions, making him vulnerable to ridicule and persecution.  However, he doesn’t display them inappropriately.  He has every right to feel the way he feels.  I feel that in order to be receptive and learn we need to be open and a bit vulnerable.  The call for us today is to take down the barriers that we have put up in order to protect us from the things we fear.  We shouldn’t be afraid to be who we are and appropriately show emotion.

Mark 10:32-45 (NRSV)

They were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them; they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them what was to happen to him, saying, "See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death; then they will hand him over to the Gentiles; they will mock him, and spit upon him, and flog him, and kill him; and after three days he will rise again."  James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to him and said to him, "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you."  And he said to them, "What is it you want me to do for you?"  And they said to him, "Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory."  But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?"  They replied, "We are able." Then Jesus said to them, "The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared."  When the ten heard this, they began to be angry with James and John.  So Jesus called them and said to them, "You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them.  But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all.  For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many."

Jesus asks, “what is it you want me to do for you?”  This is the phrase that stands out and is an excellent response to anyone when you desire more clear direction.  I have personally used this phrase and it seems to stop people in their tracks, especially when they want something from you.

The scriptures have been building up to this.  Through the last few chapters of Mark, Jesus has been on his way to Jerusalem and the fate that awaits him.  Jesus knew what was ahead and so did his followers.  He was walking ahead, and those following were afraid.  Jesus shares with the disciples what they already know to be true.  James and John are worried about who is to take over once Jesus is killed.

Nothing infuriates an organization worse than a power vacuum.  Jesus sets it straight, saying that there is no use arguing over who “sits at the right hand” because it already belongs to who it is prepared for.  However, Jesus doesn’t say who.  Jesus then explains “servant leadership” and sacrifice.  He says that the conventional leadership as they understand it (like a tyrant over gentiles) doesn’t work in the kingdom of God.  Roles and expectations are not what we expect to see.

Jesus explains that a leader who “serves” others was not the norm in society (and it’s not the norm today).  And sacrificial actions were considered a display of weakness.  The call that I hear today is to model Jesus’ “servant leadership.”   Be a servant leader and seek to serve other and be among those who serve.  Lead from within and make sacrifices of yourself to behalf others.