OIA 12.35-43

Observations

• Who: Jesus, large crowd, scribes, poor widow, disciples
• When: Wednesday of Jesus’ last week.
• Where: Jerusalem, the Temple courts, opposite the treasury.
• What: Jesus teaching in the temple: about the Son of David, the hypocrisy of the scribes, loving God
• Connections: Bartimaeus calling Jesus the son of David in 10.46-52; Jesus again argues from scripture, this time from the Writings (Psalm 110) instead of the Pentateuch; condemnation of religious leadership’s hypocrisy in Mark 7; an unexpected person, the poor widow, understands God and the rich worshipers do not – yet another example in Mark’s narrative of who has eyes to see.
• Contrasts: David’s son/Lord; messianic expectations/Jesus’ reality; positive reaction to individual scribe/condemnation of scribal hypocrisy; giving from abundance/giving all one has
• Responses to Jesus: crowds listen with delight; disciples respond and listen

Interpretation

• These two (or three) stories conclude Jesus’ final visit to the temple. When he leaves the temple in the verse following these stories, he never returns. So it is worth paying special attention to these stories!
• This section, 10.36-12.44, begins with blind Bartimaeus begging the Son of David for mercy and ends with Jesus’ comments about the Son of David. Mark uses these literary bookends to help us understand the theme of this section, that Jesus is in fact the messiah spoken of in Psalms and the Prophets and in the Torah. But Jesus’ role of messiah will be different than the expected restoration of David’s political kingdom and the expectation of Jerusalem as God’s exclusive throne.
• In the culture of that day a son was considered subservient to his father. Jesus here claims supremacy over David. Jesus’ authority is of a different order. He, as David’s Lord, is the true Lord of Israel.
• Jesus had command of scripture. He used a text from the Torah to address the Sadducees and here he uses a text from Psalms to teach about his unique position in redemptive history. Interestingly this Psalm, 110, includes reference to Melchizedek (see Genesis 14.18, Heb 5.6-10, 6.20, and 7.1-17). Jesus purposely quotes this Psalm to not only emphasize his authority as David’s Lord but as a reminder that God’s plan in history is far more inclusive than then-contemporary theology taught.
• The widow is yet another surprising story, one of many where Mark introduces an unlikely and unexpected character to illustrate responsiveness to Jesus by those who have eyes to see. In many ways this woman meets Mark’s definition of faith by her utter and complete devotion to God and his work in history.
• The woman stands in stark contrast to religious hypocrites who love position, power, and prestige.
• And it is interesting that, though her gift is given to a corrupt system characterized by religious blindness and self-centered hypocrisy, God none the less sees and honor’s the woman’s tangible expression of total devotion. How much greater the judgment that will fall on religious pretenders for abusing the devotion of the last, the least, the lost!

Application

• Jesus’ authority is absolute and extends beyond any national and political boundaries.
• The widow, like Jesus himself, is an example of loving God and neighbor with complete abandon.

 

Discussion Prompts 12.35-43

Introduction

• What is your understanding of predictions about the Messiah in the Old Testament? 

The Text: Mark 12.35-43 Page 30.18-31.7

• Read the text aloud to each other. Look back over chapter 11 and 12 and review the different discussions and events of Jesus’ final visit to the Temple.

Discussion Questions:

• Why do you think Jesus chose to end his Temple visit with these two teaching themes, the Son of David, and the poor widow?
• What is the main thing Jesus intends to teach his listeners about his role as Son of David? How is this different than the prevailing teaching of the scribes and other religious leaders?
• Discuss everything you notice about this widow and her gift. Does the story of this woman bring to mind any other surprising stories about individuals included in Mark’s narrative? What is the most important thing Jesus wants his disciples to understand about this widow? Why would Mark choose this story to summarize Jesus’ teaching in the Temple?

Application reflections

• How are we responding to the Lord who is greater than David?
• Do you think Jesus has anything to say to us about ways we have misunderstood his identity and role as Messiah?
• What gift to the Lord and his kingdom would represent ultimate devotion and dependency for us? 

Pray

 

OIA 12.28-34

Observations

• Who: Jesus, lawyer, others in the temple
• When: Wednesday of Jesus’ last week.
• Where: Jerusalem, the Temple courts.
• What: Continuing series of questions and answers in the Temple courts.
• Connections: another cameo appearance of one who seems to have eye/ears, like Jairus, the demoniac, Syrophoenician woman and others; continuing discussion of scripture, and of the Torah; Jesus invites further response by his observation about this man’s proximity to the kingdom of God.
• Contrasts: respectful question/trick questions; actual interest/deceit; person focused on God/leaders focused on politics and position; Jesus honors this man/Jesus condemns.
• Responses to Jesus: respect; recognition of biblical wisdom; affirmation; deceitful questions cease.

Interpretation

• This story catches is a bit by surprise in this sequence of temple arguments because this man is sincere in both his respect for Jesus and in his genuine interest in understanding scripture.
• This man seems to be an example of one who has eyes to see: he, like the disciples in chapter 4, is asking the right question at the right time of the right person. And like the rich young ruler he seems to really want to know, and to have devoted much of his life to thinking about and seeking to obey God.
• Jesus recognizes this by giving more to those who have (see Mark 4.25): instead of just one commandment, he gives two!
• This man fits into Mark’s pattern of having unexpected people pop up that recognize Jesus, while the crowd and the religious leaders who should recognize him remain confused and antagonistic. This same pattern will happen again a few more times before the end of Mark’s narrative.
• Jesus moves this conversation beyond theological investigation by including the command about loving your neighbor. Jesus uses this man’s question, and real interest, as an opportunity to invite the man into a deeper response to himself. The question of scripture is not about mental assent, or theological accuracy: it is about the kingdom of God and eternal life. Jesus invites this man to respond!
• And as in each of the questions in this section, Jesus ends as the judge and not the judged. Jesus continues to demonstrate his authority by identifying the lawyer’s position.
• It is worth stepping back and asking ourselves the question: who does Jesus apply and obey these two greatest commands. Surely for Jesus his obedience to God and his complete love for his neighbor is shown by his journey to the cross, to his death, and to God’s confirmation of Jesus’ life and death by raising him from the dead and making him the firstborn of an entirely renewed family of God, His true children.
• In light of this it is worth reconsidering our own understanding of the ‘golden rule’, and to ask ourselves how suffering and sacrifice must be part of our faith response of obedience to Jesus’ model of practicing the great commandments. 

Application

• Do not allow theological enquire to cloud God’s clear purposes revealed in scripture.
• The gospel is to be lived out in love for God and for our neighbors. This will include personal sacrifice and suffering. We have the hope and promise that suffering for Jesus sake and for the gospel will be validated by God for us just like God honored Jesus’ sacrifice with resurrection and power.

Discussion Prompts 12.28-34

Introduction

• What do you think is the most important action or attitude for a follower of Jesus to live out?
   

The Text: Mark 12.28-34 Page 30.2-18

• Read the text aloud to each other. Look back over the rest of chapter 11 and 12 and review the different questions Jesus has been answering during this visit to the Temple.

Discussion Questions:

• Discuss the tone as well as the content of this question, and of Jesus’ response. How is it similar to other questions and answers in the past few stories? How different?
• Why do you think that Jesus sites two commandments rather than only one?
• Talk for a bit about how Jesus himself models obedience to these two commandments. How are Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem, his debating with national and religious leaders, his focus on training the disciples, his miracles and teaching, his death and resurrection – are these examples of what it means to love the one God completely, and love your neighbor?

Application reflections

• If you could ask Jesus just one question, what would it be?
• What does suffering and sacrifice have to do with loving God and our neighbor?

Pray

 

Outline for Chapters 11-13

It can be very helpful to take a look at the larger context of this section, Chapter 11-13, lest we begin to miss the bigger picture of Mark's narrative.  My own personal outline of this section goes like this:

A.  Jesus, the Son of David

1. The Return of the King
1. Bartimaeus identifies Jesus as the Son of David
1. He has eyes to see, even though he is blind
2. As the king enters Jerusalem he serves the least, last, lost
2. The Temple and the Tree
1. The cursing of the tree, so uncharacteristic of Mark’s presentation of Jesus so far in this Gospel, sets the tone for this section. It is one of judgment. The son of David has indeed returned, but not as expected.
2. The parable of the tenants recalls the parables of chapter 4. For those with eyes to see Jesus message is clear. For the spiritually blind, they lose even what they used to have.
3. The series of questions by the religious leadership emphasizes their spiritual blindness and the fact that they have forfeited all claim to the leadership of Israel. They have utterly misunderstood God’s intentions in blessing the nation of Israel: a light to the nations, and not nationalistic exclusivity.
4. And again recalling the parables of the Kingdom, those with eyes to see – the religious leader focused on God’s greatness in the Shema and the least, last, lost helpless widow – these have the secret of the kingdom: they respond to Jesus, and receive more of him.
3. Watch!
1. This is Jesus’ longest teaching block in Mark’s gospel and may be something of a farewell address like that of Abram, Moses, Joshua, and Samuel. If we take this section out of Mark’s context we will entirely miss Mark’s intent. The context is the Son of David reestablishing God’s intended kingdom of blessing for all nations. What the builders rejected, Jesus will reestablish.
2. This section is the text that relates the great themes of Jesus ministry to the task the disciples will face in the immediate years ahead following Jesus’ death and resurrection. These themes are:
1. Conflict with the power centers of Rome and Jerusalem
2. Proclamation of Jesus’ gospel
3. The mystery and efficacy of the cross and suffering in God’s kingdom
4. Refocus from Second Temple apocalyptic glory to a life of discipleship.
3. If we will allow the author to speak and not impose ideas on this text, we will find transformational teaching about not only the days the first apostles experienced but significant implications for the days in which we live.
4. There is literary structure in these verses built around a recurring theme of ‘take heed’ summed up by yet another parable.
5. Most of the events Jesus references in these sayings occurred in the lifetime of ‘this generation’: the sending of the apostles (translated here as angels, but the same word for apostle) to gather the elect, Jerusalem sacked in 70ad, the power of Rome shaken by the gospel.

OIA Mark 12.18-27

Observations
• Who: Jesus, Sadducees (this is the only time the Sadducees are mentioned in Mark), others in the temple
• When: Wednesday of Jesus’ last week.
• Where: Jerusalem, the Temple courts.
• What: Continuing series of questions and answers in the Temple courts.
• Connections: confusion about the resurrection among the 12; Transfiguration appearance of Moses;
• Contrasts: God’s word/leaders misinterpretation; God’s power/human impotence.
• Responses to Jesus: silly questions.

Interpretation
• Jesus has been teaching about resurrection since 8.31. The transfiguration was also part of teaching about the resurrection: the 3 saw Moses and Elijah, both ‘dead’ for hundreds of years. Here in the question of the Sadducees Mark records Jesus’ final teaching about the resurrection just before Jesus actually demonstrates the resurrection himself!
• The Sadducees are mentioned are mentioned 5 times in Acts. So this inclusion is in some ways a link between the conflicts of Jesus’ life and the conflicts the Peter, John, and Paul experienced in their gospel ministry.
• Why are the Sadducees so confused? Jesus says it is due to scriptural ignorance and spiritual impotence.
o In terms of scripture they have missed the forest for the trees mistaking Moses’ guidelines for protecting marginalized widows as a proof text for their own pet theological mistake.
o In terms of spiritual impotence they have stripped God of his divine power.
• The I AM text Jesus quotes addresses both these mistakes. I AM is God’s affirmation of his unlimited authority and power to be who and what he is when and where he chooses. And Jesus turns his entire argument on the tense of the verb ‘to be’. Jesus has an extremely high view of the faithfulness of scripture!

Application
God’s power is not limited by our theological misperceptions.
Scripture is the basis for all theological understanding. By grasping doggedly to a particular interpretation we may miss the broader design of God.

Mark 12.18-27 Discussion Promts

Introduction
• When was the last time you thought about resurrection from the dead? What brought this thought to your mind?

The Text: Mark 12.18-27 Page 29.14-30.2
• Read the text aloud to each other. Look back over the rest of chapter 11 and 12 to remind ourselves of the context of this story.

Discussion Questions:
• What do you think Moses gave this instruction about a widow marrying back into her deceased husband’s family (Dt. 25.5-6)?
• Discuss Jesus’ diagnosis of why the Sadducees were in error by using this text to support their theological position on resurrection.
• Discuss Jesus’ argument that the I AM story in Ex.3.16 proves that resurrection is true. What is Jesus’ argument? What do you think about Jesus’ basing his understanding of scriptural teaching on resurrection on the tense of the verb ‘to be’?

Application reflections
• How does the fact of the resurrection from the dead impact our daily faith and witness?
• Can you think of any examples where it seems we have constructed theological brick walls on shaky misunderstandings of the Bible?
• How confident are we in the complete trustworthiness of scripture?

Pray