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.