A question of Jesus for the people Mk 12 35-40

GOSPEL OF MARK SERIES.

The Bible: Gospel of Mark icon.

During 2019, each week, I will write a weekly post about the Gospel of Mark, as I review and explore each of the 16 chapters and how it may be applied in our daily lives. If you are following this series for the first time, you will find this series under Scripture- New Testament- Gospel of Mark. 

Click here to read the first post in the series. I have written this series in different years (2012, 2015, 2018) with some irregularity, but am determined to complete this series this year since I am more than half way through this Gospel.

My goal is to understand and pray the Gospel of Mark. I hope you will join me on this journey as we travel through the liturgical season.  In today's post we explore chapter 12:35 -40 which is called A question of Jesus for the people

A QUESTION OF JESUS FOR THE PEOPLE.

The fifth question in this part of Mark’s Gospel (11:27-12:40) comes from Jesus himself.  He puts a question to those who are listening to Him in the temple at Jerusalem.  His question relates to the identity of the expected Messiah as the Son of David which the scribes taught, he will be.  His listeners begin to wonder in their hearts the mystery of His own identity. 

The popular expectation of the Jews was for a Messiah descended from King David who lived around 1000BC. They also accepted at the time of Jesus  that King David was the author of the psalm which Jesus quotes ( Ps 110:1). However, this was likely to have been written much later even up to 200 years BC.

Jesus does not doubt the Messiah will be a descendant of David. What He asks the people is how can the scribes explain the opening words of this psalm, the Lord God says to my Lord the Messiah.  How can David call the Lord one of his descendants, Jesus asks unless that descendant is someone more than just his descendant?

REACTION OF THE SCRIBES AND PEOPLE.

The common people are delighted with the teach of Jesus, but many of the scribes, whose role was to study the Scriptures and to interpret them for the common people, are not. They refuse to see in Jesus, someone who could be greater than David, their soldier-king.

The harsh words of Jesus which follow (38-40) against the pride, hypocrisy and greed of the learned scribes must have some basis in his actual life, but they probably also echo something of the hostile situation of confrontation between early Christian communities and first century Judaism at the time when Mark wrote.  Jesus observe things that point to the arrogance, the vanity the greed and the hypocrisy of the scribes.  They are resisting the power of God and bringing condemnation on themselves.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS. 

In our journal and/or our discussion group we may wish to reflect on this passage as follows:

• Name the key points that you have learnt about the person of Jesus in this passage of scripture?

• Imagine that you are one of the scribes- What do you see and hear and feel. What can I learn from this?

• Imagine being the one of the people observing the reaction of the scribes.
  What inconsistencies in myself do I want to bring to Jesus?
  
  What is reading the Gospel passage with the eyes and ears of disciple mean to me?

• How does Jesus make clear His teaching to me in this passage?
  
  

·         Consider a situation in your life today where the teaching of Jesus needs to be applied. Why is it difficult to be challenged on a long-held view and be open to viewing it differently?

·         Pray for people called to be God’s servants and messengers in places and situations where they are treated badly. Is there a situation or a person in your parish who is treated badly for doing the right thing and therefore is not loved by parishioners in accordance with this commandment of love?

• Consider how much my faith and love gives a special ‘taste’ to my day to day living as a Christian, that is, one who follows Jesus as the Christ?

• What are the areas in my life I need to bring to Jesus in the light of this parable? What questions do I want to ask Him?

• Am I willing to look into myself with honesty and ask how much do I grasp what it means to be a true disciple of Jesus in the light of this teaching?