Jesus leaves the temple Mk 13 1-4

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 13:1 -4 which is called Jesus leaves the temple

JESUS LEAVES THE TEMPLE.

 Jesus taught the people each day in the temple as part of His brief ministry, but at night returned to Bethany. He did not remain in the city ( chapters 11-12) and now He leaves the temple for the last time.

His time in Jerusalem was striking because of its opposition from the leading people. It wont be long before the leading people reject Jesus altogether and have Him put to death using political, cultural intellectual and religious means to rally the people for this outcome for Jesus.

At the beginning of chapter 13, there are 2 scenes both of which are in the temple.

As Jesus is leaving the temple for the last time, one of the disciples is full of admiration for the greatness of the temple buildings, but Jesus says it will all soon be gone as faith in God must be expressed in more than stone and mortar.

 Later, after Jesus has left the city, He sits with His disciples on the slopes of the Mount of Olives which overlooks the temple from the east.  Privately, three of His first disciples ask Him 2 questions, when the destruction come and what will be the sign
(13:3-4).

These two questions fro the inner circle of the disciples  introduce us to the remainder of chapter 13. This chapter gives the teaching Jesus about the future in the form of a little ‘’apocalypse’’, a popular way among the Jews at the time of Jesus for presenting religious teaching.

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 the disciples- What do you see and hear and feel. What can I learn from this?

Imagine being the one of the disciples asking Jesus the questions about the temple. What questions 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?

• Consider how much my faith means to me and what does my church/parish mean to me?

• 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?