The Condemnation and Denial Mk 14: 53-72

GOSPEL OF MARK SERIES.

THE BIBLE: GOSPEL OF MARK SERIES.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 14:53 -72 which is called The Condemnation and denial.

THE CONDEMNATION AND DENIAL.

Mark consistently focuses attention on Jesus and what really happen to him in the deeper and broader perspectives of God’s view of things and how Christian faith quickly came to understand the passion.

Mark is not overly concerned with Jewish legal processes. Nor is his chief aim to give a strict account of historical events.  He was unlikely to be in a position to do that, even had he wished. 

Jesus is before the men of power- priests, elders, and scribes.  Peter sits with the servants of the enemies of Jesus, to warm himself in the cold night air of Jerusalem. Already we sense the separation of Peter from Jesus, despite his show of loyalty in following him.

The witness against Jesus is false, not because it is necessarily untrue, but because it is given out of malice. The climax comes when the high priest asks Jesus  if He is the Messiah and the Son of the Blessed One.  For the first time, Jesus clearly accepts these two titles together, Christ and Son of God (1:1).

Standing in weakness before the powers of the land, he is less likely to have His claim to them misunderstood.  Yet at once Jesus describes Himself as the Messiah in terms of the name, He uses of Himself the on of Man, but now a Son of Man will will bring the full power of God into the world, in word from a psalm and the prophecy of Daniel. (Ps 110:1 and Dan 7:13).

After Jesu is condemned, insults, violence and mockery are heaped upon Him by His enemies.  Outside, Peter, His disciple denies Him three times, publicly separating Himself from Jesus.  Jesus is now entirely alone.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS.

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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 chief priests and scribes
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.

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

• What are the areas in my life I need to bring to Jesus in the light of this teaching?
  
  
• 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?