Studying St Mark's Gospel

In 2006 the Bible Study Group studied St Mark’s Gospel. A summary of the sessions is given below.

See the structure of St Mark's Gospel.

19th January: Reading Mark’s Gospel

Having heard that St Mark’s Gospel could be read aloud at one sitting in 1½ hours, we tried to do this in the first Bible study. While reading we moved to a different part of the church when the scene changed and the Vicar told us about that area.

One noticeable thing about the gospel is its sense of urgency; the word immediately is frequently used. Action is more important than description. Also though many commentators think that Jesus’ ministry last 3 years and that he made several visits to Jerusalem, Mark describes it as a straight sequence; the start on the banks of the Jordan, the ministry in Galilee, the journey to Jerusalem and the ending in Jerusalem. Mark is not giving a biography of Jesus’ life but telling us about the Gospel (good news) of Jesus.

We did not manage to finish reading the Gospel in the time, maybe we spent too long in discussion. Perhaps you would like to see if you can read St Mark’s Gospel aloud in 1½ hours? This is how the scenes were divided up.

	The Wilderness Ch 1:1-13 The wilderness referred to here is thought to be the area between the river Jordan and Jerusalem. It was not only desert but contained areas of pasture and people withdrew to the wilderness, when they wished for a time of contemplation and prayer.
	Around the sea of Galilee Ch 1:14 – Ch 5.43 Jesus was brought up in Galilee and he withdrew to this area when John the Baptist was arrested. Several of his disciples were Galilean fishermen. At the beginning he taught in local synagogues, as was usual for a rabbi (a Jewish religious teacher).
	Journeys in Galilee Ch 6.1 – Ch 10:31 Jesus’ ministry was primarily to the Jews and most of his journeys were in areas with a large Jewish population. The crowds increased and more of his teaching was done in the open air. As he attracted more followers, so the opposition to him increased.
	The Journey to Jerusalem Ch 10:32 – Ch 10.52 The temple was in Jerusalem and devout Jews went to worship there regularly. The senior religious leaders were there and the main opposition to Jesus’ teaching came from here.
	In Jerusalem Ch 11:1 – Ch 16:8 It was in Jerusalem that Jesus was betrayed, tried, crucified and rose again.

16th February: Setting the Scene

In this session we discussed the following points:

• Whether we agreed that “it is a gospel with no beginning and no real end”? This has been said because it plunges straight into the story at the beginning and stops very abruptly at Ch 16:8. (The other verses are alternative endings which are thought to have been added later.)
• The various ways in which Mark’s Gospel had been interpreted:
  • Mark was for some time generally regarded as a digest of St Matthew and inferior to it.
• In the 19 th century more attention was paid to the origins and background of Mark.
• The simplicity of Mark’s Gospel and its closeness to the Historical Jesus were stressed in 19 th century Form Criticism – which was the studying of the Bible to attempt to identify the various forms of writing in it, their earlier history and their historical setting.
• Late 20 th century – theologians pointed out the storytelling genius of the author and the theological subtlety behind his apparently simple narrative.
• Its background and style:
• When did Mark write his gospel? Maybe in 60s AD during Neronian persecutions or after destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD – see Mark chapter 13.
• Where did he write it? Maybe in Rome.
• Why did he write it? One theory is that he wrote it for a community awaiting the Second Coming in Israel.
• The style of his writing:
• Mark skillfully builds up (and sometimes releases) tension.
• He writes in a vivid style and seems to relish a lively scene.
• He says a great deal about Jesus’ power as a teacher, but offers less of his teaching than other gospels.
• He writes of eager crowds and impressive miracles, of dramatic confrontation with opponents both human and demonic.
• He allows us to feel the disconcerting impact of Jesus on his often bewildered disciples, and to share with them the experience of having their world turned upside-down by the revolutionary values of the kingdom of God.
• He presents in all its starkness the paradox of a rejected and executed Messiah, of a Son of God who meets with incomprehension and hostility from the people of God.
• His story moves along with breathless urgency towards the inevitable showdown in Jerusalem.

16th March: Discipleship

We started this session by considering how we would define a disciple – a follower who is taught by a master and passes on the teaching. This can be differentiated from an apostle - a person who is sent; the twelve (Mark 6.30) and Paul (1 Corinthians 9.1) are referred to as apostles. We then looked at Bible references to disciple.

• over 250 in the New Testament, but only in the Gospels and Acts
• 44 references in Mark
• the disciples of John and of the Pharisees are mentioned a few times eg Mark 2.18f, John 1.35.
• two of Jesus’ disciples had been disciples of John the Baptist John 1.37
• in Mark’s gospel the word disciple is only ever used in the plural

It’s not always possible to determine whether his disciples means a group living closely with Jesus, or a larger body of those who accepted him their leader or teacher. Usually in Matthew and Mark it seems to mean a group:

• a group small enough to go together in a house Mark 9.28
• a group small enough to go in a boat Mark 6.45

A discussion followed on the different social situation at the time of Jesus. It was probably easier for the disciples to leave and go back to their work than is the case with many jobs today. It would be similar to the way casual workers change jobs now-a-days; Peter went fishing after the crucifixion John 21.3; Paul was a tent-maker by trade Acts 13:3 and sometimes worked to support himself 1 Thessalonians 2.9, as well as accepting support from churches 2 Corinthians 11.8. The size of the group of disciples with Jesus could have varied and some disciples may have worked when the need arose. However Jesus and the disciples are recorded as being supported by a group of women in Luke 8.1-3 and there are several stories of Jesus dining with different people.

The Call of the Disciples. Two passages reporting the call of the disciples were compared Mark 1.16-20 and Luke 6.13-17. The first describes Peter, Andrew, James and John as fishing when they were called and the second says that Jesus, after praying all night, called his followers to him and chose 12. In John 1.35-42 Andrew is described as a disciple of John the Baptist who followed Jesus because of what John said about him; Andrew introduced Peter to Jesus. The gospel writers were not writing a chronological biography of Jesus but describing incidents important to their message; the exact order in which things happened is not important to the message.

Jesus Sends out the Twelve – Mark 6.6b-13. Carrying a staff (verse 8) we felt would be essential for protection and as support while walking long distances but no change of clothes seemed very spartan to our modern eyes. The difficulty many modern people have with the idea of being possessed by demons was discussed and some strange experiences by members of the group described. Perhaps just as first century Jews were wrong in ascribing to demon possession illnesses we now know to have a physical cause, so we are wrong if we say all ills have a physical cause.

Expectations of Disciples Mark 8.27-38. These saying indicate the requirement to put following Jesus first in our lives and above our personal desires.

Incidental Saying to the Disciples Mark 9.41-50. The sayings that caused the most discussion were verses 43-48. It was generally agreed that the language indicates the strength of feeling we should have about stumbling in relation to our personal behaviour and the care we should take to avoid it, rather than the need for the physical action of amputation. It was pointed out that salt (verses 49-50) was used to preserve meat so it was still edible and fit for its purpose of feeding people. A life without Christian wisdom is as unpalatable, and as liable to go bad, as food without salt.

20th April: The Kingdom of God

We began with a quotation from Christology at the Crossroads by Dr Jon Sobrino. “This is our first thesis about Jesus: He did not preach about Himself, or simple about God, but about the Kingdom of God”. We then considered the following points about the Kingdom.

• It is a concept found in the New Testament, especially in the synoptic gospels.
• It is not a physical but a spiritual kingdom that people willingly enter through belief, spiritual rebirth and carrying out the will of God.
• It is a kingdom peopled by the righteous, among whom the humble will be the greatest.
• The term Kingdom of Heaven is sometimes used, particularly in St Matthew’s gospel (written for Jews who avoided using the name of God).
• The Kingdom of God also refers to the changed state of heart or mind within Christians; in Luke 17:20-21 Jesus emphasises the spiritual nature of His Kingdom by saying “The Kingdom of Heaven is within (or among) you.
• Mark records Jesus speaking and teaching about the Kingdom of God at the beginning of his ministry (Ch1:15), many time during his ministry and shortly before his arrest (Ch14:25).
• Jesus’ message about the Kingdom of God has immediate relevance and urgency.
• His message about the Kingdom of God challenged the status quo and implied that changes were needed in religious teaching and the way things were run.
• Many 1st century Jews wanted God to send them a leader who would free them from Roman rule and make them an independent nation again. Judas may have expected Jesus to bring this type of earthly kingdom. The Pharisees also may have feared that his teaching would lead to rebellion.

Some of Jesus’ Parables of the Kingdom Parables were a common form of teaching in Jesus’ time and designed to catch the imagination and be easily remembered. Jesus’ parables were about ordinary things that the people of the time knew and often contained language from agriculture. The Greek word for parable can also mean riddle and people can find riddles difficult to understand. The phrase “let anyone with ears to hear listen” is repeated often, emphasising the need to actively think about the teaching and not just enjoy the story.

• Mark 4:1-20 The Parable of the Sower. It has been suggested that the explanation in verses 13-20 was devised by the Church as it turns the story from a parable illustrating one point (that not all God’s word falls on fruitful ground) into an allegory where every item mentioned has its own individual interpretation. Allegories are not thought to have been a common form of teaching in Jesus’ time.
• Mark 4:21-23 A Lamp under a Bowl. A lamp is no use if it is hidden away. It needs to be put where it can shed as much light as possible. In these verses Jesus is encouraging his disciples to make known their special knowledge of the Kingdom of God.
• Mark 4:24-25 Those who have Something will be Given More. There was discussion about the last phrase “and from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.” and it was suggested that what they had were worldly things, not of lasting value and hence would be lost. However, the basic principle of these verses is that what you get depends on what you put in.
• Mark 4:26-29 The Growing Seed. Verses 26-28 appears to suggest that the Kingdom grows in our lives after only a small effort on our part, although it is more likely that it indicates that the Kingdom will grow in God’s way and in God’s time.
• Mark 4:30-32 The Mustard Seed. This provides us with a picture of how the Kingdom will grow spectacularly from unpromising beginnings and how great it will be when we understand it fully (not necessarily in this life).

We considered Mark 10:13-16 and what characteristics of a child were being valued – innocence, trust, acceptance? Adults can become set in their ways and cynical and refuse to be open to new insights into teaching.

Then we discussed Mark 10:17-27 and our attitude to our comparative wealth now-a-days. This story of a rich young man tells of a personal encounter between Jesus and a particular person. In response to the young man’s query about inheriting eternal life Jesus challenges him to give away everything. This would mean him giving up his earthly status and security. His refusal indicates that he is not yet ready for the Kingdom of God. Jesus then generalises by saying 'How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God.' However this perplexed the disciples. Jesus reassured them by saying 'for God all things are possible'. We considered how we should use our wealth. Tithing is the Old Testament way of giving. Jesus said that the important thing is to follow him. How we use our earthly life is what matters. All we have comes from God and the concept of 1/10 can be a useful guide as income rises or falls but other responsibilities may need to be taken into consideration.

18th May: Who is Jesus?

We started this Bible study by listing our answers to the question “Who is Jesus?”

God in human form

Saviour

The Messiah

Son of God

My brother and friend

Prophet, shepherd, priest

King

Redeemer

Jew

Carpenter

Teacher

Miracle worker

Leader

The Vicar then told us about the Greek word for fish, ΙΧΘΥΣ (Ichthus), the letters of which were, in Greek, the first letters of the phrase Jesus Christ God’s Son Saviour.

Early Christians who suffered persecution often used the sign of a fish as a secret sign to let each other know where to meet.

We then looked at several phrases in St Mark’s gospel which are used to describe Jesus.

Jesus Christ: This is used in the opening verse to remind us who Jesus is: The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.- Mark 1.1. Jesus is the Greek form of Joshua and was a common Jewish name in Biblical times and Christos or Christ is the Greek for Messiah – the promised deliverer of God’s people.

 The Son of God: Mark uses this term at several key points in his story and this reminds us that Mark’s gospel is more than just a biography of an ordinary man.

• Mark 1.11 – Christ’s baptism in the Jordan
• Mark 3.11 – Casting out the unclean spirits
• Mark 5.7 – The man possessed with an unclean spirit
• Mark 9.7 – The Transfiguration
• Mark 15.39 – The centurion at the cross

The Son of Man: Some scholars hold that this was a recognised title for the Messiah and it is the way Jesus usually refers to himself in the gospel. In Aramaic, which Jesus spoke, this term had no exceptional meaning, but for enlightened hearers it had an added meaning; through using this title Jesus was, for some hearers, declaring his Messiahship and for others he was hiding it. The term is used in Daniel 7.13 (though varyingly translated) and the passage describes a vision of a heavenly enthronement scene set in the context of universal judgement. In Mark 2.10 Jesus’ remark that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins would have struck a new note to his hearers.

The Son of David: This title is used by blind Bartimaeus Mark 10.47-48, as Jesus is going toward Jerusalem and may be there to indicate that Jesus was entering Jerusalem as the descendent of David and the fulfilment of the promise made to David.

The Son of the Blessed One: This is used in Mark 14.61 when the high priest is questioning Jesus.

 Who do you say I am? Mark 8.27 – 9.1 describes Peter’s confession at Caesarea. The passage has three parts:

• Jesus questions the disciples and Peter declares that he is the Messiah Mark 8.27–30 . The disciples said there were three ideas about who Jesus was – John the Baptist, Elijah or one of the prophets. When asked who they thought Jesus was, Peter answered for them “You are the Messiah”. This was a typical impetuous, quick answer on the part of Peter but this time he got it right.
• Jesus talks about what is going to happen to him in the future Mark 8.31-33 . We wondered what Peter understood by the title Messiah as he rebuked Jesus for his teaching on a suffering Messiah.
• Jesus talks about what it means to follow him Mark 8.34 – 9.1 . Jesus asks for undivided loyalty from his disciples.

Jesus’ Mother and Brothers: In Mark 3.31-35 Jesus is told that his mother and his brothers were outside and asking for him but he replied whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother. This passage contains the only reference to Jesus’ family in Mark’s Gospel but here Jesus broadens our thinking about the concept of family by referring to the new family which is coming into being through his ministry.

We wondered what Jesus’ mother must have felt when he said this and went on to discuss the conflict that sometimes arises in our own lives between family and job or duty. When such questions arise we need to decide what is God’s will in the particular situation.

15th June: Miracles in Mark

We first considered “What is a miracle?”

• In the New Testament the three main words for miracles are:
  • dunameis – powers, acts of power, mighty works – this word emphasises the biblical understanding of miracles being the result of the power of God
  • terata – wonders –the only use of this word in the New Testament is in conjunction with the word sēmeia
  • sēmeia – signs

The synoptic gospels describe several miracles but, in contrast, John’s gospel does not use the word dunameis but rather refers to 7 signs that Jesus performed and which indicated who he really was.

• The word miracle as used in a religious context is something which happens contrary to what is known of nature. It depends on:
  • sufficient evidence
  • fitting in with the whole picture of God’s activity

• The supreme miracle in the New Testament is the resurrection of Christ. It is:
• the cornerstone of biblical revelation
• the ultimate revelation of God’s power and love
• the reason for the proclamation of the gospel
• with the coming of the Holy Spirit, it becomes the motivation behind the establishment and growth of the Christian church

The resurrection is the focus of Christian faith. In a similar way the Exodus when Moses led the people of Israel out of Egypt and to a new life in the Promised Land was the focus of the Jewish faith.

• There is strong contemporary evidence for the gospel miracles:
  • the people who knew Jesus, including his enemies, believed he worked miracles Mark 3.22 and 15.31
  • Jesus refused to work miracles merely to impress people, or to persuade them to believe in him Mark 8.12

Other “miracles workers” were known in New Testament times but they performed wonders rather than acts of God and it appears that the Pharisees looked on Jesus as a type of wonder worker.

• The miracles of Jesus are signs but they are signs only to:
  • those who have eyes to see, ie those who have faith
  • those who are meant to understand who Jesus really is

To the rest, whether the Pharisees of Jesus time or sceptics of today, they are merely wonders. The Pharisees asked for a specific sign to show that Jesus was the Messiah and not just a wonder worker and this was refused, Mark 8.12.

• The evangelists indicate that the true significance behind the miracles of Jesus is that they are the work of the Messiah as foretold by the Old Testament prophets. The Messiah is called God in Isaiah 9:6.
• The miracles of Christ are a way in which the Kingdom of God was proclaimed and were aimed at prompting repentance.

References to Miracles in Mark’s Gospel

We discussed two of the miracles.

The use of a miracle as a sign of Jesus’ divinity. The healing of the paralytic in Mark 2.1-11. In New Testament times the Jews believed that illness was the result of sin and if the sin was forgiven the illness was cured, though this does not seem to be Jesus’ view in John 9.2-3. In this story the emphasis is on Jesus’ claim to be able to forgive sins, ie to be the Messiah. It closes with the impression the miracles made on the crowd but does not tell us if the scribes were convinced. This miracle is the beginning of the events that build up the tension between Jesus and the religious leaders.

The importance of faith. The healing of the woman with a haemorrhage and of Jairus’s daughter emphasises the need for faith in Mark 5.21-43. It was thought that life was in blood and to lose blood was to lose life. Also the bleeding made the woman ritually unclean so she was excluded from normal social life. It was thought that contact with the garments of a healer was enough to heal and similar beliefs were held about Peter Acts 5:15 and Paul Acts 19.12. Jarius was one of the synagogue presidents and as such was an official representative of the Jews. There was some discussion about why Jesus strictly ordered that no one should know this when there were already so many mourners at the house. It seems that he was not ready for his power to be known and recognised the danger that he could become “a travelling road show”. The words were probably addressed to the few who remained in the room with him and possibly the rest accepted that “the child was not dead but sleeping” verse 39.

20th July: Conflict Stories

Many of the stories in Mark are conflict stories and Mark was influenced by the controversy between the officials of the synagogue and the emerging church of his time (AD 64-70). Christians were rejected by the Jewish religious leaders and were also in great danger from the Roman Empire which did not encourage new religions. In some cases Mark has placed similar stories together for thematic continuity even if the events he writes about might not have occurred immediately after each other. eg five conflict stories can be found in one block: 2.1-3.6.

• Jesus heals a Paralysed Man Mark 2.1-12 – conflict about Jesus’ authority to forgive sins
• Jesus calls Levi Mark 2.13-17 – conflict over ritual law when Jesus dines with a tax collector
• The Question about Fasting Mark 2.18-22 – conflict relating to fasting (and the parable of putting new wine into old wineskins 2.21-22)
• Jesus Authority over the Sabbath Mark 2.18-3.6
• Plucking grain on the Sabbath Mark 2.18-28 – conflict over the Sabbath laws
• Man with the withered hand Mark 3.1-6 – conflict over healing on the Sabbath

These stories Jesus outraged the Jewish religious leaders by claiming to forgive sins – something that only God could do and by claiming authority over the Sabbath. It seemed that Mark arranged his material to show Jesus’ supremacy over the scribes and Pharisees. Jesus was getting the better of the Jewish religious leaders in the debate and argument between them and so we analysed the stories carefully under four headings, as shown in the chart below.

We noted the following points:

• Four of the five conflict stories above are in one chapter and the fifth at the beginning of the next chapter but chapters and verses were introduced later by those editing the ancient texts.
• The first two passages build up towards the controversy over Jesus’ attitude towards the Jewish Laws. Jesus came to transcend the old Jewish Law and to fulfil it. "Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfil. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Matthew 5.17-18
• The conflict stories are basically confrontations with religious leaders and that they indicate the growing opposition to Jesus by these leaders.
• Conflict is a significant focus in Mark's gospel and he records conflict with the demons, with the Scribes and Pharisees, and with both Roman and Jewish leaders. There is even conflict with the disciples.
• Conflict usually causes suffering whether it is within the family, with organisations, with those in authority, or whether it is a conflict of emotions or feelings

Jesus and some other conflict stories in Mark

• with demons: Mark 1:23-26, 3:7-12, 5:1-20, and 9:14-19
• with the devil: Mark 1.12-13
• with family and acquaintances: Mark 3.31-35, 6.1-6
• with Pharisees chief priests and teachers of the Law: Mark 7.1-13, 11.15-19, 11.27-33, 14.53-65
• with the disciples: Mark 8.31-33
• at Bethany: Mark 14.3-9

The conflict between Herod and John is also recorded in Mark 6.14-29

21st September: Significance of Journeying and Place

We started by considering significant and memorable journeys in our own lives. Some of these were significant because of what happened on the journey and others because of whom we were travelling with but often the significant thing was where our journey took us and what happened there.

In Mark’s Gospel Jesus’ journeys can be divided into three groups

• In the early chapters Jesus has freedom for preaching and ministry. These journeys are
• to the Wilderness
• around the Sea of Galilee
• in Galilee
• Later his freedom is restricted, he is arrested and crucified. These journeys are
• to Jerusalem
• around Jerusalem
• After the resurrection Jesus goes to Galilee to commission the disciples for preaching and mission
• Mark 14.28: But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.
• Mark 16:7: But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.

The places Jesus visited

• Desert: Here Jesus was apart from the world yet showing his human weakness in needing angels to wait on him
• Jesus was 40 days and nights in the wilderness Ch 1:12-13
• Mountain: In the Old Testament mountains and height are associated with God; Moses met God on Mount Sinai; the psalms talk of lifting up your eyes to God. Mountains were thought of as places where you could be quiet with God.
• Jesus appointed his disciples on a mountain Ch 3.13
• He prayed Ch 6.46
• He was transfigured Ch 9.1-9
• He taught the disciples about the suffering ahead of them Ch 13.3-37
• Sea: The sea was the Sea of Galilee; Jesus is not recorded as visiting the coast. To the Jews it was a place of mystery and danger.
• He called the first disciples by the sea Ch 1.16-20
• He taught the people by the sea Ch 2.13 and when the crowds got too big he taught them from a boat Ch 4.1-9.
• He stilled the storm on the sea Ch 4.35-41
• He travelled by sea Ch 5.1; 5.21
• He walked on the water Ch 6.47-52
• Boat and Road: These are recorded as places where he could be with his disciples.
• He was escaping from the crowd in a boat Ch 3.7-11; 6.32
• He was with his disciples in a boat Ch 8.10,13
• He walked to Jerusalem by road with his disciples and taught them Ch 10.32-45
• Synagogue and House: He moved from one to another as he taught and healed.
• He taught in the synagogue at Capernaum Ch 1.21-22
• He healed the sick at Simon Peter’s mother-in-law’s house Ch 1.29-34
• He taught in the synagogue at Nazareth Ch 6.1-2
• He taught in a house in Capernaum Ch 9.33-50
• Temple: Mark records Jesus as visiting the Temple at Jerusalem on several occasions
• on entering Jerusalem Ch 11.11
• when throwing out the money changers Ch 11.15-17
• when questioned by the priest, scribes and elders Ch 11.27-33
• when teaching in the Temple Ch 12.35-44
• when prophesying the destruction of the Temple. Ch 13.12

Some of the occurrences at the places Jesus visited were great events, showing his power and confirming him as the son of God and the Messiah – the transfiguration, the stilling of the storm, walking on water. Other times the journey was to a place of rest and prayer or a time of quietly teaching his disciples. In yet others he was teaching and healing the crowds and debating with the authorities – making known the message he came out to proclaim . Mark 1.38.

We ended by saying where each of us went for a quiet time of reflection; not all our journeys lead to memorable events, some lead to quiet and learning and some are routine.

19th October: The Temple

At the beginning the vicar gave us some information about the Temple.

There are 400 references to the word Temple in the Bible.

• The Jerusalem Temple is mention in 23 of the Old Testament books and 11 of the New Testament books.
• The Temple at Jerusalem was the religious centre of the Jewish World. To the Jews there was only the one Temple; the local places at which people were taught the law and worshipped God were the synagogues.
• The Temple contained no idols but the original Temple had for its holy treasure a boxlike Ark containing the two stone tablets symbolizing the Law and the presence of God. One tradition claims that the Ark also contained a pot of manna, Aaron’s rod (Hebrews 9:4-5) and a Torah scroll. The Ark was lost when the first Temple was destroyed.
• The Temple was built twice:
  • Firstly it was built by Solomon 960-950BC and destroyed by the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar c 587BC
  • Secondly it was rebuilt by Zerubbabel in 516BC. The rebuilt Temple was modest in size and furnishing until Herod the Great began his grand remodel plans which continued for 40 years. This second temple was destroyed by the Romans under Titus in AD70.
• It was Herod’s Temple which stood during the time of Jesus’ earthly ministry. Only part of the Western Wall remains today; the vicar showed us the picture below, which she took when she visited Israel some years ago; the Western Wall being on the right of the picture.

The Temple in the Life of Jesus The Temple was respected by Jesus and he visited at the appropriate times in his life.

• The naming and circumcision of Jesus took place there when he was eight days old. (Luke 2:21).
• He was presented at the Temple when he was forty days old in accordance with the Jewish Law. (Luke 2.22-24).
• At the age of 12 years Jesus astonished the religious leaders with his understanding and insight (Luke 2:41-50).
• Jesus cleansed the Temple by throwing out the money changers and commercial vendors from its courts in Mark 11:15-18, Matthew 21:12-1, John 2:13-22.
• Jesus taught in the Temple Mark 12.35-44.
• In one of his final discussions with his disciples (Matthew 24.1-8), Jesus predicted the destruction of the Temple. The Temple was in fact levelled to the ground on the 9th day of the month of Av in 70 C.E. The Temple was thoroughly razed and the site has been so extensively modified during the late Roman, Moslem and Crusader eras that considerable doubt exists as to where the Temple actually stood.

The Cleansing of the Temple

The story of Jesus entering and cleansing the Temple by throwing out the moneychangers and commercial vendors from its courts is placed at the end of Jesus’ ministry in Mark 11:15-18. It is in a similar position in Matthew 21:12-13 but John 2:13-22 places it early in the ministry. There was some discussion about whether these were two similar though separate incidents or the same incident told from a different perspective. There are about the same number of similarities as there are differences and people were divided about whether merchants, who had been driven out by such a person as Jesus, would assemble again in the same place.

We then discussed why Jesus was so angry when the merchants were performing a necessary function; people could not pay the Temple dues in foreign coinage and they needed animals for sacrifice. Was it disrespectful to God to carry out trade there; as they had a “seller’s market”, were they were charging too high a price, or were they limiting people’s access to the Temple? A Court of the Gentiles is not described for the first Temple and this was probably the area where the market was held. Was a Court of the Gentles, especially one containing a market for goods needed before one approached the Temple, inconsistent with “a house of prayer for all the nations” (Mark 11:17, Isaiah 56:7)?

16th November: Suffering and Resurrection

Chapter 10 ends with the healing of Blind Bartimaeus in Jericho and chapter 11 begins with Jesus and his disciples approaching Jerusalem. There is no description of the journey which is up a steep, tiring road between limestone rocks and high hills; there is no shade or greenery and no water. It could not have been an easy journey and Jesus would have been aware of what was waiting for him at Jerusalem.

Reasons for suffering

There are no easy answers to the problem of suffering but the vicar pointed out that we should remember that “now we see through a glass darkly” 1Cor 13:12. We discussed 5 questions about suffering.

• Is it punishment? This was the belief of many Jews but we agreed that suffering is not a punishment. Job was “blameless and upright” Job 1.1, Jesus said the Galileans killed by Pilate were not worse sinners than other Galileans, Luke 13.1-3 and there many examples of evil people prospering in this life.
• Is it better to have both sin and punishment than to have neither since God could have removed free will and with it the possibility of failure? We all valued free will, not wanting to be robots, and could accept that suffering would result from failure on the part of someone.
• If it is not punishment, then is suffering allowed in order that it may be used for some better end? We could think of examples in our own lives where suffering had been of use. One member talked of how a serious illness when young had made it possible to empathise with the sick in a deeper way. Another described how an illness had resulted in life and work taking a better, brighter path. Some doubt was expressed about whether God allowed suffering in order to use it or whether suffering happened and God could, if we let him, turned it around into something worthwhile.
• Do we learn from suffering, do we grow to overcome it? Some things seem to have to be re-learnt by every generation and some things are never learnt; people have not learnt peace from past wars. We agreed that an individual can learn from experiences but what a person learns may not be good. It is up to us to be careful to learn the right things.
• Has it provided an environment from which have come some of the most marvellous achievements in terms of human endeavour and compassion? We talked about people who were an inspiration in the way they overcame problems like blindness or muscular dystrophy; about people who were inspired to help because of other people’s suffering; about people who suffered for their vocation.

Jesus’ Suffering

• Jesus had spoken repeatedly and calmly about the fate that awaited him in Jerusalem.
• In Gethsemane he becomes more agitated as the time comes nearer and the prospect becomes more real. He shows his humanity very clearly here.
• At the time of crisis he wants and needs human companionship.
• Peter, James and John were there not merely as spectators, but for the support they ought to be able to give him in his distress.
• He addressed God as Abba; this is a familiar name for father, equivalent to Daddy.
• He pleads with God to be spared the suffering.
• Yet he accepts his Father’s will.
• He prays that the cup of suffering is removed. The cup was an Old Testament image for destined suffering and judgement (Jer 25:15). When James and John asked to sit either side of Jesus in his glory he said to them “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” (Mark 10.38).

The Reasons for Jesus’ Suffering

• He was a ransom for many. (Mark 10.45)
• His blood was poured out for many. (Mark 14.24)
• He is the servant of God who died for the sins of his people.

The cross was both a horrible and a degrading way to die but there are many terrible cruelties devised and borne by man. What we cannot know is what it is for a sinless man to bear the sins of the world. One thing that makes Christ’s sacrifice unique is that it involved a continual commitment to God’s will while dying in agony; at any time he could have come down from the cross and saved himself as the mockers suggested (Mark 15.30).