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Weekly sermons and Bible studies led by a retired pastor of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod
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Tuesday Jul 06, 2021
Tuesday Jul 06, 2021
Chapter 14 of Mark begins with a reference to the major Jewish religious festival, The Feast of Unleavened Bread, coming in just a few days in Jerusalem. The festival went on for eight days, remembering God’s rescue of His people from slavery in Egypt centuries before. A key part of that was the Passover meal, remembering when God’s people were to sacrifice a lamb and put some of the blood on the door posts of their homes and eat a special meal, using unleavened bread, a flat bread prepared with no yeast, so that they could quickly leave Egypt when the Pharaoh allowed them to (Mark 14). (See Exodus 12-13 for details.)
However, the Jewish authorities were less concerned about the Passover and more concerned about getting rid of Jesus. Jesus was popular among the people, though, and the authorities wanted to arrest Jesus in a way that would not be noticed by many (Mark 14:2).
We then have a flashback to some days earlier. Mark does not tell us, but John’s Gospel tells us that this event happened six days before the Passover, when Jesus was at a dinner sponsored by Lazarus (who had recently been raised from the dead by Jesus) and his sister Martha, at the home of Simon the Leper in Bethany (Mark 14:3, John 12:1-2). (We don’t know for sure, but Simon was likely someone healed by Jesus from leprosy and very grateful for what Jesus had done for him. If Simon had still been a leper, he would have had to avoid all contact with other people.)
While they ate, a woman came and anointed Jesus with very expensive ointment, made of pure nard, which was a fragrant perfume and was used also on the bodies of people who had died. It may have come from as far away as India (Mark 14:3). John also tells us that it was Mary, the sister of Martha, who had anointed Jesus. Some objected to what Mary had done. They felt that the nard could have been sold and the proceeds used to help the poor. Again, John tells us that it was Judas, the disciple of Jesus, who was complaining the most and part of the reason why he was complaining. It is true that gifts were often give by Jews during the Passover celebration, and Judas was the treasurer for the disciples. However, Judas was also a thief and helped himself to what was the money of Jesus and the disciples, for his own personal gain. If the nard had been sold and the money added to the disciples’ treasury, Judas would have had the opportunity to steal even more (Mark 14:3-4, John 12: 4-6).
Jesus defended what Mary had done in anointing Him, for one simple reason. There would always be poor people to help. That need never stops. The opportunity to help Jesus so directly would not always be there, though. What Mary did was a kind of prophecy of what would soon happen to Jesus. Mary was anointing His body for His burial, even before He had died, Jesus said (Mark 14:6-8). Jesus predicted again and again that he would die, but so many, including His disciples, did not seem to believe and expect it. Mary, at least indirectly, seemed to realize that He would die and honored Him ahead of time. Other women would go to His tomb after His death to anoint His dead body. (See Mark 16:1-6.) They would not get the chance because He had already risen from the dead.
Jesus gave another important prophecy in Mark 14:9, too. The Good News of Jesus and what He has done as the Savior would eventually “be proclaimed in the whole world." That is still happening today, for us and our benefit, far from the land of Israel. For Jesus is our Savior, too; and we still hear of Him, above all, but also of Mary and how she did “a beautiful thing” for Jesus. May we honor Him as well, in word and deed.
Sadly, we also hear, in Mark 14:10-11, how Judas continued to dishonor Jesus, by going to the chief priests and promising to hand Him over to them if they would pay him money. It was not a huge amount of money, but money seemed to be his “god” and getting more and more of it his primary goal, even though Jesus had warned of this danger. (See again Mark 10:17-27 for such a warning.)
In Mark 14:12, we are back on the Thursday of Holy Week, when the traditional Passover meal was to be prepared and eaten. Jesus sent two of His disciples into Jerusalem, with specific directions on how to find the place where everything was to be made ready (Mark 14:12-16). Jesus always followed His Heavenly Father’s will in carrying out what the Scriptures clearly commanded. Some think that Jesus had pre-arranged all this. Others think that He knew that people respected Him as “The Teacher” (v.14) and would provide what He wished. Still others think that the “upper room” was part of the home of Mark himself and his mother, and that this was the place of the Passover meal, and later, the “upper room” where the early believers waited for the Holy Spirit’s coming at Pentecost. (See also Acts 1:14ff.) If so, Mark would have known very personally about all this.
The Passover meal began on what we would call Thursday evening (Mark 14:17). As they were eating the various portions of the Passover meal, Jesus told the disciples that one of them would betray Him. He says this very solemnly, using the phrase we often have heard, “Truly, I say to you” (literally, “Amen, I say to you”). Jesus continued to give warnings to all the disciples about falling away from Him; but He was particularly warning Judas (Mark 14:18-21). Jesus knew what Judas was planning, but there was still time to turn away from that betrayal.
The betrayal was predicted, but that did not mean that Judas was predestined to do this. God wants all to be saved (1 Timothy 2:3-4), but too many reject and continue to reject what God wants for them, as Judas did. It was the fault of Judas. And by continuing to reject Jesus, Judas was rejecting the salvation Jesus earned for the whole world. Eternal sorrow was coming for Judas, by his own choice.
There are mysteries with all this that our human minds cannot comprehend; but the warnings were there, even in the Old Testament. There was a story in the Old Testament of a time when King David was betrayed, that prefigured the greater betrayal of the Son of David, Jesus, by Judas. A number of the psalms of David are prophetic. Read of the agony of David in Psalm 55:12-15, when a “familiar friend” who had spent time with him even in God’s house, the tabernacle, had turned against him. David also wrote in Psalm 41:9, “Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me.” See John 13:18 where Jesus quoted this passage, most likely warning Judas again. Jesus had taught earlier that He was willing to “eat with tax collectors and sinners” who really needed Him. Judas really needed Jesus; but Judas rejected Him, even as he ate with Him at the Passover meal. See again Mark 14:20-21.
An Old Testament parallel to this is the betrayal of David by his friend and advisor, Ahithophel. See what is said of him and Hushai in 1 Chronicles 27:33. Then see 2 Samuel 15-17. David’s own son, Absalom, rebelled against David and pulled enough people away from David to overthrow him and became king in his place. David and those who still followed him had to flee from Jerusalem, and David heard, in 2 Samuel 16:31, that “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” Ahithophel gave Absalom advice that helped seal him as king in 2 Samuel 16:15-23. In 2 Samuel 17, though, Ahithophel’s advice was rejected, and Absalom listened to to Hushai, who gave Absalom bad advice that led to his death in chapter 18. Ahithophel realized his failures in betraying David. See what he did in 2 Samuel 17:23 - the same thing that Judas did - hanging himself in despair.
One of the saddest stories in the Bible is then in Matthew 27:3-5. Judas finally did realize his sin and tried to give the money back; but the religious leaders did not care. They had gotten what they wanted - to get Jesus arrested and soon put to death. They did not care a bit about Judas and threw him back upon himself. “See to it yourself.” We cannot see to our sins by ourselves. We cannot deal with them on our own. Only Jesus can deal with our sins. And he did, paying for them on the cross. He came in love for sinners, for you and me. May we always know and trust that mercy of God for us - unlike Ahithophel and Judas, who took their own lives in despair.
Next week, we will see again how great God’s love still is, even for sinners like us, as Mark 14 continues. And as we know God’s love for us, we have His love and forgiveness to share with others, too, unlike those religious leaders who gave no hope to Judas.
Tuesday Jul 06, 2021
Tuesday Jul 06, 2021
Sermon for the 6th Sunday after Pentecost, based on:
Sermon originally delivered July 8, 2012
Tuesday Jun 29, 2021
Tuesday Jun 29, 2021
A Supplement to Luke 12:28-34 - Response to a Question: Why is "Love your neighbor as yourself" called the second important commandment?
“You shall love your neighbor as yourself” is found first in Leviticus 19:18, among other Old Testament laws and commands. Strict Jewish rabbis often combined it with the first commandment about love for God. They also added, “Hate your enemies.” That is why Jesus has the comment in His sermon on the mount that you can read in Matthew 5:43ff. He does not agree that we should hate our enemies. He wishes us to try to care for and respect the people God places around us (that’s what the word “neighbor” means). We should try to want for them what we would want for ourselves. See the context of the Leviticus passage in Leviticus 19:17-19 and also 19:32-34.
That does not mean that we must like or agree with what others think and do. But we are to try to “love” them in a caring and sacrificial way. Love for the neighbor thus becomes a summary of the commandments that have to do with our relationships with other people - the 4th-10th of the 10 Commandments.
The first listed is to honor our father and mother. Again, it does not means that we approve of or “like” them and “like” all they do. But it does call us to try to care for and respect them. The commandments that follow tell us how such “love” looks, in what we don’t do to others - not killing, committing adultery, stealing, bearing false witness, and coveting. If you look at Martin Luther’s explanation of these commandments, in the catechism, he also adds positive things we can do for others, in care for them.
Three of the four Gospels tell us that Jesus emphasized love of God and love of neighbor as a summary of the law. See Matthew 22:34-40, Mark 12:28-34, and Luke 12:25-37 (where Jesus also calls us to be a caring “neighbor." Again, a neighbor is not simply someone who lives near us, but the people God places around us and whom we meet, too.) John’s Gospel quotes Jesus as speaking of such love for others also. See John 13:34-35, for example. See also what some people call the Golden Rule of Jesus, in Matthew 7:12.
Paul also speaks of love of our neighbor in Romans 13:8-10. He specifically calls this command a summary of many others. He also speaks of this in Galatians 5:13-15. James also quotes this command in James 2:8. James points out that we are all sinners, because none of us keeps the law perfectly (2:9-11). We cannot be saved by keeping these laws, because none of us do, all the time. Therefore, we have hope only through God’s grace and love and forgiveness for us, in Jesus.
Tuesday Jun 29, 2021
Tuesday Jun 29, 2021
Chapter 13 of Mark focuses on predictions Jesus made about the future. Last week we heard how He told the disciples that the temple in Jerusalem would be totally destroyed and that there would be much trouble and persecution for the disciples, as they sought to bear witness about Jesus. The disciples wanted to know when these things would be and what were signs of these coming events - times and signs. Jesus listed some “signs” but they were events that happened again and again through the years that followed - wars, earthquakes, famines, and kingdoms rising and falling.
All these events are to remind us that the end of all things as we know them will be coming and that the end might be coming soon. We are therefore to be on guard against false teachers who could lead people astray and to be prepared for the end by continuing faith in our Savior and by doing what our Lord calls us to do, especially proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus to all nations.
Surprisingly, Jesus said that He could not tell us just when the end will be, because only the Heavenly Father knows. Skip ahead and read Mark 13:32-33. Though Jesus was the Son of God, He did not always use His Godly power and at least while He was on earth, He did not know when the end would be. Churches and people who spend much of their energy on trying to figure out when and how the end will come are missing what is more important - being spiritually awake, by faith in Christ, and doing what He calls us to do, as His servants.
Jesus told a parable of a man going on a journey and leaving his servants to do the work until he returned, at a time unknown (Mark 13:34-37). They were to be awake and ready for him, whenever he returned. For us, that means being spiritually awake and active as a believer and not being spiritually asleep and uncaring about our Master and His wishes for us.
Go back now to Mark 13:14-18. Jesus referred to an “abomination that causes desolation” that was coming. This was a phrase that was first used in the Book of Daniel, in Daniel 9:27, 11:31, and 12:11. It predicted a time, before Christ, when the temple in Jerusalem would be desecrated by a terrible Greek leader who wanted the Jews to follow false gods. (We can’t go into all this here; but if you go back far enough on the podcast site, you will find a study of Daniel and these passages and much more detail about this.)
Jesus used this same phrase in Mark 13:14 to refer to another coming destruction of the temple and much of Jerusalem that He was predicting. He warned people that it would be a terrible time and that they should flee away from Jerusalem and Judea, when they saw this coming. They should not even try to gather up things, but just leave the area quickly and pray that it would not be in winter or during a woman’s pregnancy or at any time when it would be harder get away (Mark 13:14-18).
Early Christians remembered these words of Jesus, and most of them escaped from Jerusalem just before 70 AD, when Roman armies came to put down a Jewish rebellion and destroyed the city and desecrated and destroyed the temple, just as Jesus had predicted. That temple has never been rebuilt, since that time.
These words of Jesus also go beyond this terrible time. The destruction of Jerusalem was also a kind of prediction of trouble for Christians near the very end times of the world. In Mark 13:12-13, Jesus told of families turning against one another, and Christians being hated just for following the name of Jesus. (Such things have happened at various times in the past. Even in more recent times, groups like Hitler and the Nazis and Communist groups and some Islamic groups have been very anti-Christian and have sought to turn people against their own families and family life. But this passage and others in the Scriptures seem to speak of even more possible trouble near the end.)
See the description of great “tribulation” and “false christs” and “false prophets” who seem to do amazing things that could lead many astray, in Mark 13:19-22. (Again, other Scriptures warned of antichrists, even in the days of the early church; but it may be that the challenges will be even tougher for Christians near the end. The Lord will be with His believers, “the elect,” though, and will help them and “shorten” these troubled times.)
The key thing, again, is to be on guard and trust Jesus and endure in faith, even if we have to live through such troubled times as Christians. Jesus has warned us about this, and He will be with us (Mark 13:13, 23). And the forces against Christ and Christians will be defeated by the return of Christ on the last day. Jesus, the Son of Man, will come back with great power and glory, and will gather all believers to Himself for eternal life. The universe as we know it will pass away and we will have a whole new and perfect existence with our Lord (Mark 13:24-27).
Jesus used one more parable to assure his disciples. As a fig tree and its growth and leaves indicate that summer is near, so Christ will be near to us and rescue us, at just the right time, with His return (Mark 13:28-29).
Jesus gave a difficult saying in Mark 13:30. Some people thought from this that Jesus would return within their own life span, their generation, very soon. That obviously was not the case. The word “generation” can also refer to a group or race of people - in this case the Jewish nation or the Christian believers. Still today, both Christians and Jews survive. The Lord takes care of the believers in Christ, and there are Jews who are Christians, and there is still opportunity to be a witness for Christ to Jewish people, so that more can trust in Jesus, too. All that will continue to the end.
Jesus also said, “Heaven and earth will pass away.” That happens at the end, when Christ comes back. “But my Words will not pass away.” The promises and predictions of Jesus are certain, and we will have eternal life with Him one day, as our Savior (Mark 13:31).
So much more could be said, and so many other Scriptures could be given to explain and support what I have given here. Here are just a few, with their subject:
The Return of Jesus on the Last Day
- 1 Thessalonians 4:13-21
- 1 Corinthians 15:51-57
End Time Enemies
- 2 Thessalonians 2:1-8
- 1 John 4:1-6.
- Revelation 20:9-10
The Abiding Word of God
- 1 Peter 1:23-25
New Heaven and New Earth
- 2 Peter 3:7-13
- Revelation 21:1-4
Waiting for the Lord to Come
- Luke 12:35-46
- Revelation 3:19-22
Confidence in Jesus
- 1 John 5:9-13
Finally, I talked a little in this podcast about learning several languages in order to become a pastor, including Latin and German, as much Biblical commentary is written in those languages. Most important were Biblical Hebrew, in which the Old Testament was written and Biblical Greek, in which the New Testament was written. This allows a pastor to compare different translations of the Bible and see which are most accurate in an English or other translation.
There are insights that one learns, too, that are not clear in all translations. Look at Mark 13:8. Notice that the events described there are called “birth pains." What does that mean? The Greek word normally means the pains a woman goes through during the birth of a child. The pains can be terrible, but from them comes the great joy of the birth of a child and the blessings that brings. Jesus used that very image in John 16:20-23 to encourage His disciples, with sorrowful times coming.
Mark 13:8 tells us that we may face trouble and pain, if we happen to be in the last times, when there are wars and famines and earthquakes and other challenges. But out of that will come new life and eternal joy with the Lord. When I was just learning Greek, I found that same Greek word in Acts 2:24. My Bible translates that as “the pangs of death” that Jesus went through for us. What it really means is that Jesus suffered “the birth pangs of death.” His death for us was terribly painful, more than we can imagine; but out of those birth pains came new life for Jesus, as He rose from the dead, and new and eternal life for us, too, who trust in Him. For us, as well, death may be painful, but these pains are only birth pangs that bring us to eternal life and joy with our Lord. Some of the predictions in Mark 13 are scary; but words like “birth pains” put things in perspective and encourage us, even in hard times. Remember that every Word of Scripture is important for us.
Monday Jun 28, 2021
Monday Jun 28, 2021
Sermon for the 5th Sunday after Pentecost, based on:
Monday Jun 21, 2021
Monday Jun 21, 2021
Last week we heard Jesus being challenged several times by the religious leaders. Now He raised His own question for them, while continuing to teach in the temple in Jerusalem (Mark 12:35-37). Among Jews, it was widely accepted that the Messiah, the promised Savior, would be from the line of King David, a “son of David,” in that sense. He would be a great man and a great leader, like David, and bring freedom from the Romans and all those who oppressed the Jews.
Jesus quoted from Psalm 110:1, a Psalm of David: “The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit at My right hand, until I put Your enemies under Your feet.’” Jesus also pointed out that David spoke and wrote by the power and leading of the Holy Spirit, as did all of the Biblical writers. In this verse, David called the coming one his Lord. How could this coming one be a “son of David," a descendant of David, and yet also David’s Lord? The only way this could happen would be if the promised Savior would be God the Son, Who sat at the right hand of God the Father, and yet became a real human man, while still being God. He would do His saving work (defeating the power of sin and Satan and death, not political powers) and then return to heaven and be seated again in glory as Lord at the right hand of God the Father.
This teaching, that Jesus was true God and true man, was very important in the New Testament. Portions of Psalm 110:1 are quoted at least 15 times. See Acts 2:31-36 and Philippians 2:5-11 as descriptions of all this. When Jesus spoke these words in Mark 12, the people were glad to hear Him, but they likely did not understand what He was really claiming for Himself. (Listen to this week’s sermon, too, on Mark 4:35-41, to see how Jesus’ disciples often did not really understand and get what Jesus was teaching them, at least at first.)
Because Jesus had often been questioned and challenged by scribes, He then went on to give people a warning about the scribes (Mark 12:38-40). Scribes tended to want to have the best places, wherever they were, so that they could be seen and honored and be given glory by others. (See Matthew 6:1-2 and 23:27-28.)
Scribes also made money for themselves by charging fees for prayers they said and other things they did for people. They apparently often took advantage of widows and the poor, by manipulating them into paying such fees, even when the people had very little money. Jesus warned of condemnation for charging for the free gifts of God for personal glory and gain, and focusing self-interest, instead of caring for others, especially the poor and needy.
Jesus also spent some time in the court of the women in the temple, where people put offerings in 13 offering boxes there (Mark 12:41-44). Rich people sometimes put in large offerings. They had lots of money, though, and hardly sacrificed anything of the wealth they had. Jesus also noticed a poor widow who had only two tiny coins, worth less than a penny. She put in both of these coins, all that she had, and must have just trusted that God would still take care of her, somehow. She thus gave more, in God’s eyes, than the rich with their bigger gifts but little sacrifice. (This is the pattern for giving in other places in the New Testament. See 2 Corinthians 8:12 and 9:7-8 and 1 Corinthians 16:1-2, for example. God loves a cheerful giver, who gives freely as he chooses, as the widow did.)
As Mark 13 begins, Jesus had left the temple, and one of His disciples called attention to the magnificence and massive stones of the temple. The Jewish historian, Josephus, wrote that some of the stones were 37 feet long, 12 fee high and 18 feet long. It was a marvelous building; but Jesus predicted that it was all going to be destroyed, with not one stone left upon another (Mark 13:1-2).
Some of the disciples asked when this would be and what sign would show that this would soon happen (Mark 13:3-4). Jesus then went into a prophecy of what was to come, with the destruction of the temple, but also troubles for the disciples as they later went out to tell people of Him as Savior, and even some words about the end of all things and the return of Jesus on the last day. This prophecy went on through the end of Chapter 13.
A key theme of this prophecy was to ”be on guard” and watch out for false teachers who will seek to lead people astray (Mark 13:5-6). Jesus also gave examples of “signs of the times” which would happen before the end. These are events that we see again and again throughout the years after the time of Christ: wars and rumors of wars, nations against nations and kingdoms against kingdoms, and earthquakes and famines. We still see all these things today, too. These are reminders that we may be near the end and need to be watchful and prepared all the time, by continual trust in our Lord. These are only the beginning, with more to come (Mark 13:7-8).
Again, Jesus told His disciples to be on guard. This time, He began to talk about the trials and troubles the disciples themselves would have in the future: beatings in synagogues, being delivered over to councils, and standing before governors and kings.
They would be bearing witness to Jesus, with the goal that the Gospel would eventually be proclaimed to all nations. (This is the plan of God still be carried out today and until the return of Jesus. It includes us and anything we can do to get the Good News of Jesus out to others of every nation, too) (Mark 13:9-10).
Jesus also predicted that some of the disciples would be delivered over and brought to trial, just because they were Christians. But they were not to be anxious about what to say, because the Holy Spirit would be with them and guide them (Mark 13:11). Other Scriptures tell us to do what we can to be prepared to make a defense of the hope we have in Jesus. We can study God’s Word and learn Bible passages and practice talking about our faith. See 1 Peter 3:15. But the Holy Spirit will also be with us to help us find the right things to say at the right time.
Next week, we will hear more about the destruction of Jerusalem, and how this prophecy helped the early Christians to escape these troubles. And we are called to be awake and on guard for the very end times and the return of Jesus on the last day.
Monday Jun 21, 2021
Monday Jun 21, 2021
Monday Jun 21, 2021
Monday Jun 21, 2021
Sermon for the 4th Sunday after Pentecost, based on:
Sermon originally delivered June 24, 2012
Monday Jun 14, 2021
Monday Jun 14, 2021
It was Tuesday of Holy Week, and Jesus was back in the temple in Jerusalem. He was quickly confronted by a group of the highest religious leaders, “the chief priests and the scribes and the elders." They asked, “By what authority are you doing these things?” - probably referring especially to His “cleansing” of the temple that we heard about last week.(Mark 11:27-28). Jesus knew that they had already decided to “destroy” Him, and they had no interest in really listening to Him (Mark 11:18). Jesus had already answered this question, and they did not believe Him. See, for example, John 8:42-43 and 47.
Jesus instead asked them a question, wanting their reply before He would answer them. “Was the baptism of John from heaven or from man? Answer Me.” Jesus was asking about the ministry of John the Baptist and knew that the Jewish authorities had rejected him and his baptisms and did not help him when he was arrested and executed.
If they said that John was sent from heaven, then “why did they not believe in him?” On the other hand, if they openly said they rejected John, they would be in trouble with many Jewish people who thought that John “really was a prophet.” They had to refuse to answer Jesus and said, “We do not know.” Jesus then chose not to answer them, either, as they had no real interest in His answer anyway (Mark 11:29-33).
What Jesus did do was to tell the religious leaders a parable, similar to the Old Testament parable found in Isaiah 5:1-7, about a very well-planned and constructed vineyard that produced no fruit. The vineyard was the Jewish people of Israel and Judah. God had richly blessed His people, yet they were rejecting Him and not doing what he wanted and producing only “bloodshed” and “outcry” and were facing ruin.
In the same way, Jesus described an excellent vineyard, leased out to tenants who would not give the owner the fruit that was His, but treated his servants terribly, even though he patiently sent several to the tenants to collect his fruit. Some of his servants were even killed. The owner, of course, was the Lord, and many in the Jewish nation were still rejecting Him and servants of His, like John the Baptist. John died, trying to call people to repentance and return to the Lord (Mark 12:1-5). (See Jesus’ words in Matthew 23:31-35 and the examples of 2 Chronicles 24:20-21 and Hebrews 11:36-38, about people who had suffered and died serving the Lord in the past.)
Finally, in Jesus’ parable, the owner, the Lord, sent His own beloved Son to the tenants, and they killed Him, too, trying to claim the vineyard as their own, to do with as they pleased. Eventually, the Lord destroyed these evil tenants and gave the vineyard to others (Mark 12:6-9). In this way, Jesus was predicting His own death and the eventual destruction of the Jewish nation, still in rebellion against God’s will. Jesus would only receive an “outcry” (Crucify Him!) and “bloodshed” from them.
Jesus used a quotation from Psalm 118:22-23, the same psalm quoted on Palm Sunday. “The Stone that the builders rejected has become the Cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes.” Jesus was to be the Cornerstone of the New Covenant and the Christian faith; yet He would be rejected by many of His own Jewish people. They were, in fact, watching for a chance to arrest Jesus. They realized that this parable was speaking about them and condemning them; but they did not care (Mark 12:10-12).
More religious leaders, Pharisees and Herodians, then came and tried to trap Jesus into saying something else that would get him into trouble. They lied and said that they thought Jesus “truly taught the way of God” and wanted His answer to the question, “Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” If Jesus said “Yes” then they could tell people that Jesus supported the hated Roman occupiers. If Jesus said “No” then they could tell the Roman authorities that Jesus was an evil rebel against Rome (Mark 12:13-14).
Jesus knew again what they were doing and that they were “hypocrites,” acting as if this was a friendly question, when it was not. He asked them to bring Him a common Roman coin, a denarius, which was a day’s pay in wages, and asked them whose likeness and inscription was on the coin. It was, of course, the image of Caesar, the Roman emperor. Jesus then said, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And the leaders marveled at the way Jesus was able to avoid their trap (Mark 12:15-17).
This is also an important Biblical concept that Jesus was teaching. Jesus kept on teaching, even when He was under the threat of death, coming soon. We live in two kingdoms, as believers. We live in the kingdom of this world, where we need government and order and authority in order to live and survive. Our government then deserves to have our support and respect and taxes, in order to do its work. We also live in the Kingdom of God and owe respect and worship and trust in our Lord, above all. If there is conflict, we ought to obey God, rather than man. (See Acts 4:18-20 and 5:27-28 and the general principles about church and government in Romans 13:1-7.)
Others had failed to trap Jesus; and now the Sadducees, who accepted only the first five books of the Old Testament and did not believe in life after death, came to show Him how foolish He was. They had a question about a woman who had been married to 7 different brothers, who had all died, without any having any children. To whom would the woman be married, when the resurrection came? (Mark 12:18-23. See also an Old Testament practice mentioned in Deuteronomy 25:5, where in theory, a woman could be in such a situation.)
Jesus directly challenged the Sadducees, because they did not know or ignored and rejected plenty of Scriptures which spoke about life after death. They also did not know the power of the Almighty God, with Whom nothing is impossible, and Who could solve any clever dilemmas they could think of. Jesus went on to teach more important truths. There definitely is life after death and a resurrection of the dead. In heaven, though, there is not marriage as we know it.
We are in perfect peace with our Lord and do not need to worry about any concerns about how things will work out. We will be like the angels, who do not marry, and the Lord will take care of the rest for us. Note: we do not become angels. Angels are separately created beings, from before the fall into sin. We are still humans, but with some qualities in heaven like the good and perfect angels (Mark 12:24-25).
Jesus also gave one Old Testament Scripture that the Sadducees claimed they would accept, from the second book of Moses, Exodus 3:6,15. God called Himself the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. All these people had died before God spoke to Moses in this passage. Clearly, He is a God not of the dead, but of the living, and these three early “patriarchs” were still alive with the Lord, even after death. Jesus had always affirmed the resurrection and eternal life. See John 11:23-27 and the predictions of Jesus about His own resurrection, about which we have heard. Jesus simply said to these unbelieving Sadducees, “You are quite wrong” about the resurrection (Mark 12:26-27).
Still one more religious leader, a scribe, came to Jesus that same day, and asked about which commandment was the “most important." This may have been a genuine question, as the Jews often argued about this; or it could have been another “trap” question. If Jesus picked out only a limited command, He could be accused of ignoring other important commandments that the Jews tended to emphasize in those days.
Jesus chose to quote two Scriptures which summarize what all of the 10 Commandments were about.
He first quoted from what Jews call the “Shema” and still speak regularly in worship to this day. “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” (Deuteronomy 6:4). The second is this: ”You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18). There are no commandments greater than these (Mark 12:28-31).
Jesus was giving a Biblical summary of all the 10 Commandments. The first three have to do with love for God, above all: loving no other gods but the one true God, properly honoring Him and His Name, and worshipping Him and hearing His Word regularly. The other Commandments have to do with loving other people: honoring parents, not killing or committing adultery or stealing and so on.
The scribe listened and realized that Jesus was speaking the truth. He said the same thing in his own words and added that this love for God and neighbor is better than “burnt offerings and sacrifices.” Jesus responded with the words, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” The scribe was on the right track in emphasizing love for the Lord and others (Mark 12:32-34). (See Romans 13:8-10 and “Love is the fulfilling of the Law" also.)
The problem is, of course, that none of us loves the Lord with all our heart and soul and mind and strength all the time, nor always loves our neighbor. We still sin and fall very far short of God’s expectations. That is why we need to keep hearing the rest of the Gospel of Mark and what Jesus did later that week to forgive and rescue us from our sins and failures to be fully what we should be, in trusting and following our Lord.
Monday Jun 14, 2021
Monday Jun 14, 2021
Sermon for the 3rd Sunday after Pentecost, based on:
Sermon originally delivered June 17, 2012