Warnings of the Kingdom (preaching resource for Pentecost 24-26: 11/3--11/17/24)

This post exegetes parts of Mark chapters 12 and 13, providing context for the RCL Gospel readings on 11/3 through 11/17 (Pentecost 24 through 26). This post draws on commentary from Alan Cole ("New Bible Commentary"), and John Grassmick ("Bible Knowledge Commentary"). 

"The Exhortation to the Apostles" by Tissot (public domain via Wikimedia Commons)

Introduction

Back in chapter 11, Mark had begun a section presenting various warnings of the Kingdom of God—warnings meant to precipitate crises as Jesus reveals himself more and more for who he truly is. Beginning at Mark 12:28, we come to the conclusion of this section with warnings that are directly relevant to Jesus' first disciples (and to us, as well).

The greatest commandment 

Mark 12:28-34

In this passage, a teacher of the Law approaches Jesus with what seems a sincere question. In a sense, Jesus’ answer contains nothing new; it is drawn from the the Old Testament, which is quite familiar to this teacher. In his reply, Jesus places love for God and neighbor at the heart of the Law of Moses (The Torah, the terms being what we refer to as the "Old Covenant," which God made with Israel). Note how Jesus shows that in the Law, love for God and neighbor are inextricably bound—to profess love for God while refusing to love another human (Jesus included!) is utter hypocrisy (see 1 John 4:20). 

By commending this teacher for his understanding of the true basis of the Law, is Jesus saying that law-keeping qualifies one to enter the Kingdom? No, for the Law of Moses was meant to lead us to Jesus (who alone qualifies us), not substitute for him. What Jesus is doing is commending the teacher’s attitude as a faithful Jew, then, in an oblique way, indicating that even so, he is not yet a member of the Kingdom. Despite his lawfulness, this teacher is not a member of Jesus’ Kingdom because he has not begun to follow Jesus, the Kingdom’s king. Does this teacher ever turn to Jesus in faith? Perhaps, though we aren’t told.

Is the Messiah divine or human? 

Mark 12:35-37

Now Jesus presses the point concerning his identity as king of the Kingdom of God. He knows that Israel is looking for a Messiah that is of David’s kingly line. Their hope is that he will restore Israel to prominence and independence as an earthly kingdom. As we see earlier in Mark, it is probably because of this false expectation that Jesus has refused so far to claim openly to be the Messiah. We also see that when Peter recognized Jesus as the Messiah, Jesus explained that he is not the type of Messiah they are expecting—instead of coming to conquer (in a political-military sense), he has come to suffer and die. 

So how is Jesus to show these Jews that their expectations of the Messiah are wrong? Jesus poses a question, quoting Psalm 110. These Jews understood that this Psalm was written by David. They also agreed that ‘My Lord’ in the Psalm is a reference to God’s anointed, the Messiah. And this understanding poses a dilemma: How is it that David, their honored ancestor, calls his descendant, the Messiah, ‘My Lord’, thus granting him a position of superiority over himself? This makes no sense if this descendent is a mere human. And that’s Jesus' point—for David to say this, indicates that he understands that the Messiah is not a mere human, but one who holds a place of superiority. And so Jesus is unfolding further revelation concerning his true identity. And as a result, comes a crisis of decision (judgment): How will they respond? We’ll soon find out.

Teachers and widows 

Mark 12:38-44

Here Jesus offers pictures of those who reject Kingdom values and those who embrace and exemplify those values. Ironically, it is teachers of the Law of Moses who reject them—for rather than exemplifying God’s generosity and mercy, they love power, position and wealth. Their lives are not about Kingdom values but about an outward show of religion, which leads them to ‘gobble up’ the property of helpless folk like widows, perhaps by continually demanding religious contributions from them. On the other hand, here is this impoverished widow, who willingly and gladly gives God all the money she has, on which her life depends (v44). This sort of radical, selfless generosity is the heart of God, which soon will be seen powerfully as Jesus goes to Calvary to give his all for us. In Mark 14:3, we encounter another generous woman who smashes a costly alabaster jar of perfume to serve Jesus.

Signs of the end 

Mark 13:1-37

Here the topic of judgment continues as Jesus warns his inner circle concerning the crisis (judgment) about to come upon the people of Jerusalem and Judea due to their rejection of Jesus and his Kingdom. This cataclysmic judgment will be a time of testing for the apostles—Jesus’ inner circle of disciples. 

The subject is introduced by the prophecy of judgment on the temple (v2). Jesus’ disciples probably believe that destruction of the temple means the end of the age, and thus they are anxious to know these signs (v3). But Jesus’ answer essentially avoids the issue of timing (though in v30 he tells them that these terrible things will occur before their generation is gone). Jesus’ primary message here is quite simple, yet it is profound: Be watchful! (v5). They are to watch out especially for plausible deceivers. Moreover, they are not to be alarmed by terrible circumstances. Of course, both issues would be of great relevance to Mark’s original readers in Rome, home of several early heresies that arose around the time of the writing of Mark’s gospel.

Jesus’ point to his disciples at this critical juncture with judgment about to come on Jerusalem and Judea is that persecution on them is unavoidable. But rather than fearing it and fleeing, his disciples are to use it as an opportunity to witness to Christ with words the Holy Spirit will give them. Jesus’ related prediction (that takes the form of command), that the gospel must first be proclaimed to all the nations (v10) is essentially Mark’s version of the ‘great commission’ at the end of Matthew (Matt. 28:19). No doubt Mark had seen obedience to this command in the ministry of Paul and the other apostles before he wrote this Gospel.

The terrible, earth-shattering effects of this soon-coming judgment includes the breakdown under stress of the closest natural ties (v12). This breakdown is the opposite of how Jesus' true ‘family’ (Mark 3:34-35) is to relate to one another, despite times of hardship. Indeed, many of Jesus’ followers will be hated by their own kin for loyalty to the Lord (v13a). Yet there is a promise: faithful endurance to the end will mean salvation (v13b), even if not safety in this world. Jesus’ point is not that one’s loyalty earns salvation (which is a gift of grace apart from personal merit), but that by persevering loyally through even the most challenging times, Jesus’ followers will experience the reality of Jesus’ love and life (their salvation) both now, and then in its fullness in the life to come. 

Jesus’ disciples ask ‘When?’ In carefully veiled language, Jesus answers by hinting that these events will come upon Jerusalem and Judea when the idolatrous Roman army standards would be planted triumphantly in the temple at Jerusalem. Mark dare not report this openly (in Rome of all places) especially as, from the language, it does not yet seem to have taken place at the date of the writing of this Gospel. But the little addition in v14 shows that he expects his readers to understand. 

Jesus here uses language from the book of Daniel, telling in the first place of the desecration of the temple by the persecutor Antiochus Epiphanes in the second century BC. The abomination in that case was an idol, set up in the temple itself, thus defiling it. The following verses seem to describe the terrible suffering in the first Jewish wars, when Roman armies invaded Palestine. This took place only a generation after the death of Christ, and the Jewish Christian church would have shared in the general suffering. Tradition says that the Christians fled to Pella in Transjordan, taking Jesus’ warning to heart (v14).

One of Jesus’ most urgent warnings to his disciples at that time (and it applies to us today) is the need to avoid false Messiahs and prophets (v22). One of the tactics of these deceivers is to use signs and miracles. These can be very impressive and hoodwink the gullible. Perhaps this is why Jesus performed miracles only sparingly.

Everything Jesus predicts up through v23 can be fitted into the time around AD 70, with Roman armies ravaging Palestine and emperors fighting for the throne. Mark’s readers would have recognized the references, even if some are not clear to us now. However, there seems to be a shift in perspective in vv24-27. Some see these verses as referring to what will happen at the very end of the age when Jesus returns from heaven bodily. However, others see this as continuing to address what occurred historically in the Mediterranean region (Roman Empire) during the life of these original disciples. Either way, the Bible uses the imagery of sun, moon and stars to refer to earthly powers. Thus the point here is that governments will fall, not heavenly bodies. And when that is occurring, the Son of Man will come in glory to gather his chosen ones (vv26–27). The ends of the earth is drawn from the imagery of Daniel 7, but the phrase may contain a hint of the Gentile mission. It cannot simply be a reference to the gathering in of faithful Jews from all over the world.

In deciding on the timing, note that these things seem to be included in Jesus’ statement in v30 that, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. “This generation” is most likely the life-span of Jesus’ first followers. And so, attempts to relate Jesus’ predictions in vv24-27 to events in our era (such as the founding of the Jewish state in Palestine in 1948) seem unjustifiable. However, it is clear that Jesus is looking forward to predict continuing and escalating trouble in the world, which will mean persecution of his followers, but also it includes the promise of ultimate deliverance, and thus hope.

Just as the book of Revelation is often called the 'Apocalypse’ (which means ‘unveiling’), so this 13th  chapter in Mark is often called the 'little Apocalypse’, as Jesus here unveils truth about himself and about forthcoming events. In considering how to understand what Jesus is saying, three things should be borne in mind. First, that open language was impossible in that time of political danger (and thus Mark writes to his audience in Rome in code language). Secondly, that this code language is intended to reveal, not mystify. Thirdly, the main point is to urge the followers of Jesus to be faithful, not to enable them to predict the future and set dates (v37). This is shown by the fact that not even the Son (this is another place where Jesus claims a unique relationship to God) knows the date of these things (v32). But this we do know (because Jesus promises it): In the shaking of all else, the words of Jesus remain unshaken (v31)—a saying used in the Old Testament for the words of God himself. And so, prophecies (like this one) are ultimately about revealing Jesus and his Kingdom.

Conclusion

And so ends the section of Mark addressing warnings of the Kingdom, related to the judgment that results from how people respond to Jesus once they see him clearly. In the first century, when Jesus was revealed, he was rejected and crucified—bringing calamity to the world. But as Jesus predicted, his death was not the end of the story. No, he rose from the dead, ascended to heaven, and came back to earth through the Holy Spirit to begin a ministry of further revelation that is impacting (as Jesus predicted) the whole world. And one day (we don’t know when), he will return bodily, in glory, to usher in the fullness of his Kingdom, which now is present on earth and growing. 

Our calling as disciples of Jesus is not to fixate on speculations ('prediction addiction'); not to be overly-worried about world events; and certainly not to pull back into a cave of fearfulness. No, our calling is to do what Jesus told his original followers to do: share with others what we know of Jesus and his Kingdom—the message of the gospel— thes truth that delivers and transforms. 

Let us, with Jesus, and by the Spirit, be about our Father’s business!