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THE GOSPEL OF MARK
[“Tricky Questions”]
Key word: Entrapment
|| Matthew 21:33-46;301
Luke 20:9-19301 Matthew 21:33-46: For details see notes in Nazarene Commentary 2000 on Matthew. The parable is directed at the Jewish
hierarchy. God is the Owner and the Vineyard the “Israel of God.” The cultivators are the Jewish hierarchy throughout the Hebrew Age. God sent a variety of prophets and preachers and these were all persecuted. The Son of the Owner is Jesus Christ,
who is also rejected and killed by the cultivators. The outcome would be the destruction of the Jewish cultivators and the vineyard given to others – the Christian Church.
MK12:1 Now Jesus began to speak to the [Jewish hierarchy] by parables: “A certain man planted a vineyard and fenced it in with a hedge, dug a pit for the winepress, built a watchtower, and then traveled abroad. MK12:2 At the right season he sent forth a slave to the cultivators so that he might receive his share of the produce. MK12:3 But, the cultivators seized the slave and beat him, and sent him back empty-handed. MK12:4 Then the owner sent another slave to them, and they wounded him in the head, and treating him shamefully, sent him back. MK12:5 And yet again the owner sent still another [slave], and this one they killed. And also many others were sent, some were beaten and others were killed. MK12:6 Now the owner had a much beloved son and so he sent him at the last, saying: ‘They will surely respect my own son.’ MK12:7 However, these cultivators said among themselves: ‘This is the heir! Come, let us kill him, and then we will inherit the property!’ MK12:8 So they seized the son and killed him and threw him outside the vineyard. MK12:9 What do you suppose the lord will do? Will he not come and destroy the cultivators, and then give the vineyard to others? MK12:10 Have you [Jews] never read the Scripture? ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. MK12:11 From YHWH this has come to be, and it is wonderful in our eyes.’” [Psalm 118:22, 23]
|| Matthew 22:15-22;302
Luke 20:20-26302 Matthew 22:15-22: For details see notes in Nazarene Commentary 2000 on Matthew.
MK12:12 Then [the Jews] tried to arrest Jesus but were in fear of the people, for they were aware that Jesus had directed the parable toward them. MK12:13 So they sent to Jesus certain of the Pharisees and Herodians to try and catch him in his words. MK12:14 Now when they arrived, they said to Jesus: “Teacher, we realize that you are truthful and not afraid of anyone, because you do not seek human approval, but teach the way of the God in truth. [Tell us], is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar? MK12:15 Shall we pay it or not?” However, Jesus was aware of their hypocrisy, and so he responded: “Why put me to the test? Show me a denarius.” MK12:16 And they showed him [the coin], and then Jesus asked them: “Whose image and inscription is this?” They answered: “Caesar’s!” MK12:17 Now Jesus responded to them: “Return to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to the God those things belonging to the God!” Now his reply astounded them.
|| Matthew 22:23-33;303
Luke 20:27-40303 Matthew 22:23-33: For details see notes in Nazarene Commentary 2000 on Matthew.
MK12:18
Now after this the Sadducees – who do not believe in a resurrection – approached Jesus, asking him:
MK12:19
“Teacher, Moses wrote to us that
if a man’s brother die and leave his wife behind without children, his brother should take the woman and raise up children for his brother. [Deuteronomy 25:5]
MK12:20
Now there were seven brothers and the first took a wife, but he died leaving no children.
MK12:21
So the second took her and he also died without leaving any children. Now this happened a third time,
MK12:22
until all seven had left no children, and finally the woman also died.
MK12:23
Therefore, in the resurrection which of the seven will have her as a wife, since all had her?”
MK12:24
Now Jesus responded to their question by saying:
“This is why you are completely mistaken: because you know neither the Scriptures or the power of the God!
MK12:25 Whenever the dead are resurrected304
they neither marry or are given in marriage, but rather they are like angels in heaven.305
304 Whenever the dead are resurrected: Jesus has is mind the hope of the Israel of God, the Christian Church. These are not raised to
life on earth, but in the heavens. [2 Corinthians 5:1] Jesus is confronted by a sect that only accepts the first five books of Moses [Genesis to Deuteronomy], and thus has the challenge to prove the resurrection from the only part of the Bible they accepted.
MK12:26 Now concerning the dead being raised up, did you never read in the Bible of Moses regarding the account about the thorn-bush? How the God said to him:
‘I am the God of Abraham306 and Isaac’s God and Jacob’s
God’?
[Exodus 6:3]
305 They are like angels in heaven: Those raised with the Christian Church at the Parousia of the King are not raised in flesh and blood bodies
like human beings. [1 Corinthians 15:23, 50] The Saints are “like angels” – spirit beings in heaven who are neither male or female. [Galatians 3:27-29] For details see the work Where Are the Dead?
MK12:27
He is not a God of the dead, but rather of the living. You are greatly mistaken!”
306 I am the God of Abraham: Jesus uses a bit of rabbinical slight of hand by arguing that since God is only the God of the living, Moses
infers that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will be resurrected. Had Jesus been able to use other Biblical sources he could have quoted Job, Isaiah, or Daniel.
|| Matthew 22:34-40;307
Luke 10:25-29307 Matthew 22:34-40: For details see notes in Nazarene Commentary 2000 on Matthew.
MK12:28
One of the Bible Copyists arrived and heard them all involved in discussion, and realizing Jesus had answered correctly, asked: “What is the first of all the commandments?”
MK12:29
Jesus answered him:
“The first of all the commandments is:
‘Listen, Israel, YHWH308 your God is One,309
308 YHWH: The Tetragram occurs in the Hebrew Text of Deuteronomy 6:4 and the Greek here would allow for the possibility that YHWH originally
occurred here.
MK12:30 and you shall love YHWH your God from your complete heart, your complete soul, your complete understanding,
and your complete strength.’
[Deuteronomy 6:4, 5]
MK12:31
The second is this:
‘You must love310 your neighbor as yourself.’
There are no greater commandments than these.”
[Leviticus 19:18]
309 Your God is One: Not three. The Greek word for “one” is EIS and not “first.”
See notes on Deuteronomy 6:4 in Error of the Trinity.
MK12:32
Now the Bible Copyist said to Jesus: “Teacher, that was excellent! You have surely spoken the truth:311
for He is One … and beside Him there is no other. [Deuteronomy 6:4; 4:39]
310 You must love: The reek is AGAPESEIS [you shall love]. Both commandments have love as a focus: love for God is demonstrated by whole,
complete and total involvement of heart, mind, soul, and strength. It is easy to determine whether a person so loves God. The second, is love of neighbor – neighbor defined as any person to whom one has interest, concern, and positive action for their
highest good. Compare notes on Galatians 5:14.
MK12:33
And also to
love Him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength
[Deuteronomy 6:4, 5] …
is more important than all the burnt-offerings and sacrifices!” [Hosea 6:6]
MK12:34
Then when Jesus realized that he had answered so intelligently, told him:
“You are not far from God’s Realm!”312
After this no one dared ask Jesus any more questions.311 You have surely spoken the truth: In his answer the scribe draws on several phrases from the Hebrew Bible. 312 You are not far from God’s Realm: It seems likely Jesus means the scribe
is not far from becoming a member of the Realm of Profession, the Church. It is possible he is one of those mentioned in Acts who become believers.
|| Matthew 22:41-46;313
Luke 20:41-44313 Matthew 22:41-46: For details see notes in Nazarene Commentary 2000 on Matthew.
MK12:35
Now while teaching in the Temple courtyard, Jesus asked:
“Why do the Bible Copyists state that Christ is the son of David?
MK12:36 For David himself spoke by the holy Pneuma:
‘YHWH said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool.”’
[Psalm 110:1]
MK12:37
If David calls [Christ] ‘Lord’ how can he also be his son?”314
And the large crowd listening heard Jesus with great delight.315314 How can he also be his son: Messiah will become an “Everlasting Father” [Isaiah 9:6] by resurrecting David and all humanity. Messiah as a descendant of David would become his “son” but as King he would also be David’s Lord. Of course, David’s “Lord” also had his own LORD – YHWH as Psalm 110:1 shows. [Deuteronomy 10:17] 315 Great delight: Or, pleasure, gladly. No doubt because the Jewish rabbis were always asking tough catch questions and now Jesus has shut them up.
|| Matthew 23:6, 7;316
Luke 20:45-47316 Matthew 23:6, 7: For details see notes in Nazarene Commentary 2000 on Matthew.
MK12:38
Now in the course of his teaching Jesus said:
“Be on guard against the Bible Copyists! They love to go around in long robes and to receive the greetings in the market place.
MK12:39 [They love] the front seats in the synagogue and the places of honor at meals.
MK12:40 They devour the houses of widows317
and for a pretense they make long prayers.318 These [men] will receive a much heavier judgment!”319317 They devour
the houses of widows: Or, MOF: prey upon the property of; NEB: men who eat up; PME: who live on widows’ property; TCN: rob widows of their homes. The same type of men exist to this day. Some will convince widows to leave their inheritance to their
sect or organization rather than to family. Other older Christian ladies will have what little money they possess exhorted by church authority. See the meaning of the word “extortion” in a dictionary. 318 Long prayers: Some will remain at the Wailing Wall for hours, while one Christian leader prayed for one hour to a crowd of over one hundred thousand people in 95F heat. 319 Heavier judgment: Compare notes on James 3:1-3.
|| Luke 2:1-4
MK12:41
Now Jesus sat near the Temple treasury, and he watched as the crowd put copper money into the treasure-box. The rich were putting in large amounts.
MK12:42
Then a certain widow came and she dropped in two lepta320
(that is, a quadrans).
MK12:43
Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said:
“I tell you this truth: that poor widow has put in more that all the others dropping coins into the treasure-box.
MK12:44
For the others put in money out of their surplus, but she put in out of her poverty and thus all her livelihood.”
320 Lepta: A coin as small and thin as the little widows small fingernail. Like the American penny, it was so small as to not be worth
stooping to pick up. In atomic physics the lepton is among the smallest of nuclear particles.
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Nazarene Commentary 2000© Mark Heber Miller ©2000 All Rights Reserved |
