Reading: Mark 13-14, Psalm 101

Yesterday we saw Jesus switch from containing his message and identity to broadcasting it. Today we will see the response that those around him had. The second part of the book of Mark is a series of revelations, and one secret, which we will get too in a moment. Just in these two chapters we see the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem, the declaration of the New Covenant, the completed meaning of Passover, the hearts of Peter, Judas, and even Jesus himself forced into view. The true concern of the powerful. Everything that was hidden is being revealed.

We kick off with Jesus prediction of the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem. Recall that this was the second temple, the one that was never inhabited by the glory of God the way the tabernacle and Solomon’s Temple were. Even so, it is a symbol of national pride for the Jewish people, though much of it’s impressive architecture had been added by Herod the Great, who wasn’t even a Jew, but an Edomite. Jesus tells his disciples that this great symbol would be totally torn down, with not one stone left on another. It almost seems like he has identified that it is nothing to be all that proud of, and is pointing out that it will be revealed to be what it is: a sham temple, bereft of the glory of God.

The disciples are understandably distressed by this, and ask when and how it is going to go down. Jesus answers the question… sort of. He outlines some wild, crazy stuff that is going to happen. It sounds like the end of the world complete with stars and the sun going dark and the earth shaking and mass death and destruction. But then he says no one knows the day or hour, and he isn’t holding out on them: Jesus says he doesn’t know. Now, we could get into all kinds of interesting conversation about how Jesus could be God and not know something, but let’s just take him at his word here. I think Jesus didn’t know because it wasn’t important to know. All through this part of Mark things are being revealed. Except this. The point, Jesus goes on to say, is to be alert and watchful. The particulars of the end are less important than being obedient to the master who owns all of it. By the end of the chapter, Jesus has deftly pushed the disciples away from their interest in future events to what they should be concerned about: obeying the Creator God. Its like he wants them to stop seeking knowledge for their own advantage, and trust the wisdom of God.

After that little discussion, Jesus heads out of town to Bethany. We see another unveiling, this time of the heart of Judas, who just cannot deal with the “waste” of an extensive ointment poured on the feet of Jesus. Jesus turns the grumbling back on his audience with you will always have the poor with you, you can do good to them whenever you want. Of course nobody wanted to hear that. Its like Jesus is telling them to stop telling other people what to do with their resources and look at what they can do with what they have themselves. Help the poor whenever we want? How rarely those who accuse those who celebrate their creator of wastefulness are willing to respond to that particular call. Judas cannot deal with it, and goes right to the chief priests and scribes, who have been looking for an excuse to silence Jesus. Judas is revealed as a traitor to his teacher.

Next we get the Passover celebration, where Jesus re-envisions the Passover as the celebratory meal of the New Covenant. The whole story of the Scriptures is pulled together in this meal, which is framed by Jesus making references to how the Scriptures ordained these events. From the betrayal of Judas to his abandonment by the other disciples, to his death, and finally his resurrection. It is what the whole Story was heading for. The center of the plot of the Story has finally been revealed, and it is Jesus at this meal.

But it is not over yet. Everything has been predicted, but not everything has happened. Jesus goes off to a garden called Gethsemane, where he struggles through his own declaration of dependence. Jesus is in a garden, offered the choice of whether to be obedient to God and trust his wisdom, or make his own choices. I hope it is a familiar story by now. I’m quite sure Mark thought so. Jesus is revealed to be what Adam was not, and he turns to face the rest of his mission.

We still have two more revelations. First, the heart of Peter. Peter promises to follow Jesus anywhere, even death. He is no coward, as we see him attacking the soldiers who come to arrest Jesus. But neither is he particularly competent, as all he does is smite an ear. Jesus remedies even that, and tells Peter to stop. Right after that we see Peter denying that he even knows who Jesus is. What happened? What happened to Peter’s zeal, his courage, his insistence that he will follow Jesus anywhere? It appears to have fizzled, as he weeps outside the High Priest’s house.

Speaking of that, what is going on inside? Jesus is busily demolishing the image that the chief priests and scribes are anything but power grubbing, selfish men parading the facade of serving God. He does this by basically saying nothing at all. The only question he responds to is the direct challenge as to whether he is in fact the Messiah and the Son of God. He effectively says “yes.” If the chief priests and scribes were really all that zealous for the God they claimed to serve, they would have killed him then and there, and hang the consequences from Rome. But of course that was not their real motivation. The powerful were seeking more power, not justice or righteousness. So they mock Jesus on his way to confront the last false powers in the book of Mark.