“Let’s take a moment to remember the tug of war that’s been going on since Jesus arrived at Jerusalem. Jesus enters the temple and takes charge, enforcing the rules that were not being enforced by the chief priests and declaring the rulers of the temple to be in contempt of the temple. At the same time he curses the fig tree symbolically illustrating the end of both the Jerusalem temple and the sacrificial, priestly system forever. It’s time is over. It’s fulfillment has come. He then encourages the disciples that they can still pray in faith through the new temple which is replacing the old—Jesus and his body the church.
At the end of chapter 11 Jesus is challenged on his authority to do what he’s been doing. His response is to ask the scribes to tell him whether or not John the Baptist was from God. They decline to do so for political reasons, showing that their motive is power and staying in it. Since they are not interested in truth neither will Jesus tell them by what authority he does these things.
The challenge had been public and now Jesus responds by giving a public parable to the crowds right in front of those scribes, a parable which exposes their wickedness and pronounces impending judgment on them. They perceive the intent and message of the parable and, ironically, plot to kill him in response to it, but can’t because of the people.
What happens next is that they shift gears and begin to try to entrap him. The Pharisees and Herodians go first. Is it lawful to pay the tax to Caesar or not? This attempt fails. The Sadducees are next. They challenge him on the resurrection. His answer is so stunning it silences them completely. And now comes a scribe who witnesses these discussions and apparently is impressed with Jesus’ answers.”
What happens next is that this scribe asks a very important question, and his answer gets right to the heart of the matter, right to the heart of what is wrong with second temple Judaism, or, more precisely, where it has gone wrong. And the heart of that problem is precisely that—the heart.
Below is the a l8nk to the audio from the sermon I preached from this passage back at the end of December. To listen just click the link below and a new window will open up in your browser where you will find an MP3 file containing the audio for that sermon. I hope you will take the time to listen. God bless.
Click here: Mark 12:28-34 - The Great Commandment
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