Chapter 12

The Chief Corner Stone

Mark 12:1-12

MARK 12:1-12

1 And He began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard and put a wall around it, and dug a vat under the wine press and built a tower, and rented it out to vine-growers and went on a journey. 2 “At the harvest time he sent a slave to the vine-growers, in order to receive some of the produce of the vineyard from the vine-growers. 3 “They took him, and beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 4 “Again he sent them another slave, and they wounded him in the head, and treated him shamefully. 5 “And he sent another, and that one they killed; and so with many others, beating some and killing others. 6 “He had one more to send, a beloved son; he sent him last of all to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 7 “But those vine-growers said to one another, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours!’ 8 “They took him, and killed him and threw him out of the vineyard. 9 “What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the vine-growers, and will give the vineyard to others. 10 ”Have you not even read this Scripture:

‘The stone which the builders rejected,

This became the chief corner stone;

11 This came about from the Lord,

And it is marvelous in our eyes’?”

12 They were seeking to seize Him, and yet they feared the people, for they understood that He spoke the parable against them. And so they left Him and went away.

MARK 12:1

And He began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard and put a wall around it, and dug a vat under the wine press and built a tower, and rented it out to vine-growers and went on a journey.”

“A man planted a vineyard”

Before we examine the parable, let us first examine its context. Jesus made this statement to the crowds in the presence of the Religious leaders. Remember, they had just questioned his authority and then wound up silenced when Jesus called them on the carpet with the following question:

Mark 11:29-33

29 And Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one question, and you answer Me, and then I will tell you by what authority I do these things. 30 “Was the baptism of John from heaven, or from men? Answer Me.” 31 They began reasoning among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’ 32 “But shall we say, ‘From men’?” — they were afraid of the people, for everyone considered John to have been a real prophet. 33 Answering Jesus, they *said, “We do not know.” And Jesus *said to them, “Nor will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

When we examine the life of Jesus we must also examine the context of Jesus. It is helpful to understand the culture, the circumstances and even the languages of his time to fully understand him.

The story of the Prodigal Son was told in the context of the Pharisees attacking the people with whom Jesus was eating. The story of Good Samaritan was told in the context of a Scribe questioning Jesus about “who was good?”

This story — of men who stole a vineyard killing the owner’s messengers (prophets) and son (the Messiah) — was told in the temple facing down the bitter anger of the Sanhedrin. Over the years artists have often given us images of a timid Jesus, frail and pasty, barely able to lift a hammer let alone be a carpenter. Theologians have often painted a picture of a Jesus who “goes along to get along.” “He wouldn’t buck the system let alone challenge it.”

Yet here is the true image of Jesus: Tough with those who upheld systemic poverty; compassionate with the victims of such societal abuse. That is the context of this important reading.

Now let’s look at how Jesus sets up this parable. “A man planted a vineyard...”

In this story, the man is God. The vineyard he plants is not just a patch of vines but everything needed for a resilient farm. He plants the vines but also digs a well, builds a storage bin, complete with protective walls and a watchtower and even presses for the grapes. God did everything necessary to make the vineyard self-sufficient.

The vineyard is Israel. God did not deprive Israel of any needs. However, Israel’s problem wasn’t production, it was distribution.

How different is our world today? My own country (the US) spends more on dietary supplements than many developing nations combined spend on basic sustenance. Our portion sizes make our own children unhealthily obese and the fat content in those meals complicates a whole host of bodily disorders. Does our world have a production problem or a distribution problem? As Gandhi once said of our world, “There is enough for everyone’s needs, but not enough for everyone’s greed.”

Can I recognize the difference between my own need and greed? I remember the innocent statement amicably made by a Rwandan Pastor visiting my home. “Brother Jerry, your pets eat better than my orphans.”

MARK 12:2-8

2 “At the harvest time he sent a slave to the vine-growers, in order to receive some of the produce of the vineyard from the vine-growers. 3 “They took him, and beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 4 “Again he sent them another slave, and they wounded him in the head, and treated him shamefully. 5 “And he sent another, and that one they killed; and so with many others, beating some and killing others. 6 “He had one more to send, a beloved son; he sent him last of all to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 7 “But those vine-growers said to one another, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours!’ 8 “They took him, and killed him and threw him out of the vineyard.

“This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours!”

The amount collected by a landowner was generally a quarter to half the operation’s revenue. Given the amazing amount of resources the landowner had invested to develop the land, this was not an unjust return. However, the wicked lessors humiliated and killed each representative of the owner until finally the owner sent his beloved son. It wasn’t that they were starving; it was that they were greedy. “Why have a portion when we could have it all?”

The fact that the son comes to collect the rent must have led the vine-growers to assume that the owner himself had died. Jewish law provided that if there were no heirs and the owner was deceased, those maintaining the property could keep it. Thus they killed the son too.

They couldn’t have been more incorrect. The landlord returned with a vengeance.

We know that the Landlord’s representatives symbolized the prophets and the heir was Jesus. The Father thought, “Surely they will respect him!”

Does this mean that God expected Jesus to be enthroned in Jerusalem? Did God think the Religious leaders might see Jesus and step aside?

No, here is where we must be cautious. There is a difference between providing someone an opportunity to redeem themselves and knowing a person so well that you realize he or she will reject it. God was (and is) not naive to our sinfulness. He knows we will reject his son and yet he offers his life for ours anyway. God doesn’t offer us an opportunity — he offers us a sacrifice. It is not a contract — it is a covenant.

Are we a contract or a covenant people? Do we fulfill our bargain only if others do? Do we dole out our love based upon our approval of the performance of others? This is not the way of God who sends rain on the righteous and unrighteous:

Matthew 5:44-48

44 “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 “For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 “If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 “Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Integrity is when we seek the dignity of all people — regardless of how others respond.

MARK 12:9-12

9 “What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the vine-growers, and will give the vineyard to others. 10 ”Have you not even read this Scripture:

‘The stone which the builders rejected,

This became the chief corner stone;

11 This came about from the Lord,

And it is marvelous in our eyes’?”

“He will come and destroy the vine-growers, and will give the vineyard to others.”

The parable ends at this point. Now it becomes a prophecy. Many of those listening — disciples, worshippers, observers and the Sanhedrin — would live to see the temple’s utter destruction in A.D. 70.

Jesus then quotes from Psalm 118 (vesus 22-23), “The stone which the builders rejected, this became the chief corner stone.”

Our Lord often speaks of three types of stones:

1.        Cornerstone

This is a stone that anchors an entire building. Its measurements must be perfect because the placement of all the other stones will be based upon this stone.

2.        Capstone

Often the terms cornerstone and capstone were used interchangeably but they were completely opposite (something a carpenter would know very well). The walls were measured by the cornerstone but the weight of the ceiling rested on the capstone. The capstone took an enormous amount of pressure and kept the roof from caving in on its occupants.

3.        Testing Stone

Finally, the word for temptation and testing were derived from an Oriental stone that was used to measure the strength of metal.

Jesus was the “Chief Corner Stone.” The stone against which all other stones would be judged, the stone that keeps our lives from caving in and the stone against which our metal will be tested. Still, we must always remember that Jesus is the “Chief Stone,” not us. We are called to measure ourselves against his cornerstone and not measure others against ours.  We are called to be models not judges.

MARK 12:12

They were seeking to seize Him, and yet they feared the people, for they understood that He spoke the parable against them. And so they left Him and went away.

“They understood that He spoke the parable against them”

What is our response to truth? Does it make our blood boil? Do we seek to silence the purveyor or does it lead us to examination and even change?

We see two types of anger in the last chapters of Mark.

1.        The just anger of Jesus over the systemic abuse of the poor

2.        The self-righteous anger of the religious leaders when their authority is challenged.

The viability of anger is often revealed in its source but the source of anger is never outside of ourselves. We are not victims of anger we are the wellspring of it.

If we truly examined the anger in our life would it reveal a false sense of pride or self-righteousness? A “What about me?” or “That’s not fair,” attitude? Jesus’ anger was not about who occupied the temple, he could care less about priestly garb and sanctimonious titles. His anger was about who was left outside the temple.

What does my anger reveal about me? Upon which side of the wall will the Owner’s Son find me? Have I barred myself in the vineyard through indignation, a judgmental attitude or self-righteousness? Or am I constantly seeking to confer unconditional dignity to the just and unjust in the name of God?

Mark 12:13-17

Render to Caesar

Mark 12:13-17

MARK 12:13-17

13 Then they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Him in order to trap Him in a statement. 14 They came and said to Him, “Teacher, we know that You are truthful and defer to no one; for You are not partial to any, but teach the way of God in truth. Is it lawful to pay a poll-tax to Caesar, or not? 15 “Shall we pay or shall we not pay?” But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, “Why are you testing Me? Bring Me a denarius to look at.” 16 They brought one. And He said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” And they said to Him, “Caesar’s.” 17 And Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they were amazed at Him.

MARK 12:13-15A

13 Then they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Him in order to trap Him in a statement. 14 They came and said to Him, “Teacher, we know that You are truthful and defer to no one; for You are not partial to any, but teach the way of God in truth. Is it lawful to pay a poll-tax to Caesar, or not? 15 “Shall we pay or shall we not pay?”

“Teacher, we know that You are truthful and defer to no one”

Remember the context of events. Jesus clears the temple. He withers the fig tree. He returns to the temple where he is confronted by the Religious Leaders who challenge his authority. The "Authorities" wind up looking anemic before the crowd while Jesus tells the parable of the perfect vineyard and the dishonest tenants. They slink away to plot a way to trap Jesus.

Well, here it is.... their best trap.

It begins with fawning and flattery;

“Teacher, we know that You are truthful and defer to no one; for You are not partial to any, but teach the way of God in truth."

It is ironic they would lay their trap with such a foundation when just undermined their last attempt with Psalm 118. Found in the same Psalm are the following verses:

Psalm 118:8-9

8 It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. 9 It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes.

A false compliment can rarely deceive a sincere person. Jesus often saw compliments — whether from Satan, Nicodemus or the Sanhedrin — as more a revelation of the one who was complimenting than as a reason to grow smug. A wise person will always consider the source of both compliments and criticism alike.

Jesus saw the compliments of the religious scholars as a reason to be more wary — not less.

“Why are you testing Me?"

The authorities weren't seeking wisdom, they were laying a trap. The question they ask is a populous issue couched in religious overtones. If Jesus supported the poll-tax he would lose popularity among the crowd. If he refused to pay it, he could be turned over to the political authorities for insurrection.

Their hypocrisy lay in the fact that they had already resolved this question for themselves. Obviously they paid the tax or they would be hanging on crosses outside Jerusalem.

The word testing [G3984 Peirazo] is nearly interchangeable with the word for temptation. It is used multiple times in the Gospels but always in reference to two specific parties: Satan and the religious authorities. This should be a huge neon warning sign to us. When do we act like "the authority?" That is when we test Jesus.

When we are closed to the insights of those around us. When we form prejudices based upon opinions and untried by relationships. When we presume ourselves to be in any way, shape or form above, over or more privileged than another. That is when we test Jesus.

MARK 12:15B-17

15b But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, “Why are you testing Me? Bring Me a denarius to look at.” 16 They brought one. And He said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” And they said to Him, “Caesar’s.” 17 And Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they were amazed at Him.

“Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are God's”

“Bring Me a denarius to look at.” Jesus didn't keep the coin purse, Judas did. Jesus had little concern in this world for anything beyond his "daily bread."

How often do we pray the prayer Jesus taught us and miss its point? "Give us THIS day our DAILY bread." The flip side of this prayer is that we are asking, "Lord, let me be satisfied with simple needs. Let me live out of simplicity not out of greed."

Jesus was as comfortable gleaning fields as he was partying with tax-collectors. So when he needed a coin he had to ask for one.

Now, did he really not know whose face was on that coin? Had he really never looked at it? Of course he knew, every Jew knew the face of their Country's occupying force. What Jesus is using is a tool of all great prophets and leaders. The power of image, of symbolism. “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” he asks.

He doesn't recoil from touching the coin. He doesn't act too holy to be soiled by human currency. The coin is a "thing," that's all. A mere piece of metal symbolizing something of worth to humans.

So our Lord states, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” Period. End of sentence, point and lesson.

Yet, it leaves us with two critical question for every generation.

1.        "What would be likened to an image of a modern day Caesar?"

2.        "Who bears the image of God?"

In every generation there are those who would use beings to get things and there are those who stand idly by while this occurs. When we don't actively work for justice we passively acquiesce to injustice. There's no sidelines here.

Can I say that I am actively rendering to God those who are his? We go back again to the mission statement of Jesus [Luke 4:18-19] and ask the question: "Do the poor call us Good News?"

The vast majority of our poor are working people. They do "render unto Caesar" everyday. They work for conglomerates, corporations, in sweatshops, mines, fast food restaurants and retail stores. They don't make enough to provide, they receive no health care and they work in abysmal situations. Do they call me good news?

Take a moment and put yourself in their shoes. Imagine a single-mom working two jobs without health care and still unable to put a full meal on the table at the end of the pay period. What could your church (or you) offer her that would be "Good News?"

Would it be better worship? More prayers? A new projector? Or, would it be friendship? Childcare? Tutoring and mentoring for her children? Educational assistance?

There are things each person and every church can do immediately to relieve the plight of the poor and the advocate for them in our government's spending and taxing priorities. Your answers to the question, "Does she call me Good News?" would be an example of rendering to God who — not what — belongs to our Lord.

Mark 12:28-37

God Is Love

Mark 12:28-37

MARK 12:28-37

28 One of the scribes came and heard them arguing, and recognizing that He had answered them well, asked Him, “What commandment is the foremost of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The foremost is, ‘HEAR, O ISRAEL! THE LORD OUR GOD IS ONE LORD; 30 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.’ 31 “The second is this, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” 32 The scribe said to Him, “Right, Teacher; You have truly stated that HE IS ONE, AND THERE IS NO ONE ELSE BESIDES HIM; 33 AND TO LOVE HIM WITH ALL THE HEART AND WITH ALL THE UNDERSTANDING AND WITH ALL THE STRENGTH, AND TO LOVE ONE’S NEIGHBOR AS HIMSELF, is much more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34 When Jesus saw that he had answered intelligently, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” After that, no one would venture to ask Him any more questions.

35 And Jesus began to say, as He taught in the temple, “How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David? 36 “David himself said in the Holy Spirit,

     ‘The Lord said to my Lord,

     “Sit at My right hand,

     Until I put Your enemies beneath Your feet.”’

37 “David himself calls Him ‘Lord’; so in what sense is He his son?” And the large crowd enjoyed listening to Him.

MARK 12:28-31

28 One of the scribes came and heard them arguing, and recognizing that He had answered them well, asked Him, “What commandment is the foremost of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The foremost is, ‘HEAR, O ISRAEL! THE LORD OUR GOD IS ONE LORD; 30 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.’ 31 “The second is this, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

“What commandment is the foremost of all?”

Jesus was in the jackal’s den and they were doing their best to corner him.  He was teaching and healing in the outer court of the temple (the only area Gentiles were allowed to observe and where Jesus cleared out the “temple carnies” on the previous day). 

In response, the religious leaders were now attacking Jesus like a pack of dogs. Pre-Jesus, the Pharisees and Sadducees attacked each other while the High Priest worried only about pleasing the Romans and keeping the temple profitable — and prophet-less.

They must have had mixed feelings for all wanted to see Jesus humiliated, yet each wanted to do it themselves.  The High Priests tried to silence the crowds surrounding Jesus, as he was welcomed into Jerusalem like King David returning from the dead.  The Pharisees had been unceasingly questioning Jesus since the Lord came south from Galilee and into Perea.  The Sadducees tried to confound Jesus with their one, big question (which they always used to silence their rivals, the Pharisees):

Mark 12:19-23

19 “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, and leaves behind a wife, and leaves no child, his brother should take the wife, and raise up offspring to his brother. 20 “There were seven brothers; and the first took a wife, and died, leaving no offspring. 21 “And the second one took her, and died, leaving behind no offspring; and the third likewise; 22 and {so} all seven left no offspring. Last of all the woman died also. 23 “In the resurrection, when they rise again, which one’s wife will she be? For all seven had her as wife.”

Jesus silences the Sadducees with as much difficulty as a wrecking ball dismantling a decrepit mausoleum. 

Mark 12:27

“He is not the God of the dead, but of the living; you are greatly mistaken.”

Then, in the midst of these attacks and arguments a small but welcome voice speaks out with a question of utmost sincerity.  What stood out about the question was not its theological content, but the attitude of the questioner.  He was not asking to confound Jesus or to humiliate him.  This man was asking his question because he was so impressed with the way Jesus had responded to his assailants. 

He was won over by the unscripted ease and undeniable truth with which Jesus confounded his attackers.  This man was truly searching for an answer to the most troubling of all Jewish questions (especially for a Scribe); “What commandment is the foremost of all?”

The Lord our God is one Lord

The role of the Scribe was far more than secretarial in Christ’s day.  It was an elite position for men who were not only trained to read and write but in the law as well.  Jewish Scribes were trained specifically in Mosaic Law and one of their primary functions was to codify the hundreds of Jewish laws and thousands of Pharisaical traditions and place them into categories while also ranking them in order of importance.  The primary categories they used for codification were ceremonial, ethical, moral, ritual laws and also positive versus negative laws.

Yet, knowledge of the law does not guarantee understanding or application of it — just as reading about flying doesn’t make one a pilot.  This man knew the law — he had the equivalent to a Juris Doctorate degree — but he was unsatisfied with the results of his scholarly, yet sterile, examination of God’s word.  He wanted to move beyond interpreting the law and into a relationship with God.  Yet, the more he codified the law, the more confused he was about it.  His cry was truly; “What will help me find joy?”

This wasn’t an attorney cross-examining Jesus. This was the equivalent of a leading Federal Judge swallowing his pride and saying to the Lord, “I just don’t get life, I am all dried up inside.”

Upon hearing this man’s heart-felt cry, Jesus helps the pleading man to set aside the endless traditions and some 631 codified Mosaic Laws and — instead — offers three guiding principles that don’t even need to be written down to remember;

1.        The Lord our God is One (Deuteronomy 6:4)

2.        You shall love the Lord God with every fiber of your being (Deuteronomy 6:5)

3.        You shall love your neighbor extravagantly (Leviticus 19:18)

The Jews knew this prayer as the Shema.  It was the heart of their relationship with God and now passed on to us by Christ through this passage.  The Old Testament roots of the Shema (which comes from the first Hebrew word of Deuteronomy 6:4, Shâmá [H8085] — “Hear”) can be found in Deuteronomy 6:4-9; 11:13-21; and Numbers 15:37-41.  Twice a day, devout Jews still recite the Shema (morning and evening) in remembrance of Yahweh’s preeminence in their lives.

Yet, Jesus goes on to say that God’s oneness (unity) is expressed by action through love (harmony).  It is expressed inwardly by our passionate love of God (we are not the center of the universe — God is) and it is expressed outwardly by a resolute love of God’s people. 

The Hebrew version of this command for outward love does not actually say anything about loving self (as in the common phrase “love your neighbor as yourself”).  The Hebrew verse uses the term Aheb [H157] meaning: “Love your neighbor as if they were your own beloved; your dearly loved.”  All the Synoptic Gospels use Mark’s terminology; we are to “love extravagantly [G25 Agapao]” anyone who is “near us [G4139 Plesion]” as if they were our “dearest friend [G1438 Heautou].”  However, John’s Gospel brings Christ’s statement closer to the original Hebrew and says; “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love [G25 Agapao] one another [G240 Allelon] [Jn 13:34].”

We are not to love as humans love; we are to love as Christ loved.  Human love is fickle, dependent upon capricious moods and even upon whom we want to define as our “neighbor [Lk 10:29].”  Christ’s love is not dependent on moods or attitudes.

Here is what Jesus tells the Scribe: “God is one (unity) and expressed in a singular determination to love others [harmony].”  Or, even simpler; “Love others like God loves you!”

What matters most to God is not codified laws; having them ranked in order of their importance. What matters to God is our relationship with him that must — by its very nature — result in an outpouring of compassion to his people.

That is the joy that this “federal judge” could not find in codifying the law. That is the joy we cannot find by following the rules. This is a love that breaks beyond the rule of “do unto others as you want them to do to you,” and into the self-abandoning joy of “love like God loved you.”

There is no comparison between these two standards. One is, “If I want to you to be nice to me, I suppose I should be to be nice to you.” The other is unconditional; “I want to bring you joy regardless of how you treat me.”

The love of Christ is not based on an exchange rate. It is complete abandonment for the joy of giving oneself. The confused scribe had not experienced that type of radical love while codifying the law and prosecuting its trespassers. This was completely new to him.

What does it look like for us? How would our relationships change is we loved in this manner? It is not a love based upon performance but a love completely based upon self-abandonment for the joy of liberation. Just imagine the freedom of living life like that!

MARK 12:32-33

32 The scribe said to Him, “Right, Teacher; You have truly stated that HE IS ONE, AND THERE IS NO ONE ELSE BESIDES HIM; 33 AND TO LOVE HIM WITH ALL THE HEART AND WITH ALL THE UNDERSTANDING AND WITH ALL THE STRENGTH, AND TO LOVE ONE’S NEIGHBOR AS HIMSELF, is much more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

Much more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices

Often, the greatest revelations turn out to be the simplest truths.  They are truths we may have even discarded at one time in our lives because they seemed too simple or “naïve” for a complex world.  This man has a life-changing epiphany as a result of one five-minute encounter with Jesus.  It is his “Gestalt Moment,” an experience where everything he has learned throughout his entire life comes together in one great big; “Now, I get it!”

“He got it!”  He’d been studying the law all his life, codifying and dissecting it, but then he suddenly “gets it!”  The answer had been in front of him all the time in the simple writings of the Shema.  The answer was there in front of his face, written on his forelocks, on his forearm, written on his doorpost.  The Shema was the first prayer a Jewish child would learn. It was something this Scribe would have recited every morning and every night: “HE IS ONE, AND THERE IS NO ONE ELSE BESIDES HIM.”

The answer to his question was right there all his life but it seemed too simple for him to grasp.  We are the one’s who complicate religion, not God. God’s love is so uncomplicated that only children seem to get it.  We want things complicated because we are too complicated and can’t believe the universe can be so simple.  We are like poor, confused Nicodemus who was told “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God [John 3:9].”

We have all had these Gestalt moments. Moments where the only reasonable response is, “Duh?!!” in light of God’s simplicity. 

I remember one such moment when the complexities of my life seemed like they demanded a complex and judicious response. Then, as I sat pondering the situation, my five-year-old daughter snuggled into my lap and started singing: “Jesus loves me this I know.  For the bible tells me so.”

Suddenly, I remembered thinking, “Well, duh?!!”  Then, I joined her in the song.

Through Jesus, the Scribe realizes that more important than ceremony and more important than ritual is the simple truth that; “God loved you so go love others.”

“Duh?!!”

MARK 12:34

When Jesus saw that he had answered intelligently, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” After that, no one would venture to ask Him any more questions.

“You are not far from the kingdom of God.”

Here are two vital truths that Christ reveals to the scribe about the Kingdom of God;

1.   He is not far from the Kingdom

2.   But, he is not there yet

I can be “not far” from the mountaintop and still give up because it sits above the clouds.  Moses was “not far” from the Promised Land but he never crossed the Jordan (until he met Jesus at the transfiguration).  The Messiah stood inches from this scribe but did this man put aside his title and intentional complexity to declare simply that Jesus was Lord?  We can be “not far” from the goal but fatefully separated by a singular obstacle.

Yet Christ also reveals how to make the leap, cross the river or break through the wall. First, let us look at some critical words in Christ’s statement.

The kingdom of God [G3932 Basileia] is one of the most misinterpreted terms in the New Testament for while kingdom can imply a place; it would more often signify the extent of one’s rule.  The term does apply to the territory of a kingdom, more accurately, it applies to power or sovereignty.  In other words, Christ’s words to this man were far more likely interpreted as, “The sovereignty and power of God is not far from you.”

Let’s look at an example of this from the prayer our Lord taught us:

Matthew 6:9-10

9 “Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. 10 ‘Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.’”

The implication here is that heaven is a place separate from earth; some location (or space) the Father is and to which we will go.  Alternatively, the kingdom [GSN3932 basileia] or better yet, the reign or rule of God in our life, is a condition. A state of being beginning when we do his will on earth as it is already being done in heaven.

The reign [G3932 Basileia] of God is as close as doing the will of God.  It is not attached to a place or time, it is how we choose to live.  And, what is the will of God?  It is right here in this reading [verse 29-30]:

Mark 12:29-30

29 Jesus answered, “The foremost is, ‘HEAR, O ISRAEL! THE LORD OUR GOD IS ONE LORD; 30 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.’ 31 “The second is this, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’

So, the scribe is “not far” from the reign of God being established in his life. What we don’t know is how close “how far” might be. We defined the reign of God, let’s look at the term “not far.”

Over the last two chapters (as Jesus awaits his sacrificial death in Jerusalem), he has repeatedly used a particular word to describe four things:

1.        Who will enter the kingdom of God

2.        Who we must imitate if are to enter that kingdom

3.        Who is the greatest in the kingdom of God

4.        Who we must protect and never drive away from the kingdom of God

That word is, “mikros [G3398].”  We have studied how that word not only means child, but it means:

·      The smallest

·      The most vulnerable

·      The most remote (having the least access to rights or dignity)

·      The “least accepted” and the “most rejected”

Jesus states that the kingdom belongs to such as these.

The scribe, on the other hand is not “far” from the kingdom.  In defining the man’s distance from the kingdom, Jesus uses a word that is an antonym of micros. The word is makros [G3117].  Whereas mikros means the smallest, most vulnerable, least accessible. Makros is all things that are opposite — or even in opposition — to mikros.

Makros means the most elite, the most powerful, the highest ranking.  So, makros would identify the four opposites of who will inherit the kingdom. It describes:

·      Who will not enter the kingdom of God

·      Who we must not imitate if we are to enter that kingdom

·      Who may be the greatest on earth but definitely not the greatest in the kingdom of God

·      Who will not be protected, but instead, will be driven away from the kingdom of God

What did Jesus teach the Scribe on that day?  It was not a complicated lesson, in fact, it is too simple for the knowledgeable, too humbling for the powerful, and too mikros for the makros. 

“God is love, so love!”

The Scribe was not far, not makros, from heaven.  In fact, he was less than an embrace away.

Mark 12:38-44

All She Had To Live On

Mark 12:38-44

MARK 12:38-44

38 In His teaching He was saying: “Beware of the scribes who like to walk around in long robes, and like respectful greetings in the market places, 39 and chief seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets, 40 who devour widows’ houses, and for appearance’s sake offer long prayers; these will receive greater condemnation.”

41 And He sat down opposite the treasury, and began observing how the people were putting money into the treasury; and many rich people were putting in large sums. 42 A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amount to a cent. 43 Calling His disciples to Him, He said to them, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury; 44 for they all put in out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, all she had to live on.”

MARK 12:38-40

38 In His teaching He was saying: “Beware of the scribes who like to walk around in long robes, and like respectful greetings in the market places, 39 and chief seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets, 40 who devour widows’ houses, and for appearance’s sake offer long prayers; these will receive greater condemnation.”

“Beware of the scribes”

Just who were these scribes and why was Jesus publicly cautioning others about them?  A scribe was an attorney of Mosaic Law and an Old Testament scholar.  We hear about scribes in David’s court [II Sam 20:25] and see that Ezra was Nehemiah’s scribe [Neh 8:4]. 

Although Ezra was Nehemiah's trusted ally, we begin to see that, around six hundred years before Christ, scribes were being condemned by Jeremiah:

Jeremiah 8:8

“How can you say, ‘We are wise, and the law of the LORD is with us’? But behold, the lying pen of the scribes has made it into a lie.”

The scribes were technically unpaid but received substantial gifts for their services.  They excelled in making Jewish law and temple worship so complicated that anyone who had to deal with the temple would need an “attorney” to help them negotiate the system.  Scribes “greased the palms” of the temple courts helping the wealthy to gain favorable interpretations of the law in everything from the sale of land to all the legal business dealings of the Jewish people.

Jesus was on their playground now.  Turning over the tables in the Court of the Gentiles impacted the scribes "donor base."  Jesus was starting to get personal! 

What Jesus was demanding (free access to worship for the poor) threatened the very status and livelihood of the Scribes and the Chief Priests.  Obviously, if the Messiah had truly come, these folks would have to step aside from positions of power and opulence.

Only within this framework can we begin to see how Jesus’ discourse with the sincere scribe seeking truth [Mark 12:28-34] was nothing less than amazing.  Jesus sliced through the Scribes codified Gordian Knot of the law to reveal the heart of God. 

In our study of those earlier verses, we translated our Lord’s straightforward reply to the scribe as; “God is Love, so love.”

How big is the Gordian knot in my faith?  How thick are those cords around my heart?  Do I still hear the rustle of the big bills louder than the clink of the poorest widow’s coins? Look at James’ reprimand of the early church for exhibiting this type of behavior:

James 2:1-7

1 My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism. 2 For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes, 3 and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, "You sit here in a good place," and you say to the poor man, "You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool," 4 have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives? 5 Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you and personally drag you into court? 7 Do they not blaspheme the fair name by which you have been called?

The Scribes were supposed to be Teachers of the Law.  Instead, they used their knowledge to complicate the legal system making it inaccessible to the “least of these.”  The poorest of the poor were doubly condemned for they could not afford to worship, therefore they were also sinners for not worshipping.

Who suffers I'm our time because they cannot afford access to a system that has the power to judge or make laws deciding their fate?  How would this particular message of Christ be applicable today?

Every week I sit and observe the process at the juvenile court in my own community (many of the kids I know from detention ministry ask me to be there as a support). Repeatedly, I see kids who are unable to afford an attorney and have one appointed to them. Frequently, the attorney advises the juvenile to just plead guilty. However, the State-appointed attorney often doesn't even see their client until they are sitting before the bench prior to sentencing.

Opposingly, I rarely see young people whose family can afford an attorney plead guilty or go to detention.

As in so many systems — healthcare, education, the economy — justice is given with a tilt to those who can afford it.

Much like the Jewish legal system in Christ’s day, our legal system buys you as many rights as you can afford. It was precisely for that reason — 2,000 years ago — that Jesus turned over the tables in the temple and condemned the scribes.

Jesus brought salvation but he also advocated vociferously for the poor. Does my Christian walk also include advocacy?

Places of honor at banquets

What is our proper place at the banquet?  Jesus gives us an insight into this question in his story of the great banquet:

Matthew 22:8-9

8 “Then he *said to his slaves, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. 9 ‘Go therefore to the main highways, and as many as you find there, invite to the wedding feast.’”

Are we the King?  Not even close.  Are we the rich?  We better hope not.  Are we the uninvited poor on the highway?  Not if we call ourselves Christians.  So that leaves one group in the story that applies to us; the slaves [G1401 Doulos] sent out to gather the “uninvited.”

Remember this quote from Mark 10?

MARK 10:42-44

42 Calling them to Himself, Jesus *said to them, “You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them; and their great men exercise authority over them. 43 “But it is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; 44 and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave [G1401 Doulos] of all.”

Who are we and what is our place at the banquet?  We are the slaves, the duolos [G1401].  There is no high (or low) seat of honor for us, the banquet is coming and we need to be gathering every lost soul we can find.  Our singular focus is the Master’s joy and the Master’s joy is that every seat at his banquet is taken!  To be among the greatest we must be among those who give up their seat for the least.

Who devour widows’ houses

Herein was one of the greatest sins of the scribes.  There were many widows in Israel during the Lord’s time.  Marriages were approved by the father and usually for economic security, not compatibility.  Therefore, it was common for a young woman to marry a much older man and outlive him. 

The legal system was inaccessible to the women of Christ’s day so when the older man died, the widow would need an advocate to settle her estate (or, were she divorced, she needed help to at least secure her dowry).  Jewish people of Christ’s time would not turn to the Romans to settle their legal issues, so who better to secure your estate than a religious leader?

Yet, this is where the scribes were notoriously unscrupulous.  They would settle these estates by committing a substantial amount of the widow’s fund to the temple for their own personal administration.  Legally, they were not being paid for their services but they would rob these women blind.  Jesus was exposing their sins, yet he was only identifying  what everyone already knew. The system worked to the advantage of the rich while preying upon the vulnerable.  Is it any wonder that the men who profited from this system hated Christ so much?

It is critical that we also ask ourselves; Are unpopular among those who profit from an abuse of power or a neglect of their responsibilities in making sure that justice or political power is not steeped in "wealthfare."

 The fundamental focus of these readings at the temple is that Jesus was not just a “preacher,” he advocated for the least of these. He could have easily stayed behind a pulpit in Galilee and cursed “the system” in Jerusalem to anyone who would listen. He would have been safe there and his disciple’s actually tried to keep him from leaving that region [Mark 8:27-38]. Still, Jesus would have none of that. His place was among the poor to give them good news and that good news included advocacy.

Does our faith in Jesus Christ express itself in works of advocacy?

“These will receive greater condemnation.”

Jesus lived in obvious contradiction to this world’s values.  In the eyes of the Old and New Testament, “getting ahead” was condemned when it left others behind.  The “Greatest,” according to Christ, was the one who made sure that no widow or orphan would be misused or abandoned.  The scriptual role of a religious leader was to go to the sick, the dead, the lepers, and the possessed:

Matthew 10:7-10

7 “And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8 “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give. 9 “Do not acquire gold, or silver, or copper for your money belts, 10 or a bag for your journey, or even two coats, or sandals, or a staff; for the worker is worthy of his  support.”

The Scribes were going to the widows all right, but they were taking everything those widows had and stealing it for themselves.  This wasn’t exactly what God had in mind when he compelled the prophets to preach:

Isaiah 1:17

Learn to do good; seek justice, reprove the ruthless, defend the orphan, plead for the widow.

Jeremiah 7:5-7

5 “For if you truly amend your ways and your deeds, if you truly practice justice between a man and his neighbor, 6 if you do not oppress the alien, the orphan, or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place, nor walk after other gods to your own ruin, 7 then I will let you dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers forever and ever.”

Zechariah 7:9-10

9 “Thus has the LORD of hosts said, ‘Dispense true justice and practice kindness and compassion each to his brother; 10 and do not oppress the widow or the orphan, the stranger or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another.’“

Literally, the shepherds were fleecing the King’s sheep in the middle of winter to line their own coats.  Jesus, in his prophetic/advocate role stepped into the heart of the hall of justice to tell these leaders; “You have misused your riches, titles and indeed, God’s very name. Prepare for the consequences.”

Within four years of the completion of that temple, the Romans would tear it to pieces and take captive or kill all of Jerusalem’s elite. Yet, that would be nothing compared to the eternal judgment faced by those who use God’s name to exploit the poor. As in the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus, once The Judgment came, they would never find reprieve from their injustice [Luke 16:19-31].

Despite all this, isn’t amazing that one scribe shows the behavior needed to receive eternal freedom? Jesus doesn’t reject the rich or powerful; look at Nicodemus, Joseph of Arimathea, the Rich Young Man, and the sincere scribe. He gives each of these persons the “option for salvation.” They can reject pride and injustice and embrace the way of unconditional dignity. It is not Jesus who closes and locks the door to eternal joy. He reveals the “truth that will set us free.” We alone can turn and walk away.

MARK 12:41-44

41 And He sat down opposite the treasury, and began observing how the people were putting money into the treasury; and many rich people were putting in large sums. 42 A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amount to a cent. 43 Calling His disciples to Him, He said to them, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury; 44 for they all put in out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, all she had to live on.”

He sat down opposite the treasury

If we knew that Jesus was watching the offering plate would we just put our extra change in?

What if we knew that Jesus was watching our appointment book?  What if Jesus were staying at our house?  What if he went to work with us?  What if Jesus traveled with us on  business trips?  Would we change the way that we lived if we knew that Jesus was physically observing us in these situations?

Of course, the answer to all of those questions is that it shouldn’t change the way we act in any situation, because we already know that he is present.  Through the Holy Spirit, Jesus is in every situation, he knows every thought, and is willing to be present as our Advocate, Encourager, and Comforter.

Jesus can help me live like the widow in this story, with the full abandon of one who is completely enamored by God.

The juxtaposition of these two stories — one leading to another — and the fact that Jesus would go from confronting the Scribes to sitting opposite the treasury and whispering praise for the widow is not coincidental. Jesus is presenting two ways of living to his disciples (and through them to us). The enslaving way of the scribes or the liberated life of the widow. We have to make the choice.

A poor widow came

There were seven offering boxes at the temple, five for temple taxes and two for general donations.  The big bucks (the ostentatious gifts) were flamboyantly deposited into the grand temple tax bowls.  All other givers (the poor folk) sort of tiptoed in the side, hoping not to draw too much attention.  Yet, it is the character of God to look past the showiness of the bejeweled purse and into the wrinkled palms of the simple giver.

Amidst the oohs and ahs and cluck-clucking of the temple priests for a showy donation of the wealthy, Jesus hears the slightest “clink-clink” of two half-pennies as a widow scurries away.  She is but a shadow in the shadows of the eyes of men, but she is light in the darkness to Jesus.

More than likely, this widow had been taken advantage of by the very Scribes that Jesus reprimands in this story. Undoubtedly she is among the forgotten of God’s people.  It is poignant that no one else heard her gift except our Savior.  It is so tender that the Prince of Peace is still touched by those who give of their heart.

Do I live in such a way that our Savior would remark: “Jerry — out of his poverty — put in all he owned, all he had to live on.”

“All she owned, all she had to live on.”

Once again, the Greek words spread more meaning on Christ’s statement than English translations.  That is often the case because translators are forced to pick one preferable word out of many potential options presented by the Greek language.  Ancient Greek had fewer words than today’s English, so each word carried more significance (and Jesus spoke Aramaic which had about one-third the words of Greek).

So, we shouldn’t be surprised when statements like Christ's about this woman are deeper and wider than our language may accommodate.  Look at this verse; “She, out of her poverty [G5304 Husteresis], put in all [G2192 Echo] she owned [G3650 Holos], all she had to live on [G979 Bios].

Let’s examine these words for fuller significance in Greek:

·      She, out of her poverty [G5304 Husteresis];

Husteresis comes from the word hustereo [G5302].  It not only means to be impoverished but it also means, “too little, too late, and too lacking.”  That is how this world saw this woman. She had too little, she came too late and she was too lacking to be of significance to the temple priests.  Yet Jesus says she gave more [G4183 Polus] than anyone.  Polus means more and better and greater. To Jesus she gave more and better and greater than anyone who had given from their abundant wealth and position.

·      She put in all [G2192 Echo] she owned [G3650 Holos];

It means that she gave all the money she had but it also means all her abilities, her thorough and entire being.  Holos refers not only to one’s possessions but also to one’s entire being.  Like a hologram, it is not just a one-dimensional representation but it represented every dimension of this woman’s life; height, depth, and width.  Everything else had been taken from her (again, probably by the rapacious scribes in this story), yet there is no sense that she was self-righteous or miserly.  She was so far beyond the legal parameters of giving, that she had become the gift herself.

·      All she had to live on [G979 Bios];

She “became the gift and God in turn “became her wealth.”  No one is wealthier than people who have freed themselves of earthly desires and can focus on serving God and his people.  This woman had given her way into absolute simplicity and dependency on God.  She was as free as we can become. Giving joyfully out of God’s abundance was a freedom even the scribes could not steal from her.

She gave all she had to live on.  The most perfect gift — to God — is not what we have but who we are.  It is making ourselves utterly and completely available for his purposes.  That is what it means when Jesus says: “She gave all she had to live on.”

Will we?