Mark 14
Bible Passage: Mark 14
Mark is the shortest gospel book in the Bible. Not surprising, he squeezes many important and dramatic accounts of the last few days of Jesus life in the flesh. If we were to read this chapter casually, we may miss out some key words and their significances to our Christian faith.
In the first portion, Mark describes this lady who anointed Jesus with very expensive perfume. This woman not stated in this gospel book is Mary of Bethany who is the sister of Martha and Lazarus whom Jesus raised from the dead. In the later portion, Mark describes Simon Peter’s failure and denial of Jesus before the people.
I would like to compare and contrast Mary of Bethany with Simon Peter. Simon Peter as we know is one of the 12 apostles who later became one of the greatest apostles and pillar of the Church. Unfortunately for Peter, due to his denial of Jesus he has and continues to receive many criticisms. Some people may say that he is a liar or a coward or a traitor or a hypocrite in love.
What is the actual reason for Peter’s denial? In what way can we learn from Mary of Bethany?
As Christians we are often taught that we need to love one another as Jesus first loved us. However, do we love in the Truth? Do we love with the understanding and faith in Jesus?
The biggest difference between Mary and Peter is their understanding of the Truth. In terms of love, probably Mary and Peter loved the Lord Jesus just as much. Peter could possibly even love Jesus more as he swore that he would even die for Him; this he did although it was much later. However, Mary was one who was keen and attentive in listening to the words of Jesus. She understood and accepted with faith that Jesus was to be captured and killed. This was demonstrated by her anointing of Jesus with expensive perfume and Jesus’ affirmation of her good deeds to Him.
On the other hand, Peter’s response to Jesus announcement of his impending death was that of disbelief! Jesus even scolded him ‘Satan’! To the large majority of Jesus followers and apostles, most or in fact all of them did not have the faith that Jesus would be captured and killed. Although Jesus had explained to them many times and warned them before hand, His Words were not grounded in their hearts.
All the while, they thought that Jesus would be the physical/ fleshly redeemer of Israel from the Roman occupiers! To them the Messiah, was one like King David and not a Messiah that will die for man’s sins! This could also be due to the prevalent idea during that time that the Messiah will be a physical king and restoral of Israel to the glory of king Solomon’s time. When Jesus was captured, it was totally a shock to his disciples. Immediately, their faith in Jesus crumbled and many fled and thought that their route to glory (since among the apostles they fought among themselves to be the greatest) was ruined. Peter at that moment even took a sword to cut off the high priest’s servant’s ears demonstrating that the apostles looked to Jesus as such Messiah!
To be fair to Peter, he did try to get close to Jesus out of his love for him. Where were the other apostles? In fact other than John, none of them even wanted to follow Jesus through His trial. Peter failed because he did not understand the Truth. His love was not based on the Truth and it resulted into a catastrophic failure. Mary on the other hand, had love grounded in the Truth. She believed Jesus and His Words and was ready to accept the fact that He had to be crucified.
There are many Christians out there who practice love but unfortunately many practice love without Truth. In many ways they compromise Truth for love and neither had faith in Jesus Words; for example to them practicing Christmas is an act of love and sharing of the joy of Jesus coming and it does not matter if it is has pagan origins Another example would be carrying out baptism using sprinkling or in a man made pool to make it ‘easier’ for people to be baptized. This is against the truth although it is out of love.
As True Jesus Church members, we are reminded that we have to carry out acts of love in Truth. We have to understand and have faith in the Truth as without Truth, we may be like Peter to deny Jesus in times of trials or worse in peace time to do things that oppose the will of God.
As a concluding verse,
“My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.” 1 John 3:18
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appleofHiseye
“My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.” 1 John 3:18
I like this concluding verse, it serves as a short and sweet simple reminder, especially of what Mary did for Jesus.
I was particular drawn to Mary how she anointed Jesus, but here in the gospel of Mark I could not find the mentioning of how she used her hair to wipe Jesus’ feet. However in the gospel of John it records the same incident in a different manner. It mentions how Mary anointed even the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet, and the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. It made me think about serving the Lord, is it the best of my abilities, and wouldn’t it be nice if our service to the Lord would be like this fragance in the house of God?
Taking a closer look at the event, I found out that the cost of the flask of ointment was equivalent to one year’s worth of wages at the time. And though it was a Jewish custom to sprinkle a few drops of oinment on guests, Mary seized the opportunity to anoint Jesus’ whole body. It seemed at the time that she knew Jesus was not going to be with them any longer, and so she acted in “deed and in truth”.
What Mary did was admirable because even the Lord openly praised her which is very rare of Him to say, and He instructed the disciples to preach about what she had done. I think Mary is someone who constantly remembered God’s grace, and she did her best and seized the opportunity to repay Him before it was too late. For that, this act would be told as a memorial to her as spoken by Jesus.
She is someone I want to grow up to be like…
biblereadingcompanion
biblereader and appleofHiseye have both shared wonderfully about loving in word and truth and I have nothing more to add to that but agree wholeheartedly.
They spoke about Peter and Mary. But I would like to speak about another group of people – the chief priests and scribes. See how Mark described what they did….
“After two days it was the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take Him by trickery and put Him to death. But they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar of the people.” ” Mark 14:1-2
The chief priests and scribes were so blinded by their hatred for Jesus that they did not even consider what they were doing was morally wrong, wicked and repulsive.
No longer could they or would they be given to reason. Instead, they sought all ways and means to have Jesus put to death. In this chapter alone, we read that they resorted to trickery, they bribed, when they found no testimonies against Jesus, they got false witnesses.
Yet they clearly knew what they were doing was not right. That was why they did not want to take action during the feasts for fear of the people.
Now we may think that the chief priests and scribes were too much. How could they be like this?
But I was thinking… sometimes when we want certain things in our lives… when we want certain things to go our way… do we act like the chief priests and scribes?
What I mean is this… although we may not bribe, or kill… we may resort to all sorts of trickery, deception etc just to get things our way. We are so blinded by our sense of injustice or unhappiness that we do not even realise that we are doing all the wrong things just to get things the way we want.
It is scary that the people who were doing these things was not the mafia, the triads or well know scoundrels. But they were those who supposedly knew God the best. They were those that were super active in the temple and God’s work.
And just as Peter did not act in truth in this chapter… the chief priests and scribes also did not.
What about us?
I am thinking and reflecting now… and recalling my past actions in words and deeds.
Guess what is really needed is for me to “Watch and pray…” (Mk 14:38)
Love&Respect
“Take, eat; this is my body.” (Mark 14:22)
“…before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.” “If I have to die with You, I will not deny You!”
(Mark 14:30-31)
These verses left a deep impression on my mind. They show Jesus’ sacrificial spirit in contrast to Peter’s self-proclaimed spirit of sacrifice.
When Peter assured Jesus of his faithfulness to Him, he had no idea that he was relying purely on himself to follow and love Jesus. As a result he utterly failed in his attempt to follow His Lord to the end.
Today, do we rely on ourselves or on God to follow Jesus to the end?
PS
The 4 gospels were written by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
John was one of the three nearest to Lord Jesus when He prayed in Garden of Gethsemane. But interestingly, only the gospel of John did not record this prayer of Lord Jesus.
In John 18:1 seems to correspond to Mark 14:32 and John 18:3 to Mark 14:43. The episode from Mark 14:33-42 is absent. Why? no answer. May be it was too painful for John to record it.
However God inspired Matthew, Mark and Luke to record it and their recordings contain important edifications which like the story of the woman with the alabaster flask of very costly oil of spikenard will also be told for a long time.
Mark 14:40 recorded that And when He returned, He found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy; and they did not know what to say to Him.
Luke 22:43-44 recorded that Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him. And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
Matthew 26:38 recorded that Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.”
Matthew recorded that the 3 disciples were to watch with Lord Jesus.
Reading their accounts affirms my belief that the bible is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness (2 Tim 3:16)—>
—>that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work(2 Tim 3:17)
The bible is God’s words. Not an ordinary book.
It is worthy for us to read it all the days of our life bec it is God’s manual for our/His life.