Mark 12:28-34 - October 25, 2010

Mark 12:28-34 “One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?" 29 "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.   30 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: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."  32 "Well said, teacher," the man replied. "You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. 33 To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices." 34 When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.”

Mark 12:28-34 is such an interesting insertion by the Holy Spirit because it has an entirely different feel from all of the preceding verses and stories in this chapter. Jesus has been in a series of intense confrontations with skeptics, critics, and attackers and suddenly the entire atmosphere is shifted by the presence of someone with a good heart!

Once again this story begins with a man coming to Jesus with the kind of question that could have been perceived as a test or simply an honest inquiry and it is only through the process of the exchange that the true nature of the reveals the condition of this man’s heart. It is a valuable illustration of the fact that at times we must withhold our conclusions about a matter or an individual until they have been searched out more fully over time! In this case one of the teacher of the law comes with a question to the Lord but the motive of his heart originates in the fact that Jesus had given the other Sadducees a good answer. It seems as if he has been genuinely impacted by the quality of Jesus’ response and as a result his heart is more open to the Lord. His inquiry seems as if it is a secondary inquiry that is filled with hope. Could this be someone he could believe in!?

Jesus’ response to this man’s inquiry carries a uniquely different tone than the responses that He gave to the other leaders. There is no undertone of correction or rebuke. There is only a direct and honest answer. Jesus is able to recognize the difference in the attitude of the inquiry and so He answers in a similar spirit. Jesus encapsulates the commandments of God into two primary themes – love God – love people!

The answer that Jesus provides for this teacher of the law is a response that springs from the scriptures and as a result this man receives it well. It is worth noting that Jesus gave many scriptural answers to many of the religious leaders of the day and yet those whose hearts were not in a right place with God constantly stumbled over His answers even though they were doctrinally sound. This consistent pattern is a continual revelation of the reality that a wrong heart condition can blind us even to clear truth!

Verse 34 begins with a thought provoking phrase; “when Jesus saw that he had answered wisely…” The nature of this exchange is fascinating because each of the two participants is examining the other’s response. It is as if their careful exchange is a series of mutual tests. What makes it so interesting is that in this rare case. Each one discovers that they like the other!!!! This teacher is impressed with the soundness of Jesus’ answer and Jesus is impressed with the heart of this teacher. Unlike most of His encounters with the religious leaders Jesus ends this dialogue with a personal affirmation of the man He is dealing with “you are not far from the kingdom of God.”

This entire season of testing that Jesus has undergone has addressed more than His theology. It has been a season of spiritual warfare as He has triumphed over every trap, test and snare. It reveals that even though the majority of the Sadducees, Pharisees and teachers of the law had a closed heart, there were indeed few leaders who were genuinely open hearted in their relationship to their position and their God! There is a powerful conclusion to this final exchange that seems to put a capstone on the whole season not just this one event. Verse 34 concludes with the statement “And from then on no one dared to ask Him any more questions.” In much the same way that Luke 4:13 concludes Jesus’ exchange with Satan by saying “he left him until an opportune time,” this season of testing is silenced by the wisdom of Jesus’ answers and He is left in peace for a time.

Mark 12:18-27 - October 22, 2010

Mark 12:18-27 “Then the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question. 19 "Teacher," they said, "Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and have children for his brother. 20 Now there were seven brothers. The first one married and died without leaving any children. 21 The second one married the widow, but he also died, leaving no child. It was the same with the third. 22 In fact, none of the seven left any children. Last of all, the woman died too. 23 At the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?"

24 Jesus replied, "Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God? 25 When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. 26 Now about the dead rising-have you not read in the book of Moses, in the account of the bush, how God said to him, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? 27 He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!" 

Are you sure you want to be a minister of the gospel!? The life of Jesus was filled with wonder, miracles, personal transformations and moving moments of compassion but it was also a life and ministry consistently faced with opposition, debate, demonic attempts to entrap and ensnare and encounters with the tensions created by human weakness and failings. At every turn there was a new problem to solve, a new snare to avoid, or a fresh doctrinal issue to set right.

Mark 12 is a consistent flow from one conflict or debate to another. The entire chapter is such a demonstration of the emotional stamina of Jesus that it is truly amazing. Jesus does not demonstrate insecurity, nor anger in His responses to the pressure of these traps and debates. Nor does He display any signs that these exchanges have worn Him out and left Him on edge. Instead, Jesus remains consistently focused and firmly rooted in His emotional makeup. The mouth is the window of the emotions and His is under perfect control! His responses consistently reflect His theological integrity, His wisdom, and His emotional composure!

In Mark 12:18-27 Jesus is confronted with another doctrinal issue that the Sadducees bring to Him. This time addressing the issue of marriage within the context of the possibility of resurrection these men present a theological question to Jesus through the means of creating a very complex fictional scenario that contains a difficult theological tension within it. The Sadducees do not believe in the resurrection and so from their perspective this question exposes the conflict between the laws about marrying your dead relative’s spouse so that you can raise up an heir for him and the dynamics that would be created if there is a resurrection.

Jesus wastes no time once again in His response. He immediately addresses the fact that these men are in error. He uses the context of His response to confront them on two distinct levels. Jesus states that the error of their thinking is because they “do not know the Scriptures or the power of God?” With this response to the Sadducees Jesus identifies two core areas of understanding that are necessary to comprehend the things of God and are often the source of error even today. These men who came to Jesus had an incomplete knowledge of the word of God and they also had an inaccurate understanding of the power of God. Oh, how this describes the state of so much of the church. We must know the word deeply and possess a right understanding of the power of God to properly interpret the things of God!

At its core the correction that Jesus brings to the Sadducees is one of the foundational truths of who God is. “He is not the God of the dead, but of the living.” Jesus is aware that the theology of the Sadducees does not support the doctrine of resurrection and so He is addressing this issue from the reality of God’s ongoing relationship with the founders of our faith, the patriarchs. Jesus redefines for them the nature of our eternal being and the reality of the resurrection. Jesus’ redefinition of the problem effectively silences another snare!

Mark 12:14 - October 21, 2010

Mark 12:14 “They came to him and said, "Teacher, we know you are a man of integrity. You aren't swayed by men, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not? 15 Should we pay or shouldn't we?"

But Jesus knew their hypocrisy. "Why are you trying to trap me?" he asked. "Bring me a denarius and let me look at it."  16 They brought the coin, and he asked them, "Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?" "Caesar's," they replied. 17 Then Jesus said to them, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's." And they were amazed at him.

In considering Mark 12:14-17 we are faced once again with a story that contains many layers of insight that can be explored.  Verse 14 is a revelation of insincere flattery that springs from false motives. Jesus is target of an organized, purposeful attempt to discredit Him. It is sad but true that people will operate in this way but this passage is a lesson to us to learn to look a little deeper into the hearts of men when we are dealing with issues of the kingdom of God. This passage demonstrates that not all words that seem sincere and genuine spring from the heart of the Holy Spirit.

These men were trying to trap Jesus and their approach was to seek to put his guard down by speaking in words that were affirming and complimentary yet poison was in their hearts. In their attempts to ensnare Jesus these men appealed to His sense of who he was as a means to draw Him into an error in His response. They sought to veil their attack by affirming His person and ministry before offering a leading question. What is sad and yet fascinating to consider is that the things they state about Him are true, they know it, and yet they still seek to tear Him down. They say to Him “we know you are a man of integrity. You aren't swayed by men, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.” They affirm His character, His commitment to treating all men equally, and the truth and Godliness of His message and still they attack!

The lesson that this reality needs to teach us is that the enemies of God do not need to find a flaw in us to have a reason to attack. If they cannot find one, they will at times invent one! Satan’s capacity to deceive the hearts of those who should love the work of God is apparent on every level.

The snare that these leaders have set for Jesus is now not one limited to the Mosaic scriptures. They are seeking to find in Him seeds of rebellion against the Roman government so that they can attack Him on a political level instead of a religious one. Their goal is to use His commitment to the standards of God as a means to make Him an enemy of Rome! But Jesus is not ignorant of their wicked motives. Again, Jesus’ response is a powerful lesson in the art of confrontation! Jesus is very direct in dealing with them. He is not fearful, not does He send hints. His answer is bold and direct. “Why do you try to trap me?”

There is a time for confrontation and many people are afraid of it. This is why so many problems exist in both the church world and the business world today. Fear of man limits so many people from saying and doing the things that will resolve the issues and problems that are hindering. Jesus uses such wisdom in His confrontation. He recognizes the root of the trap is centered on the fact that these men are trying to place Him in a situation where His commitment to God is in conflict with His submission to the government. Jesus’ response quickly and powerfully separates the two issues in a righteous resolve. Through the use of a roman coin Jesus effectively teaches the people to honor both the government of God and the government of man. In this response He sets the foundation for Paul’s teaching in Romans 13:1-7 exhorting us to honor earthly governments. Once again Jesus effectively silences the voice of His adversaries with a wisdom that leaves them amazed.

Mark 12:13 - October 20, 2010

Mark 12:13 “And they sent unto him certain of the Pharisees and of the Herodians, to catch him in his words.”

The persistence of some people in their sin is truly amazing! Even though directly confronted by Jesus through His most recent parable, told of their sinful heart condition and actions, these men went right out and began to seek for other ways to undermine and hinder the work of Christ! Truly this verse is a powerful picture of the nature of a hardened heart!

The religious leaders were given such a clear parabolic rebuke from the Lord. They were confronted in such a way that earlier verses say that they knew that He had spoken this parable against them. And yet this rebuke was not sufficient to break through the hardness of heart that held these men captive. When a heart is truly bound by sin the power of that deception is a powerful stronghold. These men were given opportunity to repent but instead were on the opposite side of the grace of God!

In considering this reality there are two things that seem to speak loudly from this sad reality. First it is clear that though these men were, in God’s mercy, given a strong rebuke and opportunity to repent, their rejection of this opportunity now positioned them as God’s adversaries and the tools through which He would fulfill His purpose. Just as in the case of Moses where Pharaoh’s rejection of the signs sent to him positioned Him as a tool through which God would reveal His wrath, so the resistance of these religious rulers set them up to be the vessels through which Christ would be sent to the cross. This great act of betrayal on their part became the setting for their own judgment and for the fulfillment of God’s greatest purpose! We must learn to look through the lens of heaven when interpreting the conflict and opposition that we face as we walk out our callings. The very same act that on one hand God uses to train us and to fulfill His purpose concerning us, at many times becomes the setting through which God’s divine justice is set in motion in regard to His dealings with both His enemies and the lost that He is reaching out towards.

The second reality that calls to us through this passage is the power of a wrong heart. At first glance the reactions of these men may seem rooted in a misguided loyalty to the things of God. There is however a deeper reality at work behind the motives that hold these men’s hearts. John 11:47-48 reveals through their own words the true motives of their anger and resistance towards Christ. "Here is this man performing many miraculous signs. 48 If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation." Indeed there is no noble but misdirected commitment to God at work in the actions of these men. The true condition of their heart is centered upon their commitment to preserve what they would lose personally if Christ continues to inspire faith in the multitudes. Instead of possessing the heart of John whose reaction to Christ’s growing influence was, “He must increase. I must decrease,” there was only possessiveness instead of surrender to God’s purpose. “Lord give us the heart of your servant John!”

Mark 12:10-12 - October 18, 2010

Mark 12:10-12 “And have ye not read this scripture; The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner: 11 This was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes?” 12 And they sought to lay hold on him, but feared the people: for they knew that he had spoken the parable against them: and they left him, and went their way.”

As we have noted in the last two devotionals there is a distinctly prophetic edge to this particular parable and in it Jesus has revealed many kingdom principles while placing a distinct focus on who He is and the death that He will soon face at the hands of the religious leaders of Jerusalem. There is no attempt to change the course of these things only an announcement of the things that will soon come to pass. His words have been direct, pointed and purposeful and He finishes this exchange with a powerful closing statement. He has been speaking to them with parabolic inference as He has confronted these leaders and as a final confirmation of both the accuracy of His parable and the coming events that He has foretold He directs them to a prophetic statement found in Ps. 118:22-23 that confirms the outcome that He has foretold.

There would be a stone that is rejected by the builders but that stone will end up being the chief cornerstone. This is a powerful message concerning the reality that those things which man rejects are often the very things that God chooses. In this case not only is the stone that is rejected by men put into use by God but it will become the centerpiece of God’s plan! Verse 11 of Mark 12 expands in a wonderful way upon the reality of this plan by saying “this was the Lord’s doing, and it was marvelous in our eyes.” Man will not be the one who promotes the Lord. It is God’s doing! Man will simply look upon what God has done and marvel at His glorious handy-work.

What is truly amazing in this parable is that Jesus tells these men through this parable that they have been guilty of a neglectful abuse of God’s vineyard. He warns them of both the certainty that they will betray Him and the judgment of God that follows. Verse 12 tells us that they KNEW that this parable was spoken against THEM! And yet they still left that encounter and immediately began to conspire of a way to kill Him; the very thing that the Lord prophesied that they would do. Truly they heard Him but never really heard Him. Perhaps in this audience there were a few who heard with open ears and withdrew from this course. Perhaps this was even the reason that Jesus spoke it forth even knowing that the outcome wouldn’t change. Perhaps through it’s telling a few men were delivered and the rest were now fully accountable to God for what they would soon do. God is always just in His dealings with man and seeks to give every chance to repent.

Mark 12:1-9 - October 15, 2010

Mark 12:1-9 “And he began to speak unto them by parables. A certain man planted a vineyard, and set an hedge about it, and digged a place for the winefat, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country. 2 And at the season he sent to the husbandmen a servant, that he might receive from the husbandmen of the fruit of the vineyard. 3 And they caught him, and beat him, and sent him away empty. 4 And again he sent unto them another servant; and at him they cast stones, and wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully handled. 5 And again he sent another; and him they killed, and many others; beating some, and killing some. 6 Having yet therefore one son, his well-beloved, he sent him also last unto them, saying, They will reverence my son. 7 But those husbandmen said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance shall be ours. 8 And they took him, and killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard. 9 What shall therefore the lord of the vineyard do? he will come and destroy the husbandmen, and will give the vineyard unto others.”

Mark 12:1-9 is a powerful picture of a neglected and abused stewardship.  Jesus has just finished with a very direct confrontation with the religious leaders of Jerusalem and through this parable He shifts to an entirely different dimension of confrontation. After having silenced the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders, Jesus now uses this parable to speak to their sinful and hypocritical condition. He is not content to simply deflect their attempt to discredit Him. This parable is Christ going on the offensive. This parable is Christ exposing the reality of who these men are before God. They are the neglectful and abusive stewards!

There is very little that is significantly veiled within this parable. The focus of its revelation is the vineyard that the Lord has carefully established and the stewards who have been entrusted with its care. The clear message is that the problems that exist are not because of the vineyard owner but because of the corruption of the stewards. This parable is a distinctly prophetic parable as it reflects that which was, is and is to come. The parable presents the beginning state of the Lord’s vineyard; that it was good and well provided for. However, the story progresses to identify that when the Lord of the vineyard began to look for the return that was due on the investment He had entrusted to His stewards they abused the master’s servants repeatedly and sent them away empty handed even killing some of the master’s servants as they sought to keep for their own benefit those things that rightfully belonged to the master.

In this parable Jesus continues on to make a powerful and revealing reference to Himself in one of His more direct. After describing the mistreatment of the master’s servants, Jesus continues on to speak of the master’s son.  The inferences to Himself are clear as He describes the son. This son is the owner’s one and only son. This son is his well-beloved. This son is the heir of all that belonged to the master. Each of these references is taken up elsewhere in the scriptures in such a way that is clearly pointing towards the Messiah, and in many cases also towards Jesus Himself. Through this parable Jesus clearly identifies Himself as the Son of God for those who have an ear to hear.

As Jesus points the people listening to the knowledge of their condition and who it is that is before them this prophetic parable then predicts both the coming death that He will suffer at their hands and the judgment that awaits those who are guilty of this betrayal. Many parables that the Lord told throughout His ministry convey rich and valuable truths but this particular parable enters into a realm of prophetic declaration unlike most of the others. It is an unveiling of who He is, the mistreatment that He will face at the hands of the people and the judgment that awaits.

Mark 11:27 - October 14, 2010

Mark 11:27 “They arrived again in Jerusalem, and while Jesus was walking in the temple courts, the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders came to him. 28 "By what authority are you doing these things?" they asked. "And who gave you authority to do this?" 29 Jesus replied, "I will ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. 30 John's baptism-was it from heaven, or from men? Tell me!" 31 They discussed it among themselves and said, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will ask, 'Then why didn't you believe him?' 32 But if we say, 'From men' . . . ." (They feared the people, for everyone held that John really was a prophet.) 33 So they answered Jesus, "We don't know." Jesus said, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things."



When the kingdom of God is in you even your presence can stir up trouble!!! Jesus has just arrived in Jerusalem and is simply walking through the temple courts when the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders came to Him. He wasn’t preaching or performing a miracle but the very reality of His presence was sufficient to stir up the harassment of those who were not submitted to the kingdom of God! These men come to the Lord with probing questions concerning the source of His authority. It seems as if their real implication is, “you didn’t receive your authority from us, so what gives you the right to do what you do!”


Jesus was a consistent source of anxiety for the religious rulers of the day. He came with power they did not possess, wisdom that could not refute, authority that could not comprehend and a message that exposed many of their fallacies and as a result His ministry placed them in a context of tension that led them to consistently try to invalidate Him for the sake of their own position and power. Theirs was not a heart in search of the truth of God, but rather focused on defending what they possessed.


As Jesus walked into this setting on this particular day immediately the leaders begin to seek ways to reduce Him and elevate themselves. Jesus demonstrates such a confident wisdom in His response to them. He is not provoked or anxious as He turns to respond to them. Many people would be so threatened by this public inquiry that their insecurity would hinder a clear and composed response. However, the Lord is composed and His reply thoughtful as He is not drawn into their argument but simply answers their question with another question that exposes the reality that they are not actually searching for an answer, but rather seeking for ways to attack Him.


The wisdom of Jesus in the midst of this public confrontation is truly amazing. In the midst of the crowd gathered not only the words of Jesus but His attitude and emotions were on display for all to see. Had He demonstrated defensiveness, insecurity or fear, great damage would have been done to the people’s respect for Him. He was not drawn into the trap that was set for Him. Instead Jesus turns the confrontation around in one strategic sentence and instead of allowing the religious leaders to place Him on the defensive in front of all these people His one thoughtful question now places them on the defensive.


Verse 31 reveals the tension that Jesus has created for these men because they know the opinion of all of the people that John the Baptist was a prophet of God. Jesus has now turned their trap back upon them because if they acknowledge John then they are condemned for rejecting Him and if they deny him they fear the response of the multitudes who did believe in John. The wisdom of Jesus’ response effectively paralyzes these men and they can only respond with an answer that allows Jesus a very quick and public vindication. Oh that the church would walk in this same wisdom!