Recap

So far in Mark, we've read the prologue, Jesus' early ministry in Galilee, the section on the calling and training of the disciples, and the journey to Jerusalem and the cross. Mark's gospel open with the assertion that Jesus is the son of God and king that the Old Testament had been looking forward to.

Jesus declared the start of his new reign by fighting spiritual warfare in the desert. Then Jesus went out and began preaching that the kingdom of God is near. The kingdom of God has authority and power over the forces of darkness, over sicknesses and disease, and over the forces of nature. It makes unclean things clean as Jesus reached out and touched a leper. It doesn't control people. Instead, it leaves them free to follow or reject Jesus.

The kingdom of God doesn't work like the people expected it to. It needs time to be wrestled with. The kingdom of God is focused on those in need and cares more about people than laws. It includes men and women, young and old, Jew and Gentile. We often saw the Gentiles show more faith than the Jews.

But this led to confusion with people not understanding what Jesus was doing. Jesus is rejected by his hometown. King Herod thinks he is John the Baptist, back from the dead. The Pharisees want a sign and evidence, despite his many miracles. His own disciples think he's a ghost when he walks on his water.

We then got the turning point of the book. A blind man being healed in two stages and Peter declares that Jesus is the king they were waiting for but rejects the idea that Jesus must die. Like the blind man in the middle of his healing, Peter could see in part, but couldn't understand the full truth. 

This started the journey towards the cross. Jesus went up a mountain with his closest disciples and there he begins to shine brightly. Moses and Elijah, two of the greatest prophets of the Old Testament, appeared and began to speak to Jesus, and a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him”. We saw how Jesus was still inline with the Old Testament and the will of God. What is about to come is all part of God's plan.

Coming down from the mountain, Jesus cast a powerful demon out of a young boy, showing that all demons, no matter how powerful, have to submit to the kingdom of God. We read through more of Jesus’ teachings, which were top and tailed with Jesus explaining to his disciples that he was heading to Jerusalem to suffer and die. We then read how a blind man was able to see that Jesus is the king they’ve been waiting for. Jesus healed the man, confirming his belief. The king is about to enter the royal city.

Mark 11-12

And so Jesus finally arrives at Jerusalem. He asks his disciples to find him a colt that he can ride on, to fulfilling the prophecy found in Zechariah 9:9 where the future king arrives into the city on a donkey. The crowds even treat Jesus as their new king, crowding around to see his procession into the city and cheering as he passes. The king has entered the city, but will he reach the throne?

Next, we get this bizarre story about the fig tree. Jesus sees the fig tree and decides to enjoy some of its fruit, but when he gets close, he realises it hasn’t borne any. So Jesus curses the fig tree. When they come back later, the disciples notice that the fig tree has withered away. Jesus notes that the kingdom of God is a matter of faith. Our faith in God can do great things.

In the middle of this story, we see Jesus enter the temple, expecting it to be filled with worship. Instead, the temple was filled with corrupt deals and trading. Just like the fig tree didn’t bear the fruit Jesus expected, the temple and the religious leaders weren’t bearing the fruit expected of them. And so, just like the fig tree, this religious institution will wither. 

Jesus ends up clearing the temple of all its traders, and he has every right to do so. As the future king, Jesus has authority in the city. But the religious leaders begin to challenge and question Jesus. By what authority does he do this? They don’t recognise him as king. They’ve not given them authority.

But Jesus catches the religious leaders in their own trap. He asks them by what authority John the Baptist did all that he did. The religious leaders couldn’t deny that John’s authority was from God because the people loved him. But they also couldn’t admit that John’s authority was from God, because they had refused to listen to him. By using this logic against them, Jesus affirms his authority in a way that the religious leaders then struggled to fight against. 

Then Jesus begins to challenge the religious leaders. He takes a parable from Isaiah 5 where God likens Jerusalem to a vineyard that he has worked on lovingly, but produces no good fruit.

But in Jesus’ version, there are now servants that watch over the master’s vineyard. These servants keep the master from claiming any of its fruit, even going as far as to kill his son. Just like the master would come and destroy the servants for their rebellion, God is going to pour out his wrath on the religious leaders for rejecting his son Jesus.

Realising Jesus has spoken against them, the religious leaders become furious. They try to trick him with ‘logic’ problems around paying taxes, the resurrection, and the ‘greatest commandment’. But every time Jesus responds to them with ease.

He then turns it back on the religious leaders. He asks them how the future king is merely a descendant of David, if David himself calls him Lord? Jesus is tackling the religious leaders’ assumptions that they know what the future king will look like. They believe that he is a human that will help them defeat their enemies, the oppressive Romans. But Jesus deftly points out that if they’re wrong about this, how much more might they be wrong about?

Jesus then warns his disciples against listening to the religious leaders. Their focus is on their own position and reputation. Everything they do is to promote their own image, whether that’s seeking the best seats for themselves or praying long prayers to seem extra holy.

Jesus then points to a poor widow as she puts two coins into a collection box. What she has done may not seem that impressive. It was only a small amount of money and no one else noticed it. But she had given more than anyone else because she had given all she had, and she did it in humility. It’s this that the kingdom of God is all about. Not trying to seem as holy as possible in front of others. Genuine sacrifice and worship.

Psalm 84

This psalm is attributed to the sons of Korah and falls into the category of praise psalm. It is likely a psalm that one would recite as they made pilgrimage towards Jerusalem. They are travelling long distances to get to the place where God’s presence resides and so they strengthen themselves on the journey by celebrating how good God’s presence will be when they get there.

Psalm 84:1-4 - Praise God for life in his presence

Psalm 84:5-8 - Blesses are those who trust in God

Psalm 84:9-12 - Praise God for life in his presence

The psalmist opens with praise for God’s dwelling place. They long to be in God’s presence and to sing his praise there. Even the smallest of animals have a place in God’s presence where they are kept safe and secure. Blessed is anyone who gets to spend time in God’s presence.

Then the psalmist moves to their second section of the psalm. Blessed are those whose strength, whose trust, is in God. They have their hearts set on Jerusalem.

Those whose strength is in God can go through the Valley of Baca, which was associated with weeping, and turn it into an oasis or provision and bounty. The Valley of Baca was likely a common stopping point for people on pilgrimage to Jerusalem.

Those who put their trust in God go from strength to strength before appearing in Jerusalem ready to experience God’s presence first time. The psalmist asks that God hear the prayer, presumably to see them safely to Jerusalem.

The psalmist then prays for the king of Jerusalem. While not mentioned by name, the king is referred to as the shield of the people and God’s anointed. And then we’re back to God’s presence. A day in God’s presence is better than a thousand days anywhere else. The psalmist would much rather have the lowest rank in God’s house than dwell with wicked people.

God is the source of life and protection. He pours out blessing on those who live rightly. Those who trust in God are blessed.

The focus of this psalm is how good it is to dwell in God’s presence. The good news for us is that we don’t need to go on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem to experience God’s presence. Instead, the presence of God lives in us through the Holy Spirit, and that same presence should cause us to praise just as the psalmist does.