The "New" Covenant

Mark 14:22-25

Jesus has gone off-script. First, he revealed a betrayal was in the works by one of his disciples, which raised the roof on the upper room. Second, instead of following the way Passover has been reenacted by each generation, Jesus blesses the elements, then brings forward and ratifies a new covenant.

This Passover is like none other before.

And these four verses create questions. Did Jesus give the bread and cup to the disciples as his body and blood? "Take; this is my body." "This is my blood." Were his statements to be interpreted as compensatory death and satisfaction atonement? "To die or not to die" -- was that the question?

Jesus knew he was going to die. Without question. Those in opposition to his message of Good News wanted to annihilate him, and in so doing, bring death to his ministry and actions. Their grand scheme -- wipe Jesus off the face of the earth, to be forgotten like so many other "so-called Messiahs."

Ultimately, what was at stake? The fate of the kingdom of God.

At that time, the covenant between Israel and God was entirely dependent on obedience of the law -- Exodus 24:3-8. Break the law; break the covenant and thereby break the relationship with God (as judge). Failure would be the constant result. No relationship could ever truly exist and thrive.

At Passover with his disciples, Jesus introduces a new covenant -- one that isn't dependent upon the law. "He took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it, he broke it." The new covenant is "poured out for many." Not just a select few. Not just for Israel. For all of us.

Jesus will die and his blood will be shed. Yet, he also knows the new covenant is dependent on love, not the law.

Did You Know...?

The Gospel of Matthew follows the story as written by Mark (the first gospel) but adds "for the forgiveness of sins." The Gospel of Luke (composed after Matthew) adds "do this in remembrance of me."

What else is significant and can be gleaned from "the Lord's Supper" passage?

MARK makes no mention of lamb being eaten at the table, which was part of Passover. Maybe the writer was allowing for something else to be considered. Maybe it was because the "Lamb of God" was at the table.

What does the bread and cup represent beyond the body and blood of Christ? The kingdom of God.

Jesus "gave" the bread and cup to his disciples. He provided them with a gift. What does one do with a gift after receiving it? They open it, then put it to use. The gift which the disciples received, they consumed and were to live out. It opened them to new life -- no longer bound to "old." They became one with God; they identified with Jesus.

Taking the bread and cup isn't passive; it's active. By partaking in communion, the disciples will carry out Jesus' ministry and mission.

Does not the same apply to us? It's not without cost. Our lives are transformed from old to new. What "was" dies; what "is" lives.

Reflecting further on select verses (from the Gospel of John):

* "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty." [i]

* "I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me." [ii]

* "Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them." [iii]

* "This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever." [iv]

The Study Group shared their thoughts about this passage, some of which included:

* "Jesus did this because of God's love for all of us." -- Brenda

* "By accepting these elements, we're responsible for paying it forward." -- Patrick

* "When I've given myself to God, I'm not #1 anymore." -- C.J.

Jesus said, "Follow me." With the bread and cup, he said, "Take." What do we do now?

NEXT

Three times

 

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[i] John 6:35 (NRSV)

[ii] John 6:38 (NRSV)

[iii] John 6:56 (NRSV)

[iv] John 6:58 (NRSV)

Leaving Nothing to Chance

Mark 14:12-21

The time is near.

Before the start of Passover is the first day of Unleavened Bread. "Traditionally, the day before the Festival begins is the day when the last chametz ["yeast, leaven"] must be removed from the house and burned, and from that moment on the only bread found in the house will be matzah ["unleavened bread"]. [i] (Exodus 12:15-20)

By 6 pm on Thursday, Passover would commence. Another way to look at it would be... "Friday" began on "Thursday" at 6 pm. The Temple in Jerusalem was beyond busy, as lambs were being brought to the slaughter.

"The worshipper must slay his own lamb, thereby, as it were, making his own sacrifice. But in Jewish eyes, all blood was sacred to God, because the Jew equated the blood and the life. ...Between the worshippers and the altar were two long lines of priests, each with a gold or silver bowl. As the lamb's throat was slit, the blood was caught in one of these bowls, and passed up the line, until the priest at the end of the line dashed it upon the altar." [ii]

After the carcass was flayed and parts of the lamb were extracted, the worshipper would carry the lamb home to be roasted.

In the Passover countdown, the disciples knew preparations must happen; hence, their question to Jesus, "Where do you want us to go?"

What follows indicates Jesus was leaving nothing to chance. He sent two disciples from his inner circle to the city (which Luke 22:8 reveals as Peter and John).

"...a man carrying a jar of water will meet you;..."

Seems rather straightforward, right? Not so much when carrying a jar of water was the responsibility of a woman. Seeing a man with a water-pot on his shoulder was like a flashing sign no one could miss.

"...; follow him, and wherever he enters, say to the owner of the house,..."

For two trusted disciples to follow someone to see a person they didn't know meant Jesus was in the know. And the owner knows Jesus as "The Teacher."

Did You Know...?

Some theologians believe "the owner of the house" was the writer, Mark. Later in the evening, when Jesus and the disciples left the house, Mark accompanied them to the Garden of Gethsemane.

After stating what "the Teacher" asks, the owner "will show you a large room upstairs, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there."

"The larger Jewish homes had upper rooms. Such houses looked exactly like a smaller box placed on top of a bigger box. The smaller box was the upper room, and it was approached by an outside stair, making it unnecessary to go through the main room." [iii]

Everything had been pre-arranged. Peter and John "found everything as he had told them."

Time passes. It is now after 6 pm, and Jesus and the disciples have taken their places in the upper room. Although it is marked as a Passover, the writer of the Gospel glosses over essential details of the meal. Instead Mark cuts to the quick.

"Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me."

The jaws of the disciples had to have dropped. "What are you talking about?" "What do you mean?" "No way, no how!" "Surely, it couldn't be me!" "None of us would do that!"

Through all of the astonishment and dismay, Jesus confirms their fear. How horrible to hear such bewildering news. That one of your own trusted band would even think to commit such an act.

Interestingly, none of the disciples pointed accusations at the treasurer, who wasn't from Galilee. None of them had a clue as to what Judas had set into motion (yet still had to follow-through).

Even more interesting is... Jesus could've stopped Judas in his tracks, in that very moment and in that very room. Can you imagine what would've occurred if Jesus had said, "Judas will betray me"?

Yet, Jesus shared with all of them, "...woe to that one by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that one not to have been born."

Judas has been made out to be a person of darkness, born to betray Jesus. That's why Jesus let him do it. Judas was damned forever from the outset.

Consider...

* Jesus didn't name Judas.

* Jesus provided an opportunity for Judas to not follow-through with his plan.

* Jesus warned Judas about the consequences of such a choice.

To the man eating a meal with Jesus, a choice was given. Either "follow me and God" or "follow yourself." It is an example of free will.

All of us are responsible for the choices we make. In the decision-making though, do we include God in the mix?

NEXT

"My body; my blood"

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[i] Jewish New Testament Commentary -- p. 78

[ii] The Gospel of Mark, Barclay -- pp. 332-333

[iii] The Gospel of Mark, Barclay -- p. 331

Reckless -- Part 2

Mark 14:10-11

Judas = reckless behavior

What comes to mind more readily with the mention of "Judas" is… betrayal. The writer, Mark, states, "Judas went to the chief priests in order to betray him to them."

But why? What caused this reckless behavior from one of the disciples?

When it comes to getting the scoop on Judas Iscariot, not much is known. He was a man of Kerioth, which meant unlike the other disciples he wasn't a Galilean. Entrusted as treasurer for the group, he pilfered from the purse on occasion (John 12:6).

Pilfering indicates greed and insecurity.

What else though? What was swirling around in the head of Judas that pushed him over the edge?

Luke paints a picture of Judas with a dark stroke -- that Satan entered this disciple.

Was it that simple though? "Satan entered Judas." End of story?

Judas made a conscience choice to betray Jesus. To make such a decision would indicate something dire had built up inside this disciple.

In the previous nine verses in Chapter 14, the writer could've easily told the story as follows: The chief priests and scribes sought a way to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him. Judas went to the chief priests in order to betray Jesus to them. When they heard it, they promised to give money to Judas, which sealed the deal.

But that wasn't how the whole story was conveyed. The piece about the chief priests and scribes is a bookend, as is the piece about Judas deciding to betray Jesus. Between the two is the anointing at Bethany.

While certainly important that the unnamed woman's action was shared, was her recklessness the root cause for Judas' decision?

Did it boil down to money? In Judas' mind, 300 denarii was thrown away, which a few coins could've lined his pockets and eased his own needs. For three years, he had wandered here, there and beyond, following Jesus, living by the kindness of strangers, scraping by. Was that the way the followers of the Messiah should live?!?

Was Judas jealous he wasn't part of the "inner circle"? Jesus kept "favoring" certain disciples, but Judas was never included in the mix. When he spoke up against the waste caused by this woman (as mentioned in John 12:4-5), guess who was called on the carpet?

A key statement by Jesus follows the action of the woman and scolding of Judas, "She has anointed my body beforehand for its burial."

Once again, Jesus said he would die. Was that the way it was to be for the Messiah -- to die? Was that the way it was to be for Israel -- to remain under the rule of Rome? Because if the Messiah died, the Promised Land wouldn't be restored to the Jews.

Maybe Judas didn't want Jesus to die. Yes, going before the Jewish authorities would line his pockets with a few silver coins. No one would know about that if all went accordingly to his plan.

Yes, turning Jesus over to the chief priests and scribes would cause friction with his fellow disciples. They would forgive him if all went accordingly to his plan.

Someone needed to do something. Jesus' head wasn't on straight. If he were forced into action, Jesus could conquer his enemies and restore the land to the Jews. Jesus would be the Messiah of victory as destiny had been foretold!

A battle raged in Judas. He wanted Jesus to be as he saw him. Basically, Judas was saying to Jesus, "Follow me. I know better than you. I know better than God."

"Pride goes before a fall." Proverbs 16:18

Yet… how different are we from Judas? Do our own dreams ever cloud how we think? What about jealousy? Do our ambitions trump love and loyalty? Does money weaken our will to make the right decision? What desires of ours have overridden spirituality?

NEXT

"My body; my blood"

Reckless -- Part 1

Mark 14:1-9

Two separate sections; two "reckless" stories.

The time draws near for a major festival as well as a minor festival combined over an eight-day period: Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Jerusalem will be overrun with pilgrims. Especially during this remembrance, a nationalist feeling intensifies.

How so? Historically, the crowds arrived to celebrate their release from bondage in Egypt (Exodus 12:1 - 13:16). And now,… the people longed for another deliverance -- from Rome.

The Roman governor was so anxious, "special detachments of troops were drafted into Jerusalem and quartered in the Tower of Antonia which overlooked the Temple." [i] Great measures were taken to discourage an uprising.

Did You Know…?

"During the Passover, all lodging was free. Jerusalem could not hold the crowds, and Bethany and Bethphage were two of the outlying villages where pilgrims lodged." [ii]

However another type of uprising had occurred -- in the hearts and minds of the chief priests and the elders who gathered at the palace of the high priest Caiaphas. Jesus had to be arrested and killed but quick. Easier said than done, as this particular situation was rather sticky.

"After his arrest, there must be a trial. But the religious laws state that no trials can be held during Passover, and none can be held at night. Making matters even more pressing is the religious stipulation that if a death penalty is ordered, a full night must pass before the sentence can be carried out." [iii] Time was of the essence and reckless behavior was required. The arrest must be an act of stealth.

Juxtaposed against this story of hatred (and eventual betrayal) is one of love and devotion.

Within Mark's telling is simplicity, also found in Matthew 26:6-13. The notable difference is "some" were "disciples." John 12:1-7 expounds further on the story with slight variations, while the fourth Gospel -- Luke 7:36-50 -- shares an entirely different anointing scenario altogether.

Regardless of the telling in the Gospels, reckless action boldly lives.

Jesus and his disciples were at the house of Simon the (healed) leper in the village of Bethany. There, a woman broke open an alabaster jar of expensive ointment of nard and anointed Jesus with its contents.

"This phial held a very precious ointment made from a rare plant." [iv] "The ointment was scented with the flower of spikenard, which grows in the Himalayan region." [v]

The worth of the ointment of nard was "more than 300 denarii." For a common laborer, one denarius was a day's wage. More than 300 denarii would represent almost a year's worth of work for such a person. What was this woman thinking?!?

That question was angrily bandied about by some of the disciples, and they turned on the woman. Jesus intervened.

"Let her alone; why do you trouble her?"

What bothered the men was both the extravagance and the waste. This woman took it upon herself to pour out all of the ointment. She could've simply poured out a few drops on the head of Jesus. That was the custom of the day. Instead, look what she did! Consider what good could come from 300 denarii which could've helped the poor. "Let's not forget that, Jesus!"

Jesus hadn't forgotten.

"You always have the poor with you,..."

Seems rather callous if his words ended there, but they don't. "…and you can show kindness to them whenever you wish."

Reminding his followers of Deuteronomy 15:11, it is a duty of everyone to care for those in need.

He continues with, "But you will not always have me."  On several occasions, Jesus has told his disciples that he will die. While the disciples will have time to serve the poor, their time to serve Jesus ends soon.

Paraphrasing, Jesus says, "Look at how this woman has served me. With unselfish, unconditional extravagance. With recklessness." "She has done what she could."

How often in our own lives have we had the opportunity to do something which we were moved to do, but didn't? That gnawing impulse is left as… an impulse. Could've, would've, should've. Where is our reckless, loving action?

As for the woman, why didn't Mark name her? Was it because Mark wanted her to represent all "unnamed" women?

Who truly understood the magnitude of this woman's devoted act? Jesus tells them, "She has anointed my body beforehand for its burial."  But that's not the way it was supposed to be done. After death, bodies would be prepared in such a way. It makes no sense. Right?

Contrast this anointing of Jesus before his burial to Mark 16:1-8. It is then three "named" women attempt to anoint Jesus' body, unsuccessfully.

Where three "named" failed, one "unnamed" succeeded. Jesus knew what was to come and understood the magnitude of this woman's act of recklessness.

NEXT

Judas Iscariot -- reckless continues

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[i] The Gospel of Mark, Barclay -- p. 324

[ii] The Gospel of Mark, Barclay -- p. 324

[iii] Killing Jesus, O'Reilly & Dugard -- p. 207

[iv] The Gospel of Mark, Barclay -- p. 326

[v] Jewish Annotated New Testament -- p. 88