Mark 12 -13

Beware of the Scribes (12:38-40)

₃₈And in his teaching he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces ₃₉and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, ₄₀who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”

The scribes were very far from the kingdom of God and Jesus warns the crowd against them. In the previous section, Jesus quoted Lev. 19:18 (You shall love your neighbor as yourself.), to which the exceptional scribe responded wholeheartedly. The scribes, however, took to heart only the last part of that passage, showing great love of themselves, with great display, seeking honor and recognition. They had no time for love of neighbor.

Houses of widows describes whatever money they might have. Widows had no rights, and depended on their oldest son or their father. If they had neither of these, they were dependent on the community for support. As such, widows were symbolic of all who were poor and helpless.

Instead of seeing to the needs of widows, scribes bilked and exploited them religiously, devouring everything they had down to the last coin. Among the scribes, love of neighbor was swallowed up by love of self. That is why Jesus warned against them.[1]

The Widow’s Offering (12:41-44)

₄₁And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. ₄₂And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. ₄₃And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. ₄₄For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”

The widow gave two lepta, the copper coins of least monetary worth. Mark found it necessary to explain the worth of these coins since his audience was in the West. There were two lepta in a quadrans, which was worth 1/64^th of a denarius, the wage of a day laborer. The value was infinitesimal.[2]

The disciples knew how difficult it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of heaven (10:17-27), and they had given up everything to follow Jesus (10:28). By contrast, the widow put in everything she had.

Jesus neither commends the widow’s generosity, nor laments the state to which she was reduced. The point of the story is not her behavior, but depends on how we view Jesus’ denunciation of the scribes, who loved themselves at the expense of their neighbor, who could not see that Jesus, as David’s lord, was the Messiah for all human beings, including the poor widow who had just given her all. Jesus warned the crowds not about being exploited by the scribes, but against imitating their arrogance and exploiting others as they did. She exemplifies what scribes did to widows. Jesus had first warned the crowds, and now he warns his disciples against the same.

Like the scribe who came to Jesus, the disciples were not far from the Kingdom of God. Fulfilling the dual commandment, loving neighbor as yourself was more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices. To actually enter the kingdom, however, they had to avoid the behavior of the scribes and recognize all people, including poor widows, as neighbor.[3]

Jesus Foretells Destruction of the Temple (13:1-2)

₁And as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!” ₂And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”

The disciple was not exaggerating. The stones and buildings he admired were those of Herodian rebuilding of the Second Temple, begun around 20 BC, and in progress when Jesus was alive. I was at the Western Wall remnant in 1999. I agree that the great stones, retaining walls and entrances are magnificent.

Jesus told his disciples to get a good look at these buildings because for all their magnificence, the time was coming when they would be destroyed.

So it is that Jesus announced the destruction of the Temple as Micah did during his prophetic ministry (742-687 BC). For all their injustice, Israel’s religious and political leaders felt secure so long as the Temple, a sign of the Lord’s presence, remained in their midst. Micah announced the Temple’s destruction as a sign of divine judgment on them (3:11-12). About 100 years later, Jeremiah did the same, warning that the Temple and all Jerusalem would be destroyed unless the people repented of their evil and lived according to the Law (Jer 26:1-6, 18-19).

Jesus took a similar prophetic stance, for reasons revealed in the symbolic cursing of the fig tree (11:12-14, 20-25) and the cleansing of the Temple (11: 15-19). As in the case of Jeremiah and Micah, Jesus’ announcement was a warning and did not presuppose that the Temple had already been destroyed. The full significance of Jesus’ announcement is spelled out in his teaching in the Mount of Olives.[4]

Signs of the Close of the Age (13:3-13)

₃And as he sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately, ₄“Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?” ₅And Jesus began to say to them, “See that no one leads you astray. ₆Many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and they will lead many astray. ₇And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. This must take place, but the end is not yet. ₈For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. These are but the beginning of the birth pains.

₉“But be on your guard. For they will deliver you over to councils, and you will be beaten in synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them. ₁₀And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations. ₁₁And when they bring you to trial and deliver you over, do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. ₁₂And brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death. ₁₃And you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

This begins Jesus’ farewell discourse. It opens with two questions posed by the disciples. The first asks when “this” – the destruction of the Temple will happen. The second asks what sign there would be, not when the Temple would be destroyed, but when “all these things” were “about to be fulfilled.”

The first was a historical question. The second was an eschatological question. They introduced Jesus’ second and final discourse (teaching). Notice that Jesus initiated his first discourse (Ch. 4) which he addressed to the crowd. Here, the disciples initiated the discourse, which he addressed entirely to them. It is described as eschatological because it deals with the end time. There are four parts to this discourse, which we will now cover.

In this first part, Jesus warns the disciples not to be misled by impostors or alarmed by rumors of war and natural disasters, nor become discouraged. They must persevere to the end.

In Mark, the use of the imperative verb – “see” – is equivalent to other phrases – “watch out,” “look out,” “beware,” “take care,” – warning the disciples not to be misled or discouraged.

The themes and images are common with apocalyptic literature of his time, but the by the time Mark wrote this, some of the things Jesus described had already occurred. For example, note that the disciples named in the opening were the ones named in the Garden of Gethsemane. So, while some things could occur in the future for Mark’s church, other things had already occurred, and still others were occurring in the late first century. It is helpful to examine other pieces of apocalyptic literature, namely, Daniel, which was written around 165 BC, and read them vis-à-vis Mark 13.

Wars, earthquakes and famines would happen as they had been happening throughout the course of history. Christians in Mark’s community could look back on their own history and see that these things had been happening all along. They were not, however, meaningless. They represented the beginning of labor pains, leading to birth and new life. All these things were part of “the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ. In other words, Jesus announced the coming of God’s kingdom. With it would come a new age, but not without pain.

For Mark’s community, all these things were in the past, beginning with Jesus’ passion and death. So, entering the community or family would come at the cost of persecution for its newest members.[5]

The Abomination of Desolation (13:14-23)

₁₄“But when you see the abomination of desolation standing where he ought not to be (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. ₁₅Let the one who is on the housetop not go down, nor enter his house, to take anything out, ₁₆and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. ₁₇And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! ₁₈Pray that it may not happen in winter. ₁₉For in those days there will be such tribulation as has not been from the beginning of the creation that God created until now, and never will be. ₂₀And if the Lord had not cut short the days, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, whom he chose, he shortened the days. ₂₁And then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it. ₂₂For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform signs and wonders, to lead astray, if possible, the elect. ₂₃But be on guard; I have told you all things beforehand.

Jesus described that “all things” were “about to come to an end” or be accomplished (13:4), and indicated what Christians should do and not do in these days. This section is closely related to the previous one, and in some ways can be considered as one unit, but presenting them as two separate units highlights the trials that had already been occurring in Mark’s community.

Jesus’ reference to the abomination of desolation in the Book of Daniel (see 9:27; 11:31; 12:11) recalls a past event, but refers to a new event, which still lies in the future. In Daniel, the abomination of desolation was the altar replacing the Temple’s altar of sacrifice. In Mark, it would be a person, standing in the place of Christ and presenting himself as I AM (v. 21). The desolating abomination would come as an Antichrist usurping the place of God.[6]

The Coming of the Son of Man (13:24-27)

₂₄“But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, ₂₅and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. ₂₆And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. ₂₇And then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.

This section represents a creative, biblical synthesis of several prophetic passages regarding the coming of the Son of Man. The Son of David comes as the Son of Man and transforms the kingdom of David to the universal kingdom of God. The passage recalls Isaiah 13:10; 34:4; Ezekiel 32:7-8; Joel 2:10; 3:4; 4:15. It refers to the Day of the Lord, the Day of Judgment. It also stretches the imagination. (List passages so people can look them up later.)[7]

The Lesson of the Fig Tree (13:28-31)

₂₈“From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. ₂₉So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. ₃₀Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. ₃₁Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

No One Knows That Day or Hour (13:32-37)

₃₂“But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. ₃₃Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. ₃₄It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. ₃₅Therefore stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning— ₃₆lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. ₃₇And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.”

This last part returns to the theme of watchfulness and focuses on the return of the Son of Man. Jesus’ warning to Peter, Andrew, James and John was meant for all. I suggest you keep in mind the opening verse of the Gospel as you read this, and to stay awake until all these things pass. In other words, be vigilant disciples, asking Christ throughout the day to help you in your ordinary conversations and dealings with people.

Discussion and Reflection Questions

(12:41-44) In what ways are we taking care of “widows” (poor and helpless) today? In what ways are we tempted not to care for our “widows”? How does the widow’s offering foreshadow Jesus’ offering on the cross?

(13:1-2) The Temple symbolized Jewish identity and nationhood, but prevented Jews from making God’s blessing available to those who were not Jews. How do we focus on a symbol of identity that prevents us from making God’s blessing available to are not like us?

(13:3-13) Jesus warned his disciples (and new inquirers) about persecution from family members. What persecution have you experienced from family since you became a follower of Jesus?

(13:32) Jesus did not know the hour. What does this teach us about leaving such issues to God and trusting him when daily situations are not so clear? How do you call on Him to help you with your daily routines?

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[1] Eugene LaVerdiere, The Beginning of the Gospel: Introducing the Gospel According to Mark, Volume 2. Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press (1999), 192.

[2] Ben Witherington III, The Gospel of Mark: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. (2001), 335.

[3] LaVerdiere, 192ff.

[4] 196f.

[5] 197ff.

[6] 202ff.

[7] 204ff.