On Line Bible Study - For the week September 7-13, 2009

Lesson 404

Mark 11: ²⁷They 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?" ²⁹Jesus replied, "I will ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. ³⁰John's baptism—was it from heaven, or from men? Tell me!" ³¹They discussed it among themselves and said, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will ask, 'Then why didn't you believe him?' ³²But if we say, 'From men'...." (They feared the people, for everyone held that John really was a prophet.) ³³So they answered Jesus, "We don't know." Jesus said, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things."

In Mark's chronology, the events we read about in this lesson happened on the third day of "holy week". This day begins with verse 20 - when Peter notices the fig tree that is withered from its roots. It's going to be a long one, filled with controversies with various groups, and culminating with the apocalyptic discourse on the Mount of Olives.

Let's look at the "characters" - the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders ... Notice this is the group mentioned the first time Jesus predicts his passion in Mark 8:31. This group of three are the antagonists who will appear in the passion itself - they are the ones who will argue from the Jewish perspective why Jesus should be executed.

As Jesus enters the final days of his life, the same question is raised that people wondered about at the beginning of his public ministry - his authority. From the outset it is recognized that his authority exceeds that of the teachers of the law (see Mark 1:22 & 27). But there is an added dimension to the question - not only the issue of what authority Jesus has to be doing what he is doing, but who gave it to him. This sets the stage for the claim of the Christian Church that God gives Jesus his authority - and this is a greater authority than either the Jewish religious leaders or the Roman authorities have.

Jesus responds to the question of his authority with another question - a rabbinic device often used in debates. (See, for example, Mark 2:9-10, 19, 25-26, 3:4).

People often speak of politics and religion; this is an example of the politics of religion - and Jesus out-maneuvers his opponents. If you recall Mark's telling of John baptizing people in the Jordan River, you remember that the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to witness it, and experience it. The chief priests, teachers and elders were well aware of John's popularity. It may be parenthetic to the story from the Jewish perspective, but central from the Christian perspective is the fact that it was when John baptized him that Jesus heard the voice of God. John's popularity is not lost on the priests, teachers and elders. To oppose John is to lose the crowd. They are bested in this round, and they know that silence is the best they can do. They have lost, and must wait for another day.

Here is the dilemma: What is more important, guarding the holiness of the temple, or the kingdom of God as proclaimed by John and Jesus? The contrast may not seem so stark to us in our day; but the issue is still the relevant one for followers of Jesus. Not 'What is more important ...', but 'What is most important?'

An interesting historical note: The Jewish historian, Josephus, records how popular John was - so "eloquent" that Herod Antipas worried his teaching would lead to sedition. But when put on the spot, Herod was afraid of this popularity, and of John's holiness. The lives of John the Baptist and Jesus of Nazareth are intertwined throughout Mark's gospel (Chapters 1, 2, 6, 8, 9 [by inference]). This text in Mark 11 will be the last time John is mentioned; but Jesus' arrest and execution will be an attempt by Rome to keep people happy and the crowd under control.

(Reminder: I am using The Gospel of Mark, from the "Sacra Pagina" series, by John Donahue and Daniel Harrington, as a primary resource for these studies on Mark.)