Reflecting on Mark's Gospel - Mark 14:43-52

 Things now move quickly. Even before Jesus has finished what he was saying, Judas arrives with what appears to be something of a mob sent by the religious leaders. They have come to arrest Jesus, and they are not taking any chances with regard to possible resistance, and so they are armed with swords and clubs.

With great irony, the moment of betrayal is marked by a kiss as Judas uses that as a means of identifying just which one is Jesus. I wonder what are the ways in which we betray Jesus.

So, Jesus is arrested and there is a relatively small scuffle. One of those with Jesus draws a sword, though we might wonder how it was that any of Jesus’ companions happened to have a sword. We have been told that it was just Peter, James and John who accompanied Jesus to Gethsemane, so it presumably one of these three who carries out this violent act. Indeed, John’s Gospel records it as being Peter, though the other three gospels, while all mentioning the incident, are silent on the matter of the perpetrator’s identity.

Jesus simply asks the arresting party why they have come in such force, and in this unusual way, given that he was readily accessible to them while openly teaching in the temple. To the three disciples, the game is up, and so they flee, as do any other Jesus supporters who might be hovering in the background – and we know there was at least one because of the reference to the young man who was grabbed and escaped by leaving them holding his clothes and running off naked. We cannot be sure who this was, but some suggest it was Mark, the writer of this gospel, giving us this detail in order to say, ‘I was there.’ I wonder how quickly we would have run off.

Brendan Byrne (A Costly Freedom) offers an interesting thought on our place in this scene with his comment about the young man who ran off naked. He says – “My own suggestion would be that the young man is a symbolic figure representing believers who have followed Jesus and received their baptismal robe but who, when discipleship has meant arrest and the threat of death, have abandoned their baptismal allegiance and become deserters.”

Reflecting on Mark's Gospel - Mark 14:32-42

 Visiting Gethsemane provided some of the most memorable moments of my two visits to the Holy Land. The garden sits at the foot of the Mount of Olives, just a short distance from the now sealed Golden Gate to the city of Jerusalem. Its ancient olive trees make it a cool and dark place. It is indeed a place that speaks of prayer, of suffering, of betrayal, of being overcome by sleep. This is the place of that tremendous phrase – not what I want, but what you want.

It was the end of a long day during a tense time and they had just shared dinner. It is not entirely surprising that, when Jesus went off to pray, the accompanying disciples, the inner circle of Peter, James and John, failed to keep watch and fell asleep. We might expect that they would have remained more alert owing to Jesus’ distress and agitation. But it is difficult to fight off sleep in such circumstances of tiredness after a good meal, and they failed. What is surprising is that it happened three times. Jesus is in anguish of prayer, and the disciples sleep. In some ways it is a reversal, though unacceptably so, of when Jesus slept through the first part of the storm as they sailed across Lake Galilee.

It is significant that, as Douglas Hare (Mark) points out – “here we see that Jesus was not God’s robot, moving without question or emotion towards his death on the cross.” Jesus is both human and divine and here struggles desperately with what faces him. Of course, he will do what God wills, but if there is another way, aside from what is now looking inevitable, then he is ready to take it. As Hare states – “the passage presents Jesus as a healthy young person who wants to live, not die.” Hare adds the point that – “Mark presents the agony of Gethsemane as a testing of Jesus’ willingness to conform his will to God’s will.”

However, although the question is raised, this is not a serious wobble. Jesus is on a path that needs to be followed, and he tells his disciples that it is time to move on. Why? It is because he is about to be betrayed.

Reflecting on Mark's Gospel - Mark 14:26-31

 A hymn, and out to the Mount of Olives and, as they go, Jesus mentions that they will all desert him. It certainly seems likely that tension was mounting and they must have wondered just what might be round the corner, but this was surely an unexpected comment.

Peter, in particular, reacts strongly, though it is likely that he was voicing the sentiments that, for the moment, they all shared. He is adamant that he would not dream of abandoning Jesus, speaking up, as he does so often, but, again as elsewhere, making a comment that does not fit. Jesus tells Peter that, not only will he abandon him, but that he will deny him, an action that will take place three times before the cock crows. Peter simply cannot conceive of that happening, and he vigorously rebuts the comment that Jesus has made.

However, as all this moves towards being played out, it is worth remembering the challenges faced by the disciples, the mistakes they made, but that none of this eliminated their role in future participation in the mission initiated by Jesus.

As Donald English (The Message of Mark) comments – “The story of Peter’s protestation of loyalty to Jesus makes sad reading for us, knowing as we do what will eventually take place. That Peter and the others meant what they said is not in doubt. The mistake they made was to be too confident in their ability to stand faithfully on their own when the battle became fiercest. Yet, despite their coming failure, they will not be given up. The message from the risen Christ will be for ‘his disciples and Peter’ (16:7).”

I wonder if there are point at which we are too confident and, if so, what we need to learn.

Reflecting on Mark's Gospel - Mark 14:22-25

Mark tells of that special moment within the meal that Jesus and his disciples are sharing when Jesus takes, in turn, bread and wine and gives them a very particular significance. He takes some bread, a loaf, and blesses it. Having done that, he breaks it and gives them each a piece – this is my body. He then takes a cup of wine. He gives thanks to God for the cup of wine. They then pass it round, and each drink from it. This indicates a new promise, a new covenant and he talks of it being poured out.

This profoundly significant moment has led to one of the most often repeated elements of church life. As a minister of word and sacraments, I have long since lost track of how many times I have remembered this moment and celebrated this sacrament. I have done so in many different settings, and in a number of different ways. One memorable occasion was in a remote part of Panama. We arrived by boat on a beautiful beach, called Caya Paloma (Dove Beach) and beside the beach was the tiny Methodist Chapel, in which I preached and actually celebrated both the sacraments of Baptism and of Communion one Sunday in the early part of 1994. Another particularly memorable occasion was in December 2011 at Abu-Ghosh, one of a number of villages that claims to be the original Emmaus, where, in the chapel of the Benedictine monastery, I had the joy of concelebrating with a Palestinian colleague who spoke the words of distribution in the original Aramaic.

This is perhaps the high point in what seems to have been a challenging meal as Jesus and the disciples share these elements in this very special way for the first time in Christian history.

It is interesting, and significant, that this happens during conversations about how the disciples are going to fail Jesus. It is a telling reminder that God loves us as we are, and accepts, blesses and uses the messy chaos of our lives. As Megan McKenna (On Your Mark: Reading Mark in the Shadow of the Cross) reminds us – “Jesus ate with sinners and the unworthy. His mercy and forgiveness were and still are the great marks of his ministry and practice.”

Reflecting on Mark's Gospel - Mark 14:12-21

Jesus and his disciples prepare to eat the Passover meal together. Overall, the question as to whether this ‘last supper’ was a Passover meal, or not, is not entirely clear. There is certainly a wish by some of the writers to portray it as such, and Mark is one of these. As Joseph O’Hanlon (Mark My Words) points out, Mark is – “concerned to link the Last Supper with the Passover meal and he plainly says that the last meal Jesus had with the twelve was the festival meal.” If it was, that is theologically helpful in linking Jesus, as the Lamb of God, an identification which one of the other gospel writers puts right at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry as part of an announcement by John the Baptist (John 1:29), with the lamb of the Passover meal.

However, what happened as this meal progressed is what matters and whether it was an actual Passover meal is far less critical. In any event, an unnamed pair are sent ahead to make the preparations. It would seem that some kind of arrangement has been made, though the means of identifying it are rather random. It all seems fine other than the fact that a seemingly chance encounter with a particular individual is to be the means of identifying the location. Certainly, water jars would more normally be carried by women, so the man would readily be noticed. The question is around how it could be assumed that he would be there at the right moment.

However, it does all happen as has been explained and, in the evening, the rest of the group arrive with Jesus for the meal.

We can imagine the group sharing food and conversation. For once they are eating on their own without others present, not even a host. We can imagine there is a degree of tension. It is just a few days since the hosannas of (what we know as) Palm Sunday, but also since the disruption that Jesus had caused in the temple courtyards amongst the moneychangers and animal sacrifice sellers. The disciples clearly did not know what was about to happen, but there must have been a sense of foreboding.

Jesus then intensifies any such mood by talking about betrayal. Eleven of them could not believe that this was possible. Surely not. But one knows differently. The relationship is about to be deepened with a symbolic sharing of bread and wine but, for the moment, the point is simply made that the sharing of the meal is not a guarantee of commitment and loyalty. As O’Hanlon comments, the fact that the naming of what Judas is going to do – “takes place in the context of a meal and on a festive occasion adds to its squalid treachery.”

Reflecting on Mark's Gospel - Mark 14:10-11

In stark contrast with the devotion expressed by the woman who poured perfume on Jesus’ head, we now have reference to the preparations for betrayal made by Judas, who takes on this role despite being one of the twelve disciples. We have to assume that Judas is not happy with the direction in which things have been going to the extent that he is prepared to deliver Jesus into the hands of the religious authorities, so that they can do their worst and get rid of him.

We can imagine that the chief priests were delighted when Judas approached them. There is nothing to suggest that Judas was looking for money, but such an act has its price and the chief priests are very willing to make the payment. This would give them the chance to get Jesus in custody without attracting the attention of the crowd. I wonder in what ways we betray Jesus, and how readily we do so.

I wonder what really motivated Judas. We can only assume that, in some sense, as Kim Huat Tan (Mark) expresses it, that Judas arrives at “the belief that Jesus’ messianic programme is wrongheaded and dangerous. It is wrongheaded because it involves death; it is dangerous because it speaks of God’s profligate love.” We can imagine that all of the disciples were juggling many different emotions, and something, very possibly what Tan calls “a fanatical intent to do what he thinks is right for the nation” tips Judas over the edge, and so he abandons the group and the mission that they now share with Jesus in order, he surely hopes, to get the nation on track. It may be even, as has often been suggested, that Judas simply hoped to provoke Jesus into the direct action that was needed in order to restore the people to their rightful place in the land. It was all very well turning over a few tables and disrupting the business that was taking place in the temple courtyards, but what was needed was some leadership that would end the Roman occupation.

I wonder if we ever get into a place where we think God should do it differently and, if so, what we might do (or not do) in that situation.

Reflecting on Mark's Gospel - Mark 14:3-9

As so often, Jesus is being hosted for a meal. This is at Bethany, and he is at the home of a man named Simon, who is identified as a leper. Jesus was not concerned about the background of those who hosted him. There are other people around and, in this instance, Jesus is approached by a woman who has brought an expensive jar of perfume. This woman is an unlikely candidate for being an example of faith and commitment, and her attitude and action makes a stark contrast with what we see of the male disciples during these days when they are in the Jerusalem area with the Passover crowds. I wonder whether we are ready to learn from unlikely people.

This woman certainly gets her action noticed. She breaks open the jar and pours the ointment on Jesus’ head. One assumes this had an immediate impact on everyone’s sense of smell. It usually takes just a drop of perfume to produce a pleasant aroma. This act will have produced a nice, but powerful, fragrance. Everyone will have been aware that something unusual had happened.

It certainly annoyed some of those who were present, and they suggest that the perfume could have been sold to raise funds for the poor. The implication is that this is a waste of money. But Jesus rather identifies it as a special act of love, and as something to be commended. He comments that the poor will always be there, and so they will. That could appear as a rather cold comment but is probably more a statement of fact – and a reminder that we are not actually able to solve the world’s problems. As Bonnie Bowman Thurston (Preaching Mark) comments – “we all need a little perfume in this life. And Jesus not only allows this, but commends it.”

Jesus recognises the generosity of this woman. She has anointed his body for burial, a comment that was probably not really understood. It is also interesting that he mentions that her story will be told because of what she has done.

If just one thing were said of us, I wonder what we might hope that would be. I wonder whether we ever engage in acts of extravagant generosity. I wonder how we express our love for God, and in a way that others can see.

Of course, this story is not just about giving, but also about receiving, and Jesus models something important for us. As Thurston asks – “I wonder how many of us could be Jesus in the story, could accept such an act of love and generosity. Jesus sets an example for us in allowing people to love him.”

Reflecting on Mark's Gospel - Mark 14:1-2

There are two important things here. One is the timing, and the other is the intention of the chief priests and the scribes. It is two days before Passover and the festival of Unleavened Bread. Jerusalem would therefore have been busy, as pilgrims arrived to be part of the festival celebrations in the capital city. It was not business as usual because of this influx of people and, of course, Jesus and the disciples were part of the throng visiting Jerusalem at this important point in the religious calendar.

The other thing mentioned is the plotting against Jesus by the religious leaders. They are aware of his popularity and so they want to tread carefully. The plan appears to be to make their move as soon as the festival is over. It may well be that they hoped that what they were doing would not ne noticed in the flurry of activity as the many visiting pilgrims started their journeys to their various homes. No doubt there were all sorts of things happening to support the needs and interests of the visitors.

I wonder if we ever allow ourselves to be distracted from important things, especially when there is a lot happening.

Of course, it is not going to work out quite according to their plan. As we will discover, that timetable is not entirely correct. Mark makes the point about timing because he wants to emphasise that God’s timing is going to take priority.

Denis McBride (The Gospel of Mark: A Reflective Commentary) reflects on the scheming of the religious leaders, noting – “things turn out differently – perhaps because the offer of Judas precipitated their decision? Whatever the reason, Mark’s point is clear: in spite of their clandestine plans, the Temple clergy are not in charge of the chronology of events; Jesus will die during the feast of great liberation.”