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.”
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