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.”