Marcos 12
John MacArthur · Citado em PreceptAustin
Marcos 12
MacArthur says "The purpose of this approach is to get Jesus to say something they’re positive will not be in the writings of Moses because they all have concluded that He’s against Moses, He’s anti-Judaism, He’s anti-Moses. He is setting Himself up as some supreme authority. He is saying things that are not like what we hear, what we teach and what we believe. And if they can get Him to elevate Himself above Moses, then the people will be more likely to turn from Him." (Loving God)
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MacArthur says parabole is "A spiritual or moral truth would often be expressed by laying it alongside, so to speak, a physical example that could be more easily understood. A common, observable object or practice was used to illustrate a subjective truth or principle. That which was well known was laid alongside that which was not known or understood in order to explain it. The known elucidated the unknown. The parable was a common form of Jewish teaching… Teaching through parables and other figurative means is effective because it helps make abstract truth more concrete, more interesting, easier to remember, and easier to apply to life. When a truth is externalized in the figures of a parable, the internalizing of moral and spiritual meaning is much easier. In the series of parables in chapter 13, Jesus uses such familiar figures as soil, seed, birds, thorns, rocks, sun, wheat, tares, mustard seed, leaven, hidden treasure, and a pearl. But in these particular parables themselves the truth is not made clear, because the basic story tells nothing but the literal account, without presenting the moral or spiritual truth. It was only to His disciples that Jesus explained what the soil, the seed, the thorns, and the other figures represent. And an unexplained parable was nothing but an impossible riddle, whose meaning could only be guessed at." (Matthew: The MacArthur NT Commentary).
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MacArthur - According to traditional law, land that remained unclaimed for three years would become the property of those working it. If they killed the heir, they reasoned, the land could be theirs. (See Mark Commentary) Rod Mattoon - Why would these men behave this way in the first place? In that day, a tenant farmer could lay claim to the land that he was farming if the owner of the land was gone for more than three years. This would be based on the presumption that the owner lost interest or was dead. They may also have concluded that the owner of the land was dead when the son showed up. There was a law in that day that stated that if the owner died and he had no heirs to leave the land, whoever was first to claim the land, especially the occupants, would be allowed to have the land. These men most likely concluded that they could claim the inheritance of the land if they killed this son. By now, the religious and social leaders must have understood the meaning of the parable. They had already reasoned together on their plan to destroy Jesus. They did this because they saw Him as the heir, the beloved Son, though they rejected Him as such. The officials wanted the inheritance, the power, the glory, the rule, so they plotted the heir's death. Jesus knew exactly what was going to happen to Him. He was predicting His death. The Lord willingly and voluntarily would lay down His life for us all. He chose to die for the sins of mankind. (See John 10:17-18). Utley on the inheritance will be ours - This refers legally to the Jewish law of “ownerless property” that could be claimed by right of possession. It reflects mankind’s fallen attitude of “more and more for me at any cost.” Humanity wants to be its own god (cf. Gen. 3).
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MacArthur writes that this message (the Parable of the Vineyard and Stone) is one "of love and warning, though delivering it brought the Lord not joy, but rather intense sorrow moving Him to tears (cf. Luke 19:41). Predictably, but tragically, the leaders rejected His warning and redoubled their efforts to kill Him (Luke 20:19). That same warning applies to everyone: either submit to Christ as Lord and Savior, or be crushed by Him in judgment. Rejecting Jesus Christ is the most tragic choice anyone can ever make. “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him” (John 3:36, cf John 8:24)." (See Luke Commentary) Marvelous (2298)(thaumastos from thaumazo = to wonder, marvel, be struck with admiration) means wonderful, admirable, wondrous. Thaumastos is used throughout classical Greek in descriptions of gods. Friberg - (1) of things relating to God and beyond human comprehension wonderful, marvelous, remarkable; (2) substantivally to. qaumasto,n of what is unexpected and worthy of notice the amazing thing (Jn 9.30). Thaumastos - 6x in 6v - Matt. 21:42; Mk. 12:11; Jn. 9:30; 1 Pet. 2:9; Rev. 15:1; Rev. 15:3. Translates "majestic" in Ps 8:1,9. In Ps 68:35 = "O God you are awesome (thaumastos)" Ps 98:1 = "He has done wonderful things." In Micah 7:15 "I will show you miracles (thaumastos)." (Borrow Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament) Thaumastos in Septuagint - Ex. 15:11; Exod. 34:10; Deut. 28:58; Deut. 28:59; Jos. 3:5; Jdg. 13:18; Jdg. 13:19; Est. 5:2; Job 42:3; Ps. 8:1, 9; Ps. 42:4; Ps. 65:4; Ps. 68:35; Ps. 93:4; Ps. 98:1; Ps. 106:22; Ps. 118:23; Ps. 119:129; Prov. 6:30; Isa. 3:3; Isa. 25:1; Dan. 8:24; Dan. 9:4; Dan. 12:6; Amos 3:9; Mic. 7:15; Marvelous in our Eyes "The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; the LORD has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes."—Psalm 118:22-23 Nicolaus Copernicus was nineteen years old when Christopher Columbus followed the stars to the West Indies. Copernicus constructed a new system of astronomy that consisted of a solar system with the sun and not the earth as the center. Both the Catholic and the emerging Protestant churches rejected his theories. Copernicus's book, 'Revolutions,' was published during the last year of his life and drew criticism from two sources. Philosophers held onto Aristotle's theory that the earth was the fixed center of the universe. Churchmen accused Copernicus of contradicting the Bible. Many opposed him on both counts. Nearly a century later Galileo was charged with heresy and warned not to defend the Copernican theory. In 1632, at nearly seventy years of age, the invalid Galileo published a book that held to the Copernican theory. He was immediately summoned to trial and remained under house arrest until his death in 1642. Isaac Newton's success with theoretical physics finally brought the Copernican theory triumph and Copernicus is now considered the founder of modern astronomy. Jesus was rejected because he did not match the Pharisees concept of a messiah. Who is the center of your universe? Have you molded Jesus to become who you think He should be? Or is he the Lord of all? Take time now to contemplate the size of your God—the God who created the universe. Worship His awesome greatness and His marvelous love. "What, but God? Inspiring God! Who boundless Spirit all, and unremitting energy, pervades, adjusts, sustains, and agitates the whole."—James Thomson Mark 12:12 They were seeking to seize Him, and yet they feared the people, for they understood that He spoke the parable against them. And so they left Him and went away. feared: Mk 11:18,32 Mt 21:26,45,46 Lu 20:6,19 Joh 7:25,30,44 they understood: 2Sa 12:7-15 1Ki 20:38-41 21:17-27 Mark 12 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Matthew 21:43 “Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people, producing the fruit of it. 44 “And he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust.” 45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard His parables, they understood that He was speaking about them. 46 When they sought to seize Him, they feared the people, because they considered Him to be a prophet. Luke 20:18+ “Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust.” 19 The scribes and the chief priests tried to lay hands on Him that very hour, and they feared the people; for they understood that He spoke this parable against them. RELIGIOUS LEADERS FINALLY UNDERSTAND Note that Matthew 21:43 adds a significant statement by Jesus the "the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people (GENTILES), producing the fruit of it. “And he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust." Little wonder that they were seeking to seize Jesus after that "in your face" pronouncement of judgment on unbelieving Israel and the ungodly leaders. And if that was not enough, Jesus declared the Gentiles would take over the function that the Jews refused to fulfill of being a light to the world. Kent
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MacArthur comments that "By lawful they were referring not to Roman law, but to God’s law. They thought they knew that the biblically correct answer was negative, and that that was the answer the people would expect. The people believed that the land of Israel and all that it produced belonged to God. Consequently, they hated paying taxes to occupying pagan idolaters. And there were diverse taxes imposed by the Romans, including income taxes, land taxes, import taxes, and transport taxes. But the tax the Jewish people hated most was the poll tax everyone paid for living under Rome’s authority. They found it especially offensive because it suggested that Caesar owned them, while they passionately viewed both themselves and the nation as solely God’s possession. Taxation was a constant source of friction between the Jews and Rome, and played a large part in both the rebellion led by Judas of Galilee (ED: Jewish leader who led resistance to the census imposed for Roman tax purposes by Quirinius in Iudaea Provincea around 6 A D) and the Jewish revolt of a.d. 66-70, which ended in the utter destruction of Jerusalem by the Roman general Titus. (See Luke Commentary)
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MacArthur comments that these religious leaders "Instead of marveling at Christ’s astonishing wisdom and reexamining their obligation to God, the frustrated leaders were amazed, but rather than admit that to Jesus, they became silent. Their attitude toward Him had not changed. Though they had failed to elicit the incriminating response from Him that they had hoped for, they stubbornly persisted in trying to find another way. When they finally managed to bring Jesus before Pilate, they lied and said, “We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar” (Luke 23:2).Their sinful stubbornness left them in a hopeless, irremediable, unredeemable situation." (See Luke Commentary) Steven
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MacArthur writes that "They were so defined by not believing in the resurrection, that they had mastered the art of infuriating the Pharisees and the rest of the people with their arguments. They made a joke out of resurrection." Hiebert - The historical present came pictures them as confidently approaching, assured that their question will confound Jesus....Because they could not see the teaching of a resurrection in the Pentateuch, which alone they regarded as normative for Jewish life and thought, they rejected it as a Pharisaic innovation....They felt themselves superior to Him and intended to expose His inadequacy as a teacher in theological matters. They thus hoped to discredit Him before the people and also demonstrate the superiority of their position to that of the Pharisees. (The Gospel of Mark: An Expositional Commentary) As Akin says "The parade of opponents that began in Mark 11:27 continues. The chief priests, scribes and elders took their shot in Mk 11:27-12:12 and went down in flames. The Pharisees and Herodians were the second wave of enemies to take Him on in Mk 12:13-17 and He shut their mouths. Now the Sadducees come with a trick question they had probably used dozens of times to frustrate the Pharisees. They will now try it out on Jesus. This is the only time in Mark that Jesus has an exclusive encounter with the Sadducees (Mark 12:18-27 Will There Be Sex in Heaven?) Akin's excellent summary of the Sadducees - A small sect of the priestly families. - Wealthy aristocrats with significant political/temple influences. They dominated the Sanhedrin (cf. Acts 5:17). - Sympathetic to Hellenism, the Herods and Rome. - Considered only the books of Moses (Pentateuch) as authoritative. In a sense this made them theological conservatives. - Had a strong doctrine of human free will. - Did not believe in angels and demons (Acts 23:8). - Were not looking for a Messiah-King from David’s line. - Did not believe in the immortality of the soul. - Did not believe in a future bodily resurrection. Josephus said, “The doctrine of the Sadducees is this: souls die with bodies.” (Antiquites, 18:1, 4 - INTERESTING NOTE AS HE DISCUSSES PHARISEES IN 18:3). - With the total destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in A.D. 70, their center of power, and political influence came to an end and they vanished from history. (Mark 12:18-27 Will There Be Sex in Heaven?) In Acts 23 Luke records Paul's defense before the Council declaring But perceiving that one group were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, Paul began crying out in the Council, “Brethren, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees; I am on trial for the hope and resurrection of the dead!” 7 As he said this, there occurred a dissension between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. 8 For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor an angel, nor a spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all. (Acts 23:6-8+) And so we see that the Sadducees scoffed at many of the Pharisees’ beliefs in the supernatural. The Sadducees remind me of Thomas Jefferson's so-called "Bible" which "is especially notable for its exclusion of all miracles by Jesus and most mentions of the supernatural, including sections of the four gospels that contain the Resurrection and most other miracles, and passages that portray Jesus as divine!" Amazing! Shocking! (See Jefferson's Bible). Clearly the Sadducees and Pharisees were bitter rivals, except when it came to opposing Jesus again proving the truth of the ancient proverb that "The enemy of my enemy is my friend!" (See Jn 11:47 where "chief priests" are the Sadducees) Of the major groups of Jewish religious leaders, the Sadducees were the smallest and yet one of the most influential, because of their wealth, and aristocratic standing in Jewish society. Many of the priests and chief priest were Sadducees as well as most of the Sanhedrin. They held most of the positions of power in the Temple including oversight of the lucrative business operations in the Court of the Gentiles on the Temple grounds, giving them good reason to hate Jesus Who overturned their lucrative business (Lk 19:45-48). Surprisingly they, like the Herodians, were eager to cooperate with the Romans. The Sadducees were religious liberals in their denial of the resurrection, angels, and the age to come. Josephus wrote that the Sadducees believed that the soul and body perish together at death. Since they rejected life after death, the Sadducees focused all their attention on this present life, this world which "is passing away, and also its lusts." (1 Jn 2:17). The Sadducees lived life as if there were no tomorrow. They fastidiously observed the Mosaic Law, but at the same time oppressed the common people, and used their positions of power to indulge themselves at the expense of the common people. If the Sadducees were alive today, their "theme song" might have been the Grassroots "Let's Live for Today!" especially the refrain "Sha la la la la la, let's live for today and don't worry about tomorrow"! On the other hand they were fundamentalists who rejected the oral traditions which the Pharisees accepted. The Sadducees only accepted the Torah or Pentateuch as their primary authority and they contended that the resurrection was not taught in the Torah nor in any of the other OT books.
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MacArthur: The verb mistaken is planao from which we get the word planet, wandering bodies. The verb means to cause to wander, to lead astray. You are leading yourselves astray by your biblical ignorance. You’re mentally wandering. You’ve been cut loose from reality. You’ve been cut loose from reason. You’ve been cut loose from truth. That is why false teachers in Jude 13 are called wandering star That - Jesus gives two reasons their question is absurd and non-Scriptural. You do not understand the Scriptures (graphe) or the power (dunamis) of God (theos) - Understand (eidotes = perfect tense of eido) means that they had failed to come to a perception or realization of the truth of the Scriptures! Imagine their reaction when Jesus made this cutting statement to these pride filled men! Their second major error was they lacked a true perception of the power of God which would have also rubbed them the wrong way! Power is the great Greek word dunamis which refers to the intrinsic power and inherent ability of the omnipotent God to carry out some function, in this context to bring the dead back to life! It is therefore not surprising that dunamis is translated miracle some 20x in the NT. In short these religious leaders do not know God (revealed in the Scriptures) nor the power of God. Dwight Edwards makes an excellent point - There is a vital balance in knowing both of these essential ingredients for radiant godliness. In evangelical circles today there is a tendency to know one OR the other, but too seldom are they both entwined significantly in the same life. Many focus on knowing the Scriptures, but fail to appropriate the power of God which is so necessary for the word to be properly applied and obeyed. Others are preeminently concerned with the power of God but lack the stability and cutting edge which only the Word of God can provide. Like Stephen, we must seek to "be full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom (Acts 6:3). (Mark Commentary) Geddert - Jesus’ response critiques the Sadducees on two points. They misconceive the nature of the resurrection life. They also erroneously reject a (properly understood) resurrection life. Those of us who wish we knew more about that resurrection life might wish this text were considerably longer. What are their misguided images of a resurrection life? What will it really be like? Jesus critiques a conception of a resurrection life that assumes the following: • That the resurrection life is a simple continuation of this life, with all its relationships intact. • That offspring would still be needed as designated heirs of men who die childless. I think it is going beyond the evidence of this text to insist (as some do) that in the resurrection life these things happen: • Gender distinctions will disappear. • There will be nothing corresponding to intimate relationships. • None of the conditions of our prior earthly life will be remembered or be relevant. We are told too little to insist on any of these. What seems clear is that those raised will not enter into marriages as we know them in this life. Producing offspring to solve inheritance problems will no longer be necessary. That is likely the point on which we will be like the angels. The Sadducees would not be persuaded by Jesus’ clarification that we will be like angels; they do not believe that angels exist. Jesus’ only clear statement about the nature of the future resurrection life is that God is powerful enough to design it. Jesus critiques their doubts that God can work out the logistics of a resurrection life. When asked about the nature of the resurrection life, I would rather say, “God will find a way of working that out!” That is better than advancing a series of options and dilemmas each option would create. (Mark Believers Church Bible Commentary) Some Unanswered Questions - The Scriptures leave many questions about the hereafter unanswered. Do children grow up in heaven? What about the saints with the Lord who do not yet have their resurrection bodies? What is a spiritual body? And of course through the ages bereaved hearts have asked, "Shall we know each other over there?" Of course it has been said many times that surely we shall have as much sense there as we have here! The Sadducees asked our Lord about the woman who had been married seven times: whose wife would she be in the resurrection? He replied; "Do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the scriptures, neither the power of God"? (Mark 12:24). When we know not God's Word nor His power we fall into all kinds of error. Error is grounded in ignorance. Jesus went on to say that in the resurrection we neither marry nor are given in marriage but are as the angels. He was not covering the whole subject of our status in the hereafter and we can read too much into or out of these words. He simply said that angels do not marry and in this respect we shall be like the angels, for earthly relationships do not obtain in the hereafter. This does not necessarily mean that we shall feel exactly the same way toward everybody, a stranger or our dearest loved one. I do not know how God will work it all out and I may be speculating, but I cannot feel that I will react just the same when I see my mother or wife over there as to somebody I never saw before. I know that we shall have new bodies and that old emotions will have been displaced by a new personality appropriate to our heavenly life. But I cannot think that there will be one general uniformity of thought and feeling with no degrees of delight as we meet again those we have loved long since and lost awhile. Our Father will grant us fullest joy, and I am not going to let the problem of one woman with seven husbands spoil my anticipation when I walk the golden streets with the one I loved above all others on earth. Nor do I think that all the residents of that fair city will have the same capacity for enjoyment. The Scriptures teach that some will be beaten with few stripes and some with many and some shall rule over five cities and some over ten. By the same token I cannot believe that heaven will mean no more to faithful saints who walked close to God on earth than to some poor disciple who barely got into heaven saved as by fire with his life gone up in smoke. Just how the Father will do it I do not know, but my joy will not be less there than here and it will be intensified, not toned down to one unvarying pattern. Even this poor world abounds in color and variety and my eternal home will be no monolithic set-up. I still feel that the dearest here will be dearer there in a way I could never know in this world. But I approach it with no trepidation. My Father knows how to do it and five seconds after I arrive all my questions will have disappeared in ecstasy as I take up my abode in the house of the Lord forever (Vance Havner) Mark 12:25 "For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. but: Mt 22:30 Lu 20:35,36 1Co 15:42-54 Heb 12:22,23 1Jn 3:2 Mark 12 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Matthew 22:30+ “For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. Luke 20:35-36+ but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; 36 for they cannot even die anymore, because they are like angels, and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection. (COMMENT - Words in bold are only in Luke, and not in the parallel passages in Matthew and Mark.) Hiebert - Jesus told them that their doubt was due to their double ignorance, doubly inexcusable in priests (The Gospel of Mark: An Expositional Commentary) For (gar) - Term of Explanation. Jesus will explain their error. When they rise from the dead - Not "if" but "when" affirming the truth of the resurrection. This statement corrects the Sadducee's failure to understand the power of God. God has miracle working power and will resurrect ever person who has ever lived and died. In John 5:28-29 Jesus declared "Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment." The Sadducees will be truly "sad" in that day and throughout eternity! Hiebert - “Know not the scriptures,” the Old Testament writings, is a charge not of ignorance concerning their contents but of failure to understand the true meaning. Had they understood the true nature of the miracle-working God revealed in those Scriptures, they would not have doubted His power to raise the dead....His questioners had thought of the resurrection life only in terms of present earthly conditions. They had failed to see that God’s power could make a new world in which the conditions of life were wholly different. His power in transforming the resurrection body no longer made marriage a necessary part of the future state. “By the power of the resurrection, marriage, sex and family relationships will be transcended by perfect communion with God and among persons.” Therefore, their objection to the resurrection had no validity; the difficulty they envisioned did not apply to the resurrection life. (The Gospel of Mark: An Expositional Commentary) Swete says: “The Sadducees (and the Pharisees also, so far as they connected marriage and the propagation of the race with the future life), showed themselves incapable of conceiving a power which could produce an entirely different order from any within their experience. They assumed either that God could not raise the dead, or that He could raise them only to a life which would be a counterpart of the present, or even more replete with material pleasures.” They neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven - Note "like" angels. Like is a term of comparison term of comparison that explicitly sets one thing (HUMANS) alongside another (ANGEL) in order to highlight similarity, contrast, or degree. Humans are like angels in being created, spiritual, intelligent, accountable beings, made to serve and worship God, and destined for immortality. Glorified men and women will NOT BE angels. Humans are embodied, redeemable, and destined to rule with Christ. On the other hand, angels are spirit-beings, some fallen without hope of redemption. Here Jesus deals with their failure to understand the Scriptures which they mistakenly thought taught marriage in the afterlife (even though they did not believe in an afterlife)! Why will they be like the angels? They will be eternal beings. There is no death in heaven, so there is no longer need for procreation to continue the race of mankind! 🙏 THOUGHT - Jesus gives the Biblical truth about marital relationships in heaven which is dramatically different from the more sensual depictions of heaven as propounded in Islamic theology (INCLUDING 72 VIRGINS!) and Mormon theology (cf "Celestial Marriage"). Jesus responds to the Sadducees explaining where they are mistaken There will be a resurrection. There will be no marriage relationship as we know it in this life. In some sense we will become like the angels - no procreation, no death
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MacArthur adds that "Here is the dilemma that all legalists face. Knowing that they could not possibly keep all 613 laws, the rabbis focused on keeping the heavy or more important ones (as they saw them). They hoped vainly that doing so would satisfy God. But even that was a crushing, unbearable burden (Acts 15:5, 10), so they constantly sought to reduce their list of heavy laws to a few key ones. Unable to keep even those few laws, they focused instead on keeping their man-made traditions (cf. Mark 7:5–13), which were less difficult to observe. In their effort to trap Jesus, the Sanhedrin carried that reductionism still further. The scribe therefore asked Jesus what single commandment was the most important to God. Perhaps, like another frustrated legalist whom Jesus had encountered (Mark 10:17–22), he was seeking that elusive one good deed he could do to obtain eternal life (Matt. 19:16)." (See Mark Commentary) Matthew
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MacArthur - Obedience cannot be merely external; it must be internal, from the heart, motivated by faithful love for the one true God. Daniel Akin - Yahweh is one. He is one in essence and existence. He alone is God and there is no other. This is a powerful statement of uniqueness and exclusivity. Our God is God alone and our God alone will only accept our exclusive worship, love, devotion and allegiance. Teachers of the Law and theologians could debate all they want but Jesus begins by bringing them back to the basics, the fundamental, nonnegotiables of the faith. We should love this God because of who He is Question: What is the Shema? Answer: Shema (“hear”) is the Hebrew word that begins the most important prayer in Judaism. It is found in Deuteronomy 6:4, which begins with the command to “Hear.” The whole Shema prayer, which includes verses 4-9, is spoken daily in the Jewish tradition: Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. Later Jewish tradition developed a three-part Shema prayer that also included Deuteronomy 11:13–29 and Numbers 15:37–41. Tradition states these three parts cover all aspects of the Ten Commandments. The Shema prayer was so influential and important that Jesus used it as the beginning of His answer to the “greatest commandment” question in Mark 12:28–30: And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these. When Jesus began His answer with the Shema prayer, He acknowledged the Lord God as most important and that complete devotion to Him is the most important of the commandments. It is no surprise that the scribe replied this way in verses 32–33: You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that he is one, and there is no other besides him. And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. Even today, Christians can look to the words of the Shema as a wonderful expression that the Lord is the one true God. As we acknowledge His lordship, our response remains to “hear” Him, love Him with all our heart, soul, and might, and love our neighbor as ourselves. (Source: GotQuestions.org) Related Resources: What does it mean that the LORD is one (Deuteronomy 6:4)? How can Jesus be God if Deuteronomy 6:4 says that God is one? I am Jewish, can I become a Christian? Was Jesus a Jew? Mark 12:30 AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.' Mark 12 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries LOVE GOD WITH YOUR WHOLE BEING Related Passages: Deuteronomy 6:5+ “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. Joshua 22:5+ “Only be very careful to observe the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, to love the LORD your God and walk in all His ways and keep His commandments and hold fast to Him and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul.” Matthew 22:37+ And He said to him, “ ‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’ 38 “This is the great and foremost commandment. AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD - This is love which flows from one's entire being toward the Eternal Being. Note He is "your" God which speaks of possession. Yes ultimately He possesses us but in an act of amazing grace, we possess Him as our "summum bonum," our highest good. This call to love God calls for a supernaturally enabled unconditional commitment to God from a whole heart. Ultimately the only way a fallen creature can love God like this is by depending on the Holy Spirit to energize that quality of love. This love is not "natural" but is "supernatural." NET Note on shall love - The future indicative is used here with imperatival (COMMAND) force. Joseph Alexander notes that Jesus gives us a "comprehensive summary in Deut. 6:4, 5 and Lev. 19:18, the former passage summing up the first and the latter the second table (10 Commandments)."
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MacArthur says agapao "expresses the purest, noblest form of love, which is volitionally driven, not motivated by superficial appearance, emotional attraction, or sentimental relationship." This love is empowered by the Holy Spirit in the heart of the surrendered saint (Gal 5:16, 22+), is shown not just by words but deeds (1 Jn 3:17+), manifested by keeping God's commandments (Jn 14:15, 21, 23, 24+). WITH ALL YOUR HEART (kardia), AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL (psuche), AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND (dianoia), AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH (ischus) - In short Jesus says "Love God with all you are." Note that each use of "with" is more literally "out of" (ex) and as Hiebert says this stresses the "source of our love. It must arise out of every area of their being—heart, soul, mind, strength—reference to each part extended with the adjective whole for equal emphasis. " (The Gospel of Mark: An Expositional Commentary) Hiebert - Love to God must possess the whole heart, the seat of personality, the whole soul, the self-conscious life, the whole mind, the rational faculties, and the whole strength, the entire active powers of man. (The Gospel of Mark: An Expositional Commentary) MacArthur - The heart in the Hebrew understanding is the core of a person’s identity; it is the source of all thoughts, words, and actions. For that reason Proverbs 4:23 commands, “Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.” Love for God must flow from the deepest part of a person’s being. Soul adds the emotions. In Matthew 26:38 Jesus said, “My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death,” speaking of His soul as the seat of emotion. Mind embraces the will, the intentions, and purposes. Strength refers to physical energy and function. The intellectual, emotional, volitional, and physical elements of personhood are all involved in loving God. Genuine love for God is an intelligent love, an emotional love, a willing love, and an active love. In short, it is a comprehensive, all-consuming love and singular adoration. God’s wholehearted love for believers must not be reciprocated with half-hearted devotion. (See Mark 9-16 MacArthur New Testament Commentary) Grassmick describes this love as a "a volitional commitment to God that is personal, comprehensive, and wholehearted. This is emphasized by the repeated words with (ex, “out of,” denoting source), all (holēs, “the whole of”), your (sing.), and the various terms relating to the human personality—heart (control center; cf. Mark 7:19), soul (self-conscious life; cf. 8:35–36), mind (thought capacity), and strength (bodily powers). " (See The Bible Knowledge Commentary) Matthew
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MacArthur points out that "The arrogant, prideful scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees did neither; they failed to love either God or their neighbor (as illustrated by Jesus in the Good Samaritan parable). This command must not be twisted into a call for self-love, which is natural; such is not its intent. The Lord’s point is that we are to have the same love and care for neighbors, strangers, and enemies that we possess for ourselves." (See Mark 9-16 MacArthur New Testament Commentary) Geddert - Some have suggested that there is an implied third great commandment, to love … yourself (Mk 12:31). This, however, misses the point of the passage. The text refers to an active, caring love that invests heart, soul, mind, and strength in the service of God and others. To love others adequately requires a redirection of these energies. Instead of active investment of our energies to serve ourselves, we are called to active investment of them in the service of God and others (cf. Mk 10:43–45). While a healthy self-esteem is compatible with (and perhaps necessary for) a self-giving love of God and others, that is not what this text is teaching. (Mark Believers Church Bible Commentary) Gilbrant - The first commandment actually guarantees the second; they cannot be separated. Note that Jesus did not command us to love ourselves. It is assumed throughout the Bible that men love themselves. Love for self caused the fall of both Lucifer and man. Since the Fall, all men love themselves more than anything else until they are born of the Spirit and are filled with the love of God (Romans 5:5). One of the signs of the end times is that men will be "lovers of themselves" to an unusual degree (2 Timothy 3:2)....The fact that these are "thou shalt's" shows that "love" is more than "feelings." It involves one's will (ED: both uses of "shall love" are in active voice = choice of one's will - and I submit we need the Spirit's enablement - see "will" in Php 2:13 and nicely paraphrased in Php 2:13NLT+ ), shown in acts of kindness and mercy. To love is to will the highest eternal good for a person, and to demonstrate it in action. (Complete Biblical Library) Hiebert - This command demands that he must exercise a love equal to that which he has for himself toward his neighbor, the “one near to him,” the person with whom he comes into contact, whoever he may be. In Leviticus, neighbor meant a fellow-Israelite, but in the New Testament, it is given the widest possible extension of meaning (cf. Luke 10:29–37+). (The Gospel of Mark: An Expositional Commentary)
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MacArthur - In Matthew 22:40 He added, “On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.” Together, they sum up the entire Ten Commandments, the first four of which demand features related to love for God; the last six describe features of love for man. (See Mark 9-16 MacArthur New Testament Commentary ) Hiebert - All other commands will be fulfilled to the measure that these two are fulfilled. The first commandment summarizes the first table of the Decalogue (Exod. 20:2–11+), a man’s duties to God, while the second summarizes the second table (Exod. 20:12–17+), man’s duties to his fellow man. Matthew recorded that Jesus went on to say, “On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets” (22:40). The prophetic as well as the legal Scriptures find their inspiration in love. This double love comprehends all righteousness.Thus the essence of the believer’s duty, both godward and manward, is moral and not ceremonial. (The Gospel of Mark: An Expositional Commentary)
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MacArthur says "They are agents of Satan sent to fight the purposes of God....False religion never restrains the flesh. So these people operate like the worst of the unregenerate, except that it is not apparent on the surface. But false religion cannot subdue their wretched heart, for that can only be subdued by regeneration by means of the truth of the Gospel. So these men are to be avoided because they are always one thing on the outside and something else on the inside. They have nothing to offer spiritually and are destructive...deadly...dangerous. Do not get near them, because you will get singed, stained." (Sermon Confronting Error with Condemnation, Not Conversation) Beware (991)(blepo) basically means to have sight, to see, to look at, then to observe, to discern, to perceive with the eye, and frequently implies special contemplation. Have your eye on so as to beware of. - to watch, to take heed, to take care. Vine says blepo expresses "a more intentional, earnest contemplation." Blepos is used over 116x in the NT and is translated beware(5), careful(1), careful*(1), consider(1), facing(1), guard(1), keep on seeing(2), look(7), looking(5), looks(1), partial*(2), saw(12), see(54), seeing(8), seen(8), sees(8), sight(2), take care(5), take heed(5), watch(1). Luke earlier issued a similar warning regarding the HYPOCRISY of the Pharisees... Under these circumstances, after so many thousands of people had gathered together that they were stepping on one another, He began saying to His disciples first of all, “Beware (prosecho in present imperative) of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy (hupokrisis). (Lk. 12:1-note) Wuest on the Greek word hypokrisis - It "is made up of hupo under, and krinō “to judge” and referred originally to “one who judged from under the cover of a mask,” thus, assuming an identity and a character which he was not. This person was the actor on the Greek stage, one who took the part of another. The true identity of the person is covered up. It refers to acts of impersonation or deception. Christianity requires that believers should be open and above-board. They should be themselves. Their lives should be like an open book, easily read. This begs the question beloved - IS YOUR LIFE AN "OPEN BOOK?" IS WHAT PEOPLE SEE REALLY WHO YOU ARE? (Mark in the Greek New Testament for the English reader) Scribe in Long Robe Who like (thelo in the present tense) to walk around in long robes - Thelo speaks of them continually exercising their will from a motive of a desire to be seen. Ironically they vainly think that their long robes will hide their pious pretensions. I was raised on a farm and used to watch the rooster strut about the barnyard and that is the picture that comes to my mind every time I think of these men filled with hubris and hypocrisy -- "spiritual roosters" strutting around the Temple yard! They like to shine before other men, but not before God! Hiebert - walk points to their needless locomotion for the purpose of display. They took pleasure in walking around in long robes, the long flowing tallith which was regarded as the sign of piety and scholarship. (The Gospel of Mark: An Expositional Commentary)
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MacArthur comments that these men "began to develop robes that were very different than other people’s robes. They were robes that had certain little markings. They were unique, fancy, expensive robes that would identify them as the "holy people.: They “lengthened the tassels on their robes,” Matthew 23:5 says. And that comes from the Old Testament. In the Old Testament, back in Numbers 15:38-40, God had ordained that the Jews could put little tassels on the bottom of the robe, and it was a wonderful symbol to remind them of the law of God. Everywhere they went one would see the tassels and it reminded one of the law of God. Even Jesus had them on His robe according to Matthew 9:20. But the scribes and the Pharisees lengthened their tassels, not for the sake of a better memory device, but for the sake of ostentation and appearance. They were not trying to bring attention to God and His Word, but were trying to bring attention to themselves as if they were "holy." (Confronting Error with Condemnation, Not Conversation) Long robes (4749)(stole from stello = to prepare, arrange, gather up) means to equipping, fitting out; by metonymy dress, clothes; in the NT robe, especially long flowing garment or robe worn as an upper or outer garment. A scribe’s robe had a long mantle reaching to the feet and was decorated with long fringe. Refers to the robes of believers in Revelation (Rev. 6:11; Rev. 7:9; Rev. 7:13; Rev. 7:14; Rev. 22:14).
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MacArthur - If you were called “rabbi,” you were so exalted that in the Talmud, Sanhedrin 88 says that “It is more punishable to act against the words of a scribe than the words of Scripture.” They wanted to be called “excellency, elevated one, most knowledgeable one, exalted one.” They wanted to be “leader.” That is the one who determines direction, the one who determines destiny, the one who sets the course. (Confronting Error with Condemnation, Not Conversation) Kent
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MacArthur - They go after the most defenseless. Like the false teachers of whom Paul writes to Timothy, they go after silly women. They go after the unprotected and the weak. Widows are the easiest ones to get to....Widows were to be protected in the Old Testament, pure religion, says James 1:27, is to care for widows. Ex 22:22, Dt 10:18, Mal 3:5, etc call upon the people of God to care for widows. God cares for widows. These Scribes devour them. How do they do that? Now keep in mind that they were the lawyers of the system. So when a woman who was a widow needed someone to protect her, she would turn to the lawyer with the idea that he would protect her home and her property. There is an interesting study on the kind of behavior that was going on. First, the lawyers would take money for themselves from widows although it was forbidden. Knowledge without price. That was the code of a true rabbi, certainly with regard to widows. They would disobey that and whatever wisdom they would give to widows, they would charge exorbitantly. What could a widow do? Secondly, they would cheat widows of their estate by getting into the legal machinations under the guise that they would provide legal protection, and would literally begin to "eat away" the estate. Thirdly, they would leach on them and abuse their hospitality, taking advantage of room, board, food. There are some stories about gluttony and excessive drinking, taking that from poor widows. Another way, by mismanaging the property of widows, so that out of complete carelessness a widow was absolutely made destitute. One of the popular ones was to take money from older widows with deficient mental powers, taking advantage of those who were unable to defend themselves mentally. And maybe the worst, they would accumulate debts the widow would owe them, and be unable to pay and would take the widow’s home as pledge for the debt, and thus "devour" the house. When the widow could not pay, they threw her out. That is why they are characterized in Luke 11:39 as “full of robbery and wickedness.” Or Luke 16:14, “The Pharisees....were lovers of money.” (Sermon) Devour (consume) (2719)(katesthio from kata = down + esthio = to eat) means to eat up, totally consume, devour (Lk 8:5). Figuratively katesthio means to destroy by fire (consume, burn up) (Rev 11.5), by illegal exploitation (rob, take complete advantage of )(Mk 12.40) or by strife within a group which cause great division (destroys division)(Gal 5.15). And for appearance's sake offer long prayers (proseuchomai in present tense = their continual hypocritical practice) - Pretentious prayers seeking to impress! And in context they may have done so before widows to win their esteem making them easier to "devour." They were like the feathers of a peacock - for show! It was "all for show" not for substance. There is nothing wrong with a long prayer, but it is wrong if one is praying pretense, praying just to be seen. Jesus warned against this type of praying in Mt 6:5+ "When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full." Akin - the religious hirelings were experts in pseudo piety that was vacuous with no substance. They could “make long prayers” in public but their private prayer closet was littered with dust for lack of use. I have no doubt that their prayers were eloquent. Jesus, however, judged them empty. Better a few fumbling words from a humble heart than a marvelous oration from a proud heart.
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MacArthur - The idea is clear. If you’re in the wrong religion, you’re going to be condemned. If you’re a purveyor of the wrong religion, you’re going to receive a far greater suffering and damnation in hell. They’re dangerous. Be warned. They’re hypocrites. They’re worthy of condemnation. Compassion? Yes. Gospel? Give them the gospel. Pray for their salvation. Have a sad heart. But in the end, we have nothing to learn from false teachers and false religions. And they must know that they are under sentence of divine condemnation. They must know for their sake and the sake of those who need to be protected from them. (Confronting Error with Condemnation, Not Conversation)
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MacArthur comments "It was literally her life. She'll go home and die." (Sermon) While I am not sure I totally agree with MacArthur that she was definitively destined to die (because she could have gone out and begged as the word ptochos suggests she had already done), if we take this passage to a logical practical conclusion as some have done, we should give everything we have to live on. That does not at seem to be what this passage is teaching. Summary - I began this section thinking that it is a difficult section to interpret. I initially discounted John MacArthur's negative view of the widow as a bit harsh and not supported by the text. I prayed over this passage and went back and examined the context which did lend some support to MacArthur's interpretation. In fairness, I have included a number of interpretations that view the poor widow's action in a positive light. But in fairness to the text, I have questioned many of the positive statements made about this poor widow as being largely based on the opinion of the writer and not on the Biblical text. If you have not read MacArthur's sermon on this passage here is the link and I would suggest you read it even if you do not agree with his interpretation. Mark 12:44 Tithing - I’ve read stories about prisoners in concentration camps, death camps, and POW camps who were given scraps of bread and watery bowls of soup, and that’s all they had. But they found a way of tithing from it. One man took a tenth of his bread every day and gave it to a fellow prisoner, and another man fasted every tenth day and gave his full meal on that day to someone else. The principle of the Bible is proportional giving—this passage says that we are to give “as God has prospered us.” (Robert J