Hi friends!
Mark 11 holds another significant shift in the unfolding of the good news of Jesus the Christ. Here we enter Jerusalem during the Passover celebration. Chapter 11 focuses on two events, Jesus' dramatic entry and Jesus' confrontation in the Temple. Before we enter the city, let's retrace our steps and get a feel for our surroundings.
As with most of Jesus' actions, there are layers of meaning to his entry into Jerusalem.
He will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war-horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall command peace to the nations; his dominion shall be from sea to sea,and from the River to the ends of the earth."
The entry into Jerusalem feels very much like a prophetic drama. The Old Testament is replete with examples of prophets engaging in dramatic acts as a way to illustrate truth, awaken the imagination, and direct people to the way of God. Sometimes miraculous, sometimes mundane, and often odd, the prophetic drama is a common element of the ministry of Jewish prophets. We have already seen examples of the prophetic drama in Jesus ministry in the feeding of the multitudes. Perhaps Jesus knew about the colt because of his divine nature and/or perhaps he knew about the colt because he had been planning this dramatic entry.
When Jesus enters he is hailed as a king (the throwing of robes on the ground was reserved for the return of a conquering king), and the crowds exalt him as an ancestor of David (under King David's reign Israel reached the zenith of it's military might). Their cries of "Hosanna" literally translate to "Save now" yet might be more figuratively translated as, "Long live the king!" Yet what kind of king arrives on a donkey with a motley crew of dense disciples? Jesus' entry mocks the pomp of Pilate and proclaims that his reign is unlike any earthly ruler that has gone before him. With two would-be rulers entering Jerusalem who will be crowned as king?
The comparisons between the two entries, the imagery conveyed by the animal ridden, and the political overtones hearken to an interesting historical reference. Tracy and Bruno made this fascinating connection. They noted,
The jubilant entry ends oddly. Jesus enters the temple, looks around, and leaves without any fanfare. Was the crowd dispersed so soon (the text does say that it was late)? Was the lack of action an intentional strategy to make the people wonder what kind of Messiah he was? Or perhaps Jesus was simply doing a little reconnaissance work, getting ready for the next big show.
Temple Showdown - Mark 11:12-26
The Second Temple was the impressive creation of Herod the Great (or as many contemporary Jews called him, Herod the Monstrous). The temple was more than beautiful architecture, it was also the center of religious, political, and economic life for Jews in Jerusalem. It was where the throne of God was kept. Artisans, builders, fabricators, would have benefited from the business the temple generated. The wealthy leaders of the temple, the Sanhedrin, would sway incredible power over the lives of people in Jerusalem (and beyond) and thus would be in a continual dance with the Roman authorities. This is the center and this is where Jesus seems to go berserk.
What has Jesus so wound up?
Don't Like Figs?
The dramatic scene at the temple is book ended by a strange scene with a fig tree. Often when Mark encapsulates a story with another story the idea is that the stories are meant to interpret each other. Figs were often used as a symbol of the success and prosperity of the Israelite people. They were a sign of blessing. With that in mind, and holding onto the story of Jesus shutting down the Temple, let's look at the fig story again.
OK, So What?
For me the entry into Jerusalem and the Temple scene raise two simple points.
Mark 11 holds another significant shift in the unfolding of the good news of Jesus the Christ. Here we enter Jerusalem during the Passover celebration. Chapter 11 focuses on two events, Jesus' dramatic entry and Jesus' confrontation in the Temple. Before we enter the city, let's retrace our steps and get a feel for our surroundings.
- Approximately a third of Mark's book is devoted to this one week in Jerusalem.
- Until this point, Jesus seems to have spent most of his time around the small towns nestled against the sea of Galilee. He has made notable excursions to "unclean" lands to the north, east, and south yet it appears he has not visited any major city.
- It is believed that Jerusalem held a population of roughly 40,000. During the week of Passover the number in the city ballooned to any where between 200,000 to 400,000 people. Jews and Godfearers and others came pouring into the city. The Temple in Jerusalem was an ancient marvel and this was a prominen time for the Temple. The mass influx of people meant increased business, heightened tensions, and more spectacle.
- Passover was the celebration to commemorate God's deliverance from oppression in Egypt (specifically the night when the angel of death passed over the Hebrews, killed Egyptians, and convinced the pharaoh to release the Hebrews). The rules for observing the Passover are outlined in Deuteronomy 16:1-8.
- Jesus has been very clear with the disciples about what will happen in Jerusalem. He has told them at least three times that, "the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death; then they will hand him over to the Gentiles; they will mock him..and kill him; and after three days he will rise again."
As with most of Jesus' actions, there are layers of meaning to his entry into Jerusalem.
Religious
Riding on a colt upon which no one previously had ridden is a direct enactment of Zechariah 9:9-10Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey."Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem!
He will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war-horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall command peace to the nations; his dominion shall be from sea to sea,and from the River to the ends of the earth."
The entry into Jerusalem feels very much like a prophetic drama. The Old Testament is replete with examples of prophets engaging in dramatic acts as a way to illustrate truth, awaken the imagination, and direct people to the way of God. Sometimes miraculous, sometimes mundane, and often odd, the prophetic drama is a common element of the ministry of Jewish prophets. We have already seen examples of the prophetic drama in Jesus ministry in the feeding of the multitudes. Perhaps Jesus knew about the colt because of his divine nature and/or perhaps he knew about the colt because he had been planning this dramatic entry.
Political
The first day of the Passover celebration was a big deal. Think of it like the Opening Ceremonies of the Olympics, everyone was there. It's the kickoff to a massive week. Jesus entry into the city would not have been the only arrival that day, in fact it is likely that there would have been another parade with much more pomp and circumstance. The Roman Prefect Pontius Pilate would likely have also entered Jerusalem that day. Pilate's entry would have been much different. Astride a war house and amidst columns of Roman Centurions, Pilate's parade would have been a show of force, a demonstration of the vast power of the Roman empire (read Zechariah's prophecy above again).When Jesus enters he is hailed as a king (the throwing of robes on the ground was reserved for the return of a conquering king), and the crowds exalt him as an ancestor of David (under King David's reign Israel reached the zenith of it's military might). Their cries of "Hosanna" literally translate to "Save now" yet might be more figuratively translated as, "Long live the king!" Yet what kind of king arrives on a donkey with a motley crew of dense disciples? Jesus' entry mocks the pomp of Pilate and proclaims that his reign is unlike any earthly ruler that has gone before him. With two would-be rulers entering Jerusalem who will be crowned as king?
The comparisons between the two entries, the imagery conveyed by the animal ridden, and the political overtones hearken to an interesting historical reference. Tracy and Bruno made this fascinating connection. They noted,
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| Napoleon Crossing the Alps Jacques-Louis David |
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| Napoleon Crossing the Alps Paul Delaroche |
"The unridden beast (colt or donkey) is one reserved for kings but why an eques? Why not a camel? Perhaps the mule/donkey was known as a beast of burden, a very sure-footed one. It’s like God, very sure-footed. Reminds us of a famous painting, “Napoleon Crossing the Alps”(left) by Jacques-Louis David painted in 1805 which pictures Napoleon riding a white stead. However, he actually rode a mule (right) because he needed a sure-footed animal to cross the Alps. Napoleon is crossing the mountain i.e. the Temple to fight the Austrians in the Battle of Marengo. Likewise, Jesus’ battle is against the merchants in the Temple then the priests. Both had a clear vision of their mission and how they would accomplish it. PS: we are drawing parallels in history, not comparing Jesus with Napoleon as individuals!"
Many thanks to the Bovals for this insight!
The jubilant entry ends oddly. Jesus enters the temple, looks around, and leaves without any fanfare. Was the crowd dispersed so soon (the text does say that it was late)? Was the lack of action an intentional strategy to make the people wonder what kind of Messiah he was? Or perhaps Jesus was simply doing a little reconnaissance work, getting ready for the next big show.
Temple Showdown - Mark 11:12-26
The Second Temple was the impressive creation of Herod the Great (or as many contemporary Jews called him, Herod the Monstrous). The temple was more than beautiful architecture, it was also the center of religious, political, and economic life for Jews in Jerusalem. It was where the throne of God was kept. Artisans, builders, fabricators, would have benefited from the business the temple generated. The wealthy leaders of the temple, the Sanhedrin, would sway incredible power over the lives of people in Jerusalem (and beyond) and thus would be in a continual dance with the Roman authorities. This is the center and this is where Jesus seems to go berserk.
What has Jesus so wound up?
- High Prices? Pilgrims to Jerusalem for Passover would likely have not brought the necessary sacrifices with them. Instead, they would come to the temple and purchase the sacrificial animals before the ritual. Also, only temple coins were accepted forms of currency. The coinage of other peoples typically revealed the imagery of kings or animals and was not permitted on the temple mount. During Passover there was high demand for these goods and services. Were these small business owners taking advantage of the religious holiday and the out-of-towners with jacked up rates? While Jesus doesn't come out and condemn them for price gouging he does quote Jeremiah chapter 7 wherein the God refers to the people as "robbers"for the ways they take advantage and hurt others. Some historical sources reveal other rabbi's condemning the gross markup on goods necessary for worship. Was Jesus upset at the economic exploitation?
A Model of the Temple During the First Century - Exclusion? In the Gospel of Mark, we've seen Jesus upset. In Mark 10 Jesus was indignant when the disciples shamed the mothers and attempted to prevent the children from coming to him. In Mark 3 Jesus was angry when some refused to acknowledge the inherent value of a crippled man but instead sought to use the crippled man as a means to trap Jesus. It seems like one of the things that got his goat was the exclusion and/or devaluing of others. During the temple scene we only hear Jesus say one thing, "Is it not written, 'My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers." Here Jesus is smashing together two prophets (Isaiah 56:7 & Jeremiah 7:11). The money changers and the merchants would have been plying their craft in the section of the Temple known as the "Court of the Gentiles". This area of the Temple was specifically meant as a place for Godfearers, those ritually deemed unclean, or any non-Jew to gather. It was meant to be a place of inclusion where all could gather and seek God. Was Jesus angry because it had become a place of commerce, that the merchants had taken over the space (a market place and a house of prayer can look and feel very different)? Was he angry that the merchants were specifically overcharging the non-Jews on the margins?
- You've changed? The prophets Jesus quotes (and really most of the prophets) give their harshest critiques of worship and of the temple when Israelite people engage in willful and/or complicit oppression of the vulnerable. Perhaps the issue for Jesus was that the Temple had changed. The Temple (originally the Tent of Meeting) was a place originally focused on communion with God; a tangible expression of the covenant God made with the Hebrews. But in the first century something felt different. In the first century, the Temple was not only the center of religious life but also of economic and political life for the Jew. What happens to faith when it becomes allied to power? It seems here that the Temple became an agent of reinforcing a social hierarchy that solidified power in the hands of a few and did so in the name of God. In flipping the tables Jesus was calling for more than a reform, he was dramatically calling for a completely new vision.
Don't Like Figs?
The dramatic scene at the temple is book ended by a strange scene with a fig tree. Often when Mark encapsulates a story with another story the idea is that the stories are meant to interpret each other. Figs were often used as a symbol of the success and prosperity of the Israelite people. They were a sign of blessing. With that in mind, and holding onto the story of Jesus shutting down the Temple, let's look at the fig story again.
I am convinced that the fig is a symbol for the Temple and for what the Temple had become. What had been a symbol of the success and blessing of the Israelite people (remember the Temple was not only an architectural wonder its true greatness came because it spoke of God's presence with the people) had become corrupt, shriveled, and dead. It was time to toss what was broken (the temple is built upon a mountain is the highest point in the city) and Jesus is calling on his disciples to pray for a new way to emerge.The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it.
In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!”
“Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them
OK, So What?
For me the entry into Jerusalem and the Temple scene raise two simple points.
- The Way. The early communities that coalesced around the life and teachings of Jesus referred to themselves as followers of "The Way". They saw that Jesus invited people to, "Come, follow me." It was this invitation into discipleship, into a way of life that inspired them. I love using this kind of language and imagery to talk about Christianity. Of course, following Jesus, or the way of Jesus, always leads me to the question, "Where does this way go? Where will it take me?" Ultimately the story of the resurrection says that the way of Jesus leads to life. The story of Jesus entry in Jerusalem with all of it's symbolism and with all that happens there has something powerful to say about where "The Way" will lead us before we come to the resurrection.
- True Religion (not the jeans). Jesus action at the temple reminds me of a simple and profound scripture. James 1:27, "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." "Orphans and Widows" is the Bible's way of saying, "the vulnerable, voiceless, and powerless in your society". I think the phrase, "keep oneself from being polluted by the world" raises the question, "What does it mean to be polluted by the world?" Well, to answer what James meant about being polluted by the world, we should probably look first at the book of James. The context of verse 1:27 in the book of James talks about integrity, humility, and how we treat others, particularly those with wealth and those without. Something tells me that this would be a good place to begin looking for our answer.
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