Readings for Tuesday

 

Episodes

• Jesus Examined: Attempts to Catch Him in His Words (Mark 12:13–37; parallels Matt 22:15–46, Luke 20:20–47)
• Hypocrisy of Jesus’ Opponents (Mark 12:38–40; parallels Matt 23:1‒12; Luke 20:45‒47)
•  Seven Prophetic Woes (Matt 23:13‒36)
• The Widow’s Offering (Mark 12:41–44; parallel Luke 21:1–4)
• Jesus’ Second Lament over Jerusalem (Matt 23:37‒39)
•  The Olivet Discourse (Mark 13:1–38; parallels Matt 24:1–25:46; Luke 21:5–38)
• [Summary of Jesus’ Teaching (Luke 21:37–38; John 12:37–50)]

Francisco de Zurbarán, "Agnus Dei"
Just as the paschal lambs were observed in the days leading up to Passover, so did the chief
priests and scribes try to find fault with the True Lamb of God

Temple Teachings: Mark 12:13–44; Matthew 23:37‒39

The second set of Jesus’ temple teachings focus on his responses to questions posed to him by different groups within the ruling hierarchy, each of which tried to catch him in his words. Then, after posing a question of his own to them, he denounces them for their hypocrisy and contrasts them with the selfless faithfulness of a poor widow. The earliest versions of this material are preserved by Mark. Matthew adds a poignant lament that Jesus utters over Jerusalem.

See the discussion in Greater Love Hath No Man, 70–77.

Mark

12

¹³Next, they sent some of the Pharisees and of the Herodians to him to catch him in what he said. ¹⁴When they got there, they said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are truthful and are not partial to anyone, for you do not look upon the people's appearance but teach the way of God in truth. Is it permissible to pay a tax to Caesar or not? Should we pay or should we not pay?” ¹⁵Because he recognized their hypocrisy, he said to them, “Why are you testing me? Bring a denarius to me so I may see it.” ¹⁶So they brought it, and he said to them, “Whose image is this, and whose inscription?” They said to him, “Caesar’s.” ¹⁷Jesus said to them, “Give back to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they were amazed at him.

¹⁸Then some Sadducees, who say that there is not a resurrection, came to him and questioned him, saying, ¹⁹“Teacher, Moses wrote to us, ‘If someone’s brother dies and leaves behind a wife but does not leave a child, his brother should marry the wife and raise up a posterity for his brother.’ ²⁰There were seven brothers. The first married a wife and, when he died, did not leave any posterity. ²¹Next the second married her, and he died, not leaving a posterity. Then the third did the same thing. ²²And so the seven men married her and did not leave any posterity. Last of all, the woman died, too. ²³In the resurrection, to which of them will the wife belong? For seven men had her as wife.” ²⁴Jesus said to them, “Is this not why you are making a mistake, because you understand neither the scriptures nor the power of God? ²⁵For when they rise again from the dead, they neither enter into marriage nor are given in marriage, but they are like the angels in the heavens. ²⁶But concerning the dead being raised, have you not read in the book of Moses how God spoke to him at the bush, saying, “I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?” ²⁷He is not the God of the dead but the God of the living. You are making a great mistake!”

²⁸Next one of the experts at the law, when he had heard them debating and had seen that he had answered them well, came to him and asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of them all?” ²⁹Jesus answered, “This is the first: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one, ³⁰and you shall love the Lord your God with your whole heart, with your whole soul, with your whole mind, and with your whole strength.’ ³¹This is the second: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is not any commandment greater than these.” ³²Then the expert at the law said, “Quite right, Teacher! You have spoken truly that he is one and there is no other except for him. ³³Indeed loving him with the whole heart, and with the whole understanding, and with the whole strength, and loving your neighbor as yourself is greater than all the burnt offerings and sacrifices.” ³⁴When Jesus saw that he had answered thoughtfully, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God!” After that no one dared to ask him anything.

³⁵Then while Jesus was teaching in the temple, he said in response, “How can the experts at the law say that the Christ is the Son of David? ³⁶David himself said by the Holy Spirit, ‘The Lord said to my lord, “Sit here at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet.”’ ³⁷David himself called him ‘lord.’ How then is he his son?” And the great crowd heard him gladly.

³⁸So in his teaching he said, “Look out for experts at the law who take pleasure in walking about in long robes, receiving greetings in the marketplaces, ³⁹having seats of honor in the synagogues, and getting places of honor at banquets. ⁴⁰They are the ones who devour the houses of widows and make long prayers for the sake of appearance. These will receive much greater condemnation.”

⁴¹When Jesus had sat down across from the treasury, he saw how the crowd was putting money into the treasury, and many rich people were contributing a lot. ⁴²When one poor widow came, she put in two small copper coins, which are worth a quadrans or penny. ⁴³Calling his disciples to him, he said, “Truly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who are putting into the treasury, ⁴⁴for they have all contributed out of their abundance, but out of her poverty she put in all that she had, her whole means of subsistence.”

Matthew

23

³⁷“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings and you did not want me to! ³⁸Look, your house is left empty! ³⁹For I say to you, you will see me no longer until you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.’”

 

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Harry Anderson, "The Second Coming of Christ"

The Olivet Discourse: Mark 13:1–37; Matthew 25:1–13, 31–46

Mark 13 comprises the longest single discourse of Jesus in that Gospel; elsewhere in Mark, Jesus’ sayings comprise short parables or teaching sayings. This discourse, which consists of a prophecy that Jesus delivered on the Mount of Olives, treats both the coming destruction of Jerusalem and the end of the world, before which Jesus will return in glory. Parallels appear in Matthew 24:1–25:46 and Luke 21:5–38. Matthew’s version is the longest of the three and includes several parables about preparing for the end, two of which are provided here.

See the discussion in Greater Love Hath No Man, 77–8

Mark

13

¹As he was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Teacher, look! What wonderful stones and buildings!” ²In response Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? A stone shall not be left here upon another stone that is not thrown down.”

³Then, as he was sitting on the Mount of Olives across from the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew began to ask him privately, ⁴“Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will the sign be when all these things are about to be fulfilled?” ⁵ Jesus began to say, “See to it that no one leads you astray. ⁶For many will come in my name who will say, ‘I am he!’ and they will lead many astray. ⁷Whenever you hear about wars and reports of wars, do not be upset. These must happen, but the end is not yet. ⁸For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be earthquakes in various regions, and there will be famines. These are the beginning of labor pains.

⁹“But watch yourselves. They will hand you over to city councils, and you will be beaten in synagogues, and be arraigned before governors and kings on my account as a testimony to them. ¹⁰First the good news must be proclaimed to all nations. ¹¹Yet whenever they arrest you and hand you over, do not be anxious about what you will say, but say whatever is given to you in that hour, for you are not the one who is speaking—it is rather the Holy Spirit. ¹²Now brother will hand over brother for death, and a father his child, and children will rise up in rebellion against their parents and put them to death. ¹³Then you will be hated by all on account of my name, but whoever stands his ground until the end will be saved.

¹⁴“But when you see the devastating sacrilege standing where it should not be—let the one who reads understand—then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, ¹⁵and let one who is on top of a house not go down or go into it to take anything out of the house, ¹⁶and let one who is in the field not turn back to pick up his cloak. ¹⁷But woe to those who are pregnant or who are nursing in those days! ¹⁸Pray that it does not happen during winter. ¹⁹For those will be days of affliction, such as have not occurred since God created the world until now and will not be again. ²⁰Unless the Lord shortens those days, no mortal life would be saved, but because of the elect whom he has chosen, he has shortened those days. ²¹If anyone says at that time, ‘Look, the Christ is here, look, he is there!’ do not believe it. ²²For false Christs and false prophets will appear, and they will perform miraculous signs and wonders to mislead, if possible, even the elect. ²³But look out! I have warned you in advance about all these things.

²⁴“But in those days, after that tribulation, ‘The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, ²⁵and the stars will be falling from the sky,’ and the heavenly bodies will be shaken. ²⁶Then they will see ‘the Son of Man as he comes in the clouds’ with great power and glory. ²⁷Then he will send his angels and gather together his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the sky.

²⁸“From the fig tree, learn a parable: When its branch becomes tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. ²⁹Thus it is even with you: When you see these things happening, you know that it is near, even at the doors. ³⁰Truly I say to you that this generation will not pass away until these things come about. ³¹Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

³²“Now no one knows about the day or the hour, neither the angels in heaven nor the Son, but only the Father. ³⁴Look out, stay alert, and pray! For you do not know when the appointed time is. ³⁴It is like a man who is away on a journey, who left his house, gave authority to his slaves, an assignment to each one, and ordered the doorkeeper to keep watch. ³⁵Therefore stay alert! For you do not know when the master of the house is coming—in the evening, in the middle of the night, at the cockcrow, or in the morning, ³⁶lest coming suddenly, he finds you sleeping. ³⁷What I say to you I say to all: Stay alert!”

 

Matthew

25

 ¹“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be compared to ten virgins, who, after taking up their lamps, went out to meet the bridegroom. ²Five of them were foolish, and five were thoughtful. ³Although the foolish took their lamps, they did not take oil with them. ⁴But the thoughtful ones took oil in flasks with their lamps. ⁵Because the bridegroom took his time, all the women grew drowsy and began to sleep. ⁶In the middle of the night there was a shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom! Go out to meet him!’ ⁷Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. ⁸The foolish said to the thoughtful, ‘Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are sputtering out.’ ⁹But the thoughtful women responded by saying, ‘No, there will not be enough for us and for you. Rather go to those who sell and buy for yourselves.’ ¹⁰And while they were gone to buy it, the bridegroom came, and the women who were prepared went into the wedding feast with him, and the door was closed. ¹¹Later the remaining virgins came, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open the door for us!’ ¹²But in response he said, ‘Truly, I do not know you.’ ¹³Stay alert, therefore, because you do not know the day nor the hour.”

³¹“When the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the angels come with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. ³²All the nations will be gathered together before him, and he will separate them from one another, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³Then he will put the sheep on his right hand and the goats on his left. ³⁴At that time the King will say to those on his right hand, ‘Come, O blessed of my Father! Inherit the kingdom which has been prepared for you from the foundation of the world. ³⁵For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited me in. ³⁶I was naked, and you clothed me; I was sick, and you cared for me; I was in prison, and you came to visit me.’ ³⁷Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘When did we see you hungry and gave you something to eat, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? ³⁸When did we see you as a stranger and invited you in, or naked and clothed you? ³⁹When did we see you sick or in prison and came to visit you?’ ⁴⁰And in response the King will say to them, ‘Truly, I say to you, to the extent that you have done this for one of the least of my brothers or sisters, you have done it for me.’ ⁴¹Then he will say to those on his left hand, ‘Go from me, O cursed, into the eternal fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels. ⁴²For I was hungry, and you did not give me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you did not give me something to drink; ⁴³I was a stranger, and you did not invite me in; I was naked, and you did not clothe me; I was sick and in prison, and you did not take care of me.’ ⁴⁴At that time they will answer him, saying, ‘When did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or as a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison and not help you?’ ⁴⁵And he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, to the extent that you have not done this for one of the least of these, you did not do it for me.’ ⁴⁶These will go to eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.”