In the last phase of his earthly ministry, Jesus makes his kingship in Jerusalem clear. He appears as the supreme judge who passes judgment according to the actions of each individual. His triumphal entry into Jerusalem (Mark 11: 1-11) marks his crowning as king, which was already predicted in Zechariah 9: 9-10. The following morning, Jesus encounters a fig tree without fruit (Mark 11: 14). The tree cannot exist if it does not bear fruit, because without fruit there is no life. The tree stands for Jerusalem and the people who have not fulfilled the work of God. The cleansing of the temple (Mark 11:15-18) and the parable of the vineyard and the vinedressers (Mark 12:1-12) illustrate Jesus' ministry as judge. We also look at the questions about taxes (Mark 12:17) and the resurrection of the dead (Mark 12:18-27).
We need to understand: The law of God must be fulfilled. This means that love must bear fruit, otherwise it is not love. The basic royal law in Mark 12: 29-30 states that there is only one God and therefore only one source of love for us. And it calls on us to take this love from God and then pass it on to our neighbors. This is the fulfillment of the law.
It is important to realize that God needs nothing from us. We are completely dependent on him. When Jesus ties our forgiveness to the condition that we forgive one another, we must understand: Everything that happens to us ultimately concerns God himself. Thus, the faith that moves mountains is to know that we are channels - everything does not come from and for ourselves, but from God to be passed on to others.
In the ninth part of the series “The Gospel of Mark”, these themes are explored in detail.
Comments