Mark: The Divine Standard
of Service – 11: 1 - 13: 37

His threefold prediction must be fulfilled both in detail and in order as He, the perfect Servant, fulfils the will of God.

• While they will still receive some direct oral instruction, the disciples will be mainly observers.

• As never before, they will soon see the true Servant, both in action and in teaching, meeting the onslaught of His enemies, the enemies of God,
  • and then submitting sacrificially to accomplish God's sovereign purpose in salvation.

• This awesome climax to Jesus' life of service will yield much profitable instruction for all who would follow Him in service.

His service to man – though not for man – completed, God's Servant "Jesus Christ, Son of God" is now presented to the people and their leaders as the only one worthy to rule.

• There is no public announcement nor any formal proclamation of "Behold my Servant whom I uphold, mine elect in whom my soul delighteth!", Isaiah 42: 1.

• Can the leaders discern who He is and joyfully receive Him, as do the people? No!

• Those who very early plotted to "destroy Him" cannot recognize the One whom the prophets announced. Those who do not serve God are blind indeed.

• The first element of Jesus' predictions is fulfilled. They reject Him.

• As a result, both the leaders and the whole system they support are themselves totally rejected.
  • See chapter 3: 6; 12: 10-11; 12: 38-40; 13: 1-31.

True to His earlier instruction on sending out the twelve, He is without means and must borrow the colt to ride into Jerusalem.

• The people gladly welcome Him, but not many days later the fickle crowd will join their leaders in crying out for His crucifixion.

• The "colt tied, upon which no child of man has ever sat" is a suitable mount for Him who had never been subject to the control of man. Compare chapter 3: 21, 31-35.

• True to His servant character, He goes directly to the temple, concerned as always for the things of God – despite the lateness of the hour and all that lay before Him.

• But He will not remain overnight in the unfaithful city. Compare Isaiah 1: 21-23.

• He takes the twelve with Him to Bethany, His temporary sanctuary.

Returning to Jerusalem on the morrow He sees a fig-tree in leaf, but the normal early fruit – which precedes the main season – was not there.

• The necessity of servants bearing fruit to satisfy His hunger is emphasized by the curse pronounced and by the words, "And His disciples heard it". Compare Judges 9: 11.

There is one of the twelve who had borne no early fruit and who had "nothing but leaves".

• It is "Judas Iscariote, one of the twelve" who later "went away to the chief priests that he might deliver Him up to them" and who also betrayed Him as "he covered Him with kisses", 14: 10, 43-45.

• Earlier Judas had his part in successful service but now his judgment is pronounced: "Let no one eat fruit of thee any more for ever". Compare Acts 1: 16-20.

On arriving in Jerusalem, Jesus goes into the general buildings of the temple and, as God's Servant, drives out those who are corrupting it with shameless commercialism.

• Compare 1 Corinthians 3: 17.

• This was too much for the leaders; they began to look for a way to kill Him.

• They were like those who "make a trade of" i.e., retail "the word of God", 2 Corinthians 2: 17.

• As the silversmiths of Ephesus – Acts 19: 23-27 – they were afraid that their business would be damaged and their standard of living would suffer.

• They could not – and would not – tolerate the Servant who put His Master's interests first.

Peter, and no doubt the others, are amazed that the cursed fig-tree had withered.

• Jesus uses the occasion to forcibly point out the necessary moral and spiritual conditions which underlay His own service.

• Faith in God coupled with dependent prayer, unhindered by an unforgiving spirit, are indispensable to fearless and power-filled service to God.

As soon as Jesus appears again in the temple courts the official leaders are there to question Him, as part of their plan to kill Him. Compare 8: 31; 11: 18.

• Undoubtedly,the moneychangers and the other commercial interests leased space for their stalls in the temple courts from the official leaders whose authority had been challenged by Jesus' cleansing of the temple.

• The official leaders cannot ignore this act of defiance. To do so would be not only to lose face before the people but also to abdicate their authority and privileged position altogether.

• They had no option. They must question His authority even though this would expose both the weakness of their own position as well as their inability to deal directly with Him.

• When the official leaders are cornered, unable to deny the moral and spiritual power of one of God's servants, they will always call the servant's authority into question.

• Attempting to establish one's authority, in response to such a manoeuvre, can very easily draw a servant out of his proper place of dependence and humility,
  • resulting in a resounding and humiliating defeat as well as incurring severe reproach and irreparable damage to the testimony.

• Those sent by God do not need to defend themselves or to explain the source of their authority.
  • "No weapon that is prepared against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that riseth against thee in judgment, thou shalt condemn.

  • "This the inheritance of the servants of Jehovah; and their righteousness is of me, saith Jehovah", Isaiah 54: 17.

  • Compare Numbers 12: 1-11; 16: 1-5; 2 Timothy 2: 23-26.

As always, the perfect Servant is our model He knows the chink in their armour.

• They are questioning His authority but had refused Jehovah's messenger, John the baptist.

• Jesus lets His authority stand or fall with John's, for their authority was from the same divine source.
  • Jesus is "the last" – chapter 12: 6 – in the long succession of divinely sent servants.

• They are trapped! They are unwilling to put themselves in the position of either accrediting John whom they had refused,
  • or of discrediting him, which was impossible because of his popularity.

• In characteristic political style, they avoid committing themselves either way, preferring to confess ignorance, if need be, rather than to admit failure.

• "We do not know". How shameful!
  • "For the priest's lips should keep knowledge", Malachi 2: 7.

They are compelled to tacitly acknowledge both Jesus' authority and His moral superiority.

Jesus' authority as a teacher has been tacitly conceded, and therefore in the attacks which follow this parable He is approached as a teacher, but always with the intent of discrediting Him.

• Here, He immediately takes advantage of their confusion with a parable that reinforces His authority and exposes the motives and position of the official leaders.

The vineyard is a well known figure of the people of Israel. See Isaiah 5: 1-7.

• God had spared no pains with His people, and He looked for a return from those into whose hands He had committed responsibility for them.

• One servant after another had been sent out and rejected, as witnessed to in the histories of the prophets.

• Jesus skilfully weaves this parable so that the full rejection of God's servants by the leaders is unmistakeably clear.

• Finally He comes to the "one beloved son … the heir", and completes the parable in accordance with His earlier prediction of their rejection of Himself.
  • The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and of the chief priests and of the scribes", 8: 31.

The judgment is pronounced upon the rebellious husbandmen from Psalm 118: 22-23, which confirms His rejection but also points to His ultimate vindication.

• This is rubbing in salt; they cannot stand it. He had taken charge of the temple courts, their attempt to destroy His credibility had miserably failed,
  • and "they knew that He had spoken the parable of them". Something has to be done!

• They would arrest Him on the spot except for their fear of the crowd's reaction. They have to retreat.

Cool, confident, competent; how Jesus shines in His service! He has acted and spoken for God.

• Let us follow His example. But let us also beware. One battle won does not mean the war is over. The enemy has gone away but only to plot and plan.

• Even inveterate enemies such as the Pharisees and the Sadducees unite in the common purpose of discrediting Jesus and His teaching.

• In the public church it is still the same. All factions will make a temporary truce in order to concentrate all their cunning and efforts
  • against any servant of God who dares to challenge the entrenched establishment. Take note and beware!

As has so often happened since, the religious and political elements temporarily unite in opposition to the truth, their irreconcilable differences shallowly buried.

• How curious to see the Pharisees – Paul says, "the strictest sect of our religion", Acts 26: 5 –

• joined with the Herodians – supporters of the Edomite usurper and Roman puppet – against God's Anointed Servant. Compare Acts 4: 23-30.

Having failed in their direct attack on Him and His authority, they now come with flattery and subtlety.

• No doubt the things they say of Jesus are true; but even the truth can be used with wrong motives.

• For their own devious purpose, they now pretend to recognize the authority of Jesus which they had so recently questioned.

• In typical political style, they attempt to "catch Him in speaking" by putting Him in a position in which to speak the truth could lead to charges of rebellion and sedition.

The Pharisees resented the Roman rule as much as any of the Jews. The Herodians favoured it because it kept their leader in power.

• But here they both ask Jesus to rule on whether or not they should pay tribute to Caesar;
  • whether they should continue to submit and pay the hated taxes, or refuse and bring all the wrath of Rome upon them.

• 'Just tell us what to do, and we'll do it.' What hypocrisy!

His questioners underestimate Jesus. He is neither naive, nor deluded, nor blinded and confused by their flattery.

• He sees right through them and their flimsy subterfuge and calls on them to produce the tax money – the currency of the day –
  • thus compelling them to admit that they are completely under Caesar's rule;

• they acknowledge it daily in every business transaction and then have the audacity to ask whether they should pay the taxes he levies.

Jesus exposes His opposers. He says, as it were,

• 'Since you acknowledge Caesar's authority to regulate your lives, then pay the taxes that he demands.

• "If you and your forefathers had recognized and submitted to God's authority, you would not be in such a situation.

• "Yes, I teach the way of God in truth, and the truth is that God is both your Creator and Redeemer. Own His authority over you.' –
  • "And they wondered at Him".

• They may and do reject Jesus, but He speaks as God's Servant and they cannot refute what He says.

Let us pay close attention and not be flattered or enticed into involvement in the course of this age by entering into any worldly alliances, political or otherwise. Compare 2 Timothy 2: 24.

• Any servant who does so will insult his Master, betray his commission, and destroy his own usefulness.

• Rejection by men is incomparably better than being corrupted and rendered useless.

• Beware, as Paul says, "lest after having preached to others I should be myself rejected", 1 Corinthians 9: 27 – rejected by Him whom we profess to serve.

The Pharisees and the Herodians having failed to catch Jesus in His speaking, the Sadducees now come forward.

• The Pharisees are ritualistic religionists, the Sadducees are rationalistic religionists. Both have their counterparts in Christendom.

• Even though they share the same purpose – the rejection of the Son of man – they would not cooperate closely with each other because of their deep doctrinal differences.
  • "For Sadducees say there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit; but Pharisees confess both of them", Acts 23: 6-9.

The Sadducees then come to Jesus with what, to them, is an unanswerable situation.

• They will not stoop to join with the politicians; they are the priestly family-party at whose "mouth they seek the law", Malachi 2: 7.

• They quote Scripture, basing their attack on the levirate law of Deuteronomy 25: 5-10.

• How smug they would be in their expectation that Jesus would be unable to answer them.

Jesus easily exposes their ignorance – a shame to priests – of both the Scriptures and the power of God Himself, as the God of the living.

• How humiliated they must have felt hearing Him ask, "Have ye not read in the book of Moses … ?"
  • The Sadducees rejected the traditions of the elders, held by the Pharisees, but were strict in regard to the written law of Moses.

• Jesus implied: 'You come with a hypothetical question, based on Scriptures which have no relevance.
  • You don't even understand the very Scriptures about which you are so strict'.

• Their smugness evaporates as they stand exposed in their inexcusable ignorance, but there is no indication of repentance.

• Having already rejected Him, even though defeated on their own chosen ground, they reject Him still.

"And one of the scribes who had come up, and had heard them reasoning together, perceiving that he had answered them well, demanded of Him, Which is the first commandment of all?"

• The scribe, who now enters the fray, does not show the ignorance of the law that marked the Sadducees.

• As one who knows the letter of Scripture – and these are the most dangerous adversaries – he tests Jesus with the ultimate question,
  • "Which is the first commandment of all?"

• Here is a worthy opponent, one who has read, copied and memorized the law. Compare Ezra 7: 6, 10, 12; Nehemiah 8: 9, 13.

• Perceiving that Jesus had answered the Sadducees well, this scribe comes with no immature inquiry, no simple 'yes or no' question, no out-of-context speculation.

• Rather, he asks that which all who fear God must desire to know, and that for which all who take the place of servants must have the answer.

Jesus answers clearly, directly and unequivocally.

• He has no need to get out the concordance, consult the commentaries, and then hem and haw as we might do.

• Jesus knows the answer because, He not only knew the Scripture, He had lived it before God.

• He loved the Lord His God with all His heart, and all His soul, and all His understanding, and all His strength.

• And, further, He loved His neighbour as Himself.

• He paid what was God's to God, He knew the living God, and He served men though they rejected Him.

The scribe displays great intelligence in his reply. He not only agrees with Jesus' answer,

• but shows that He sees beyond the law of commandments and ordinances, of ceaseless sacrifices, to the essential nature of man's relationship to God.

"And Jesus, seeing that he had answered Him intelligently" – unlike His other rejecters – "said to him,

• "Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no one dared to question Him any more".

• But there is no indication that the scribe separated from the rejecters of Christ and entered the kingdom, as Nicodemus "the teacher of Israel" doubtless did.
  • See John 3: 1-21; 7: 37-53; 20: 38-41.

How sad that one so close to the kingdom should, as those who had preceded, reject Jesus, the Anointed, Son of God and Son of man, God's Servant.

• But Jesus will not yield, even though "rejected of the elders and of the chief priests and of the scribes", 8: 31.

Having answered His enemies' questions and silenced His rejecters, Jesus continues His patient service of teaching the people in the general buildings of the temple.

• But now He turns the battle to the gate. Isaiah 28: 6.

The Pharisees – with the Herodians – and the Sadducees had brought forward such feeble arguments that they were not worth pursuing.

• A servant must be able to gauge the opposition, knowing which to ignore and which to meet.

The scribes, however, were the official interpreters of the Scriptures, familiar with every detail and able to use them for their own purposes.

• They were respected – as are the clergy of today – and could use the Scriptures to discredit God's Servant in the sight of the people.

• The scribes must therefore be shown to be wrong, to be using Scripture for their own ends and evading the implications of the truth.

His opposers had all avoided any reference to David who, as Jesus, had been rejected by the official leadership; but it is David himself who will expose the scribes.

• They said, rightly, that the Messiah would be the Son of David. Yet David had said – in what all regarded as a Messianic psalm –

• "Jehovah said unto my Lord, sit at My right hand, until I put Thine enemies as footstool of Thy feet", Psalm 110: 1.

David was "speaking in the Holy Spirit", that is, not from his own intelligence or about himself, but prophetically as to the promised Messiah. Compare 1 Peter 1: 10-12.

• How then could David call Him who was to be his son – i.e., descendant – his Lord, for the father was always rightly regarded as greater than the son? Compare John 14: 28.

If there were any scribes in the crowd they did not come forward to dispute with Jesus.

• One of their best had already been silenced by this One, who was more than their match.

• The scribes are not prepared to be publicly humiliated by losing again,
  • or to be forced into acknowledging the superiority of the One they rejected, who was Himself indeed the Christ.

• It is noteworthy that it was immediately after Peter, speaking for all, acknowledged Him as the Christ that Jesus first foretells His death and resurrection with particular emphasis on His rejection.

"The mass of the people", wiser than the leaders and, no doubt, rejoicing to see their oppressors defeated, "heard Him gladly".

• But shortly, their innate fickleness will allow them to be "stirred up against Him", 15: 11.

Jesus silences His enemies by the right use Scripture.

• Let us, as servants, search out "in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself",
  • See Luke 24: 25-32, 44-47; compare John 5: 39

• and take heed to Paul's exhortation: "Strive diligently to present thyself approved to God, a workman that has not to be ashamed, cutting in a straight line the word of truth", 2 Timothy 2: 15.

Having repulsed the three-pronged attack of His rejecters and silenced His enemies, Jesus now proceeds to publicly expose their moral character.

• He shows them to be spiritually bankrupt, contrasting their attitude with the true spirit of service.

Continuing to ignore the Pharisees and the Sadducees, whose hypocrisy and self-serving are well known to the people,

• Jesus again draws attention to the scribes, who were respected as custodians and interpreters of the Scriptures.

His warning against the scribes is based on what all can see and judge.

• The scribes like to be seen in their distinctive dress, to be greeted with titles of respect and to be given the front seats among God's people and places of honour on public occasions.
  • Indeed, they "like" these things; they covet them and accept them as their due.

• At the same time they prey on defenceless and unsuspecting widows, swindling them out of their scanty savings, while perhaps promising to pray for them.

Here we see the true character of even the most respected of the rejecters of God's Anointed Servant exposed in all its pomposity and greed.

• The scribes neither know nor care about the divine standard of service.

• Such shall certainly receive a severer sentence than others for having abused their place of privilege and trust.
  • Compare Jesus' extended exposure and indictment of the scribes and the Pharisees in Matthew 23: 1-36.

All of us who serve, or aspire to serve, should examine ourselves and ensure that we are not marked by the characteristics of the false servants of the past or present,

• who exalt the Bible to exalt themselves and live off the poor and defenceless.

Let us make sure that "we have rejected the hidden things of shame, not walking in deceit, nor falsifying the word of God, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every conscience of men before God", 1 Cor. 4: 2.

• "For we do not, as the many, make a trade of" i.e., retail "the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as of God, before God, we speak in Christ", 2 Cor. 2: 17.

Finally Jesus finds someone, so different from His rejecters and even from the people generally, whom He can commend – "a poor widow".

"And Jesus, having sat down opposite the treasury, saw how the crowd was casting into the treasury".

• Apparently He also saw how much they were casting in "for many rich cast in much".

• They would be sure to do it in such a way that others would notice "so that they may have glory from men", Matthew 5: 1-4.
  • Later, this same spirit invaded the assembly through the collusion and deception of Ananias and Sapphira. See Acts 5: 1-11.

• But they all "cast in of that which they had in abundance".
  • Many believers have been misled by the reasoning that they should claim exemption for what they give "to the Lord" to reduce their income tax, because this allows them to give more.

  • Is the Lord not able to support His own work without a subsidy from the governments of this world?

• It was easy for the rich; they received full credit for being generous givers without any sacrifice.

But among the crowd Jesus spied a "poor widow", not a rich one but

• "she who is a widow indeed, and is left alone" and "has put her hope in God, and continues in supplications night and day", 1 Timothy 5: 5. Compare Anna in Luke 2: 36-38.

• He saw how she with two mites, one of which she could have righteously retained to meet her needs, "cast in all that she had, the whole of her living".
  • Perhaps all she had left after the scribes had defrauded her.

This poor widow is such a fine example that Jesus draws the attention of His disciples to her,

• thus indicating the spirit that would mark Him in His own sacrificial service and that should mark them, and us, in service to God.

There is much giving around us in the public church but let us be characterized by the spirit of this poor widow who gave "more than all".

• Later, Paul records how this same spirit marked "the assemblies of Macedonia; that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty has abounded to the riches of their free-hearted liberality"
  • so that they gave even "beyond their power", 2 Corinthians 8: 1-3.

• They were true imitators of the blessed Lord Jesus Christ of whom it could be said that
  • "for your sakes He, being rich, became poor, in order that ye by His poverty might be enriched", 2 Corinthians 8: 9.

Paul sets out the spirit of the poor widow. All that he could have trusted in naturally he "counted on account of Christ, loss", Philippians 3: 4-11.

• But he can say to the naughty Corinthians, "Now I shall most gladly spend and be utterly spent for your souls", 2 Corinthians 12: 15.

Let us then, in our service, not model ourselves after the rejecters of Christ, who seek glory from men,

• but after the true Servant and those who, following after Him, display the true spirit of service by giving their all without reserve.

After the wearying conflict with His self-serving rejecters, how refreshing this poor widow and her act of devotion as a true servant must have been to Jesus! Compare 2 Samuel 23: 13-17.

But the time of judgment must wait. The Servant has been rejected; but His betrayal, condemnation, humiliation, death and resurrection still lie ahead.

• Here, despite all that He must soon face, He takes time alone to share with some of His own what is to come, and to charge them as to their responsibility.

"And Jehovah said, Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing?", Genesis 18: 17.

• Jehovah delighted to have one with whom He could share His thoughts, one whom He designated as "a prophet" Genesis 20: 7; one whom He called "My friend", Isaiah 41: 8.
  • "The bondman does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things which I have heard of My Father I have made known to you", John 15: 15.

• "But the Lord Jehovah will do nothing, but He revealeth His secret unto His servants the prophets", Amos 3: 7; Revelation 1: 1.

• The details of future events are not intended for those who are merely curious or for those who desire to display their superior knowledge to others.

Jesus responds to the wonderment of one of His disciples at the greatness of the temple by speaking of its coming destruction.

• As He intended it to, His remark awakens interest as He sits "on the mount of Olives opposite the temple" where one day "his feet shall stand", Zechariah 14: 1-5.

• Then "Peter and James and John and Andrew asked Him privately" as to these things.

Jesus unfolds the divine plan for the end times to those who would continue the great service that He had commenced.

• As they come into the intelligence of divine thoughts, this unfolding is intended to influence the servants,
  • and to govern them in their service as one matter after another is fulfilled.

That which is of special importance to us, in the present time, is the character of the warnings that Jesus gives to the disciples.

• In His absence, and as the power of the enemy is increasingly exerted as the final crisis approaches, His servants will face many dangers.

Jesus warns the disciples as to being misled by impostors, disturbed by circumstances,

• dissuaded from their service by sufferings and betrayals, overwhelmed by the public manifestation of evil or by the great distress of those days.

Despite the coming great distress and the ensuing disorder, Jesus encourages them by His promise that He Himself will come and save His elect.

• All the signs will be but an indication of His imminent and sure return.

The disciples are charged: "Take heed, watch and pray".

• While He is absent, they are always to be on the alert as to His return, and occupied in their assigned services.

Jesus would soon be, and for us is now, in the position of "a man gone out of the country, having left his house and given to his bondmen the authority, and to each one his work".

• He gives both the right and the power to exercise that right, as well as assigning to each bondman his own particular tasks and sphere of service.

Time is short. There is no time to dither about in uncertainty as to one's own service, nor to interfere with other bondmen in the carrying out of theirs.

• "The master of the house" may come at any time, heralded by "the doorkeeper".

• The evening of the assembly's early history, and the increasing darkness of moral and spiritual decline which deadened the response of the bondmen, has passed.

• The midnight of the dark ages, dominated by ecclesiastical indifference to the Master's absence – compare Matthew 24: 45-51 – has also passed.

• The cock-crow of the reformation and subsequent awakenings is only a fading memory.

• But now in the morning, in the full light of the recovery of Paul's ministry as to Christ and the assembly, will He come and find His bondmen sleeping?

"But what I say to you, I say to all, Watch".

• In the face of His impending sufferings, Jesus charges the disciples, and through them ourselves,

• to let nothing detract from fulfilling our mandate,

• nor distract us from serving in the constant expectancy of His return.
  • Let us then, "Take heed, watch and pray".