1 Samuel 1:4-20

1 Samuel 2:1-10

Hebrews 10:11-25

Mark 13:1-8

As he was leaving the Temple that day, one of his disciples said, “Teacher, what beautiful buildings these are! Look at the decorated stonework on the walls.”Jesus replied, “Yes, look! For not one stone will be left upon another, except as ruins.” ^TLB

We do not know what stones caught the attention of the disciple, or even what feature caught the eye. Here, we read the word beautiful. Other translations use tremendous, wonderful, size, massive, grandiose, and no doubt others. The problem the translators have is that the Greek word, potapos, means, what. The literal translation would be what stones and what building. Each translator is left to make a guess, was it beauty or size?

We quickly learn that for Jesus, it does not matter. His response suggests size—Greek magnitude, greatness—but it could refer to beauty—great size, great beauty. We still have the Temple Mount in place, and they have some massive stones. The photo above does not show the largest. It seems more likely the disciple was pointing out the Temple itself. We know that all the Temple stones were pushed from the Mount in 70 CE by the conquering Roman army.

³ So while he was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately, ⁴ “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that all these things are about to take place?” ^NET

I had not noticed before that Mark generally listed Peter and James together. Matthew and Luke generally list Peter and Andrew, James and John. It is only a curiosity, but it lends some weight to the notion that Peter and James were the older brothers of the pairs.

This incident is another indication that the Big Four considered themselves to be superior to the rest of the disciples. As far as we know, Peter, James, and John did rise to that status, but it is possible that others outshone them, simply lacking anyone to write it up for us to read. [Do you suppose there will be a library in heaven with all the lost writings of and about the Twelve?]

In verse 4 Mark uses the Greek word semeion, meaning sign. He, Matthew, and Luke use the word sparingly and rarely in reference to miracles. John does not describe many miracles and always calls them signs. The Greek parasemos is sometimes translated as sign but means more properly a mark or label.

⁵ Jesus began to say to them, “Watch out that no one misleads you. ⁶ Many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he,’ and they will mislead many. ^NET 

How do we distinguish between those who come in the name of Jesus and those who are fakes? In this century we have the same problem on the internet. Did the President do that or not? How do we find out which is true? There are several organizations that fact-check all kinds of claims on the net. Go to factcheck.org to find out about the President.

But how do we fact check a teacher or preacher of the Gospel? One basic rule that holds true with the Gospel as with Presidents is: if it seems too good to be true, it is probably not true. That is over simplified, it is just a starting point. In many ways, Jesus seemed too good to those around him.

An easy fact check now would be to question me if I said that Mark 13:7-8 proves that the End of the World will occur March 18, 2022. Hint: see below.

⁷ When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. These things must happen, but the end is still to come. ⁸ For nation will rise up in arms against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines. These are but the beginning of birth pains. ^NET

Matthew and Luke include the same warnings in nearly the same words. You might notice that all the calamities mentioned—wars, earthquakes, famines—are happening today and have happened every year for the past 2,000 years. This warning has nothing to do with predicting the End Times. Based on Jesus’ words, we are still in the beginning and the birth pains will continue. Speaking of fact checking, any human who says he/she knows when the End Times will come is wrong.

All three Synoptics add to this message in other sections. In Mark it picks up again in verse 21.

²¹ Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe him. ²² For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, the elect. ²³ Be careful! I have told you everything ahead of time. ²⁴ “But in those days, after that suffering, the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light; ²⁵ the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. ²⁶ Then everyone will see the Son of Man arriving in the clouds with great power and glory. ²⁷ Then he will send angels and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven. ^NET  

We have no control over any of what is described except to avoid false prophets.

Be righteous and do good.

Mike Lawrence

Ruth 3:1-5; 4:13-17

Psalm 127

Hebrews 9:24-28

Mark 12:38-44

Last week’s lesson ended at verse 34, leaving 3 verses to be skipped. Let’s take a quick peek.

³⁵ While Jesus was teaching in the temple courts, he asked, “Why do the teachers of the law say that the Messiah is the son of David? ³⁶David himself, speaking by the Holy Spirit, declared:

“‘The Lord said to my Lord:
    “Sit at my right hand
until I put your enemies
    under your feet.”’

³⁷David himself calls him ‘Lord.’ How then can he be his son?”

The large crowd listened to him with delight. ^NIV

How can we ignore a passage where the crowd is cheering Jesus? The riddle is simple. King David called the Messiah, my Lord. Everyone knows that a father would never, as in, ever, call his son lord.

Why was the crowd so delighted? One of the constant features of being human is that we all seem to feel satisfaction when we see the high and mighty get their come-upness, especially if we don’t happen to like them. In this case it was the priests and Pharisees. Mark makes nothing else of this except to insert it as a hint of who Jesus really is.

It is also a proper lead-in to today’s reading where Jesus criticizes the rabbis and Pharisees.

³⁸ As he taught, Jesus said, “Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, ³⁹ and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. ⁴⁰ They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely.” ^NIV

That is all Mark includes in this short teaching. How does this fit with Jesus’ overall message of love? Are we to love people who, devour widows’ houses?

Yes.

But we do not learn from them. They are not messengers from God. More importantly, we should never aspire to be like them. Jesus could teach circles around every rabbi who has ever lived, but he gave up all the comforts of this world except to love everyone. Jesus did not hesitate to challenge the leaders who were leading people away from God. But he did not do it by hating them. He never gave up loving Judas.

⁴¹ Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. ⁴² But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents. ^NIV

Let’s set the two copper coins in perspective. The standard daily wage throughout the Roman Empire for centuries was one denarius. It was 4.5 grams of silver roughly equal to the weight of two US dimes. Its value in Jesus’ day would have equaled perhaps $50-100 in purchasing power. Forty copper or bronze Roman coins equaled one denarius, but there were many smaller copper coins of various makes that people used for most daily market purchases. (About 300 CE, the once mighty denarius was copper with a paper-thin sliver cover. I know, we would never have a coin like that.)

The King James Version gives us the most recognized translation of verse 42. ⁴² And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. Both terms were in common usage in 1611 England. A mite was the nickname for a penny that had been chopped into pieces so a person could buy a crust of bread for 1/8 of a cent. Much like the widows coppers.

Coins through the ages have not been spared the axe. Pieces-of-Eight? Spain minted silver coins with dividing lines like spokes of a wheel so we colonist in 1600s could chop them into eight smaller pieces. The British called the eight pieces, bits, and they spoke of 2 bits, 4 bits, 6 bits, a dollar, with dollar being the early name for paso. Our dollar sigh, $, is even based on the Mexican paso.

⁴³ Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. ⁴⁴ They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.” ^NIV

If you are still asking how Jesus knew she gave her last ‘mite’, go back and reread Mark. Jesus knows what ever he needs to know because he has God whispering in his ear.

What does this passage have to say to you and me? Most Americans give out of our wealth because we are wealthy. Jesus does not criticize us for that, but we are not giving all we have. I have never missed a meal. I sometimes ate very little because I didn’t like it, but that doesn’t count. I have shoes, boots, and clothes for most occasions—I’ll rent if I’m ever invited to a White House banquet. We drive a nice used care (only 7 years old) and a 21-year-old pickup because we live on 5 acres, and I think I need to haul ‘stuff’. Our kids are almost all over 50. I can’t take it with me.

Yet…

We live in America. What happens if I can’t remember where I live or how to find the toilet? Do I move in with the kids or to a ‘home’? If you think about it, and I have, either option is going to cost money.

So, we have some savings for such an event. If I die tonight, others, including causes we support, will get my wealth. Jesus understands that we have to live where we are.

Chrysostom about 380 BCE wrote; Do not despair. One cannot buy heavenly things with money…. If money could purchase such things, then the woman who deposited the two small copper coins would have received nothing very large. But since it was not money but rather her intention that prevailed, that woman received everything because she demonstrated firm conviction….. She robbed herself of everything, or rather did not rob but gave to herself a free gift. ^ACCS

Augustine added about 400 BCE; But what, brethren, is more mighty than that not only Zacchaeus should acquire the kingdom of heaven by the half of his goods, but even the widow for two pennies, and that each should possess an equal share there? ^ACCS

Be righteous and do good.

Mike Lawrence