plot

The plot thickens

by

“…lest there be an uproar…” Mk. 14:1-2

Back to our story. Jesus has been openly teaching in Jerusalem in the temple every day. He freely moves about the temple grounds, interacting with the people gathered there. He is not stirring up the crowds, urging some sort of revolt or demonstration against the Romans. He is only teaching and instructing people the ways of God.

Then again, he did make a ruckus with the money changers. And he restored the sight of a blind man down in Jericho. And he did arrive riding a donkey while the crowd went wild, shouting hosannas and declaring “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” The kind of things the would-be messiahs say they would do, but can never quite pull off.

Yet, in the evenings, Jesus and the disciples leave the city and return to Bethany. This could be seen as a security measure. Jerusalem is not friendly territory and moving outside its walls at night reduces risk. Those of us who have looked ahead in the book know that the night Jesus spends in Jerusalem will be his last.

The chief priests and scribes are aware of Jesus’ movements. They see the crowds hanging on his every word. The people have become distracted away from the feasts and festivals they have traveled here to observe. In reality, they are seeing what these celebrations have been pointing to all these centuries: the coming of the Lord. They are beginning to realize that the rites they have been diligently following all their lives are but the shadow cast by this Man Jesus.

You would think that the Jewish leaders would be overjoyed. The main point of all their teaching, preaching and celebration is now standing on their doorstep, saying marvelous things and performing miracles. See, they would say, we have been right about this all the time! But instead, they are holding secret meetings and figuring out how Jesus can be arrested quietly and quickly put to death. They are planning the equivalent of a predawn raid by the FBI, under the cover of darkness and before any opposition is even out of bed. Except the FBI is nicer. They only throw their culprit into a jail cell and destroy his reputation and substance in the courts for months to come. These leaders simply want Jesus dead.

But the moment is not right yet. Too many people would object to such an extreme move. Sure, if they were stealthy enough and kept the killing out of the news and spread rumors about Jesus chickening out or some such rubbish, they might get away with it. The important thing was keeping the Romans pacified. If the crowds found out suddenly – maybe even witnessed the killing themselves – there would be a huge uproar that the armed legions would forcefully put to an end. And possibly the Jewish leadership with it.

Copyright 2023 David J. Cooley

Of figs and doves

by

“…He went to see if he could find anything on it…” Mark 11:12-19

The picture is of a fig tree in my back yard. It was difficult to take a photo without showing any fruit. This tree always has loads of fruit on it, which start forming as soon as it begins leafing out. Some say the small buds that are first to form are particularly desirable. Maybe that is what Jesus expected to find. As a country boy, he would know when to find figs. As the Son of God, he would also know without looking that this particular tree was barren of fruit. So why bother?

To focus on the fig tree and its fruit-bearing habits is to miss the point. To focus on the apparent self-centeredness of Jesus at this moment and on his seemingly unreasonable response also misses the point. If Jesus expected to find fruit, I won’t argue. So, what was he trying to say?

The fig tree has long been a symbol of the nation Israel. Jesus has just made his grand entry into Jerusalem as King. As any earthly king would, he expects his subjects to bring forth the fruits of his kingdom when he appears. There will be none. As king he must act in judgment; hence the tree is cursed and subsequently withers away.

He continues on into Jerusalem and goes to the temple. He finds the situation there to be wholly unacceptable. Instead of finding priests welcoming Jew and Gentile to prayer, he sees corrupt profiteering, bilking the pilgrims out of their hard-earned money. He responds in immediate judgment by overturning the tables of the money changers and driving out the sellers of doves for sacrifice.

Some may have thought that Jesus was finally showing some muscle. He was becoming the political revolutionary they thought they needed. Certainly the Jewish leaders feared he would upset the cautious balance they had crafted with the brutal Romans (and managed to make a tidy profit at the same time, which Rome no doubt shared).

They now set about on a tricky and treacherous course. The crowds loved Jesus and his teaching. They thronged him wherever he went and stood in awe of him. To the chief priests and scribes there was only one answer: kill him before Rome raised its armored boot and squashed them. The hard part? Getting the crowds to go along with their plan.

No wonder Jesus continued his nightly retreat to Bethany.

Copyright 2020 David J. Cooley