Mark for Lent 20
Today Jesus tells us of the yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod, heals a blind man and speaks of who he is
The Yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod (Matthew 16.5-12)
14The disciples had forgotten to bring any bread, and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. 15Jesus warned them, “Watch out! Guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod.” [a]
16The disciples talked this over and said to each other, “He must be saying this because we don’t have any bread.”
17Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, “Why are you talking about not having any bread? Don’t you understand? Are your minds still closed? 18Are your eyes blind and your ears deaf? Don’t you remember 19how many baskets of leftovers you picked up when I fed those five thousand people with only five small loaves of bread?”
“Yes,” the disciples answered. “There were twelve baskets.”
20Jesus then asked, “And how many baskets of leftovers did you pick up when I broke seven small loaves of bread for those four thousand people?”
“Seven,” they answered.
21“Don’t you know what I am talking about by now?” Jesus asked.
Jesus Heals a Blind Man at Bethsaida
22As Jesus and his disciples were going into Bethsaida, some people brought a blind man to him and begged him to touch the man. 23Jesus took him by the hand and led him out of the village, where he spit into the man’s eyes. He placed his hands on the blind man and asked him if he could see anything. 24The man looked up and said, “I see people, but they look like trees walking around.”25Once again Jesus placed his hands on the man’s eyes, and this time the man stared. His eyes were healed, and he saw everything clearly. 26Jesus said to him, “You may return home now, but don’t go into the village.”
Who Is Jesus? (Matthew 16.13-20; Luke 9.18-21)
27Jesus and his disciples went to the villages near the town of Caesarea Philippi. As they were walking along, he asked them, “What do people say about me?”28The disciples answered, “Some say you are John the Baptist or maybe Elijah. [b] Others say you are one of the prophets.”
29Then Jesus asked them, “But who do you say I am?”
“You are the Messiah!” Peter replied.
30Jesus warned the disciples not to tell anyone about him.
Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society
March 20th, 2006 at 9:13 pm
Why did Jesus warn the diciples to not tell anyone about him? Do you agree with the opinion that some Christians hold about Jesus being God?
Best
March 20th, 2006 at 10:08 pm
I remember during the early 80’s On Dit, the Adelaide University students’ association newspaper ran a caption competition to Jesus’ question “But who do you say I am”, with Peter answering something like “You are the eschatological manifestation of the ground of our being, the kerygma in which we found the ultimate meaning of our interpersonal relationship” (I just looked that up on the net, I can’t remember the competition wording but it was some smart-arse response like this). The competition was to supply Jesus’ answer. The winner was - Jesus: “Now we can all get some sleep”; Judas: “Good one, Jesus”.
At the time Jack Thompson was doing those Claytons advertisements - the drink you have when you’re not having a drink - in which he uses the same “now we can all get some sleep” as the punch line of a joke. I think another actor then said “Good one, Jack”.
I suppose you had to be there.
March 21st, 2006 at 2:09 pm
uhh…yeah…good one Keiren. I think that question is the most importatn question that any of us will ever answer (unless of course some one asks you if you want fries with that?). It is the answer to that question that actually takes a life time to answer - my answer seems to change daily - if not by the minute at times.
Who is Jesus to me? Who am I?
buggered if I know?
God?
Saviour?
Creator of heaven and earth?
The physical apparition of the idea of universal love and harmony?
Saviour?
Redeemer?
Friend?
Brother?
March 24th, 2006 at 12:10 am
Wow! Three very dense and significant stories at once.
STORY 1
OK I have been paying attention and I have noticed the unkind picture of the Pharisees and of Herod’s family that Mark has been given. Jesus is kind of everything they are not. Don’t be like that mouldy lot - be like the one loaf who is in the boat with his disciples! Got it. O Yeah I understand all this food stuff!
[i]But the disciples misunderstand still only concerned with what they have to eat themselves.[/i]
Gosh those disciples are silly. I would never misunderstand like them. I understand all this food stuff!
[i]Jesus says remember the 12 baskets and remember the 7 baskets[/i]
Yep I can remember those two stories - they were about bread. I understand all this food stuff!
[i]Jesus says “There see. That’s what I’m talking about don’t you know?”[/i]
What the? What kind of an explanation is that? Talk about an anti climax. He is arguing like Homer. Does anyone have an idea of what Jesus meant?
)
(I thought I started to see but it is a bit fuzzy. Maybe I need to look more intently at what Jesus is on about before I fully understand this food stuff after all
STORY 2
We have had a story about Jesus healing someone who couldn’t hear by spitting.
Then Jesus accused his disciples of being deaf and blind: “Are your eyes blind and your ears deaf?”
So guess what is next: Jesus healing a person who can’t see by spitting.
The blind man started to see but it was a bit fuzzy. Maybe he needed to look more intently at what Jesus was on about before he fully saw.
(Note for Kieren - see how this miracle story is more nuanced than just ‘God has the omnipotence to rescue someone from a burning nursing home’.)
STORY 3
So If we take a good hard look at Jesus who is he?
Not just who do others say he is. Not just who did Mark tell us he was in the first line. Not just who did the voice from heaven say he was. But who do we say he is.
If this story was a play I can just picture Jesus turning directly towards us the audience, penetrating the fourth wall and looking over Peter’s shoulder to ask us directly, “But who do you say I am?”
And so ends the first act. With an enigmatic command to silence … Jesus didn’t even say if Peter gave the right answer.