Word Live: Seeking Status
Pray for the leaders of your local church.
Bible passage
Mark 12:35–40
Whose son is the Messiah?
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? 36 David 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.’”
37 David himself calls him “Lord”. How then can he be his son?’
The large crowd listened to him with delight.
Warning against the teachers of the law
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 market-places, 39 and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honour at banquets. 40 They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely.’
Holy Bible, New International Version® Anglicized, NIV® Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Explore
After all the times the religious leaders have tried to catch him out with hard questions, Jesus asks one of his own (vs 35–37). There is no record of anyone attempting to give a serious answer. But I’m not surprised that the crowd enjoyed it (v 37).
I don’t think Jesus was out to humiliate the teachers of the law (v 35) by giving clever responses to their questions and then catching them out with a few difficult questions of his own (vs 35–37). I’m sure he genuinely hoped that some would see the truth of what he was saying. At the same time, though, he had to warn the crowd that their leaders were not setting a good example (vs 38–40). Those who claim to speak for God carry a great responsibility (v 40b). It is not just their words and beliefs that matter, but also their actions (v 40a) and motivations (vs 38,39).
Whatever the nature of our ministry involvement, we have something to learn here. We are not to seek public acclaim. If we serve and pray in humility, God has promised to ‘lift us up’ (James 4:10, 1 Peter 5:6,7). However, that is in his way and his time, and may not be anything like what we had imagined.
Author
Alison Allen
Respond
‘When you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you’ (Matthew 6:6).
Deeper Bible study
… to the only God our Saviour be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and for evermore! Amen.’1
While Jesus is teaching in the Temple courts, he presents to his listeners a conundrum: how can the Messiah be King David’s son, but also his Lord? How can the Messiah be beneath King David in ancestry, but above him in authority (vs 35–37)? There is a solution to this conundrum, of course, but not one that the teachers of the Law – or others – had yet discerned. The solution lies in Jesus and it incorporates so many of the mysteries and marvels of who he is. Just days later, we see him assent to the claim that he is the Messiah, the Christ.2 Later, he testifies of himself, ‘I, Jesus … am the Root and the Offspring of David’.3
How is it that Jesus can make this claim, that he is both Lord and son – root and offspring – of David? It is made possible by his unique status as both God and man.4 As man, born of human flesh, Jesus is a direct descendant of David – the son of David.5 But as the Son of God, he is Creator of all, supreme over all and Lord over all6 – including King David!
It is this unique nature of Jesus that enabled him to be a far greater Messiah than the one the teachers of the Law were anticipating.7 For he did not come to be the warrior Messiah – a mere man who was expected to save Israel from the grip of Rome. He came to be the wounded Messiah – the God-man who alone could die in our place to save all humanity from the grip of sin. With God’s help, may we not be limited in our understanding of Jesus Christ, but grow in our knowledge and praise of him.
Ask God to make known to you more of the mystery of Christ. Why not take time to write your own doxology – words in praise of Jesus?8
1Jude 25 2 Mark 14:61,62 3Rev 22:16 4 Hendriksen, 1975, p500 5Matt 1:1–16 6 Col 1:15–17
7 Hendriksen, 1975, p499 8 Eg Jude 24,25
Author
Fiona Silley
