Kingdom Disciples

According to Jesus, the “ Abomination of Desolation ” will appear in Jerusalem - It will be a local, not a global event. And his admonition for disciples to flee is applicable to Jerusalem and the immediate vicinity. Disciples must flee to the hills to escape the imminent calamity signaled by this abominable thing or person.

In his ‘Olivet Discourse,’ Jesus describes key events that will occur in the future, especially the destruction of the Temple and the “ coming of the Son of Man .” In doing so, he provides geographic details related to each event that alternate between the local and the universal, depending on which event he is under discussion.

The ‘ Olivet Discourse ’ in the thirteenth chapter of  Mark  is the last recorded block of teachings by Jesus given shortly before his death on the Mount of Olives. It followed a series of confrontations in the Temple between him and the Pharisees and the priestly authorities, disputes that set the stage for his trial and execution. Thus, his “trial” effectively began in the Temple, and inevitably, it concluded with his unjust death on a Roman cross.

Before his final departure from the Temple, Jesus fielded challenges from the “ Scribes and Pharisees ,” confrontations that set the stage for his arrest and trial, as well as his execution by the Roman authorities. As he left the building, he pronounced its impending judgment and destruction. From start to finish, priests, Scribes, Herodians, Sadducees, and especially Pharisees resisted him, and some of the Temple authorities became complicit in the plot to put him to death.

At the end of his journey, his destination was the Temple in the center of the city.  The next several stories prepare the reader for his final days, A full third of Mark’s gospel account concerns the events of that week that culminate in his death and resurrection. All that preceded his arrival in the city was moving inexorably forward to his arrest, trial, and execution in the city of David and the prophets.

Jesus restored the sight of a blind beggar while he was “on the way” to his death in the city of Jerusalem  -  Mark 10:46-52 .  This is the last recorded healing miracle in Mark’s account. And here, Jesus is called the “ Nazarene .” Previously, he was only so identified when he exorcised demons, thereby delivering someone from demonic oppression. And in the  Gospel of Mark , the name “ Nazarene ” frames his first and last healing miracles.

Fulfillment is a key theme in  Matthew . With the arrival of the Messiah, the time of fulfillment had commenced. But what were the implications for the Law of Moses? In his ‘Sermon on the Mount’, Jesus provided clear answers. He did not come to adjudicate the interpretive disputes between competing Jewish sects over the details of the Law but to  FULFILL  the “ Law and the Prophets .”

To follow Jesus means surrendering one’s entire life and following wherever he leads, and no questions asked – Mark 10:17-31.  One day, a young rich man approached Jesus to ask what he should do to inherit everlasting life. Here, the reader is confronted with the cost of discipleship. In the story’s version found in Matthew , this man is labeled “ young .” In Luke , he is a “ ruler ,” presumably, of the local synagogue. And his haste to ask his question points to his sincerity.

Opponents question Jesus about divorce to trap him, but he uses the issue to teach the higher ways of the Kingdom of God .  In Mark  and  Matthew , Jesus is confronted by opponents with questions about divorce. However, this is intended to trap him with his own words. They are not soliciting an all-encompassing ruling on divorce from him. In  Mark , the incident is another in a series of confrontations between Jesus and the religious establishment linked to the Temple.

Unbelief hindered the ability of Jesus to heal some afflicted persons, not the lack of fasting or other ritualistic practices  -  Mark 9:14-29 .  When Peter, James, and John saw the Transfiguration of Jesus on the mount, the rest of the disciples were ministering nearby. But whenever they ministered when Jesus was absent, they quickly found themselves in trouble. And this time, as soon as the crowd saw him returning from the mountain, they flocked to him for healing and deliverance - [ Photo by Zach Lezniewicz on Unsplash ].