# Commentary on the Gospel of Mark **1:1 The beginning:** The opening verse is a title for the entire Gospel. **the gospel:** The \"good news\" that Christ has come to *rescue* all nations from sin, selfishness, and Satan and to *reveal* the inner life of God to the world. This is accomplished as Jesus inaugurates the kingdom of God (1:15). **the Son of God:** The predominant title for Jesus in Mark (1:1; 3:11; 5:7; 9:7; 12:6; 14:61; 15:39; CCC 422, 515). Both the works (miracles) and words (teaching) of Jesus substantiate this claim to divine Sonship, while the Father announces it publicly at his Baptism (1:11) and Transfiguration (9:7) **1:2-3** Mark outlines the mission of John and Jesus by splicing together three OT passages: Is 40:3, Ex 23:20, and Mal 3:1. • The Exodus passage recalls how Yahweh appointed a messenger (angel) to lead Israel from the slavery of Egypt to the safety of the Promised Land. Isaiah projects this memory from the distant past into the future, announcing that both Israel and the nations will experience a New Exodus in the messianic age. Preparations are in order for a new Deliverer, the Suffering Servant, who will bring the nations from the darkness of sin and idolatry to the light of Mt. Zion. Malachi\'s oracle presents the dark side of this scenario, warning Jerusalem that the coming of the messianic Lord will mean disaster if the shepherds of Israel are unprepared to welcome his arrival. For Mark, these passages are linked together by a common call to prepare the \"way\" of the Lord: John is the herald who points out the \"way\" of this New Exodus, while Jesus is the \"Lord\" and Suffering Servant who accomplishes it. This is the only time Mark quotes directly from the OT as the Gospel narrator. See note on Mk 8:27-10:52 **1:5 baptized by him:** The baptism of John signified the need for inner purity but did not effect this in a sacramental way. John was fully aware that his disciples must also receive the greater Baptism of the Messiah, which both signifies and effects spiritual cleansing. Only the Christian sacrament washes the soul of sin, infuses the grace of divine sonship, and regenerates the believer in the Holy Spirit (Jn 3:5; Acts 2:38; Tit 3:5; CCC 718-20). **in the river Jordan:** The main river in Palestine and a suitable location to baptize large numbers. • The Jordan is linked with stories of deliverance in the OT. Here the Israelites crossed over to inherit the Promised Land (Josh 3:14-17). Here too Naaman the Syrian (a Gentile) was cleansed of leprosy (2 Kings 5:14). Against this twofold background John\'s ministry at the Jordan prepares for the salvation of Israel and the Gentiles by the Messiah **1:6 John was clothed:** Garments of animal skin were the distinctive attire of OT prophets (Zech 13:4). • John\'s appearance recalls that of Elijah (2 Kings 1:8), and his presence at the Jordan recalls the site where Elijah departed into heaven (2 Kings 2:6-11). See note on Mk 9:11. **ate locusts:** One of a few clean (kosher) insects that God permitted the Israelites to eat under the Old Covenant (Lev 11:22). This detail portrays John as faithful to the Torah and highlights his renunciation of worldly comforts. His disciplined life-style also included fasting (2:18) **1:7 I am not worthy:** Evidence of John\'s humility. Removing and carrying **sandals** was a menial task reserved for slaves serving their master. John regards himself as unworthy to perform even a slave\'s task for the Messiah. • *Allegorically* (St. Gregory the Great, *Hom. in Evan.* 7): Jesus\' sandals, made from the skins of dead animals, represent mankind dead in sin. Once Christ clothed himself with our nature in the Incarnation, the miracle proved so profound that not even John was able to unfasten or explain this mystery of God-made-man **1:9-11** The Baptism of Jesus. As One who is sinless, Jesus has no actual need for repentance (Heb 4:15; 1 Pet 2:22). He nevertheless receives John\'s baptism to identify with sinners as part of the Father\'s plan to save them (CCC 536). The **voice** of the Father, the Baptism of the **Son,** and the descent of the **Spirit** mark this episode as a revelation of the Blessed Trinity. See note on Mt 3:15 **1:10 the heavens opened:** The underlying expression is more dramatic than the translation, since the Greek verb *schizo* means to \"rip\" or \"tear\". Heaven was thus \"torn open\" at the sound of God\'s voice and the descent of the Spirit (Is 64:1). Elsewhere in Mark this same verb depicts the tearing of the Temple veil (15:38), an episode similarly accompanied by a declaration of Jesus\' Sonship (15:39). **a dove:** An image with various associations in the Bible (Song 1:15; 6:9; Hos 11:11; Mt 10:16). • A close connection between the Spirit and a dove is found in Genesis: as the \"Spirit of God\" hovered over the waters at creation (Gen 1:2), so Noah sent forth a \"dove\" to hover over the flood waters once creation was cleansed and renewed (Gen 8:10-12). Jesus\' Baptism likewise inaugurates a new beginning for the world through the Spirit and prefigures our own cleansing through Baptism (1 Pet 3:18-22; CCC 536, 694, 701). See note on Mt 3:11 **1:11 my beloved Son:** The Father\'s announcement echoes several OT passages. • **(1)** Isaiah 42:1 prophecies the coming of God\'s pleasing Servant, who will rescue Israel (Is 42:7) and be a \"light to the nations\" (Is 42:6). Jesus fulfills this role as the Suffering Servant (10:45) and light of the world (Jn 8:12). **(2)** Psalm 2:7 portrays King David as the anointed son of God. Jesus is here the royal Son anointed by the Spirit (Lk 4:18; Rom 1:3). **(3)** The same title was once given to Isaac, where the Greek OT translates \"only son\" in Gen 22:2, 12, as \"my beloved son\". As Abraham\'s near-sacrifice of Isaac procured a divine oath of worldwide blessing (Gen 22:16-18), so Jesus is sent by the Father to fulfill this covenant oath and unleash the blessings promised to the patriarch (Jn 3:16; Rom 8:32) Word Study > [!NOTE] Word Study > *Repentance* (Mk 1:4) – *Metanoia* (Gk.): literally a \"change of mind\". The word is used 22 times in the NT for a conversion of one\'s entire life to the Lord. Based on similar OT concepts, it involves a twofold movement of the heart: one who repents turns *away from* sin (1 Kings 8:35; Ezek 18:30) and *toward* God (Hos 6:1; Sir 17:25, 26; Heb 6:1). This entails genuine contrition for past failings and a firm resolve to avoid them in the future, and it may be accompanied by bodily disciplines like fasting (Dan 9:3-5; Joel 2:12; 2 Cor 7:10). Because repentance is a gradual process of transformation, God is patient with sinners struggling to make amends and redirect their lives toward holiness (Wis 12:10; Rom 2:4; 2 Pet 3:9). Repentance is inspired by the eternal life offered in Christ (Mk 1:15; Acts 2:38), and its genuineness becomes evident when lives are changed in accord with the gospel (Mt 3:8; Acts 26:20; Gal 5:22-24). ^v1vnp3 ^wrnp16 **1:12-13** An abridged account of Jesus\' temptation. 5 • Jesus faces the same ordeal that Adam and Israel endured in the OT (CCC 538-540). He is thus **tempted by Satan** among the **wild beasts,** as the first Adam was tempted amid the beasts in paradise. He likewise retraces the steps of Israel, being led into the **wilderness** by the **Spirit** and tested for **forty days** as the Israelites marched in the desert for 40 years of testing. In the end, Jesus succeeds where Adam and Israel failed by resisting the devil and proving his filial love for the Father. This initiates an extended campaign against demons, death, and disease throughout the Gospel (1:25, 31, 34; 2:11; 3:5; 5:13, 39-41). See note on Mt 4:1-11. • *Morally* (St. John Chrysostom, *Hom. in Matt.* 13): Jesus endured temptation to train his disciples how to overcome the devil. No one should be surprised, then, that after our own Baptism the tempter assails us more aggressively than before. Victory is assured if, like Jesus, we commit ourselves to fasting, wait upon the Lord with patience, and have no desire for things beyond our need **1:14 John was arrested:** A pivotal event turning the focus of Jesus\' ministry to Galilee. Prior to this, Jesus had an earlier ministry in Judea that overlapped with John\'s (Jn 3:23). See note on Mt 4:12 **1:15 the kingdom of God:** God\'s sovereign rule over all nations through Jesus. • The kingdom of Christ is closely linked with the ancient kingdom of Israel that flourished under David and Solomon. Although David\'s empire soon collapsed, for a brief time it foreshadowed the glory of Christ\'s reign over the tribes of Israel (2 Sam 5:1-5; Mt 19:28) and other Gentile nations (1 Kings 4:20-21; Mt 28:18-20). The international kingdom of old is now resurrected and transfigured in the Church, where Christ rules as David\'s rightful heir (Mt 1:1; Lk 1:32-33) enthroned in heaven (Mk 16:19; Heb 8:1-2) **1:16-20** The first disciples respond to Jesus **immediately** (1:18, 20). His compelling invitation to **follow** as a disciple is Jesus\' initial step toward sending missionaries into the world as **fishers of men** (Mt 28:18-20). Christ chooses men of modest education to demonstrate to the world that the wisdom of the gospel stems directly from God and not the ingenuity of man. *See chart: *The Twelve Apostles** at Mk 3 **1:20 left their father:** Such an abrupt break with family and livelihood was extraordinary then as now. The impulse to abandon everything and follow Jesus highlights the surpassing excellence of Christian discipleship over every worldly pursuit. **hired servants:** Suggests that the fishing enterprise of Zebedee and his sons was prosperous **1:21 Capernaum:** Jesus\' new home and headquarters in Galilee (2:1; Mt 4:12-13). It is located on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee. **on the sabbath:** The seventh day of the Jewish week set aside for worship and rest (Gen 2:3; Ex 20:811; CCC 2168-73). Since Jews number the days from sunset to sunset, the Sabbath begins every Friday evening and ends at sundown Saturday. **synagogue:** A small building used as a gathering place for prayer, worship, and instruction in the Scriptures. See note on Mt 4:23 **1:23 an unclean spirit:** A demon or fallen angel (3:11; 5:2; 6:7; 9:25). He confesses that Jesus is the \"Holy One\" (1:24) out of fear, not genuine faith (cf. Jas 2:19) **1:27 With authority:** Divine power is displayed through Jesus\' word. While most exorcists of the day recited lengthy incantations or used odorous roots to expel demons, Jesus simply commands the spirits and they leave (CCC 550). The demons\' inability to resist him is shown by their dramatic exhibition of \"convulsing\" and \"crying\" (1:26) **1:32 That evening:** i.e., after sunset on the Sabbath (Saturday). Bringing the sick and demon-possessed to Jesus was laborious and thus unlawful before the Sabbath day ended. See note on Mk 1:21 **1:35 in the morning:** Following Mark\'s chronology, Jesus **prayed** early Sunday morning following the Sabbath. His practice anticipates the liturgical prayer of the Church early on the first day of the week (CCC 2174). Jesus also practices what he preaches on the propriety of solitary prayer (Mt 6:5-6; CCC 2602). See note on Mk 1:32 **1:40 a leper:** Leprosy was a skin disease that made victims unclean, i.e., unfit to participate in the liturgical life of Israel (Lev 13:1-8). Because ritual uncleanness was considered contagious under the Old Covenant ---infecting everyone who came in contact with it ---lepers were isolated from society to keep those who were clean separated from those who were unclean (Lev 13:45-46). Jesus reaches across this divide when he touches the leper, and though others would be defiled by such contact, he conquers the uncleanness by the greater power of his holiness (1:41; CCC 1503-5). See note on Mt 8:1-9:38 **1:44 say nothing to any one:** The \"messianic secret\" is a leading theme in Mark. Jesus frequently enjoins silence on demons (1:25, 34; 3:12) and men (5:43; 7:36; 8:30; 9:9) to conceal his identity as the Messiah (CCC 439). Several considerations account for this strategy. **(1)** Jesus wanted to avoid a sensationalist reputation of being no more than a wonderworker. Publicizing his deeds by word of mouth comes with the danger that rumors will begin to disconnect his miracles from his saving message. **(2)** He wanted to sidestep popular expectations that the Messiah would be a political and military leader. **(3)** He did not wish to ignite the wrath of his enemies before the appointed time of his Passion. See introduction: *Themes.* **show yourself:** The Mosaic Law required Levitical priests to inspect lepers and determine their status as clean or unclean (Lev 14:1-32). With approval, an individual pronounced clean would offer sacrifices at the Temple to be reinstated in the worshiping community of Israel. See note on Mt 8:4 **2:1-12** The healing of the paralytic reveals Jesus\' identity through his actions: he claims to forgive sins as only God can forgive and to channel that forgiveness to the world as only the Jerusalem Temple and priesthood were authorized to do under the Old Covenant **2:5 their faith:** i.e., the faith of the four men who carried kilkJ the paralytic (2:4). • The forgiveness that Jesus confers upon the helpless paralytic in response to the faith of others (the four men) mirrors the effects of Infant Baptism, where he continues to regenerate helpless children through the intercessory faith of their parents (CCC 1250-53) **2:6 the scribes:** Scholars of the Mosaic Law and its traditional interpretation. With the exception of one episode (12:28-34), they are cast as Jesus\' adversaries in Mark **2:7 it is blasphemy!:** The scribes are incensed that Jesus claims for himself a prerogative that belongs only to God: the power to remit sins (Ps 103:3; Is 43:25; CCC 1441). They have misjudged the matter as blasphemy, which was a capital crime in ancient Israel (Lev 24:16). Note that Jesus manifests his divinity both by absolving the man\'s sins and by exposing the unspoken disapproval of his critics (2:8) **2:9 Which is easier:** Forgiveness is easier to claim than to accomplish, since its effects cannot be verified by observation. For this reason, Jesus restores the man\'s body as a visible demonstration of what he has already done invisibly in his soul. See note on Mt 9:8 **2:14 Levi:** Also called \"Matthew\" (Mt 9:9). He abandoned his occupation to follow Jesus and was later named an apostle (3:18). **the tax office:** The Pharisees despised tax collectors as \"sinners\" (2:15) for several reasons. **(1)** Collecting revenue in Galilee involved frequent contact with Gentiles. By Pharisaic standards, this meant that collectors were exposed to the ritual defilement of the pagans. **(2)** Since taxes were collected for the unwelcome Romans, who ruled Palestine, collectors were branded as traitors to Israel\'s hope for national independence. **(3)** Collectors were sometimes guilty of extortion, exacting personal commissions above the required tax amount **2:15-28** Three controversies between Jesus and the Pharisees. In each, the Pharisees try to discredit Jesus as a spiritual leader (2:16, 18, 24). They consider his behavior questionable and even dangerous, as though Jesus were leading Israel away from true covenant holiness. **(1)** In 2:15-17, the Pharisees are scandalized by those *with whom* Jesus eats (tax collectors, sinners). **(2)** In 2:18-22, they question *why* he eats with his disciples instead of fasting like John\'s followers. **(3)** In 2:23-28, the issue concerns *when* his disciples pluck and eat grain (on the Sabbath). These tensions reach the breaking point with the Pharisees\' conspiracy to eliminate Jesus (3:6) **2:16 eating with sinners:** Table-fellowship was symbolic of personal acceptance and mutual friendship in the ancient Near East. Jesus\' open association with outcasts thus violates the standards of the **Pharisees,** who regarded **sinners** and **tax collectors** as inappropriate company for the religious Jew. They clung to Old Covenant standards of holiness that required Israelites to separate themselves from all sources of uncleanness, including fellowship with Gentiles (Acts 10:28). Jesus exemplifies New Covenant holiness, which extends mercy to everyone in imitation of the Father (Mt 5:43-48; Lk 6:36; CCC 545, 574). See essay: **Who Are the Pharisees?** . **2:17 no need of a physician:** A well-known proverb. Jesus adapts it to imply that table-fellowship is central to his healing mission. Just as doctors do not avoid the sick, so Jesus cannot avoid those wounded by sin. **not to call the righteous:** Jesus did not come to prolong the Old Covenant with the nation of Israel. This was an imperfect, provisional covenant designed to separate Israel from the Gentiles and their sins (Lev 20:26) while Israel was not ready to love God from the heart (Jer 11:8; Mt 19:8). Jesus inaugurates the New Covenant to transform the hearts of his people (Jer 31:31-34; Mt 5:8) and so welcomes all into God\'s covenant family. Whereas the Old Covenant quarantined Israel from the world, the New Covenant embraces the world within God\'s mercy (Rom 11:32) **2:19 the bridegroom:** Jesus uses marital imagery to reveal his divinity. • His words recall several OT passages that depict Yahweh as a groom wedded to Israel (Is 54:5; Jer 3:20; Hos 2:20). The NT transfers this covenant relationship to Christ as the divine spouse of the Church (Mt 25:1-13; Eph 5:25; CCC 796). **they cannot fast:** Since fasting symbolizes mourning and separation, it was inappropriate while Jesus was present among the disciples. • Christians fast before celebrating the liturgy, i.e., before Christ comes among them in Word and Sacrament. The arrival of Christ then makes it a time of feasting, when the divine Bridegroom gives himself in love to his bride, the Church. Communion with Jesus in the Eucharist is a foretaste of the heavenly \"marriage supper of the Lamb\" (Rev 19:9) [[who-are-the-pharisees|Who Are the Pharisees?]] **2:21-22** Because the Old Covenant has become like an **old garment** and **old wineskins,** the New Covenant can neither be stitched to its worn fibers nor poured into its brittle skins. Rather, the *fasting* and anticipation of the Old Covenant must give way to the *feasting* and celebration of the New Covenant that Jesus brings into the world **2:24 not lawful on the sabbath:** Although Deut 23:25 permits the Israelites to pluck and eat standing grain, the Pharisees indict the disciples under the law of Ex 34:21, which forbids harvesting on the Sabbath (Ex 20:8-11; CCC 2168-73). Resolved to discredit him, the Pharisees equate plucking grain with harvesting it **2:25 Have you never read:** A stinging insult to the educated Pharisees. See note on Mt 12:3. **what David did:** Jesus recalls 1 Sam 21:1-6 to shed light on the present circumstances. • David was permitted to override the Mosaic ritual Law by letting his hungry companions eat the sacred bread of the Tabernacle reserved for the priests. Since Jesus is the Messiah and thus greater than David (12:35-37), he should not be condemned for suspending the Sabbath to meet a legitimate need (hunger) for his own disciples. Should the Pharisees denounce Jesus, they would unwittingly denounce the honored King David **2:26 when Abiathar was high priest:** The priest who provided David with bread was actually Ahimelech, Abiathar\'s father (1 Sam 21:1). This apparent discrepancy causes some modern scholars to accuse Jesus of misquoting Scripture, although this conclusion is unnecessary. • Jesus probably mentioned Abiathar instead of Ahimelech to post a warning for the Pharisees. Abiathar is infamous in OT history as the last high priest of his line, who was banished from Jerusalem and the priesthood for opposing Solomon, the son of David and the heir of his kingdom (1 Kings 2:26-27). He thus represents the end of an old order that passes away with the coming of David\'s royal successor. As Jesus compares himself and the disciples with David and his men, he likewise draws the Pharisees into the story by casting them as figures like Abiathar. The Pharisees, then, represent an old order of covenant leadership that is about to expire, and if they persist in their opposition to Jesus, the new heir of the Davidic kingdom, they will meet the same disastrous fate that befell Abiathar. Jesus\' allusion to this OT tradition was a subtle yet strategic way to caution the Pharisees against their antagonism to his ministry **2:27 the sabbath:** A day for physical rest and spiritual worship (Gen 2:1-3; Ex 20:8-11). It reminded the Israelites weekly of their total dependence upon God. The Pharisees, however, made observance of the Sabbath according to their own standards a stringent test of Jewish faithfulness. Whoever disobeyed the minute Sabbath regulations codified by the Pharisees was automatically suspected of religious laxity or compromise. According to Jesus, God designed the Sabbath to benefit his people, not to burden them (CCC 2172-73) **3:4 Is it lawful . ?:** Jesus implies that doing **good** for the sake of mercy or necessity does not constitute a violation of the Sabbath. One should abstain from servile works, not good works. **or to kill?:** An alarming alternative to saving life. Common sympathy might allow for the preservation of life on the Sabbath, but not its destruction. • Jesus may allude to the precedent of 1 Macc 2:41, where the Jews temporarily suspended Sabbath observance to permit defensive warfare. This was necessary in order to **save life** from military attacks on their sacred day of rest. If Israel could sidestep the Sabbath to preserve life, then surely Jesus can heal a man\'s hand on the same day. See note on Lk 6:9 **3:6 Pharisees . Herodians:** Two religious and political groups in NT Palestine. They held opposite political stances and outlooks on Jewish life but stood united in their opposition to Jesus (CCC 574). See note on Mk 12:13 **3:7-12** Jesus gains widespread popularity with the crowds. Although they perceive him as a powerful healer and exorcist, the demons know his true identity as God\'s Son (3:11). Jesus\' popular appeal here stands in contrast to 3:6 and the resentment of the Pharisees and Herodians **3:14 he appointed twelve:** Jesus spent the entire night in prayer before selecting the apostles (Lk 6:12). • The number of apostles is symbolic: as the 12 sons of Jacob were representatives of Old Covenant Israel (Gen 49:3-28), so Jesus gathers 12 patriarchs to found his New Covenant people in the Church (Mt 19:28; Rev 21:12-14; CCC 551, 765). **to be sent out:** An apostle is \"one who is sent out\" as a messenger or emissary (cf. Mt 10:5; CCC 858). See chart below: **The Twelve Apostles.** . **3:22 Beelzebul:** A pagan god worshipped at Ekron (see Baalzebub, 2 Kings 1:2-16). The name probably meant \"Prince Baal\". The scribes use it as a disdainful title for Satan. **by the prince of demons:** It was commonly held that weaker demons could be exorcised by more powerful ones. The scribes wrongfully attribute Jesus\' power to the sorcery of Satan, the most powerful demon of all (Mt 9:34; 10:25; CCC 548) **3:24-25** By ascribing the power of Jesus to Satan, the scribes reveal their own collaboration with the devil\'s **kingdom.** Satan\'s **house** will fall because Christ will conquer him, not because his demons are weakened by divisions within their own ranks (Heb 2:14; 1 Jn 3:8). See note on Mt 12:25-26 **3:29 an eternal sin:** The scribes utter blasphemy by attributing to Satan what is actually the work of the Holy Spirit (3:22, 30). Their sin is not unforgivable in principle since no sin can place us beyond the reach of God\'s mercy. However, blasphemy **against the Holy Spirit** is a form of rebellion that is particularly grievous because it blinds people to their own need for forgiveness; in this case, sins are unpardonable when they are not confessed with contrition (CCC 1864). • The sin against the Holy Spirit was prefigured in the OT when the Israelites fashioned the golden calf (Ex 32:1-6). Instead of giving worship and thanks to Yahweh for their deliverance, they honored as their true redeemer an idol of their own making (Ex 32:4) **3:32 your brethren:** Jesus\' cousins or related kinsmen (CCC 500). See note on Mt 12:46 **3:35 the will of God:** Obedience to the Father is more important than being related to Jesus biologically. Baptized Christians are children of God and brothers and sisters of Jesus through the Holy Spirit (Jn 1:12; Rom 8:29; Heb 2:10-11). Membership in this New Covenant family is maintained through a life conforming to God\'s will (Mt 7:21). **brother . sister . mother:** Christ widens the scope of his spiritual family to *include* his disciples, not to exclude his Mother or his biological relatives. See note on Mt 12:50 **4:2 in parables:** A teaching method with two purposes. **(1)** Parables *conceal* Jesus\' message from the faithless, so that the stories and scenes from everyday life have no impact on those who react to his claims with opposition and violence. See note on Mk 4:12. **(2)** Parables also *reveal* the mystery of Jesus\' mission to those who believe and embrace his message. In short, the parables draw us into divine mysteries according to the measure and intensity of our faith (4:33; CCC 546). See word study: **Parables** at Mt 13 **4:3-8** The parable of the Sower. Jesus places himself in a long line of OT prophets whose message was received by some but rejected by many (Mt 23:37; Heb 11:32-38). Jesus is the **sower** whose message likewise elicits diverse responses. The condition of the **soil** in each scenario determines one\'s reaction to Jesus (see CCC 29). Three responses prove unfruitful: those like the **path** are corrupted by Satan (4:15); those like **rocky ground** are hampered by weak and partial commitments to the gospel (4:17); those with **thorns** are entangled in the distractions and concerns of the world (4:19). Jesus\' graphic language **(devoured, scorched, choked;** 4:4, 6-7) underscores the opposition facing the gospel. In contrast, the **good soil** is receptive to God\'s word and yields an abundant harvest (CCC 2707). • The imagery in Jesus\' parable evokes Is 55:10-13, where Isaiah describes God\'s word as a powerful and effective force. He cannot sow his divine word without bringing blessing and accomplishing his will **4:11 To you has been given:** Jesus explains his parables to the inner circle of disciples. By instructing them privately, he prepares them for their future role as teachers and stewards of God\'s mysteries (16:15, 20; 1 Cor 4:1). • According to Vatican II (Dei *Verbum,* 7), Jesus ensures the transmission of his truth to every age by the Holy Spirit, who guides the Church through the teaching and apostolic succession of bishops (Jn 14:26; 16:13; 2 Tim 2:2) (CCC 888-90) **4:12 see but not perceive:** A paraphrase of Is 6:9-10. • Isaiah was commissioned by the Lord to file a covenant lawsuit against Jerusalem in the eighth century B.C. It was a time when wickedness and injustice were flourishing in Israel despite Yahweh\'s repeated attempts to reform the people (Is 5:1-30). As a result of persistent rebellion, Israel became blind and deaf to the warnings of the prophets. Isaiah\'s mission was a dreadful one of preaching judgment upon his wayward generation until destruction and exile would overtake all but a holy remnant of the people (Is 6:13). Jesus likewise addresses a crooked generation and preaches a message that reaches a remnant of Israel but leaves the rest hardened and unresponsive (Jn 12:37-43; Acts 28:23-28) **4:14-20** Jesus explains the parable to his disciples only when they are \"alone\" (4:10). The crowd \"outside\" is not privileged to hear its interpretation (4:11) **4:21-22** A parable about the purpose and function of Jesus\' teaching. Although the mystery of the kingdom is temporarily **hidden** and **secret** in parables, its true meaning will eventually be **manifest** and **come to light** (Lk 12:2) **4:26-29** An agricultural parable found only in Mark. Jesus compares the mystery of natural, organic growth to the expansion of the **kingdom of God.** The kingdom will visibly mature like **grain,** but the spiritual forces behind it will remain invisible. The parable of the Leaven in Mt 13:33 elucidates the same mystery. • *Morally* (St. Gregory the Great, *Hom. in Ezek.* 2, 3): the maturing grain signifies our increase in virtue. First, the seeds of good intentions are sown; these gradually bring forth the blade of repentance and ultimately the mature ear of charitable works. When established in virtue, we are made ripe for God\'s harvest **4:29 the harvest:** The day of God\'s manifestation and judgment (Jer 51:33; Joel 3:13; Mt 13:39; Rev 14:15) **4:30-32** The parable of the Mustard Seed. It is based on the difference between the **smallest** seed and the **greatest** shrub and depicts how Christ\'s **kingdom** begins with a small band of disciples and gradually grows into a worldwide Church. • The imagery Jesus uses to explain this is drawn from OT oracles that describe the dominion of ancient empires. Babylon (Dan 4:10-12), Egypt (Ezek 31:1-6), and Israel (Ezek 17:22-24) were all portrayed as kingdoms that grew into mighty trees. See note on Mt 13:32 **4:35-41** Jesus manifests his divinity by exercising authority over nature. • According to the OT, God *alone* has the power to subdue the raging seas (Ps 89:9; 93:4; 107:28-29). This biblical background alarms the disciples and prompts their question, **Who then is this . ?** (4:41). • *Morally* (St. Augustine, *Sermo* 51): the episode at sea signifies the drama of the Christian life. All of God\'s children embark with Christ on a life that is full of dangerous storms, especially attacks from evil spirits and temptations of the flesh. We must learn to trust in Christ daily, since he alone can restrain these forces and bring us to the safe harbor of salvation. See note on Mt 8:23-27 **5:1 Gerasenes:** Gerasa is one of the cities of the \"Decapolis\" (5:20), a confederation of ten cities in NT Palestine. They were predominantly Gentile in population, and most of them were located east of the Jordan River. The presence of \"swine\" in 5:11 reinforces this Gentile context, since the Jews would never herd animals that God declared unclean (Lev 11:7-8) **5:9 Legion:** The term for an armed regiment of nearly 6,000 Roman soldiers. It points to the overwhelming presence of demons in the man and accentuates the intensity of spiritual combat between Jesus and forces of evil. Matthew indicates that two men approached Jesus suffering from demonic possession (Mt 8:28). • *Allegorically* (St. Bede, *In Marcum):* the demoniac represents the Gentile nations saved by Christ. As pagans, they once lived apart from God amid the tombs of dead works, while their sins were performed in service to demons. Through Christ, the pagans are at last cleansed and freed from Satan\'s domination **5:13 into the sea:** Biblical symbolism associated with the sea is diverse and flexible. • According to one tradition, God\'s enemies arise from the sea in the form of beasts that oppress God\'s people (Dan 7:1-3; Rev 13:1). Here Jesus reverses the direction of evil by sending the demon-possessed swine back into the sea. Like Pharaoh\'s army in the OT, God\'s adversaries are **drowned** in the waters (Ex 14:26-28; 15:1) **5:19 the Lord has done for you:** Hints at Jesus\' divinity (cf. 2:28; 11:3; 12:37). The parallel text in Lk 8:39 has \"God\" **5:21-43** Two miracle stories connected chronologically and thematically. Both highlight Jesus\' power over physical sickness (5:29, 42) and his favorable response to faith (5:23, 34, 36; CCC 548, 2616). The accounts are also linked by the figure **twelve years,** which represents the duration of the woman\'s illness (5:25) and the age of the young girl (5:42) **5:23 lay your hands on her:** Often in the Gospels Jesus responds to the persistent pleas of parents whose children are suffering or in danger (7:25-30; 9:17-27; Mt 17:14-18; Jn 4:46-54). His mercy touches these distressed parents whenever they turn to him in faith. Jesus also displays a deep affection for children (10:13-16; Mt 18:5-6) **5:25 a flow of blood:** A condition that makes the woman and everything she touches legally unclean (Lev 15:25-30). This excludes her from full participation in the covenant life of Israel. To the crowd\'s astonishment, Jesus removes her uncleanness *by* physical contact, not in spite of it. See note on Mk 1:40 **5:37 Peter . James . John:** Three of Jesus\' closest disciples, who were also present with him at the Transfiguration (9:2) and in the garden of Gethsemane (14:33). They are likewise the only apostles Jesus renamed: Simon became \"Peter\", which means \"rock\", while James and John were called \"Boanerges\", which means \"sons of thunder\" (3:16-17) **5:39 not dead but sleeping:** Biblical writers often speak of \"sleep\" as a euphemism for biological death (Mt 27:52; Jn 11:11; 1 Cor 15:6). Jesus uses this description to emphasize that the girl\'s condition is only temporary and reversible. *•Morally* (St. Bede, *In Marcum):* the girl signifies the young Christian whose heart remains deadened by the world. Christ must clear away the crowds of impure thoughts to revive and strengthen the believer to begin walking in good deeds. Spiritual nourishment for this new life is given through the Eucharist **5:41 Talitha cumi:** One of several Aramaic expressions preserved in Mark (7:11, 34; 14:36; 15:22, 34). He regularly translates these expressions for his non-Jewish readers in Rome **6:1 his own country:** Nazareth, the Galilean village where Jesus was raised (Mt 2:23). Following an earlier incident recorded in Lk 4:16-30, this episode marks the second rejection of Jesus by his kinsfolk **6:3 brother . his sisters:** Jesus\' cousins or more distant relatives (CCC 500). They are not siblings from the same Virgin Mother. See note on Mt 12:46 **6:4 not without honor:** Jesus adapts a common proverb to explain his rejection: like the OT prophets before him, Jesus is persecuted and rejected for preaching the word of the Lord (Mt 5:11-12; Heb 11:32-38). Jesus is often called a prophet in the Gospels (Mt 21:11; Lk 7:16; 13:33; 24:19; Jn 4:19) **6:7-13** Jesus dispatches the Twelve **two by two** as emissaries to the surrounding Galilean towns (Mt 10:5-6). It is his **authority** that empowers their ministry of exorcism, healing, and preaching (Mt 10:1). Their mission is a training exercise for leadership in the Church, when they will be summoned to embrace evangelical poverty (6:8-9) and to trust in God for daily provisions (6:11). • *Morally* (St. Gregory the Great, *Hom. in Evan.* 17): Jesus sends out the disciples in pairs to signify that the twin precepts of charity are indispensable for the duty of Christian preaching. Those entrusted with this mission must always exemplify the love of God and neighbor **6:11 shake off the dust:** A symbolic act of judgment for those who reject the apostles\' preaching. See note on Mt 10:14 **6:13 anointed with oil:** A symbol of healing and a medicinal agent in the ancient world (Is 1:6; Lk 10:34). • According to the Council of Trent, the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick is \"suggested\" by this text (Sess. 14, chap. 1). Whether or not this episode marks the formal institution of the sacrament, it is clear the disciples\' ministry anticipates its future administration in the life of the Church (Jas 5:14-15; CCC 1511-16) **6:14-29** A narrative \"flashback\" on past events. Mark recounts this episode to dispel rumors that John the Baptist and Jesus are the same person (6:16; 8:28). John\'s execution foreshadows both the death of Jesus (9:12; 10:32-34) and the martyrdom of other believers in the early Church (Rev 20:4; CCC 523) **6:14 King Herod:** Herod Antipas. After the death of Herod the Great (4/1 B.C.), the Roman Emperor Augustus divided the kingdom in Palestine among three of Herod\'s sons. Herod Antipas was the son who received the title \"tetrarch\" (Mt 14:1) and governed the regions of Galilee and Perea until A.D. 39. His brothers Archelaus and Philip were apportioned the remainder of their late father\'s territory. Since \"tetrarch\" is not strictly a royal title, the use of \"King\" here probably reflects popular usage and is not intended literally (Mt 14:9) **6:18 your brother\'s wife:** John the Baptist was imprisoned and executed for publicly repudiating the illicit union of Herod Antipas and Herodias, the wife of his half-brother Philip. According to Lev 18:16 and 20:21, the Mosaic Law forbids the union of a man with his brother\'s wife when the brother is still living. Since Philip was alive and well, the marriage between Antipas and Herodias was no marriage at all ---it was adultery. See note on Mt 14:4 **6:23 Whatever you ask me:** Herod\'s oath recalls a similar banquet scene in Esther 5 ---7. • Queen Esther was giving a feast for the Persian King Ahasuerus when he promised to grant her any request, even half of his kingdom (Esther 7:1-2). Esther then requested that the king spare the life of the Jews throughout the Persian empire (Esther 7:3-4). This OT scenario is the mirror opposite of Mark\'s narrative: unlike righteous Esther, the sinful Herodias seizes the opportunity to bid for the execution of a righteous Jew **6:24 The head of John:** The prompt response of Herodias, in light of her \"grudge\" against John (6:19), suggests his demise was premeditated. The careless oath of Herod Antipas afforded the opportune moment for Herodias to implement her plan (6:26) **6:26 exceedingly sorry:** Herod\'s remorse is overshadowed by his injustice. His reputation before the prestigious company of high officials (6:21) was more important to him than a fair trial and, ultimately, John\'s life **6:34 sheep without a shepherd:** A familiar simile from the OT. • It generally depicts Israel\'s need for spiritual leadership (Num 27:17; 1 Kings 22:17; Jud 11:19; Jer 23:1-3; Zech 10:2). Ultimately God himself promised to shepherd his sheep through the Messiah (Ezek 34:23; Jn 10:11-16) **6:35-44** The miracle of the loaves looks both to the past and to the future. **(1)** It recalls miraculous feedings from the OT, like the heavenly manna God provided for Israel in the wilderness (Ex 16) and the multiplied loaves and leftover baskets provided by Elisha (2 Kings 4:42-44). **(2)** It also anticipates the later institution of the Eucharist, where the same string of verbs **(taking . blessed . broke . gave)** is found together, something that occurs only here and at the Last Supper (14:22; CCC 1335) **6:37 two hundred denarii:** A single \"denarius\" is equivalent to a laborer\'s daily wage. Over half a year\'s wages would be required to purchase food for the multitude **6:41 gave them to the disciples:** Jesus does not give the multiplied bread directly to the crowds but distributes it to them by the hands of his apostles. • This mediation foreshadows their role as New Covenant priests, when they apportion to God\'s people the heavenly bread that Jesus provides in the Eucharist (CCC 1564) **6:45 Bethsaida:** Located on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee. It is the hometown of Peter, Andrew, and Philip (Jn 1:44; 12:21) **6:48 the fourth watch:** Between 3 and 6 A.M. The evening hours between 6 P.M. and 6 A.M. were divided into four \"watches\" (13:35) **6:50 it is I:** Or, \"I am\". • Jesus takes for himself the 5divine name \"I AM\" that God revealed to Moses at the burning bush (Ex 3:14). This claim to divinity is corroborated as Jesus does what only God can do: he treads upon the sea (Job 9:8). • *Mystically (Glossa ordinaria):* Jesus walks on the water to reveal the mystery of his sinlessness. It is because he is entirely free from the weight of sin that he can stride safely across the sea without sinking **6:53 Gennesaret:** A village on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee **6:56 the fringe of his garment:** Moses instructed the 6 Israelites to wear tassels on their clothing as visible reminders to keep God\'s commandments (Num 15:38-40). • Jesus often makes tangible things such as spittle (8:23), clay (Jn 9:6), clothing (5:28-29), and water (Jn 9:7) channels of his healing power. He thus prepares the way for the seven sacraments of the New Covenant, which heal the body and soul as visible instruments of grace (CCC 1504) **7:3 the tradition of the elders:** Religious customs manufactured by the Pharisees and added to the Mosaic Law. Sometimes called the oral Law, this body of rituals was designed to supplement God\'s written Law and intensify its requirements of ritual purity. These traditions were passed on orally until recorded in the Jewish Mishnah about A.D. 200. Here the controversy is sparked by the \"unwashed\" hands of the disciples (7:2). The Pharisees charge them, not with poor hygiene, but with religious laxity. Jesus responds with a vigorous attack on these Pharisaic customs because they distract practitioners from the more important principles of the Mosaic Law (7:8-9). That is, they emphasize the dangers of ritual impurity (on the hands) to the neglect of moral defilement (in the heart) defined by the commandments (7:20-23). In the end, these traditions promoted by the elders are examples of merely human tradition that the Pharisees have wrongly elevated to an equal level with the revealed Law of God (CCC 581). See note on Col 2:8 and essay: **Who Are the Pharisees?** at Mk 2 **7:6-7** A reference to Is 29:13. • Isaiah reprimands Jerusalem for consulting its politicians while rejecting the prophets. Because their leaders routinely exclude the Lord from foreign policy decisions and rely instead on their own wisdom, their worship of the Lord has become empty and vain. No longer, says Isaiah, will Yahweh tolerate their lip service when their hearts are devoid of living faith. The Pharisees have fallen into the same trap of rejecting God\'s wisdom in favor of their own (Mt 23:23; Col 2:20-23). As a result, their venerated traditions are empty and in dangerous competition with God\'s will as revealed in the gospel **7:11 Corban:** Aramaic for \"offering\". It denotes something dedicated to God for a religious purpose. It often consisted of money or property donated by vow to the Temple. Jesus denounces the abuse of this practice: giving gifts to the Temple does not exempt children from the obligation of honoring their parents through financial support (Ex 20:12; Deut 5:16; CCC 2218) **7:19 all foods clean:** An editorial comment by Mark. Since Jesus traces true defilement back to the heart (7:21), the outward distinctions between clean and unclean as defined by the Old Covenant are no longer operative or binding in the New. These ceremonial distinctions have been superseded in two ways: **(1)** Ritual defilement was an external matter under the Old Covenant, whereas the New Covenant penetrates to cleanse and govern the inward life of believers (Mt 5:8; Acts 15:9). **(2)** Since Mosaic food laws effectively separated Israel from the Gentiles, these dietary restrictions were set aside in the New Covenant once Jews and Gentiles were gathered together into the same covenant family. The early Church grappled much with the issues surrounding Old Covenant dietary laws and table-fellowship in light of the gospel (Acts 10:9-16; Rom 14:13-23; Gal 2:11-16; CCC 582) **7:21 the heart of man:** In biblical terminology, the heart is the center of the person and the source of every decision that manifests itself through deeds. Jesus thus links true defilement with the heart, where evil actions and intentions have their hidden beginning (Mt 5:28). His inventory of vices is similar to others in the NT (Rom 1:29-31; Gal 5:19-21; 1 Pet 4:3; CCC 1432, 2517-19) **7:24 Tyre and Sidon:** Two Phoenician cities on the Mediterranean coast, north of Palestine. They were predominantly Gentile in population and thus contemptible to the Jews (Ezek 26:1 ---28:26; Joel 3:4-8) **7:27 the children first:** The children of Israel hold first claim to the blessings of the New Covenant (Mt 15:24; Rom 1:16; 9:4-5; CCC 839). Only after Jesus\' Resurrection is the gospel systematically proclaimed to all nations (Mt 28:18-20; Acts 1:8). **dogs:** Often a derogatory term in the Bible (1 Sam 17:43; Phil 3:2; Rev 22:15). Jesus uses it to illustrate the progress of the gospel: just as children are fed before pets, so the gospel is offered to Israel before the Gentiles. The woman\'s acceptance of this epithet reveals her humility, and her unwillingness to be turned away reveals her perseverance (7:28-29) **7:31 the Decapolis:** This setting indicates that Jesus continued to travel and minister in Gentile territory. See note on Mk 5:1 **7:33 privately:** Reflects Jesus\' intention to conceal his identity. See note on Mk 1:44 **7:34 Ephphatha:** An Aramaic expression that Mark translates for his Gentile readers **7:37 the deaf . The mute:** Recalls the messianic blessings prophesied in Is 35:4-6 (Wis 10:21; CCC 549). See note on Mt 11:5 **8:1-10** An episode similar to the miracle in 6:35-44, but dissimilar in several details. Jesus multiplies **seven** (8:5) loaves instead of five (6:38), collects **seven** (8:8) leftover baskets instead of twelve (6:43), and feeds **four thousand** (8:9) people instead of 5,000 (6:44). The symbolism of these figures is examined in 8:18-21 **8:2 I have compassion:** The lack of food in this episode illustrates how Jesus rewards the crowd for their perseverance, despite natural discomforts like hunger (8:2) **8:6 given thanks:** A translation of the Greek verb *eucharisteō,* which is the basis for the English word \"Eucharist\". Jesus\' multiplication of bread after giving thanks foreshadows the Last Supper and the institution of the Blessed Sacrament (1 Cor 11:24; CCC 1328, 1335). See note on Mk 6:35-44 **8:10 Dalmanutha:** An unknown location in Galilee also called \"Magadan\" (Mt 15:39) **8:11 a sign from heaven:** Jesus refuses to perform miracles on demand, especially not for **Pharisees** who are plotting to destroy him (3:6). They are like the Israelites in the wilderness who refused to believe in God, even after seeing numerous signs in Egypt (Num 14:11; CCC 548) **8:15 the leaven:** A metaphor based on the \"one loaf\" in the boat (8:14). Jesus warns the disciples that as leaven permeates and expands bread, so the **Pharisees** and their teaching exert a corruptive influence on the crowds (Mt 16:11-12). Similar imagery is used elsewhere in the NT (Lk 12:1; 1 Cor 5:6-8; Gal 5:9). **Herod:** Herod Antipas, tetrarch of Galilee. He was interested in Jesus primarily as a miracle worker (Lk 23:8). See note on 6:14 **8:19-21** Jesus rehearses the figures in both miracles of the loaves (6:35-44; 8:1-10). While the symbolism of these numbers is nowhere made explicit, they most likely signify the nations who hear the gospel. The **twelve** (8:19) leftover baskets from the first episode represent the twelve tribes of Israel that Jesus gathers into the Church (Mt 15:24; 19:28). The **seven** (8:20) baskets of the second miracle represent the seven Gentile nations who once occupied the land of Canaan alongside Israel (Deut 7:1) and to whom Christ subsequently offers salvation. Jesus\' previous conversation with the Syrophoenician (Canaanite) woman in 7:24-30 already established the point that Israel\'s leftover bread would be given to Gentiles. Together these figures point to the international dimensions of the New Covenant (Rom 1:16; Gal 3:28) **8:22-26** A unique miracle performed in stages. It has multiple significance in Mark: Jesus not only healed the man, but he also heals the spiritual deafness and blindness of the disciples (8:18-21). Although they are still uncertain about his true identity, Jesus sharpens their vision to recognize him as Messiah in the following episode (8:29). • *Allegorically* (St. Bede, *In Marcum):* Jesus heals the blind man to announce the mystery of redemption. As God Incarnate, Jesus heals man through the sacrament of his human nature, here signified by his hands and spittle. This grace cures our spiritual blindness gradually, and, as with the blind man, progress is measured in proportion to our faith. *Allegorically* (St. Jerome, *Homily* 79), the restoration of the blind man signifies our gradual increase in wisdom, from the darkness of ignorance to the light of truth. Christ\'s spittle is the perfect doctrine that proceeds from his mouth; it enhances our vision and brings us progressively to the knowledge of God **8:27-10:52** Seven times in this section reference is made to \"the way\", although this (Greek) motif is muted through various translations like \"journey\", \"road\", and \"roadside\" (8:27; 9:33-34; 10:17, 32, 46, 52). At the narrative level, it depicts the steady movements of Jesus on \"the way\" to Jerusalem. On a theological level, Jesus is teaching that \"the way\" to heavenly glory is \"the way\" of heroic suffering. He first clears \"the way\" through his own Passion and then summons disciples to follow in his footsteps (1 Pet 2:21; 4:13). • This Marcan motif recalls the New Exodus motif of Isaiah. Just as Yahweh delivered the Israelites from Egypt and led them on \"the way\" to the Promised Land (Ex 13:21-22), so Isaiah envisioned a second Exodus from the bondage of sin to a new life with the Lord. The prophet describes this as a great journey along \"the way\" to Mt. Zion (Is 30:19-21; 35:8-10; 40:3-5; 48:17; 51:10-11; 62:10-11). See note on Mk 1:2-3 **8:27 Caesarea Philippi:** A Gentile city beyond the northern border of Palestine. See note on Mt 16:13. **Who do men . ?:** Popular opinion agreed that Jesus was a prophet, but there was no consensus about *which* prophet he was (8:28; 6:14-15) **8:29 You are the Christ:** i.e., Israel\'s Messiah and king. Peter\'s confession is the climax of the first half of Mark\'s Gospel. To counteract expectations that the Messiah would be a purely political and military figure, Jesus immediately instructs the disciples about the suffering and shame he will have to face to accomplish his mission (8:31-33). See note on Mt 16:16 and word study: **Christ** at Mk 14 **8:30 he charged them:** The blessing that accompanied Simon\'s name change to \"Peter\" (3:16) is not mentioned in Mark as it is in Matthew (16:17-19). According to one ancient tradition, this omission reflects Mark\'s dependence upon Peter for his Gospel information, since it is likely that Peter would humbly omit from his preaching sayings of Jesus that exalt him above others (CCC 552). See note on Mt 16:17 and introduction: *Author.* **tell no one:** Jesus enjoins silence on his disciples as part of a strategy to conceal his \"messianic secret\". See note on 1:44 **8:31-33** The first of three predictions regarding Jesus\' Passion and Resurrection (9:30-32; 10:32-34). In this way Jesus intensifies his effort to instruct the apostles about the suffering that awaits both him and his loyal followers (8:34-37; 13:9) **8:31 the Son of man:** Alludes to the royal figure described in Dan 7:13-14. Jesus often associates this title with his Passion (9:12, 31; 10:33, 45; 14:21, 41). See essay: **Jesus the Son of Man** at Lk 17 **8:33 Satan!:** Jesus rebukes Peter for rejecting the prospect of suffering. Scandalized and perhaps frightened, Peter briefly aligned himself with the mind-set of Satan, who similarly tried to divert Jesus from his mission to suffer (Mt 4:1-11; Lk 4:1-13). The Crucifixion proved to be a \"stumbling block\" to many of Jesus\' contemporaries (1 Cor 1:23) **8:34 take up his cross:** A graphic image of suffering. It refers to the Roman custom of forcing criminals to carry on their shoulders a crossbar to the site of their crucifixion (15:21; Jn 19:17). Jesus warns that disciples must be so committed to him that they are willing to endure persecution, hardship, and even death. The faithful, he assures them, will find resurrection and glory beyond the hardships of this life (Jn 12:24-26; 2 Tim 2:11; CCC 458). See note on Mt 10:38 **8:38 when he comes:** The Father has given Christ the authority to judge the living and the dead (Jn 5:22-29; Acts 10:42). At the appointed time he will reward the righteous with eternal life (Rom 2:7) and punish those who are **ashamed** of him with eternal fire (Mt 25:31, 41-46; 2 Tim 2:11-13; CCC 678-79). **with the holy angels:** Jesus alludes to the prophecy of Zech 14:5. • Zechariah describes the \"day of the Lord\", when God will bring judgment on the unfaithful of Israel by gathering armies against Jerusalem to plunder the city (Zech 14:1-2). Once the faithful have evacuated the city, God is expected to \"come\" with his \"holy ones\" (Zech 14:5; angels) and there be established \"king\" over the earth (Zech 14:9). These events transpired with the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, which prefigures the glorious return of Christ at the end of history and the full unveiling of his kingdom **9:1 not taste death:** Jesus promises to inaugurate his **kingdom** within the lifetime of the apostles (1:15). This begins with Christ\'s heavenly enthronement (16:19) and the birth of the Church. Its authority is manifest with the termination of the Old Covenant, when Jerusalem and the Temple are destroyed with fire (Lk 21:31-32). The kingdom, while present in mystery in the Church, will be fully manifest at the consummation of history (CCC 669-71) **9:2-8** The Transfiguration balances out the shock of Jesus\' first Passion prediction in 8:31-33, strengthening the faith of three apostles (9:2) destined for special leadership positions in the early Church. Beholding the glory of Jesus assures them of his divine Sonship and foreshadows their own glorification at the resurrection (CCC 554-55). Like Jesus\' Baptism, this event reveals the Trinity: the Father\'s **voice** is heard (9:7), the Son is **transfigured** (9:2), and the Spirit is present in the **cloud** (9:7). • *Morally* (Origen, *Comm. in Matt.* 12, 36): Christ led the disciples up the mountain after six days to show that we must rise above our love for created things, which were made by God in six days, to enter on the seventh day into the vision of Christ\'s glory **9:2 Peter . James . John:** Three of Jesus\' closest companions. See note on 5:37. • *Anagogically* (Rabanus Maurus, *Comm. in Matt.* 5, 17): Christ took three disciples up the mountain to signify that those who in this life believe in the Holy Trinity will in the next life behold the three Persons of the Godhead in heavenly glory. **high mountain:** Traditionally identified with Mt. Tabor in lower Galilee. Theologically, this mountain is the New Covenant counterpart to Mt. Sinai, where Jesus manifests his divine splendor just as God revealed his glory to Moses (Ex 24:15-18) and Elijah (1 Kings 19:8-18) on Sinai (Horeb). See note on Mt 17:1-8 **9:4 Elijah with Moses:** Representatives of the prophets and the Law of the OT. Together they testify that Jesus is the foretold Messiah and mediator of the New Covenant (cf. Lk 24:25-27; Jn 5:39; Rev 11:3-6) **9:5 three booths:** Small shelters in which the Israelites dwelt during the liturgical feast of Booths (Lev 23:39-43). Peter requests to build these shelters in his desire to prolong the heavenly experience **9:7 listen to him:** This final injunction alludes to Deut 18:15. • Yahweh promised to raise up another prophet like Moses, so that just as Israel received instructions for worship and life issued through Moses, so they must obey the words of his prophetic successor. The Father uses this passage to identify Jesus as this Mosaic prophet (Jn 6:14; Acts 3:22) **9:10 rising from the dead:** The belief in a collective resurrection was accepted by many Jews during NT times (Dan 12:2; Jn 11:23-25; Acts 24:15). Only the Sadducees expressly denied it (12:18). The disciples are here perplexed that Jesus speaks of an individual resurrection, since they as yet had no clear understanding of a dying and rising Messiah (8:31-33) **9:11 first Elijah must come:** Elijahs reappearance was a common expectation based on the prophecy of Mal 4:5. • In context, God promised to send Elijah to prepare Israel for his scheduled arrival on the \"day of the Lord\". His mission was to restore family relationships (Mal 4:6) and the tribes of Israel (Sir 48:10). John the Baptist fulfills this prophetic role as the forerunner to Jesus (9:13). See note on Mk 1:6 **9:13 as it is written of him:** As Elijah suffered at the hands of King Ahab and his wife, Jezebel (1 Kings 19:1-10), so John the Baptist suffered martyrdom by Herod Antipas and his mistress Herodias (6:27) **9:17 a mute spirit:** Demon possession is sometimes manifested through sickness, seizures, and self-inflicted injuries (Mt 8:16; Mk 1:26; 5:2-5). These phenomena in no way diminish the spiritual dimension of the condition; they simply make it visible. The symptoms here resemble epilepsy (9:18) **9:23 All things are possible:** The issue is not whether Jesus *can* cure the boy, but whether his father is willing to believe it. The omnipotent power of God is more than sufficient for the task, but it must be sought with faith and prayer (9:29; Jer 32:17; Lk 1:37). This father, who struggles with \"unbelief\" (9:24), bids Jesus to stabilize his wavering faith (Lk 17:5; CCC 162, 2610) **9:30-32** Jesus foretells his Crucifixion and Resurrection a second time. The prophecy is still confusing and frightening to the disciples (9:32). See note on Mk 8:31-33 **9:33 Capernaum:** Jesus\' Galilean residence. See note on 1:21 **9:35 servant of all:** Greatness in God\'s eyes is measured by humility and service to others (Lk 22:24-27), a principle put into practice by Jesus (10:45). As future leaders of the Church, the apostles must shun aspirations for worldly honor and attention in order to serve Christ more faithfully and effectively (8:35; CCC 876, 896) **9:37 one such child:** An image of those who are weak and helpless. Welcoming them with affection is tantamount to serving both Jesus **(me)** and the Father **(him who sent me).** See note on Mt 25:40 **9:42-48** Jesus uses hyperbole (overstatement) to emphasize that drastic measures are needed to avoid sin (CCC 1861, 2284-87). Because public sin can embolden others to sin likewise, the consequences that await those who cause scandal are worse than drowning by the weight of a **great millstone** (9:42). Because grave (mortal) sins merit **hell** (9:43, 45, 47), avoiding them requires us to take action so serious that it can be compared to bodily dismemberment (Mt 5:29-30). *• Morally* (St. John Chrysostom, *Hom. in Matt.* 59): severing bodily limbs signifies the amputation of intimate friends. When close companions drag Christians away from holiness, they must be cut away. It is better for us to enter heaven without them than to maintain their company in everlasting misery. See word study: **Hell** (page 35) **9:49 salted with fire:** Probably a reference to the trials and temptations that face believers. Given the preceding context (9:42-48), it may include the purifying suffering of penance needed to avoid sin and turn away from impure habits. Such fire is meant to test the genuineness of our Christian commitment and lead us to perfection (Sir 2:5; 1 Pet 1:6-7; CCC 1430-31). In the end, those refined by the temporal fires of this world will be spared the unquenchable fires of the next **10:1 the region of Judea:** Jesus turns from his ministry in Galilee and northern Gentile territory (1:14; 5:1; 7:24; 8:27) to head southward toward Jerusalem (10:32; Lk 9:51). **beyond the Jordan:** Also called Perea, the region governed by Herod Antipas and the location of John the Baptist\'s ministry (Lk 3:13). See note on Mk 6:14 and Mt 19:1 **10:2 to test him:** The Pharisees lay a trap for Jesus as part of a strategy to eliminate him (3:6). They anticipate he will deny the legality of **divorce** and so draw upon himself the wrath of Herod Antipas and his unlawful mistress, Herodias. For it was well known that Herod, the ruler of this territory, and his consort had abandoned their spouses in order to remarry. Because John the Baptist had been executed for condemning their unlawful union (6:17-19) as he ministered in this very region (10:1), the Pharisees hope Jesus will meet the same fate as John by making the same outspoken mistake. See note on Mk 6:18 **Word Study** > [!NOTE] Word Study > *Hell* (Mk 9:43) – *Geenna* (Gk.): \"Gehenna\", the valley directly southwest of Jerusalem. Jesus refers to it 11 times in the Gospels as a dreadful symbol of hell. Two associations are made with Gehenna, one drawn from the OT and the other from Jesus\' contemporary setting. (1) Gehenna is a Greek rendering of the Hebrew place-name \"Valley of the sons of Hinnom\". It was the site of a frightful Canaanite cult that worshipped the idols of Molech and Baal by burning children in sacrifice (Jer 7:30-32; 19:1-6; 32:35). (2) In the NT period, Gehenna served as a smoldering garbage dump where refuse burned continually. Jesus evokes these associations to teach us that hell is not a place of purgation or purification, but one of fiery punishment (Mt 5:22; 18:9; 23:33). In the afterlife, the bodies and souls of the wicked will suffer in hell for eternity (Mt 10:28; 25:41, 46). Other biblical passages corroborate this horrifying prospect (Is 33:14; 66:24; Jude 7; Rev 20:10). ^0zort0 **10:4 a certificate of divorce:** Moses permitted Israelite laymen to divorce their wives under the Old Covenant (Deut 24:1-4). This was a temporary legal concession tailored to the weaknesses of Israel (10:5). Jesus now revokes Mosaic divorce legislation by returning to God\'s original intention for every married couple: lifelong monogamy (10:6-9). See essay: **Jesus on Marriage and Divorce** at Mt 19. • Divorce is one of many concessions that Yahweh made for Israel in Deuteronomy. This is seen by a careful reading of the Pentateuch, which distinguishes the Levitical covenant ratified at Mt. Sinai (Ex 19 ---24; Lev 27:34) from the Deuteronomic covenant that was ratified 40 years later on the plains of Moab (Deut 1:1-5; 29:1). There are, in fact, many laws distinctive to Deuteronomy that are absent in earlier Mosaic legislation: cultic worship was confined to a single, central sanctuary (Deut 12:11), genocidal warfare was permitted for the first time (Deut 20:16-17), animals once sacrificed at the sacred Tabernacle could now be slaughtered in profane contexts (Deut 12:15-24), allowance was made to collect interest on money loaned (Deut 15:3; 23:20), and the grim reality of divorce was tolerated and regulated (Deut 24:1-4). These and other laws indicate that Deuteronomy was a less than perfect law that lowered the standards of covenant faithfulness for wayward Israel (Ezek 20:25). It was always a temporary and concessionary arrangement designed to permit lesser evils in order to avoid greater ones **10:6 from the beginning:** God alone is the Creator of marriage and the laws that govern it. • Jesus demonstrates this by citing Gen 1:27 and 2:24, passages that describe God\'s design for marriage as a lifelong union between one man and one woman. This marital bond is spiritual, exclusive, and indissoluble. Since it is forged by God himself (10:9), it cannot be broken by any civil or religious authority (CCC 1603, 1640) **10:11-12** Divorce and remarriage are prohibited in the New Covenant (Lk 16:18; 1 Cor 7:10-11; CCC 2382-86). To divorce and remarry is to commit **adultery.** According to Mark\'s account, Jesus warns both spouses of this danger. This speaks directly to Mark\'s readers in ancient Rome, where men and women shared the right to initiate divorce. This double warning may also evoke the well-known story of Herod Antipas\' illicit union with Herodias, since *both* of them abandoned their respective spouses before unlawfully remarrying. See note on Mt 14:4 and 19:9 **10:14 Let the children come:** When Jesus blesses the children, he attaches great practical importance to his teaching on the indissolubility of marriage (10:11-12). Children are, after all, the fruit of married love and the ones who stand most affected by the tragedy of divorce. God intends them to be raised and blessed in the security of a healthy family. • Jesus welcomes children into the kingdom of God and so lays a foundation for the Church\'s practice of Infant Baptism (CCC 1250-52). See note on Lk 18:16 **10:19 the commandments**: Jesus reaffirms the necessity of keeping God\'s moral laws in the New Covenant (12:28-34; Rom 13:8-10; 1 Cor 7:19). The Ten Commandments forever lead God\'s children to moral maturity and remain integral to our pursuit of \"eternal life\" (10:17; CCC 2068, 2072). Jesus cites five precepts of the Decalogue that command us to love our neighbors and parents (Ex 20:2-17; Deut 5:6-21). Do not defraud: Not an ordinance from the Decalogue but here included with them. It may refer to Deut 24:14 **10:25 easier for a camel**: A parable that depicts wealth as a formidable obstacle to entering God\'s kingdom (1 Tim 6:9-10; Heb 13:5). This difficulty is sorely demonstrated by the young man\'s refusal to part with his riches and embrace the gospel (10:22). See note on Mt 19:24 **10:27 it is impossible**: We are completely incapable of reaching salvation on our own. The human family descended from Adam suffers from a wounded nature and is unable to obey God completely or consistently without divine assistance (Rom 7:21-25). Only by cooperating with God and his grace can we fulfill the righteous requirements of his Law (Rom 8:4). By ourselves we can do nothing (Jn 15:5), but with the Lord\'s help **all things are possible** (Jer 32:17; Lk 1:37; CCC 2082) **10:33-34** Jesus\' third and final prediction of his Passion and Resurrection (8:31-33; 9:30-32). It is the most detailed of the three, specifying that his death will result from a conspiracy of Jewish **(chief priests, scribes)** and Roman **(Gentiles)** authorities **10:38 drink the chalice:** A reference to Jesus\' forthcoming suffering (10:45; 14:36). • The OT uses this image to depict the misery that God compels the unfaithful to drink (Ps 75:8; Is 51:17; Jer 25:15). Although Jesus is innocent and pure, he consumes the cup that was filled for sinners. **with the baptism:** Symbolic for immersion in trial and suffering. James and John will share in Jesus\' cup and baptism as they encounter persecution in the early Church. The NT recounts the martyrdom of James in Acts 12:2 and the exile of John in Rev 1:9 **10:42-45** The ambitions voiced by James and John lead Jesus to clarify the true nature of Christian leadership (10:37). His disciples are not to imitate the pomp and tyranny of Gentile rulers (10:42) but the humility and service he has been modeling for them during his ministry (10:45; Jn 13:14-15; CCC 1551) **10:45 for many:** The expression is used idiomatically to mean \"for all\". It indicates that Jesus will die, not just for some, but for the sins of the entire world (2 Cor 5:14; 1 Jn 2:2). • Here and elsewhere Jesus interprets his Passion as the fulfillment of the Isaian prophecy about the Suffering Servant (Is 52:13 ---53:12; Lk 22:37). Pouring out his life \"for many\" recalls how the messianic Servant will make \"many\" righteous and remit the sins of \"many\" by bearing their afflictions (Is 53:11-12; Rom 5:19) **10:46 Jericho:** Six miles north of the Dead Sea in the Jordan Valley. Jesus\' brief stay in the city was spent with Zacchaeus (Lk 19:1-10) **10:47 Son of David:** Refers to the Messiah, who was expected to be a descendant of King David and the rightful heir to his throne (Is 9:7; Ezek 34:23-24). Many hoped he would possess the power to heal sickness and exorcize demons (Mt 15:22), much like the original son of David, King Solomon (Wis 7:20). Here the confession of Bartimaeus is ironic: this blind man sees Jesus\' messianic identity more clearly than most people in Mark\'s Gospel. • *Allegorically* (St. Bede, *In Marcum):* Bartimaeus signifies the Gentile nations saved by Christ. Jesus bids them to rise up from their spiritual blindness, throw aside the mantle of their sinful habits, and follow him down the road to glory. See note on Mt 12:23 **Word Study** > [!NOTE] Word Study > *Ransom* (Mk 10:45) _ *Lytron* (Gk.): a \"redemption price\" paid for the release of captives. The word occurs only two times in the NT (Mt 20:28; Mk 10:45) but is related to other biblical concepts with a similar meaning (Eph 1:7; 1 Tim 2:5-6). In the OT, kinship relations gave rise to the obligation of protecting one\'s parents, brothers, sisters, and cousins. Family members thus took responsibility for paying the ransom price for other family members who were taken captive or sold into slavery (Lev 25:47-49). As a divine Father, God became the \"Redeemer\" of Israel (Is 41:14; 54:5), who ransomed his beloved son from Egypt (Ex 4:22-23; Deut 7:8). In the NT, God purchases his people from slavery in sin (Rom 6:16-18) by the price of Christ\'s own life (1 Pet 1:18-19). His saving death thus ransomed us for freedom and fellowship in the family of God (1 Cor 6:20; Col 1:11-14; Rev 5:9). ^j8ofwb **11:1-15:47** Mark devotes over one-third of his Gospel to Passion Week, the final days of Jesus\' life. His emphasis on these events reflects their importance for the Church, which annually celebrates them from Palm Sunday to Holy Saturday **11:1 Jerusalem:** Jesus journeys to the Holy City amid thousands of pilgrims arriving for the annual feast of Passover (Ex 12:1-13; CCC 583). It is this OT feast that Jesus transforms at the Last Supper and through his death on the Cross (14:22-25; 1 Cor 5:7). **Bethphage:** Hebrew for \"house of figs\". Its exact location is uncertain but presumably near **Bethany,** about two miles east of Jerusalem (Jn 11:18). **Mount of Olives:** The mountain directly east of Jerusalem. Its western slope faces the Temple Mount (13:3) **11:7 the colt:** Recalls the messianic prophecy of Zech 9:9. • The colt in this oracle symbolizes the king\'s humility as he comes to Israel in \"peace\", not mounted on a \"war horse\" to lead a military strike against Rome (Zech 9:10). Jesus\' entry into the city also recalls Solomon\'s procession into Jerusalem at his coronation as the King of Israel (1 Kings 1:32-40; CCC 559-60). See note on Mt 21:1-11 **11:8-10** Three details surrounding the triumphal entry recall Psalm 118, a psalm chanted by Passover pilgrims flocking to Jerusalem. • **(1)** The **leafy branches** (11:8) echo the \"festal procession with branches\" in Ps 118:27. **(2)** The Hebrew acclamation **Hosanna** (11:9) means \"save us\" and is taken from Ps 118:25. **(3) Blessed . in the name of the Lord** (11:9) is quoted from Ps 118:26. Jesus later interprets Psalm 118 in the Temple (12:10-11) **11:8 spread their garments:** A symbolic gesture for honoring a newly crowned king (2 Kings 9:13). • *Morally* (St. Bede, *In Marcum):* the garments thrown under the colt signify the flesh of Christian martyrs, who lay down their lives for the gospel and so proclaim the Lordship of Jesus Christ **11:13 a fig tree:** A traditional symbol of Israel (Jer 8:13; Hos 9:10). **not the season for figs:** The import of this statement is not immediately clear. It probably underscores what is most evident about Israel: it has yet to bear the fruits of repentance (Lk 13:6-9). When Jesus curses it, the withering and death of the tree become a visible prophecy of the doom that awaits Jerusalem for murdering the Messiah. The same point is made in the following episode, when Jesus topples the commercial stations set up in the Temple **11:15 to drive out:** Animals were sold in the outer court of the Temple as a service to Passover pilgrims who traveled to the city to offer sacrifice. Merchants, however, exploited this arrangement for their own financial gain. According to Jesus, they offended God by *what* they were doing and *where* they were doing it. The Temple should be a house of worship, not a place where daylight thievery and business traffic make prayer impossible. • Jesus\' dramatic demonstration of overturning tables foreshadows the Temple\'s violent destruction in A.D. 70. Several OT passages resonate in the background. **(1)** His aggressive cleansing of the outer court recalls Mal 3:1-4, where the Lord forewarned Jerusalem that he would make a divine inspection of the Temple to purify the sanctuary and its priests. **(2)** His temporary interruption of the Temple liturgy (11:16) is a prelude to a more permanent disruption in the sacrificial cult foretold in Dan 9:26-27. **(3)** His expulsion of the merchants recalls the vision of Zech 14:21, where the prophet predicts that no trader will be found within the Temple precincts in the messianic age. See note on 13:2 and CCC 584 **11:17 house of prayer:** A reference to Is 56:7. • Isaiah foresaw Yahweh gathering the Gentiles to share in the covenant worship of Israel. Jesus sees the corruption in the Temple courts as an affront to this oracle (CCC 584). The Temple\'s outer court ---the area reserved for Gentile pilgrims --- has become a marketplace where worship is now impossible. Ultimately, Isaiah\'s vision of a Temple *for* all nations is fulfilled when Jesus makes a Temple *of* all nations in the Church (Eph 2:11-22). **den of robbers:** An excerpt from Jer 7:11. • In context, Jeremiah delivered a sermon in the Temple to warn Israel of God\'s coming judgment upon Jerusalem. Because Israel failed to repent, Solomon\'s Temple was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 B.C. Jesus similarly confronts Israelites who presume that their covenant relationship with God will remain secure despite their sin (Jer 7:8-15). Their impenitence will result in the Temple\'s second destruction in A.D. 70 **11:23 this mountain:** Presumably a reference to Mt. Zion, where Jerusalem stands. Its dramatic removal illustrates the power unleashed through prayer (Mt 17:20; 1 Cor 13:2; CCC 2610). • Jesus may allude to Zech 4:7, where the prophet describes a vision of Zerubbabel rebuilding the Temple after its first destruction (586 B.C.). In his way stood a great mountain that Zerubbabel had to clear away in order to begin construction. Here too the mountain of Jerusalem and the Temple must be pushed aside to make room for a new Temple: the true house of prayer built of Christian believers quarried from all nations (Mt 16:18; 1 Pet 2:4-5). See note on Mt 24:1-25:46 **11:25 stand praying:** A traditional posture for Jewish worship (Ps 134:2; Mt 6:5; Lk 18:11) **11:30 the baptism of John:** Jesus questions his interrogators to expose their malice (11:18). If they deny that John\'s ministry is **from heaven,** they will quickly lose favor with the people (11:32). If they affirm its heavenly authority, they stand condemned for ignoring God\'s plan for their lives (Mt 21:32; Lk 7:28-30) **12:1-9** The parable of the Wicked Tenants narrates the history of Israel. The story stresses that God has been patient with his wayward people throughout the ages. The **vineyard** represents Israel dwelling in the walled city of Jerusalem (Jer 2:21; Hos 10:1), the **tower** is the Temple (as in Jewish tradition based on Is 5:1-2), and the **tenants** are Israel\'s leaders stationed in the city. The servants are OT prophets repeatedly sent by God to call for repentance. Many prophets were abused and **killed** (12:5; Lk 13:34). God eventually sent Jesus as the **beloved son** (12:6), whom they also **killed** (12:8). By adding the detail that the son is thrust **out of the vineyard** (12:8), Jesus predicts his Crucifixion outside the city walls of Jerusalem (Jn 19:20). God will avenge his Son when he sends him to **destroy** (12:9) the unfaithful of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. See note on 13:2. • *Morally* (St. Bede, *In Marcum):* the vineyard of Israel signifies every Christian, whose duty it is to cultivate his new life given in Baptism. The Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms are sent as messengers one after another, and finally, as recounted in the Gospels, the Father sends his Son. Should we despise these servants in pride, and even spurn the Son of God through sin, the graces we forfeit will be given to others more willing to receive them **12:10-11** A citation from Ps 118:22-23, a psalm chanted by Passover pilgrims flocking to Jerusalem. • Psalm 118 foretells the bitter irony of Holy Week: Jerusalem\'s leaders **(the builders)** will reject their Messiah **(stone)** despite his divine mission **(the Lord\'s doing),** while his work will be called **marvelous** by those who recognize him with the **eyes** of faith. The psalm is implying that the old Temple will be replaced with another, where the rejected Messiah will serve as the honored cornerstone of the new edifice (Eph 2:19-22; 1 Pet 2:4-5; CCC 756). See note on Mk 11:8-10 **12:13 Pharisees . Herodians:** Two opposing groups in NT Palestine. They stand far apart in their political outlook but close together in their opposition to Jesus (3:6). The Pharisees opposed the Roman rule and occupation of Palestine, whereas the Herodians were sympathetic to Rome\'s government of Israel through the Herodian dynasty. See essay: **Who Are the Pharisees?** at Mk 2. **entrap him:** Roman taxation was a sensitive and potentially explosive issue for Jews of the NT period. Jesus\' opponents thus confront him on the tax in order to trap and eliminate him once and for all. The dilemma they pose appears inescapable: If Jesus agrees with the tax, he will lose credibility with the majority of Jews embittered by Roman rule; if Jesus rejects the tax, he will be reported to the Roman governor for instigating rebellion **12:16 Whose likeness . ?** Jesus responds with a riddle that plays on the word \"likeness\". Because Caesar\'s likeness is stamped on the coin for the tax, it should be given back to him as his rightful property. God\'s image and likeness, however, is stamped into every living person, including Caesar (Gen 1:27). Even more important than civil responsibilities is the obligation everyone, including Caesar, has to give himself back to God. In the end, Jesus is able to rise above the controversy over taxation by stressing this higher duty incumbent upon all (CCC 450). See note on Mt 22:19 **12:18 Sadducees:** Priestly aristocrats who managed the affairs of the Jerusalem Temple. Their denial of a future **resurrection** was unacceptable to most Jews of the day (Acts 23:8; CCC 992-93). Here they consider a future resurrection only hypothetically; they are really out to prove there is no such thing. See topical essay: *Who Are the Sadducees?* . **12:19 if a man\'s brother dies:** The Sadducees draw attention to the levirate law of Deut 25:5-6. • This law required a man to marry his brother\'s widow if the brother died childless (Gen 38:6-8). The man would thus produce children for his deceased brother and carry on his family name in Israel. The Sadducees considered this legislation inconsistent with a belief in bodily resurrection, since the widow\'s numerous marriages would only lead to confusion if all of her husbands were raised **12:25 when they rise:** At the general resurrection the righteous will become **like angels** in glory and immortality; they will not, however, live as disembodied spirits. Marriage will no longer exist in this state since its purposes are fulfilled during earthly life (CCC 1619). See note on Mt 22:30 **12:26 I am the God:** Since the Sadducees restricted biblical authority to the Pentateuch, Jesus deliberately draws from the Pentateuch to demonstrate the resurrection (Ex 3:6). • The passage narrates how Yahweh revealed himself to Moses at the burning bush as the God of the deceased patriarchs: **Abraham, Isaac,** and **Jacob.** Their intimacy with God even after death proves the immortality of their souls (Wis 3:1) and so hints at the future resurrection of their bodies (Is 26:19). See note on Mk 12:18 **12:29-31** Jesus summarizes the teaching of the entire Old Covenant in two commandments. • The greatest is the Shema (Hebrew for \"hear!\"), taken from Deut 6:4-5. The Israelites considered this passage a summary or creed of their faith in the one God of the universe. The second is taken from Lev 19:18. Together these injunctions to love God and one\'s neighbor underlie all 613 precepts of the Mosaic Law and especially the Ten Commandments (Ex 20:2-17; Deut 5:6-21). The distillation of Yahweh\'s revealed Law into two commandments was prefigured by the two stone tablets of the Decalogue (Ex 34:1) **12:33 burnt offerings and sacrifices:** The scribe recalls what is often restated in the Scriptures: the moral laws of God are superior to the sacrificial laws of the Temple (1 Sam 15:22; Jud 16:16; Ps 40:6-8; Hos 6:6; Mic 6:6-8). It is implied that drawing close to the New Covenant kingdom means backing away from the Old Covenant Temple (12:34). • The sacrificial system as managed by the Levitical priesthood was not part of the Mosaic covenant in Ex 19-24 but was imposed upon the Israelites after they worshipped the golden calf in Ex 32. Originally, the Mosaic covenant was to consist only of the Ten Commandments (Deut 5:22; Jer 7:22) and a single sacrificial ceremony where Israelites would renounce idolatry once and for all by slaughtering the very animals they had begun to worship in Egypt (Ex 24:3-8; Ezek 20:7-8). However, the golden calf episode in Ex 32 proved that the Israelites were still attached to their idols and needed a permanent means to eradicate idolatry from the nation. Detailed legislation for priesthood and sacrifice was thus added to Mosaic covenant as Yahweh\'s (temporary) solution to this predicament (Ex 25-31, 35-40; Lev 1 ---27) [[who-are-the-sadducees|Who Are the Sadducees?]] --- > Scott Hahn and Curtis Mitch, *The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: New Testament*, Revised Standard Version, Second Catholic Edition (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2010).