August 10th, 2024

You probably guessed it; this Sunday is called the “Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost”. And this is the second Sunday in a row that the appointed Gospel reading comes from the Gospel according to John [6:35-51]. It may be helpful to note that the last verse of last week’s text is the first verse of this week’s text. When Jesus said, “I am the bread of life,” he was saying something very important, and it was important enough to repeat what he had said.

In the readings of this website, we are going along in the Gospel according to Mark, and there is no need to give the last verse of last week’s reading. Jesus was arrested while in the Garden of Gethsemane, and below is his time before his accusers. And the tension continues to rise.

If you are new to these writings, you may find it helpful for it to be noted that the words below in bold print are called ‘historical presents’. That is where a past tense verb is expected, but a present tense is given. And they are frequent within this gospel account.

It could be noted that the first phrase in bold, that ‘they come together’, is somewhat significant. There were a couple of times that people would do something slightly different; they would ‘gather together’. In 6:30 it was the ‘apostles’ that were gathering together and telling Jesus how things were going after they were sent out. In 7:1 the Pharisees and some of the scribes were gathering together in the direction of Jesus and were arguing with him on some issues.

I do not consider the contrast between these two appearances as coincidental. And I also would not consider it a coincidence that this Greek word for ‘gather together’ is closely related to the word for synagogue. You may want to think of this as two gatherings of people with significantly different starting points. One group wants Jesus to live; the other group wants him dead.

Take my word for it that a LOT of times people were simply ‘coming’ to Jesus. And sometimes Jesus would simply come to some people. There were many different situations; and there were many different results. But now, not just one or two, but three groups of Jesus’ enemies were coming TOGETHER to get rid of this person.
After the text below and all these powers that ‘come together’, the next section will show the contrasting weakness of Jesus’ followers with some details about Peter’s denials. The contrast is a significant one. And much more will be said of this in next week’s writing.

What follows could be called a ‘somewhat-literal’ translation of Mark 14:53-65 (and you may wish to look at other translations or a study bible to help with your understanding of the text):

And they led away the Jesus toward the archpriest, and they come together, all the archpriests and the presbyters and the scribes. And the Peter, from far away, he followed him, until inside, into the courtyard of the archpriest, and he was sitting together with the attendants and warming himself toward the light.

Now the archpriests and whole, the Sanhedrin, they were seeking against the Jesus, a witness, into the put-to-death him, and not they were finding. For many were pseudo-witnessing against him, and identical, the witnesses, not they were. And some, having stood up, were pseudo-witnessing against him, saying, “We, ourselves, heard him saying, “I, myself, will destroy the temple, this, the handmade, and through three days, another, un-handmade, I will build.”

And not so identical was the witness of them. And having stood, the archpriest, in midst, he questioned the Jesus, saying, “You do, do you not, answer nothing, what these, you, they witness-against?” Now the one was silent, and not, he answered nothing. Again, the high priest was questioning him, and he says to him, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?”

Now the Jesus said, “I, myself, am. And you will see the Son of the Man, out of right, sitting of the Power, and coming with the clouds of the heaven.”

Now the archpriest, having ripped the tunics of him, he says, “What still need have we of witnesses? You heard the blasphemy. What, to you, it appears?” Now the ones, all condemned him, deserving to be of death.​

And they began, some, to spit at him, and to cover around of him, the face, and to punch him and to say to him, “Prophesy,” and the attendants, with slaps, him, they took.