June 8th, 2024

This Sunday is the ‘Third Sunday after Pentecost’. And since it is the ‘B Series’, the Gospel readings this year focus on the Gospel according to Mark [and this Sunday, being termed ‘Proper 5’, the text is Mark 3:20-35; and this will be the only reading from the third chapter; the next week’s reading will skip several verses and be from the fourth chapter], and within the writings of this website we are going through that account in the way that it was laid out by the writer.

The following may be termed a somewhat-literal translation of Mark 12:18-34 [And this text may be termed ‘the end of the question era’ for Jesus. This era started when three groups of his enemies asked him by what authority he was doing these things, and Jesus said he would answer their question if they would answer his, and they did not, so he did not. And since that particular question of Jesus’ enemies was never answered, the tension continued to grow. Now you may wish to look up the text in other translations or a study bible to help your understanding of this section of scripture; and if you are new to these writings, it should also be mentioned that the first noun and verb in bold print in the text below is what is called an ‘historical present’; this is where a past tense verb was expected, but a present tense is given; within this account these verbs have been pointing out the increasing tension regarding Jesus and the job he came to do.]:

And they come, Sadducees, toward him, who say, resurrection, not to be; and they were questioning him saying, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if anyone, a brother, he dies, and he leaves behind a wife, and not he leaves a child, that he take, the brother of him, the wife, and he raise up seed for the brother of him. Seven brothers there were; and the first took a wife, and dying, not he left a seed; and the second took her, and he died, not having left behind a seed; and the third, likewise; and the seven, not they left a seed. Last of all, also the wife died. In the resurrection, when they rise again, whose of them will she be wife? For the seven had her, a wife.”

He responded to them, the Jesus, “It is, is it not because of this, you are misled, not knowing the scriptures, and not the power of the God? For when, from dead ones, they rise again, not they marry, nor are they given in marriage, but on the contrary, they are as angels in the heavens. Now concerning the dead ones, that they are raised, you did read, did you not, in the book of Moses, at the bush, how he said to him, the God, saying, ‘I, the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob’? Not he is, God of dead ones, but on the contrary, of living ones; much you err.”

And having approached, one of the scribes, having heard them debating, having seen that well he answered them, he questioned him. “Which is, commandment, first of all?”

He answered, the Jesus, “First is: Hear, Israel, Lord, the God of us, Lord, one, he is. And you will love Lord, the God of you, from all the heart of you, and from all the soul of you, and from all the mind of you, and from all the strength of you. Second, this: You will love the neighbor of you as yourself. Greater than these, another commandment, not there is.”

And he said to him, the scribe: “Right, teacher, upon truth you said that one, he is, and not there is another besides him; and the—to love him from all the heart and from all the understanding and from all the strength, and the—to love the neighbor as himself, more it is than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

And the Jesus, having seen him that wisely he answered, he said to him, “Not far you are, from the kingdom of the God.” And no one, no more, was daring him, to question.