Mark
11: trust and commitment rather than faith and belief
Guide: CJB New Testament, online, emphasis
in bold or Old Testament from chabad.org, text I emphasize in green; NKJV
in magenta; chabad.org text in olive. footnotes to CJB in
superscript sky blue and chabad.org; Nomads* discussion in yellow; and my
comments in gray. I
may use endnotes to cite outside literature or extensive comment.
*Participative Sunday-school-class at UBC led by Kenny
Tipton. I think Kenny appreciates opinion in a continuous search to discover
the ineluctable truth. My evolving statement about Genesis 1:26-28,31 and Psalm
82, now from chabad.org, is at the end of this post: because I accept Genesis
1’s directive to constrain chaos in my way of living I may develop a god facing
death or angelic person.
I will post this under the label, Genesis-1’s Psalm 82.
This is the third week of new Nomads’ series to
examine words that are key to Bible study. First was “salvation”, then
“righteousness”, now “faith”.
Key opinions:
Mark 11 has 10 constructs about Yeshua that project onto
Old Testament references and prophecies. Thus, the early church wrote to prove
Yeshua was the Messiah rather than to explore his personal influence to
necessary goodness. Neither “Jesus” nor “Christ” attempts to represent Yeshua.
(I write opinion, because I do not know the ineluctable truth.)
The writer of Mark claims two times that Yeshua’s
contemporaries relate to the Old Testament references – know Jewish literature.
CJB uses the term “trust” rather than NKJV’s “faith” and “belief”.
Just as nations cannot justly subject children to war (thank
you, First Lady Melania Trump), churches may not construct a person by rationalizing
ancient prophesy; churches only pretend they are not accountable for using
mystery to divide children for life.
For example, physics and psychology hold a woman accountable
for her decision to remain pregnant; no man can justly force a woman to remain
pregnant. Also, a man cannot change his sex. Also, aerodynamics and jet
propulsion empower exploration of “the heavens”. Actual-reality does not
conform to reason that has no ineluctable evidence; does not conform to
mystery.
Yeshua’s contemporaries executed him and humankind cannot
dictate to the god a justification. However, living people may and can
collaboratively pursue Yeshua’s influence to necessary goodness.
Key verses:
1. Projecting
Yeshua onto Old Testament literature.
a.
V 2-3 quotes Zachariah 9:9.
b.
V 8 invokes 2 Kings 9:13.
c.
V9 invokes Psalm 118:25.
d.
V9 quotes Psalm 118:26.
e.
V10 invokes Psalm 118:25.
f.
V13-14 mimics Jeremiah 8:13.
g.
V16 invokes Jeremiah 7:11.
h.
V17 invokes Isiah 56:7.
i.
V28 invokes Isiah 53:3.
j.
I think V33 invokes Micah 6, Deuteronomy 10:12-13, and
Isaiah 1:17.
2. V 14 and
18 reported that listeners related to the Old Testament constructs.
The
Text: Mark 11 CJB
11:1 As they
were approaching Yerushalayim, near Beit-Pagei and Beit-Anyah, by the Mount of
Olives, Yeshua sent two of his talmidim 2 with
these instructions: “Go into the village ahead of you; and as soon as you enter
it, you will find a colt tied there that has never been ridden. Untie it, and bring
it here. 3 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you doing
this?’ tell him, ‘The Lord The
Lord needs it,’ and he will send it here right away.” Zachariah 9:9, “Behold! Your king shall come to you. He is just and
victorious; humble, and riding a donkey and a foal, the offspring of [one of]
she-donkeys.”
4 They
went off and found a colt in the street tied in a doorway, and they untied
it. 5 The bystanders said to them, “What are you
doing, untying that colt?” 6 They gave the answer
Yeshua had told them to give, and they let them continue. 7 They
brought the colt to Yeshua and threw their robes on it, and he sat on it.
8 Many
people carpeted the road with their clothing 2 Kings 9:13, “And they hastened, and each one took his garment and
they put them under him on the top step, and they sounded the shofar and said,
"Jehu has become king!" while others spread out
green branches which they had cut in the fields. 9 Those
who were ahead and those behind shouted, “Please! Deliver us!” Psalm 118:25, “Please, O Lord, save now! Please, O Lord, make
prosperous now!” “Blessed is he who comes
in the name of Adonai!” Psalm 118:26, “Blessed be he who has come in the name of the Lord; we
have blessed you from the house of the Lord.” 10 “Blessed
is the coming Kingdom of our father David!” and, “You in the highest
heaven! Please! Deliver us!” Psalm 118:25“Please, O Lord, save now! Please, O Lord, make
prosperous now!”
11 Yeshua Jesus entered
Yerushalayim, went into the Temple courts and took a good look at everything;
but since it was now late, he went out with the Twelve to Beit-Anyah.
12 The next
day, as they came back from Beit-Anyah, he felt hungry. 13 Spotting
in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on
it. When he came up to it, he found nothing but leaves; for it wasn’t fig
season. 14 He said to it, “May no one ever eat
fruit from you again!” And his talmidim heard
what he said. Jeremiah
8:13, “I will
utterly consume them, says the Lord. There shall be no grapes on the vine, nor figs
on the fig tree; even the leaves will be withered, for what I gave them they
transgressed.” [This seems like OT metaphor for The God judging Israel’s
“transgressions”.]
15 On
reaching Yerushalayim, he entered the Temple courts and began driving out those
who were carrying on business there, both the merchants and their customers. He
also knocked over the desks of the money-changers, upset the benches of the
pigeon-dealers, 16 and refused to let anyone carry
merchandise through the Temple courts. Jeremiah 7:11, “Has this house upon which My name is called, become a
cave of profligate men in your eyes? I, too, behold I have seen it, says the
Lord.” 17 Then, as he taught them, he said,
“Isn’t it written in the Tanakh, My house will be called a
house of prayer for all the Goyim Isaiah 56:7, “I will bring them to My holy mount, and I will cause
them to rejoice in My house of prayer, their burnt offerings and their
sacrifices shall be acceptable upon My altar, for My house shall be called a
house of prayer for all peoples.”
But you have made it into a den of robbers!” 18 The
head cohanim and the Torah-teachers heard what he said and tried
to find a way to do away with him; they were afraid of him, because the crowds
were utterly taken by his teaching. (Yeshua influenced the crowd to choose necessary goodness despite the
Church.) 19 When evening came, they left the
city.
20 In the
morning, as the talmidim passed by, they saw the fig tree
withered all the way to its roots. 21 Kefa Peter remembered and
said to Yeshua, “Rabbi! Look! The fig tree that you cursed has dried up!” 22 He
responded, “Have the kind of trust that comes from God faith in God! 23 Yes!
I tell you that whoever does not doubt in his heart but trusts that what he
says will happen can say to this mountain, ‘Go and throw yourself into the
sea!’ and it will be done for him. 24 Therefore, I
tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, trust believe that you are receiving it, and it will be
yours. 25 And when you stand praying, if you have
anything against anyone, forgive him; so that your Father in heaven may also
forgive your offenses.” 26 Some manuscripts include verse
11:26: But if you do not forgive, your Father in heaven will not forgive your
offenses.”
27 They
went back into Yerushalayim; and as he was walking in the Temple courts, there
came to him the head cohanim, the Torah-teachers and
the elders; 28 and they said to him, “What s’mikhah authority do you have
that authorizes you to do these things? Who gave you this s’mikhah authorizing
you to do them?” Isaiah
53:3, “Despised and
rejected by men, a man of pains and accustomed to illness, and as one who hides
his face from us, despised and we held him of no account.” 29 Yeshua
said to them, “I will ask you just one question: answer me, and I will tell you
by what s’mikhah I do these things. 30 The
immersion of Yochanan John
— was it from Heaven or from a human source? Answer me.” 31 They
discussed it among themselves: “If we say, ‘From Heaven,’ he will say, ‘Then
why didn’t you believe him?’ 32 But if we say,
‘From a human source, . . . ’” — they were afraid of the people, for they all
regarded Yochanan as a genuine prophet. 33 So they
answered Yeshua, “We don’t know.” “Then,” he replied, “I won’t tell you by
what s’mikhah I do these things.” [Yeshua left the mystery that baptism might not be
required by whatever constrains the consequences of the human choice between:
male circumcision or baptism; blood sacrifice or obedience to necessary
goodness. Similar
themes to Micah 6 can be found in Deuteronomy 10:12-13, which emphasizes loving
God and following His commands, and in Isaiah 1:17, which calls for justice and
caring for the oppressed. Both passages reflect the importance of justice,
mercy, and humility before God.]
[Genesis
1:26-28, 31, chabad.org:
I
read to consider and apply perhaps 5500 year old Sumerian political philosophy,
religiously referenced by Semite (pre-Israel) scribes of 3900 years ago, in
Genesis 1:26-28, 31, in my paraphrase and extension to law:
Female-and-male-human-being may and can
choose to practice the power, the authority, and the responsibility
to pursue necessary goodness and constrain wickedness on earth. Civic
citizens may and can use the rule of law to develop statutory justice. And that
is good.
Political
and religious philosopher Yeshua affirmed Genesis 1:26-28, 31, contributing
ideas in each Matthew 18:18 (no peace-power above humankind), Matthew 19:3-8
(mutual spousal-loyalty), Matthew 5:48 (in good behavior, pursue personal
perfection, which also affirms Deuteronomy 18:13), Matthew 19:4-6 (don’t
divide/lessen goodness), John 10:34 (humans who resist and avoid wickedness are
gods facing death, as in Psalm 82:1-7), and in other direct dialogue, such as
“go and sin no more”. Psalm 82 says nothing about resurrection.
Discussion
I think Genesis 1:26-28, 31 informs humankind to flourish in
necessary goodness rather than accommodate badness and allow evil.
Quoting chabad.org below,
And God said, "Let us make man in our image,
after our likeness, and they shall rule over the fish of the sea and over the
fowl of the heaven and over the animals and over all the earth and over all the
creeping things that creep upon the earth."
And God created man in His image; in the image of God
He created him; male and female He created them.
And God
blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the
earth and subdue it, and rule over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of the
sky and all the living creatures that crawl on the earth."
Accepting the power, the authority,
and the responsibility to have dominion over life on earth is human
being (verb). Reliable human-beings choose necessary goodness to actual
reality. The God judges the goodness in V 31:
And God saw all that He had made, and behold it was very
good, and it was evening and it was morning, the sixth day.
Note: unlike chabad.org, OJB uses “Elohim” in
Genesis 1 and 2, excepting “G-d” in 1:24-31. V 27 seems to equate the two entities. Septuagint uses
“ὁ θεὸς”, or God throughout Genesis 1. I use “The God, or whatever
constrains human choice”, hoping to express religious humility to whatever The
God is.
Since theism is a human
construct, I use the phrase, “the god, whatever it may be”, to express
objection to any doctrinal God yet reserve humility to ineluctable evidence and
remaining unknowns about that which constrains the consequences of human
choices.]
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