Signs of the Kingdom in Mark 14

Jottings on Mark 14 – reflecting on the Kingdom of God.

The events in this chapter delineate the fundamental truths concerning the Kingdom of God. In Chapter 13 Mark recorded Jesus’ teaching about the Kingdom. In Chapter 14 he describes the narrative of how it proceeded, in stark detail.

V 1. Now. The climax is just ahead. The ultimate show-down between the two kingdoms, the kingdoms of this world and the Kingdom of God.

V 3. First, however, I see Kingdom values in what happened in the home of Simon, the leper. I am trying to grasp what was happening here. Had Jesus healed Simon in the past? Probably so. At least, I am assuming that Simon was healed and pronounced clean in the way stipulated in the Levitical law. So the home was probably ritually clean even though it had a history of leprosy. A clear sign of God's grace at work. In any case, it was the home of a person who knew of the grace of God personally. Any leper who recovered was a recipient of God’s grace. So, was Simon not a thankful beneficiary of God’s grace, even if the details are not given?

Then enters this woman. John tells us she was Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus. Their houses were probably near to one another in Bethany, near Jerusalem. I can not recall that we have record of what Jesus may have done for Mary, except raising her brother Lazarus from the dead, perhaps. She loved Jesus dearly and hung on to his every word. As I read this, therefore, it does not appear that she is offering a thanksgiving sacrifice but an offering of spontaneous love for Jesus – not really knowing rationally what she is doing. It was the result of spontaneous, overpowering love.

But Jesus knew, and for him it was a word from heaven – he was being anointed with funerary ointment not after but before his death. Jesus’ Father in heaven moved Mary, I do believe, to do this utterly unexpected thing that defied explanation as an insight into what Jesus was about to do, pour out his life for sinners.

So what Jesus was about to do echoed the theme of Mary’s anointing – we stand surprised by that unfathomable gracious act, his self-giving to death that we might live, carrying our sins upon himself – making reconciliation with God possible and near. It is inexplicable but comfortingly true.