The destruction of the Temple and the trials that await the Apostles

St Mark Chapter XIII : Verses 1-13

Master, behold what manner of stones and what buildings are here..J-J Tissot

[1] And as he was going out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him: Master, behold what manner of stones and what buildings are here. 

[2] And Jesus answering, said to him: Seest thou all these great buildings? There shall not be left a stone upon a stone, that shall not be thrown down.

[3] And as he sat on the mount of Olivet over against the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him apart: 

[4] Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when all these things shall begin to be fulfilled? 

[5] And Jesus answering, began to say to them, Take heed lest any man deceive you.

[6] For many shall come in my name, saying, I am he; and they shall deceive many. 

[7] And when you shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, fear ye not. For such things must needs be, but the end is not yet. 

[8] For nation shall rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and famines. These things are the beginning of sorrows. 

[9] But look to yourselves. For they shall deliver you up to councils, and in the synagogues you shall be beaten, and you shall stand before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony unto them. 

[10] And unto all nations the gospel must first be preached.

[11] And when they shall lead you and deliver you up, be not thoughtful beforehand what you shall speak; but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye. For it is not you that speak, but the Holy Ghost. 

[12] And the brother shall betray his brother unto death, and the father his son; and children shall rise up against the parents, and shall work their death. 

[13] And you shall be hated by all men for my name's sake. But he that shall endure unto the end, he shall be saved.

[1] Et cum egrederetur de templo, ait illi unus ex discipulis suis : Magister, aspice quales lapides, et quales structurae. [2] Et respondens Jesus, ait illi : Vides has omnes magnas aedificationes? Non relinquetur lapis super lapidem, qui non destruatur. [3] Et cum sederet in monte Olivarum contra templum, interrogabant eum separatim Petrus, et Jacobus, et Joannes, et Andreas : [4] Dic nobis, quando ista fient? et quod signum erit, quando haec omnia incipient consummari? [5] Et respondens Jesus coepit dicere illis : Videte ne quid vos seducat : [6] multi enim venient in nomine meo, dicentes quia ego sum : et multos seducent. [7] Cum audieritis autem bella, et opiniones bellorum, ne timueritis : oportet enim haec fieri : sed nondum finis. [8] Exsurget enim gens contra gentem, et regnum super regnum, et erunt terraemotus per loca, et fames. Initium dolorum haec. [9] Videte autem vosmetipsos. Tradent enim vos in consiliis, et in synagogis vapulabitis, et ante praesides et reges stabitis propter me, in testimonium illis. [10] Et in omnes gentes primum oportet praedicari Evangelium. [11] Et cum duxerint vos tradentes, nolite praecogitare quid loquamini : sed quod datum vobis fuerit in illa hora, id loquimini : non enim vos estis loquentes, sed Spiritus Sanctus. [12] Tradet autem frater fratrem in mortem, et pater filium : et consurgent filii in parentes, et morte afficient eos. [13] Et eritis odio omnibus propter nomen meum. Qui autem sustinuerit in finem, hic salvus erit.

Notes

    1. as he was going out of the temple. He probably went with His Apostles down the eastern steps towards the valley of Cedron, thence up the slopes of Olivet towards Bethania. The great prophecy was therefore uttered in the evening of the Tuesday in Holy Week. St Matthew says the disciples addressed our Lord as He went away , after having come out of the temple (xxiv. 1). In a manner, when Jesus left the Temple He fulfilled the prophecy, Your house shall be left to you desolate (St Matt, xxiii. 38).

    one of his disciples. St Luke has some saying of the temple , etc. (xxi. 5). Possibly the disciples had spoken of its beauty and magnificence as they gazed upon it from Mount Olivet, when the rays of the setting sun were reflected from the splendid golden roof and pinnacles, and from its colonnade of purest white marble Then one, as spokesman, called, our Lord’s attention to its beauty.

    Master , behold what manner of stones , etc. The Jews were naturally proud of their Temple. Josephus tells us that some of the stones were 45 feet in length (most of them 371/2 feet, 12 feet high, and 18 feet broad) (Josephus, Antiq ., xv. 11, 3). The Apostles had heard our Lord say, your house shall be left to you desolate , and were deeply moved. Their remark seems to imply a petition that the doom foretold might be revoked. They could not realize that Jerusalem, so full of life and activity, that the Temple, so full of worshippers, should ever be ruined and desolate. “ The Zorobabelic Temple was rebuilt by Herod ; and, viewed either in regard of its strength of structure, its magnificence, its costly materials, its rare beauty and ornamentation, it was an object of wonder and admiration.”

    2. Seest thou all these great buildings , etc. ? In plain words, Jesus solemnly foretells its utter destruction. Strong as that mighty Temple seemed, it was to be destroyed, and some of those who listened to our Lord’s prophetic utterances lived to witness this awful catastrophe, when our Lord’s prediction and an older prophecy were simultaneously fulfilled. Sion shall be ploughed as a field , and Jerusalem shall be as a heap of stones (Micheas iii. 12). The temple was destroyed by fire, a.d. 70, in spite of the desire of Titus, the general in command, to save it. He himself, when he saw the massive foundations and its mighty stones, attributed his victory to the hand of God. The Tenth Legion, under Terentius Rufus, carried out the work of destruction. Only the towers of Phasael, Hippicus, and Marianne were spared, as a proof to posterity of the glorious victory, won by the Romans over a people who possessed such massive fortifications. The few ruins of the Temple now visible are merely fragments of the foundations and its enclosure walls. The Temple proper was utterly destroyed. The discourse recorded in this chapter was uttered just thirty-eight years before its fulfilment ; but as St Mark wrote his gospel somewhere between 63 and 70, the destruction of the Temple was near at hand, and the realization of many of the signs predicted by Jesus had already been seen.

    3. he sat on the Mount , etc. From Mount Olivet the spectator would have a splendid view of the Temple.

    Peter and James and John and Andrew. St Mark alone mentions that it was the privileged three, and St Andrew who questioned Jesus “apart.”

    apart. Some commentators understand by this, that these four disciples questioned Jesus apart from the other disciples. Others take it to mean that they questioned Him apart from the multitude, but in the hearing of the other disciples.

    The disciples, wishing to have further particulars on such an important question, would naturally, from love of their Master, have refrained from questioning Him on a subject which would have exasperated the Pharisees and Scribes more than ever. St Stephen died a martyr’s death, because a false accusation of speaking words against the holy place and the law was brought against him by false witnesses (Acts vi. 13).

    4. Tell us , when shall these things be ? St Matthew (xxiv. 3) gives the question more fully —

1. When shall these things be ?

2. What shall be the sign of thy coming?

3. What shall be the sign of the consummation of the world?

    The disciples would have remembered the words of our Lord, For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels , and then will he render to every man according to his works. A men, I say to you , there are some of them that stand here that shall not taste death till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom (St Matt. xvi. 27, 28). The connection between the three events in St Matthew’s mind is so close and inseparable that they are described as following each other in rapid succession.

    5. Take heed lest , etc. These are words of warning against those who would try to turn Christ’s disciples from their allegiance to Him. “ The four moral keynotes of the discourse on the ‘ last things ’ are Beware, Watch, Endure, Pray.”

    6. many shall come, etc. History records the names of various impostors who arose at different times, the majority of whom lived after the destruction of Jerusalem.

    False prophets were far more numerous than false Christs. The prophecy is also understood to refer to those, who shall arise before Christ’s second advent.

    7. wars and rumours of wars. Josephus and Philo both describe the disturbed state of Judea about forty years before the fall of Jerusalem. The Jews were massacred at Cæsarea and Alexandria, in Babylonia and in Syria. The reigns of Caligula, Claudius, and Nero were terrible times of bloodshed, tyranny and revolt. On one occasion 50,000 were massacred at Seleucia. It was during this period that the Germans, Britons, and Gauls rose in rebellion against Rome, while at the same time the Roman nation was torn with intestine struggles between the various adherents of Vitellius, Galba, Otlio, and Vespasian.

    fear ye not. The Apostles were to have confidence in God in spite of all these exterior trials.

    such things must needs be. “ Not from absolute necessity , but as a matter of consequent necessity , like scandals, heresies, etc. on the one hand, and the decrees of God, drawing good out of evil which He permits, on the other” (MacEvilly, Commentary).

    the end is not yet , — i.e. the evils which are to overtake Jerusalem. Greater ones will follow. Perhaps these words refer to the wars of antichrist, which are to precede the end of the world. The word “ end ” most likely refers to —

1. the destruction of Jerusalem.

2. the end of the world.

8. nation shall rise against nation. This is apparently a development of wars and rumours of wars. History relates many such facts ; there were terrible rebellions at Scythopolis, Joppa, etc. (Cf. Jos., Wars, bk. ii., xviii.)

    earthquakes in divers places. Many remarkable examples of this awful scourge are recorded during the forty years in question and after that time, thus showing the double allusion in our Lord’s prediction.

    Josephus speaks of “a prodigious storm in the night, with the utmost violence and very strong winds, with the largest showers and continued lightnings, terrible thunderings and amazing concussions and bellowings of the earth, that was called an earthquake.

    He concludes that “ anyone would guess that these wonders foreshewed some grand calamities that were coming.” This happened when the Zealots were in open revolt, just before the destruction of Jerusalem.

    Tacitus mentions that earthquakes took place in Crete, Rome, Apamea, Phrygia and Campania.

    Seneca relates that in a.d. 58 earthquakes occurred in Achaia, Syria and Macedonia.

    famines. There was a famine in the reign of Claudius. This is mentioned in the Acts (xi. 28). St Matthew and St Luke add pestilences and terrors in heaven, and great signs ; pestilence often results from famine. Suetonius relates how in the time of Nero 30,000 people died of the plague. As regards the signs in the heavens , see notes on the Herodian Dynasty, Part IV.

    the beginnings of sorrows : literally of birth-pangs , The words express intense pain. These are summed up under six headings —

1. False Christs shall arise.

2. Wars and rumours of wars (seditions, St Luke xxi. 9).

3. Earthquakes.

4. Famines.

5. Pestilences (St Matt, and St Luke).

6. “ Terrors from heaven” and “great signs ’’ (St Luke).

    9. look to yourselves. Here our Lord ends the catalogue of general woes, which we believe will be repeated on a larger scale and herald His second coming. Turning to the Apostles, He describes in detail what trials await them personally.

    they shall deliver you up. etc. Here we may tabulate the facts which fulfilled this prediction.

Note. — St Matthew adds, Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted , and shall put you to death (xxiv. 9). This prediction was verified when each of the Apostles in turn gave his life for Christ and the Gospel. St John alone died a natural death ; he was the martyr “ in will but not in deed.”

for a testimony unto them: in order that they might bear witness to Christ and the Gospel.

10. unto all nations , etc. This must primarily refer to the end of the world. Yet even in the lifetime of the Apostles, the gospel had been proclaimed throughout the vast Roman empire.

11. be not thoughtful beforehand: literally “be not anxious.” They were to trust in God to inspire them, since they were told whatsoever shall be given you in that hour , that speak ye. Thus St Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, spoke in presence of the council (Acts iv. 8).

    12. the brother shall betray , etc. A repetition of the doctrine which Christ had taught when He sent out the Twelve on their first mission. Do not think that I came to send peace upon earth : I came not to send peace , but the sword. For I came to set a man at variance against his father , and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, and a man’s enemies shall be they of his own household (St Matt. x. 34-36).

    13. hated by all men : because the servant is not greater than his master (St John xv. 20).

    But he that shall endure, etc. To those who fight bravely till the hour of death salvation is promised, and they will merit to receive the crown of life. All who listened to these solemn words persevered, except the traitor who, that very day, made an agreement with the chief priests to deliver up Christ, and so brought about his own ruin. But three days passed and the traitor went to his own place. The words he that shall endure, etc., are also applicable to each individual Christian, for whom eternal life crowns final perseverance, which is a pure gift of God ; none can merit it, strictly speaking. 

Additional Notes

    2. Jesus answering. Our Lord’s answer is obscure, because it is not given to us “ to know the times or moments which the Father hath put in his own power” ( Acts i. 7). Our Lord’s answers may be subdivided generally into four sections —

(a) Prophecies of events near at hand, which the Apostles were to see realised (verses 1-13).

(b) The destruction of Jerusalem (verses 14-18).

(c) The signs which shall precede the last day (verses 19-32).

(d) How the Apostles are to conduct themselves (verses 33-37).

    These sections do not exclusively refer to the headings above mentioned, since predictions, concerning the fall of Jerusalem and the end of the world, are so interwoven that the same words may be said to apply primarily to the former, and secondarily to the latter. Many of the prophecies of the Old Testament were susceptible of two interpretations, the one proximate, the other more remote. Thus the “head of the corner,” referred to in chap. xii. 10, refers to the Jewish nation and to Christ Himself, and these words even extend to the teaching Church, which represents Him on earth.

    6. many shall come in my name. There are many examples of false prophets, who came either saying “ I am Christ ” (St Matt. xxiv. 5), or professing to have a divine mission. Among others we find Simon Magus : “ How there was a certain man named Simon, who before had been a magician in that city, seducing the people of Samaria, giving out that he was some great one ” (Acts viii. 9). Dositheus, the Samaritan of whom Origen speaks, was another impostor. Josephus relates how, when Cuspius Fadus was procurator (the third after Pontius Pilate), one Theudas, a certain magician, persuaded the people to follow him with their property to the banks of the Jordan, promising them that he would divide the river, as Moses had done of old. Fadus took Theudas alive, and cut off his head and carried it to Jerusalem ( Antiq ., xx. 5). The same author also refers to many “impostors and deceivers” who in the time of Felix “ persuaded the multitude to follow them into the wilderness, and pretended that they would exhibit manifest signs and wonders.” .... About this time there came one out of Egypt . . . . “ he said how at his command the walls of Jerusalem would fall down.” This impostor was also put to death. He is referred to when the tribune, questioning St Paul, asks, “ Art not thou that Egyptian who before these days didst raise a tumult, and didst lead forth into the desert four thousand men that were murderers ? ” ( Acts xxi. 38). In 120 a.d., however, we have the first recorded example of one who claimed to be “ the Christ.” He was a certain Bar-Cochba (son of a star), and he asserted that he was “ the star ” foretold by Balaam. Since he did not appear until fifty years after the destruction of Jerusalem, it would seem to prove that the prophecy “ many shall come in my name ” refers also to the end of the world, and that its complete fulfilment is not yet accomplished. St John, in his first epistle, speaks of antichrist that “ cometh : even now there are become many antichrists : whereby we know that it is the last hour” (ii. 18); and it is possible that St Paul refers to one, who put forth Messianic claims when he writes, “ the man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition, who opposeth, and is lifted up above all that is called God, or that is worshipped, so that he sitteth in the temple of God,” etc. (2 Thess. ii. 3, 4). In such troubled times it was perfectly natural that pretenders and impostors should arise and claim to be “the Christ,” and many such may have arisen of whom history is silent. Pillion, a French writer, enumerates twenty-nine of these impostors.

    Christ’s promises to His disciples. Jesus comforted and strengthened them to endure these tribulations by the following promises : —

    (1) “ And when they shall lead you and deliver you up, be not thoughtful beforehand what you shall speak ; but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye. For it is not you that speak, but the Holy Ghost” (St Mark xiii. 11).

    (2) “ For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to resist and gainsay ” (St Luke xxi. 15).

    (3) “ But a hair of your head shall not perish ” (ver. 18).

    (4) “In your patience you shall possess your souls” (ver. 19).

    (5) “But he that shall persevere to the end, he shall be saved” (St Matt. xxiv. 13).

10. unto all nations the gospel must first be preached. Our Lord does not promise that as soon as the Gospel has been preached throughout the world, the consummation of all things is at hand ; He merely asserts that His second advent will not take place until all men have heard the glad tidings of salvation.

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

The Son of David, the Pharisees and the Widow's Mite

St Mark Chapter XII : Verses 35-44

[35] And Jesus answering, said, teaching in the temple: How do the scribes say, that Christ is the son of David?

[36] For David himself saith by the Holy Ghost: The Lord said to my Lord, Sit on my right hand, until I make thy enemies thy footstool. 

[37] David therefore himself calleth him Lord, and whence is he then his son? And a great multitude heard him gladly. 

[38] And he said to them in his doctrine: Beware of the scribes, who love to walk in long robes, and to be saluted in the marketplace, 

[39] And to sit in the first chairs, in the synagogues, and to have the highest places at suppers: 

[40] Who devour the houses of widows under the pretence of long prayer: these shall receive greater judgment.

She of her want cast in all she had, even her whole living. J-J Tissot

[41] And Jesus sitting over against the treasury, beheld how the people cast money into the treasury, and many that were rich cast in much. 

[42] And there came a certain poor widow, and she cast in two mites, which make a farthing. 

[43] And calling his disciples together, he saith to them: Amen I say to you, this poor widow hath cast in more than all they who have cast into the treasury. 

[44] For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want cast in all she had, even her whole living.

[35] Et respondens Jesus dicebat, docens in templo : Quomodo dicunt scribae Christum filium esse David? [36] Ipse enim David dicit in Spiritu Sancto : Dixit Dominus Domino meo : Sede a dextris meis, donec ponam inimicos tuos scabellum pedum tuorum. [37] Ipse ergo David dicit eum Dominum, et unde est filius ejus? Et multa turba eum libenter audivit. [38] Et dicebat eis in doctrina sua : Cavete a scribis, qui volunt in stolis ambulare, et salutari in foro, [39] et in primis cathedris sedere in synagogis, et primos discubitus in coenis : [40] qui devorant domos viduarum sub obtentu prolixae orationis : hi accipient prolixius judicium. [41] Et sedens Jesus contra gazophylacium, aspiciebat quomodo turba jactaret aes in gazophylacium, et multi divites jactabant multa. [42] Cum venisset autem vidua una pauper, misit duo minuta, quod est quadrans, [43] et convocans discipulos suos, ait illis : Amen dico vobis, quoniam vidua haec pauper plus omnibus misit, qui miserunt in gazophylacium. [44] Omnes enim ex eo, quod abundabat illis, miserunt : haec vero de penuria sua omnia quae habuit misit totum victum suum.

Notes

    35. Jesus answering said , etc. St Matthew gives the question in slightly different form. What think you of Christ , whose son is he ? They say to him, David's (xxii. 42.). Jesus had in view by this question to instruct the people in His divinity, and to prove that the Messiah was no mere earthly man, of which truth the spiritual teachers of the people were ignorant.

    36. saith by the Holy Ghost. By the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

    The Lord said , etc. The Pharisees held, from various texts of Scripture, that the Messiah would be a descendant of David. This text is quoted from Ps. cix. 1. This psalm was rightly held to be Messianic, and is frequently so quoted in the New Testament ( e.g . Heb. i. 13, x. 13 ; 1 St Peter iii. 22).

    In the original Hebrew of the Psalm, the two words here translated Lord had different meanings. The one signified Jehovah , the other Adonai , an anointed king.

    until I make, etc. These were warning words to those who were plotting to destroy the Messiah. The expression thy footstool refers to the oriental custom of the conqueror putting his foot on the neck of the defeated enemy. Josue acted thus when he called all the men of Israel, and said to the chiefs of the army that were with him : Go, and set your feet on the necks of these kings. And when they had gone and put their feet upon the necks of them lying under them, etc. (x. 24). Tamerlane the Tartar made Bajazet, the Turkish emperor, serve as his footsool when he mounted on horseback.

    37. David therefore himself calleth him Lord, etc, Jesus, as regards His humanity, was the Son of David ; as regards His divinity, He was David’s Lord. The question was a difficult one for the Jews who did not believe in the Divinity of the Messiah, but looked on Him as a temporal prince and refused to recognize our Lord as such, on account of His humble origin, and also because His teaching was not acceptable to them.

The denunciation of the Pharisees

    Note. — This denunciation is given much more fully by St Matthew (xxiii. 1-39). St Mark, writing for Gentile converts, probably omitted it because they would be unable to grasp its meaning, while by the Jewish convert it would be perfectly understood, since they knew how hypocritical the Pharisees were. Hence the second and third Gospels merely touch on this discourse. St Mark quotes only the words of Jesus which refer to the Pharisees’ —

(а) Ambitious designs.

(b) Greed of gold.

(c) Hypocritical and ostentatious piety.

    38. he said to them. St Luke amplifies this statement, And in the hearing of all the people, he said to his disciples (xx. 45), while St Matthew tells us he spoke to the multitudes and to his disciples (xxiii. 1). His object was to warn them against the scribes and Pharisees, and their doctrine. This is our Lord’s last discourse in the Temple, and He finished His public ministry as He had begun it when, in His sermon on the mount, He warned the people against the hypocrites in the synagogues (St Matt. vi. 2).

    in long robes. The rich wore long flowing robes. The poor wore a short tunic reaching only to the knees. Long robes were also worn by certain priests and others in authority.

    to be saluted. To receive deferential salutations in public ; not the usual, Peace be with you, but to be acclaimed as Rabbi. This title was not in use till after the time of Hillel.

    Thus we find the older scribes mentioned by “their plain names Admon and Hanan, Hillel and Shammai,” etc., .... be sure this custom did not commence before the schism which arose between the schools of Hillel and Shammai. It was customary, and they love to be saluted with this honourable title, notwithstanding the precept of Hillel’s predecessor Shemaiali, “Love the work, but hate the title.” The council even went so far as to excommunicate those who did not pay due honour to the Rabbins. The salutation took some such form as, “Save you, O Rabbi, Rabbi, Master, Master” (Lightfoot, Horae Hebraicæ, passim). \

    market-place. Not like our English market-places, established chiefly for wholesale custom, but Eastern bazaars, where the people were accustomed to promenade, and where all kinds of goods could be purchased at the various booths and stalls.

    39. the first chairs in the synagogues. The seats of honour which stood in front of the ark, on a raised platform ; those who sat in them faced the people. In the synagogue of Alexandria these seventy-two seats were of gold, as this was the usual number of the Sanhedrin. Some of these places were bestowed on men who had a reputation for holiness and learning ; others, such as the chief priests, held them by right of birth.

    the highest places at suppers. St Luke has the chief rooms (i.e. places) at feasts. The meanings are identical. A glance at the accompanying diagram will make the meaning of these words clear. The tables were arranged so as to form three sides of a square, and were known as summus , lectus medius , and imus. The whole arrangement was called the triclinia , i.e. three couches. The central seat of each couch was the most honourable position, and the numbers 2, 5, 8 shew the first chairs. In a large banquet there would be many triclinia. The head of the couch was placed near the table, and the guests dined in a reclining position (Farrar).

    40. Who devour the houses of widows. They may have devoured widows' houses in various ways —

(a) By obtaining gifts under a false pretence of devotion and piety.

(b) By embezzling the property when they were the guardians of widows’ estates. The scribes were the lawyers of the nation, and were employed to draw up wills ; hence they had many opportunities of being dishonest.

    these shall receive , etc. These words shew our Lord’s strong indignation. The widows were at the mercy of their guardians, and religion is a sacred thing. The hypocritical scribes abused the confidence of their clients by such despicable means.

    41. sitting. Jesus was weary after the discussions which had lasted the whole of this day of questions in the Temple, where for the last time he had taught the people.

    beheld : literally “ was beholding.” He looked on in silence for some time, but not a gift escaped His eye, and He knew its exact value.

    cast money : in Hebrew coin only. Neither the tribute shekel nor the ordinary Roman coins would be used for this purpose.

    the treasury. The treasury stood in the outer court of the women, and consisted of thirteen brazen chests, called trumpets, because the openings through which the money passed were broad at the top and narrow at the bottom, and resembled a trumpet in shape.

    “ Nine chests were for the appointed temple tribute and for the sacrifice tribute, that is, money gifts instead of the sacrifices ; four chests for freewill offerings for wood, incense, temple decorations, and burnt offerings ” (Lightfoot ).

    many that were rich cast in much.

    “ The Jews were generous in their gifts, so much so, that a law was passed forbidding the gift to the temple of more than a certain proportion of one’s possessions. The amount of such contributions may be inferred by recalling the circumstance that at the time of Pompey and Crassus, the temple treasury, after having lavishly defrayed every possible expenditure, contained in money nearly half a million, and precious vessels to the value of nearly two millions sterling ” ( Edersheim ).

    42. there came a certain poor widow. Perhaps one of those to whom Christ had recently referred ; the woman was poor , but not a beggar.

    two mites. The two equalled a quadrans , which was a quarter of an as, which in Cicero’s time was worth about one halfpenny. The widow’s mites therefore amounted to about an eighth of a penny. This amount, however, had a greater purchasing value than half a farthing of our money has now.

    43. calling his disciples , etc. : that He might instruct them, and thus hand down this example of generosity to posterity for their admiration and imitation.

    more than all they, etc. Christ does not reject the gifts of the rich if given with pure intention. Doubtless many of these rich gifts were worthless, while others were acceptable, because given in the right spirit. Jesus estimated the value by the sacrifice, which the alms had entailed, not by its intrinsic value.

    44. they did cast in of their abundance : better, of their superfluity ; they gave what they would not miss.

    cast in all. She gave even what was necessary for her sustenance, hence her alms was precious in God’s sight, because accompanied by self-denial.

    Lesson. — From this incident we should learn —

    1. To be generous in giving alms, remembering that God counts each offering, and will reward us in due time.

    2. If our means are limited, we are not thereby excused from almsgiving, but should give according to our ability, and be willing to sacrifice comforts, and even necessaries, for the love of God and of our neighbour.

    Note 1. — St Mark’s graphic touches are particularly noticeable in this narration —

1. Jesus was sitting near the treasury.

2. He beheld how the people cast money, etc.

3. He called His disciples to Him.

4. He praised the widow’s deed.

Nos. 1 and 8 are peculiar to St Mark.

    Note 2. — It was apparently while Jesus was still sitting near the treasury that the following events took place —

    (a) St Andrew and St Philip brought to Jesus some Greeks who desired to speak with Him (St John xii. 20-22).

    (b) Jesus prayed aloud to His Father (St John xii. 27).

    (c) A heavenly voice was heard saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again (St John xii. 2S).

    (d) Jesus once more predicted His crucifixion (St John xii. 32, 33).

    (e) Many of the chief men also believed in him : but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, that they might not be cast out of the synagogue (St John xii. 42).

    After this last discourse Jesus left His Father's house , never again to enter it. His public ministry was over, and His suffering life was about to begin. His work there was done ; He had taught, warned, and worked miracles. Now He was to finish the work which the Father had given Him, by dying for our Redemption. 

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

The Scribe's question

St Mark Chapter XII : Verses 28-34

And there came one of the scribes... J-J Tissot

[28] And there came one of the scribes that had heard them reasoning together, and seeing that he had answered them well, asked him which was the first commandment of all. 

[29] And Jesus answered him: The first commandment of all is, Hear, O Israel: the Lord thy God is one God. 

[30] And thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind, and with thy whole strength. This is the first commandment.

[31] And the second is like to it: Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is no other commandment greater than these. 

[32] And the scribe said to him: Well, Master, thou hast said in truth, that there is one God, and there is no other besides him. 

[33] And that he should be loved with the whole heart, and with the whole understanding, and with the whole soul, and with the whole strength; and to love one's neighbour as one's self, is a greater thing than all holocausts and sacrifices. 

[34] And Jesus seeing that he had answered wisely, said to him: Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question. 

[35] And Jesus answering, said, teaching in the temple: How do the scribes say, that Christ is the son of David?

[36] For David himself saith by the Holy Ghost: The Lord said to my Lord, Sit on my right hand, until I make thy enemies thy footstool. [37] David therefore himself calleth him Lord, and whence is he then his son? And a great multitude heard him gladly.

[28] Et accessit unus de scribis, qui audierat illos conquirentes, et videns quoniam bene illis responderit, interrogavit eum quod esset primum omnium mandatum. [29] Jesus autem respondit ei : Quia primum omnium mandatum est : Audi Israel, Dominus Deus tuus, Deus unus est : [30] et diliges Dominum Deum tuum ex toto corde tuo, et ex tota anima tua, et ex tota mente tua, et ex tota virtute tua. Hoc est primum mandatum. [31] Secundum autem simile est illi : Diliges proximum tuum tamquam teipsum. Majus horum aliud mandatum non est. [32] Et ait illi scriba : Bene, Magister, in veritate dixisti, quia unus est Deus, et non est alius praeter eum. [33] Et ut diligatur ex toto corde, et ex toto intellectu, et ex tota anima, et ex tota fortitudine, et diligere proximum tamquam seipsum, majus est omnibus holocautomatibus, et sacrificiis. [34] Jesus autem videns quod sapienter respondisset, dixit illi : Non es longe a regno Dei. Et nemo jam audebat eum interrogare. [35] Et respondens Jesus dicebat, docens in templo : Quomodo dicunt scribae Christum filium esse David? [36] Ipse enim David dicit in Spiritu Sancto : Dixit Dominus Domino meo : Sede a dextris meis, donec ponam inimicos tuos scabellum pedum tuorum. [37] Ipse ergo David dicit eum Dominum, et unde est filius ejus? Et multa turba eum libenter audivit.

Notes

    Note. — From St Matthew we learn that the Pharisees , hearing that he had silenced the Sadducees , came together (xxii. 34). They held another consultation as to how they could defeat Jesus, and they decided to send a certain scribe, a doctor of the Law, to tempt Him with another question.

    28. there came one of the scribes. St Matthew adds, a doctor of the law ; he was also a Pharisee, since he was one of them. The general opinion concerning the difference between a scribe and a doctor of the law is, that the scribe interpreted the traditions of the elders or the unwritten law, and the doctor of the law explained the written law.

    heard them reasoning. Jesus and the Sadducees.

    seeing that he had answered them well. From these words some commentators think that the scribe came forward and asked the question in all sincerity ; others judge, from St Matthew’s words, a doctor of the law asked him, tempting him, that it was another cunningly devised plot. A third solution (based on our Lord’s words, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God), is that the doctor of the law came with evil intentions, but that he was partly won over by Christ’s words. It is also possible that the Pharisees employed a conscientious scribe as their tool.

    which was the first commandment of all. This was a vexed question among the Jews. It might mean, which kind of commandment was the greater, i.e. how were they to know which commandments were great and which were small, or it might mean “ which is the greatest of all the commandments ” ? From our Lord’s answer it would seem to bear the second meaning. The doctors were divided on this point, so it seemed that, however our Lord answered, He would offend some of them. This He avoided by referring the scribe to the commandment which embraces all the others, and which, therefore, must be the greatest. Many Rabbis taught that those commandments which regarded the observance of the Sabbath, circumcision, offerings, and other external ceremonies took precedence, from their very nature, of those which regulated men’s morals. The practical results of this theory are shewn in St Mark (vii. 11-13), where we see that the Rabbis allowed a man to neglect his parents in need, if he had pronounced the word “ Corban ” over his goods, even though he did not actually give them up for use in the Temple.

    29. Hear , 0 Israel, etc. These words are quoted from Deut. vi. 4, 5, and are part of one of the four sets of verses, which were inscribed on the phylacteries [from ancient Greek ϕυλακτήριον watchman's post, safeguard, in Hellenistic Greek also amulet, tefillin: OED] or strips of parchment which were rolled up and worn on the left arm and on the forehead. These texts formed part of the Shema , a prayer which the Jews recited morning and evening. The phylacteries were placed in small leathern boxes containing four divisions. The Shema included —

(1) Exodus xiii. 2-10.

(2) Exodus xiii. 11-17.

(3) Deut. vi. 4-9.

(4) Deut. vi. 13-23.

    30. thou shalt love .... with thy whole heart , etc.

By heart we may understand  — desire and will.

By soul we may understand   — sentiment and passion.

By mind we may understand  — intellect and reason.

    In each of these respective spheres we must worship and love God with all our strength. This love must not be merely theoretical, but should be the mainspring of our daily actions.

    31. the second is like to it. Because we prove our love of God whom we have not seen , by loving our neighbour whom we have seen. Man is to be loved, not for his own sake, since this is not always possible, but because —

(1) God commands us to love Him.

(2) Man is created to God’s image.

(3) All mankind are brethren.

    as thyself. Not in the same degree , but in the same manner. The true love of our neighbour is to treat him, as we would that others should treat us.

    no other commandment greater. Because they embrace all others ; on these two commandments dependeth the whole law and the prophets (St Matt. xxii. 40). St Paul states also the same doctrine : he that loveth his neighbour hath fulfilled the law (Rom. xiii. 8). Jesus here gives a positive answer, and places the observance of the moral law above those which regulate rites and ceremonies.

    32. thou hast said in truth, etc. The scribe confirms our Lord’s decision by shewing that the prophets taught the same doctrine ; to love one's neighbour as oneself is a greater thing than all holocausts and sacrifices. These words recall various passages of the Old Testament, among others —

    Obedience is better than sacrifices (1 Kings xv. 22).

    A sacrifice to God is an afflicted spirit ; a contrite and humbled heart , O God, thou xoilt not despise (Ps. 1. 19).

    For I desired mercy , and not sacrifice ; and the knoivledge of God more than holocausts (Osee vi. 6).

    I will shew thee, 0 man, what is good, and what the Lord requireth of thee : Verily, to do judgment , and to love mercy, and to walk solicitous with thy God (Micheas vi. 8).

    34. Thou art not far , etc. He was very near becoming a disciple of Christ. Perhaps he was one of those of whom we read (St John xii. 42), Many of the chief men also believed in him : but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him.

no man after that durst ask, etc., — i.e. no cunning question to ensnare Him.

Additional Notes

Note on the Jewish Scribes.

Some idea of the minute distinctions and analogies drawn by the Rabbinical teachers may be gathered from the fact, that having carefully studied each separate precept touching the moral law, or rites and ceremonies, they concluded that there were “ 248 affirmative precepts, being as many as the bones in the human body ; and 365 negative precepts, being as many as the arteries and veins, or the days of the year ; the total being 613, which was also the number of the letters of the Decalogue. They also arrived at the same result from the fact that the Jews were commanded to wear fringes on the corners of their tallith, [post-biblical Hebrew ṭallīṯ, ṭallēṯ cloak, prayer shawl, of uncertain origin, perhaps < Hebrew ṭallēl to cover, to roof bound OED ] bound with a thread of blue ; and as each fringe had eight threads and five knots, and the letters of the word ‘ tsitsith ’ (fringes) make 600, the total number of letters in the commandments was, as before, 613” (Farrar). 

The Scribes, Doctors and Lawyers

    The Scribes were a class of men which originated with “ the Great Synagogue.” This was a body of men appointed by Esdras to guard, study and interpret the law of Moses. They were charged “ to hedge ” it round with the “ traditions of the elders.” Hence they were chiefly occupied in three branches of study : —

(1) The Midrash , — i.e. the compilation of the law, involving the study of textual criticism.

(2) The Halakhah : Interpretations of the law, and precepts based on it.

(3) The Haggadah: The compilation of the oral teaching of the Elders or Rabbis.

    As the law of Moses was also the civil code of the Jews, it was the duty of the Scribes to assist the Sanhedrin in its judicial duties, to seek for “ precedents ” to justify its decisions, and to solve difficult legal problems. It has been conjectured that the “ lawyers ” or “ doctors of the law ” were Scribes who devoted themselves to jurisprudence.

    The Scribes ranked higher than the Pharisees, since the former held an office, while the latter were merely a religious sect. Most of the Scribes held the tenets of the Pharisees. They, like all other Jewish boys, became “ sons of the law ” at the age of thirteen, and were formally ordained Scribes at the age of thirty, provided their literary attainments justified their ordination. This ceremony consisted of the laying on of hands, and the delivery of a tablet and key to the candidate.

    As the Scribes were charged to guard, transcribe, study and interpret the law, they were greatly reverenced by the people, and it was believed that their rank in the next world would equal their prestige in this.

    Their teaching was not authoritative. They always invoked the name of some celebrated teacher, and prefaced their discourses with such formulas as, “ the rabbis have a tradition,” “ the wise men say.” As the Scribes taught in the synagogues, both in Palestine and wherever a colony of Jews was established, they had a great influence over the people. The names of the five “ Zugoth ” or “ couples ” of noted Scribes were held in great veneration. Hillel and Shammai (two great rivals) form the last couple ; they taught in the time of Herod the Great.

    We constantly find the “ Scribes and Pharisees ” mentioned together. St Mark refers to them in his gospel frequently. 

The following enumeration gives the chief occasions where they are mentioned by him : —

    (1) At the healing of the paralytic, certain Scribes thought in their heart, “ Why doth this man speak thus ? he blasphemeth ” (ii. 7).

    (2) When Jesus healed the man with the withered hand on the Sabbath day, “They watched him . . . that they might accuse him ” (iii. 2). (From St Luke we learn that “ they ” refers to both Scribes and Pharisees.)

    (3) They accused Jesus of casting out devils by Beelzebub (iii. 22).

    (4) They were scandalized when the disciples ate with “ common hands ” (vii. 2).

    (5) Twice they sought to kill Christ (see xi. 18, xiv. 1).

    (6) They, with the chief priests and the ancients, questioned Christ’s authority (xi. 28).

    (7) Jesus denounced them, in common with the Pharisees, for their ambition, vanity, hypocrisy and avarice (see xii. 38 and 40).

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

The Saducees' question concerning the resurrection

St Mark Chapter XII : Verses 19-27

And there came to him the Sadducees... James Tissot

[18] And there came to him the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection; and they asked him, saying: [19] Master, Moses wrote unto us, that if any man's brother die, and leave his wife behind him, and leave no children, his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed to his brother. 

[20] Now there were seven brethren; and the first took a wife, and died leaving no issue.

[21] And the second took her, and died: and neither did he leave any issue. And the third in like manner. [22] And the seven all took her in like manner; and did not leave issue. Last of all the woman also died. [23] In the resurrection therefore, when they shall rise again, whose wife shall she be of them? for the seven had her to wife. 

[24] And
Jesus answering, saith to them: Do ye not therefore err, because you know not the scriptures, nor the power of God? 

[25] For when they shall rise again from the dead, they shall neither marry, nor be married, but are as the angels in heaven.

[26] And as concerning the dead that they rise again, have you not read in the book of Moses, how in the bush God spoke to him, saying: I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?

[27] He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You therefore do greatly err.

[18] Et venerunt ad eum sadducæi, qui dicunt resurrectionem non esse : et interrogabant eum, dicentes : [19] Magister, Moyses nobis scripsit, ut si cujus frater mortuus fuerit, et dimiserit uxorem, et filios non reliquerit, accipiat frater ejus uxorem ipsius, et resuscitet semen fratri suo. [20] Septem ergo fratres erant : et primus accepit uxorem, et mortuus est non relicto semine. [21] Et secundus accepit eam, et mortuus est : et nec iste reliquit semen. Et tertius similiter. [22] Et acceperunt eam similiter septem : et non reliquerunt semen. Novissima omnium defuncta est et mulier. [23] In resurrectione ergo cum resurrexerint, cujus de his erit uxor? septem enim habuerunt eam uxorem. [24] Et respondens Jesus, ait illis : Nonne ideo erratis, non scientes Scripturas, neque virtutem Dei? [25] Cum enim a mortuis resurrexerint, neque nubent, neque nubentur, sed sunt sicut angeli in caelis. [26] De mortuis autem quod resurgant, non legistis in libro Moysi, super rubum, quomodo dixerit illi Deus, inquiens : Ego sum Deus Abraham, et Deus Isaac, et Deus Jacob? [27] Non est Deus mortuorum, sed vivorum. Vos ergo multum erratis.

Notes

    18. the Sadducees. This is the first time we find them in contact with Jesus. Hitherto they had held aloof.

    Though few, they were an important sect, since they were very wealthy, and were mostly priests.

    who say there is no resurrection: St Luke confirms this. For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection , neither angel nor spirit : but the Pharisees confess both (Acts xxiii. 8).

    19. Moses wrote unto us, etc. This law is laid down in Deut. (xxv. 5, 6) —

    When brethren dwell together, and one of them dieth without children , the wife of the deceased shall not marry to another ; but his brother shall take her, and raise up seed for his brother : and the first son he shall have of her he shall call by his name, that his name be not abolished out of Israel. It is sometimes called the “ Levirate Law,” from Lat. levir, a brother-in-law. The same law exists in various Eastern nations. The first child of this second marriage was considered as the son of the deceased brother and bore his name. Thus we read that when Her the son of Juua died, Onan married Tliamar, his widowed sister-in-law (Gen. xxxviii.). The law seemed also to apply to near kinsmen, as we see in the case of Booz marrying Kuth when a nearer kinsman gave up his right, saying, I yield up my right of next akin : for I must not cut off the posterity of my own family. Do thou make use of my privilege, which I prof ess I do willingly forego (Ruth iv. 6)

    raise up seed : offspring who should perpetuate the family.

    20. there were seven brethren. It was probably an imaginary case since the Jews objected greatly to obeying this law.

    23. In the resurrection. This question was often proposed by the Sadducees in their discussions with the Jewish Rabbis. Their object was to ridicule the doctrine of the resurrection. The Pharisees generally solved the problem by replying that the woman would be the wife of the first husband.

    24. Do ye not therefore err ? Jesus assigns two reasons for their error —

    (1) They are ignorant of the Scriptural doctrine of the resurrection.

    (2) They are ignorant of God’s power to change the human fleshly body into a spiritual body when He shall raise it from the dead.

    25. when they shall rise again. Jesus deals with the second error first, and shews that life after death will be under totally different conditions, for men will not marry, neither will women be given in marriage, nor is there any need of marriage, since death will no longer exist, but they are equal to the angels , and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection (St Luke xx. 36).

    marry, nor be married. The men married, women were married.

    In Latin there is generally a different verb to express whether it is question of a man or a woman marrying.

    26. that they rise, etc. Jesus now refutes the first error, and shews that the words I am the God of Abraham , Isaac and Jacob, imply that there is a resurrection, otherwise God would be the God of the dead. The argument stands thus : God is the God of the living only. He is the God of Abraham, etc. ; then Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are living. Further, we infer that since they, the ancestors of the Jewish race, are living, therefore their descendants are also to live eternally.

    have you not read, etc. Our Lord appeals to the Pentateuch, and refutes the Sadducees by quoting the very prophet whom they had mentioned.

    in the bush : better on the bush, a reference to Exod. iii., which was known from its contents as the Bush. It was customary to name chapters and sections after their contents.

    Thus David’s lament over Saul and Jonathan was called the Bow (2 Kings i. 17-27), and the vision of Ezechiel (i. 15-28) was known as the Chariot.

    We notice that Jesus corrects all their false views in detail, since He touches on —

    The resurrection, angels and spirits ( i.e . disembodied souls and resuscitated beings).

    St Paul, speaking of the resurrection, also says of it, that it is a different state of existence. So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption , it shall rise in incorruption. It is sown in dishonour , it shall rise in glory. It is sown in weakness , it shall rise in power. It is sown a natural body, it shall rise a spiritual body. If there be a natural body , there is also a spiritual body, etc. (1 Cor. xv. 42-44).

    27. You therefore do greatly err. An emphatic repetition after Christ had pointed out wherein they erred, and had instructed them on these points.

    Note. — Three results followed from our Lord’s forcible answer to the Sadducees —

    (a) The multitudes hearing it, were in admiration at his doctrine (St Matt. xxii. 33).

    (b) And some of the scribes answering, said to him; Master, thou hast said well (St Luke xx. 39).

    (c) And after that they durst not ask him any more questions (St Luke xx. 40).

    It is highly probable that the Sadducees had previously proposed this question concerning the seven brothers to the Pharisees, and that it had invariably been unsatisfactorily solved ; hence when Jesus gave a positive answer, and refuted their absurd, material ideas, the admiration of the multitude was called forth.

Additional Notes

    26. have you not read , etc. The Jews held the doctrine of the resurrection as a necessary consequence of the immortality of the soul. The Sadducees denied the resurrection, precisely because they disbelieved in the immortality of the soul, rejecting both angels and spirits. In the Creed we profess our belief —

    (1) “in the resurrection of the body and

    (2) the life everlasting,”

and the Catholic Church bases these doctrines on the following grounds : —

    I. THE RESURRECTION OF THE BODY

    (a) Proofs from the Old Testament —

    “ And I shall be clothed again with my skin, and in my flesh I shall see God ” ( Job xix. 26). “And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to grow over you, and will cover you with skin : and I will give you spirit, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the Lord ” ( Ezech . xxxvii. 6). “ And many of those that sleep in the dust of the earth, shall awake : some unto life everlasting, and others unto reproach, to see it always ” (Dan. xii. 2). The Jews thought “ well and religiously concerning the resurrec¬ tion ” (2 Mach. xii. 43).

    (b) Proofs from the New Testament —

    “And they that have done good things, shall come forth unto the resurrection of life ; but they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of judgment ” (St John v. 29). “ He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath everlasting life : and I will raise him up in the last day” (St John vi. 55).

    (c) The Catholic Church, inspired by the Holy Ghost, teaches this doctrine in her creeds.

Reason teaches us that —

    (1) When sin ceases, death, the punishment of sin, must cease also.

    (2) If the soul is to be punished or rewarded eternally, it is but just that the body, which was the instrument of the soul, should share its lot eternally.

    (3) The soul has a natural affection and longing for the body, its dwelling-place, and this desire cannot remain eternally unaccomplished.

    (4) Even Pagans hold this doctrine as conformable to nature.

    II. THE IMMORTALITY OE THE SOUL

Reason teaches us that —

    (d) There is a general law in nature that nothing is annihilated.

    (e) Man has an inborn desire for immortality.

    (f) It is a universal belief, both of time and place, common alike to Pagans and Christians.

    (g) Since sin is so often unpunished in this world, there must be some retribution in the next world.

Scripture teaches the immortality of the soul.

Old Testament. “ And he said to her : What form is he of ? And she said : An old man cometh up, and he is covered with a mantle. And Saul understood that it was Samuel, and he bowed himself with his face to the ground, and adored ” (1 Kings xxviii. 14). “ And making a gathering, he sent twelve thousand drachms of silver to Jerusalem for sacrifice to be offered for the sins of the dead, thinking well and religiously concerning the resurrection ” (2 Mach. xii. 43).

(If the dead are not alive, it is useless to pray for them.)

New Testament. “ And these shall go into everlasting punishment : but the just, into life everlasting” (St Matt. xxv. 46).

The Church has always taught that the soul is immortal.

The Saducees

    The name “ Sadducee ” is said to be derived from Zadok. There were two celebrated men who bore this name —

(1) Zadok, a high-priest who lived in the time of Solomon.

(2) Zadok, a disciple of Antigonus Socheus (a “ Nasi ” of the Sanhedrin, circa B.c. 250).

    

From their priestly descent and pure Jewish blood, the Sadducees could claim to be the descendants of Zadok the high-priest, while they certainly followed the teaching of Zadok, the professed disciple of Socheus. This Zadok taught that the fear of punishment or hope of reward was not to be inculcated as an incentive to virtue. In a word, future rewards and punishments held no place in his teaching; hence he practically denied the immortality of the soul. The Sadducees were all Jewish aristocrats of the priestly caste. Josephus thus sums up their creed : —

    “ They believe that souls die with the bodies ; nor do they regard the observation of anything besides what the law enjoins them ; for they think it an instance of virtue to dispute with those teachers of philosophy whom they frequent ; but this doctrine is received but by a few, yet by those still of the greatest dignity ; but they are able to do almost nothing of themselves ; for when they become magistrates, as they are unwillingly and by force sometimes obliged to be, they addict themselves to the notions of the Pharisees, because the multitude would not otherwise bear them.” — ( Antiq ., xviii. 1. 4.)

    “The Sadducees are those that compose the second order, and take away fate entirely, and suppose that God is not concerned in our doing or not, what is evil ; and they say, that to act what is good, or what is evil, is at men's own choice, and the one or the other belongs so to everyone, that they may act as they please. They also take away the belief of the immortal duration of the soul, and the punishments and rewards in Hades.”— ( Wars, ii. 8. 14.)     Further, in the Acts we read, “ the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel nor spirit, but the Pharisees confess both ” (xxiii. 8).

    In these three citations we have their doctrine laid down. They were bitterly opposed to the Pharisees, because the latter were of less noble birth, and also because the Pharisees had introduced many traditions, all of which the Sadducees rejected, as far as they dared. While the Pharisees added to the law, the Sadducees accepted the Pentateuch as the most important of the canonical books. Their tendency was to minimize both doctrines and religious observances, but they held jealously all that they considered to have been delivered to the Israelites by Moses, and had far less esteem for the other canonical books. They denied the existence of God’s providence, and taught that good or evil is solely in the power of man.

    The Sadducees were supreme in the Temple; they held aloof from the people, by whom they were hated for their worldliness and irreligion, and also because the Sadducees flattered the foreign rulers, and were willing to adopt Hellenistic and Roman customs and literature. To the Sadducee, his worldly position was everything ; he mocked at the Pharisees’ dream of a Messianic deliverer, and looked to Rome for his personal aggrandisement and that of his nation. As a rule, the Sadducees were men to whom religion was little or nothing, and wealth and power everything. The Sadducees did not come in contact with our Lord as often as the Pharisees. Only one instance is recorded in St Mark, namely, when they questioned Jesus concerning the resurrection of the dead (xii. 18). We know, however, since the chief priests were all Sadducees, that it was a member of this sect who formally condemned our Lord as “ guilty of death.”

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

The Herodians question concerning the tribute money

St Mark Chapter XII : Verses 13-17

Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's,
and to God the things that are God's... J-J Tissot.

[13] And they sent to him some of the Pharisees and of the Herodians; that they should catch him in his words. 

[14] Who coming, say to him: Master, we know that thou art a true speaker, and carest not for any man; for thou regardest not the person of men, but teachest the way of God in truth. Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar; or shall we not give it? 

[15] Who knowing their wiliness, saith to them: Why tempt you me? bring me a penny that I may see it.

[16] And they brought it him. And he saith to them: Whose is this image and inscription? They say to him, Caesar's. 

[17] And Jesus answering, said to them: Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's. And they marvelled at him. 

[13] Et mittunt ad eum quosdam ex pharisaeis, et herodianis, ut eum caperent in verbo. [14] Qui venientes dicunt ei : Magister, scimus quia verax es, et non curas quemquam : nec enim vides in faciem hominum, sed in veritate viam Dei doces. Licet dari tributum Caesari, an non dabimus? [15] Qui sciens versutiam illorum, ait illos : Quid me tentatis? afferte mihi denarium ut videam. [16] At illi attulerunt ei. Et ait illis : Cujus est imago haec, et inscriptio? Dicunt ei : Caesaris. [17] Respondens autem Jesus dixit illis : Reddite igitur quae sunt Caesaris, Caesari : et quae sunt Dei, Deo. Et mirabantur super eo.

Notes

    Note. — We must place here, after the parable of the wicked husbandmen, the parable of the Marriage of the King’s Son, which St Matthew alone relates.

    13. they send to him, — i.e. the Pharisees whom our Lord had so recently silenced, who, “ leaving him,” had gone “ their way ” and “ consulted among themselves how to ensnare him in his speech ” (St Matt. xxii. 15). Being upon the watch, they sent spies, who should feign themselves just, that they might take hold of him in his words, that they might deliver him up to the authority and power of the governor (St Luke xx. 20). Here we see the object of those who came and the instructions they had received. The Pharisees are mentioned as thus plotting to the exclusion of the chief priests and scribes, because they formed the dominant body in the Sanhedrin, and the chief element in the deputation that had questioned Jesus concerning His authority. It was in the council which they held, that this fresh plot against our Lord was planned.

    some of the Pharisees, — i.e. they sent their disciples with the Herodians. These disciples were young men who studied under them, and were qualifying themselves to graduate as Rabbis. These disciples themselves may have been earnest, zealous young men, and to a certain extent free from the notable defects of the Pharisees.

    the Herodians. It is difficult to ascertain who they were, but it is generally agreed that they were a political party. (See Herodians, Part IV.). These now form a second coalition in order to find matter for accusing our Lord of rebelling against Cæsar. Their first coalition took place after Jesus had healed the man with the withered hand (St Mark iii. 6).

    catch: literally “ensnare” Him, as a fowler catches birds in a trap. in his words. They hoped Jesus would say something which they could interpret as seditious. Hitherto they had tried to discredit Jesus as a religious teacher, now they seek to convict Him as guilty of sedition.

    14. Master. They came as respectful disciples, pretending that they would fain learn from Him. There is a marked contrast in their bearing, and that of the deputation who came with arrogance and scorn to question His authority.

    we know that, etc. We notice that they praise Jesus for four things — 

1. Because He was a true speaker.

2. Because He taught the way of God in truth.

3. For His fearless boldness.

4. For His lack of human respect.

The whole speech is an example of hypocritical flattery, by means of which they hoped to ensnare our Lord. In what a different spirit Nicodemus had used almost the same words, Rabbi , we know that thou art come a teacher from God (St John iii. 2).

    Is it lawful to give, etc. St Matthew prefaces these words with Tell us therefore what dost thou think (xxii. 17). If our Lord had answered in the affirmative, the Pharisees would have said He was no true patriot, and He would have angered the people, who hated paying tribute to Rome, and only did so under compulsion. If He had replied in the negative, the Herodians would have accused Him of refusing to pay tribute and of stirring up the people to rebellion, as indeed they did later on, in spite of His wise answer to their cunningly devised question. They propose the question so as to require the answer “yes” or “no.” The Jews understood the text, Thou mayest not make a man of another nation king (Deut. xvii. 15), to forbid them to pay tribute to a foreign nation, yet they had been vassals of Assyria, Babylon, Egypt, and Persia in turn.

    15. Who knowing their wiliness : knowing their wickedness (St Matt.), considering their guile (St Luke). Jesus at once let them know that He perceived their design, by the question He put to them.

    Why tempt you me ? (ye hypocrites, St Matt.). Jesus here shows His fearlessness and absence of human respect. Their praise, if hypocritical in intention, was true in fact.

    bring me a penny, — i.e. a denarius, worth from 71/2d. to 81/2d. of our English money.

    These coins were first issued in 269 B.C. They were silver coins used for the payment of tribute. Special Roman coins were current in Palestine without the Emperor’s effigy. They were impressed with palms, lilies, grapes, and censers until the time of Vespasian, when no further concession to Jewish prejudices was made.

    16. they brought it him. Probably they fetched one from the money changers, who would be near at hand, as the strict Pharisees would not carry these coins with them, on account of the pagan emblems which they bore, or the Herodians might have had one to hand.

    Whose is this image, etc. The coin was probably the tribute coin, bearing the image of Tiberius.

    Jewish coins did not bear the effigy of a man, as this was considered contrary to the Law of Moses. They used coins bearing images of inanimate things. Herod Philip, in order to flatter the Emperor, had caused his coins to be stamped with the image of Cæsar surrounded with a wreath of laurels.

    and inscription. These coins bore the inscription Tiberius Cæsar, Divi Augusti Filius Augustus. ( Tiberius Cæsar, the noble son of the godlike Augustus.) On the obverse were inscribed the words Pontifex Maximus.

    They say to him, Cæsar’s. By their answer they admit the legality of the tribute, in accordance with a Jewish dictum, Ubicumque numisma regis alicujus obtinet illic incolæ regem istum pro domino agnoscunt — (wherever the coins of a king are current, the inhabitants own him as their lord).

    17. Render therefore, etc. Once more Jesus silences His enemies and teaches them the important lesson that we are to obey the higher powers when this obedience does not clash with the law of God. Then we must obey God rather than man. This doctrine is frequently enforced by the Apostles in their Epistles. Let every soul be subject to higher powers : for there is no power but from God, etc. : Render therefore to all men their dues. Tribute to whom tribute is due, etc. (Rom. xiii. 1-7). Be ye subject therefore to every human creature for God's sake : whether it be to the king as excelling, etc. (1 St Pet. ii. 13).

    Render . ... to God the things that are God's. By these words we are reminded of our duty to our Creator. Our soul bears the image of its Maker, and we must render to God the triple tribute of our memory, our understanding, and our will. All the faculties of our soul owe allegiance to Him, and we must remember in our daily life to give Him due worship and service, and to put Him first, since in him we live and move and have our being.

    they marvelled : and held their peace (St Luke), and leaving him went their ways (St Matt.). Once more Jesus had triumphed and His enemies left Him. They were silenced, but still incredulous, and more exasperated at each defeat.

Additional Notes

The three planned attacks on our Lord.

    The Jewish authorities having completely failed in their attempt to ensnare Jesus by the question concerning the source of His authority, now plan three different attacks for the same end.

    (1) The Herodians — the disciples of the Pharisees — question Him concerning the legality of paying the tribute money.

    (2) The Sadducees question Him on the resurrection. This was a question asked in mockery.

    (3) The Pharisaical scribe questioned our Lord. Jesus, with divine wisdom, defeated His adversaries, “ and after that they durst not ask him any more questions ” (St Luke xx. 40).

    14. Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar ? This was no new matter of debate, but one which had agitated the Jews whenever they became tributary to any foreign power, and particularly since about 3 A.D., when a certain Judas of Galilee headed a revolt, and refused to pay the tribute. St Luke speaking of him says, “After this man rose up Judas of Galilee in the days of the enrolling, and drew away the people after him : he also perished ; and all, even as many as consented to him, were dispersed” ( Acts v. 37). Those who held that it was unlawful to pay tribute based their opinion on the text, “Thou mayest not make a man of another nation king .... he shall not have .... immense sums of silver and gold” ( Deut. xvii. 15). As a fact, the Jews had of their own free will sacrificed their freedom to the Romans through intestine strifes concerning the office of high-priest. Hyrcanus II. and Aristobulus II., the sons of Alexander Jannæus, a Machabean high-priest, quarrelled as to which of the two should hold this office. They submitted the question to Pompey as arbitrator, as he was then in command over the Roman army in the East. Pompey decided in favour of Hyrcanus, the elder of the two sons. Aristobulus deposed and defeated his brother, B.C. 69, and took on himself the office of high-priest; Hyrcanus II., being unable to maintain his rights, handed them over to the Romans, to which cession the chief authorities among the Jews consented, in order to avoid anarchy and bloodshed. By thus placing themselves under the protection of Rome, by whose power Hyrcanus was reinstated, they thereby became tributary to Rome. There was at first no fixed annual tax; but the Romans could, in case of need, exact money from those whom they protected. Augustus, about the time of the birth of our Lord, ordered a census to be made, and from this time, the tribute was fixed at an annual sum per head. It was this which led to the revolt of Judas of Galilee, who declared that the Jews owed tribute to God alone, and that it was unlawful to pay taxes to infidels and idolaters. He and his followers perished ; but many in Palestine shared his opinions. The Pharisees and the majority of the people held that it was unlawful, but dared not proclaim their views. The Herodians (whoever they may have been — a point which it is difficult to ascertain exactly) maintained that the custom was lawful. The Galileans, who were of the sect headed by Judas, gave the Romans trouble on several occasions, and the utter destruction of the city and nation under Titus and Vespasian, was the result of a rebellion against paying tribute. Possibly this question was proposed to Christ, precisely because He and His followers were Galileans.

    Rabbinical teaching concerning graven images.

    The doctrine of the Jewish Rabbis on this point varied, and was in general in the direction of latitude rather than of prohibition. They distinguished between having and using, and also between finding and making.

    By the Mishna, it was not forbidden to represent human beings, provided they bore no ensign of authority, such as a stall, globe, or sword. If coins bore such emblems of power it was forbidden to use them. The Mishna also forbade representations of the sun, moon, or dragons. Some Jews, however, tolerated certain statues and images for the purpose of ornament, but the stricter Rabbis would not suffer them even under these conditions. Thus Josephus blames Solomon, saying that “ he sinned and fell into an error about an observation of the laws, when he made images of brazen oxen that supported the brazen sea, and the images of lions about his own throne ” ( Antiq ., viii. 7. 5). Josephus was once sent as legate in order to persuade the people to demolish a house which Herod the tetrarch had built, and which had figures of living creatures in it ( Life of Jos., x. 12), and he succeeded in his mission.

The Herodians

    It is generally supposed that the “ Herodians ” were the admirers and partisans of Herod, and hence their name. They constituted a political, rather than a religious, sect, and were generally bitterly opposed to the Pharisees. In joining with the Pharisees against our Lord (see St Mark iii. 6) they were animated by the hatred of His Divine Person, which they had in common with them. The Herodians adopted certain tenets of the Sadducees. They looked to Herod for deliverance from the Roman yoke, and also for positions of wealth and independence. They again made common cause with the Pharisees during Holy Week, when questioning our Lord with regard to the tribute to Caesar (xii. 13). They were self-indulgent, worldly men, and Jesus warned His disciples against them — e.g., Beware of the leaven of Herod. As Galilee was Herod’s tetrarchy, it was naturally full of his adherents. Jesus probably referred to them, when He said, “ behold, they that are clothed in soft garments are in the houses of kings ” (St Matt. xi. 8), for Jewish historians tell us that those scribes who attached themselves to Herod the Great’s party laid aside the garments distinctive of their profession, and adopted the gorgeous apparel of Herod’s courtiers. The later Herodians probably did the same, and Christ’s reference to “ the houses of kings ” may refer to the palace of Herod Antipas. St Mark only mentions the Herodians on the two occasions referred to above.

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.