READING FOR MAY 30, 2024: GENESIS 42, MARK 11, PSALM 48:1-8 GENESIS 42 Jacob urged his sons to do something during the famine and not just passively let the famine defeat them. It makes sense to act during lean times, whether it is an individual, family, company, or nation. What about a church that has seen years of attendance decline? Jacob’s call to action led to the saving of his family which led to the nation of Israel which ultimately led to Jesus. Might our actions today establish a virtuous cycle that bears fruit?
Jacob’s keeping Benjamin (the other child of favored wife Rachel) home smells like his favoritism problem again, not likely a good move. When the rest of the brothers bowed down to Joseph in Egypt, Joseph’s dream from many years before was fulfilled. This set off a weird series of exchanges with Joseph pretending to harshly accuse his brothers of being spies.
Was Joseph being vindictive due to his brothers’ past mistreatment of him? A close reading of the text shows that his actions prompted the brothers to talk candidly among themselves, unaware of Joseph’s understanding of Hebrew. This allowed Joseph to gain information about the state of the family and a clear window into their hearts. Joseph’s reaction was one of emotional affection not an ongoing grudge. Taking Simeon hostage may have been part of the test and increased the likelihood they would come back. Sneaking money into their bags may have been Joseph’s, and ultimately God’s, provision for them during this economic downturn.
When back with Jacob, the brothers were far more honest with him than when they sold Joseph. Reuben, the oldest, came up with a sacrificial plan to allow them to take Benjamin back to Egypt. Not willing to part with this last son of Rachel, Jacob rejected the plan. It seems he favored Benjamin over Simeon. Having been resupplied with grain, Jacob feels no urgency to risk losing him then. As we will see, he was just putting off the inevitable. Let’s act now!
MARK 11 Up until now, Jesus had been repeatedly preparing his disciples for his upcoming death and resurrection, while downplaying it publicly. In this chapter, he orchestrated an event to call attention to his entrance into Jerusalem that would culminate in the cross. The day for which He came to earth was fast approaching. One detail that Mark mentions but Matthew omits is that the colt chosen for Jesus had never been ridden before. Might that represent the fact that no other person or spiritual being had ever before experienced this kind of willing sacrificial death for the entire world? No one would ever do so again: “Among the gods there is none like You, O Lord; Nor are there any works like Your works” (Psalm 86:8).
An added phrase in Mark’s account about the cleansing of the Temple is, “He would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple grounds.” Another is the reaction of the
READING FOR MAY 30, 2024 CONTINUED: MARK 11, PSALM 48:1-8 Jewish leadership: “They began seeking how to put Him to death.” The implications that are more strongly conveyed in Mark than in Matthew are that Jesus really wanted to distance His house of prayer from any commercial activity and that this potential loss of commercial space (and resulting loss of income for the leaders) prompted definite plans for the killing of Jesus. How might this relate to how we live our lives and view our house of prayer?
It bears repeating from our Matthew study that the fig tree with no fruit represents a supposed follower or nation of God who doesn’t live a life of obedience or bearing spiritual fruit. By condemning this fig tree, Jesus sends a message to his disciples that an unfruitful Christian life is not permissible: “I am the vine, you are the branches; the one who remains in Me, and I in him bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in Me, he is thrown away like a branch and dries up; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned” (John 15:5-6).Note it says in the Mark account the disciples were listening to this condemnation. Let’s also listen closely and take this to heart.
The disbelieving chief priests, scribes, and elders questioned Jesus’s authority for His actions. As He has consistently maintained, Jesus will not explain certain levels of spiritual truths to those who have already rejected the basic truths provided them. In this case they rejected the message of John the Baptist. Consider Matt. 13:12: “For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him.”
PSALM 48:1-8 The city of our God here likely refers literally to Jerusalem, with its Temple containing the special presence of God, high elevation, fortified walls, and palaces of the kings of Israel. Yet, in the New Testament we begin to see the concept of God’s city applied more broadly. These additional meanings add richness and hope to the Psalmist thoughts:
- The people of God: “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden” (Matt. 5:14).
- Abraham’s faith destination: “He was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God” (Heb. 11:14).
- The new Jerusalem: “I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband” (Rev. 21:2).
We may currently be residents of Yorktown or Muncie, but we should only consider ourselves as resident aliens of these towns: “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our lowly condition into conformity with His glorious body, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself” (Phil. 3:20-21). The City of God is our true home.
