The Gospel according to
Mark
Second book of the New
Testament
Mark (Peter's
disciple)
(Part 7)
We continue this issue
to the Systematic Study
of the New Testament,
which includes the study
of the Gospels of
Matthew, Mark, Luke and
John and the book of
Acts. The study is based
on the Portuguese
version of the New
Testament that the
reader can see from this
link:
http://www.bibliaonline.com.br/asv/mt/1.
Relevant answers to
questions are at the end
of the text below.
Questions
1. Referring to the
episode of the withered
fig tree that Jesus gave
his disciples two
lessons concerning
prayer. What are the
lessons?
2. Jesus wanted to teach
say, Give to Caesar
what is Caesar's and
unto God what is God?
3. A scribe asked Jesus:
Which is the first
commandment of all?
What was the response of
the Master?
4. In referring to large
disturbances that signal
the called end times,
Jesus mentioned when
such things happen?
5. Finishing the call
prophetic sermon,
the Lord warned: "Take
heed, watch and pray."
Why the Master said
these words?
Text for
reading
29. The Sadducees and
the resurrection -
Some Sadducees, who did
not believe in
resurrection, came to
Jesus and asked,
"Master, Moses wrote to
us that someone's
brother dies, leaving a
wife, and has no
children, his brother
shall marry widow
inheritance and give to
the deceased. There were
seven brothers: one
married and died without
succession, the second
took her and died,
leaving no inheritance,
and likewise the third,
so the seven left no
estate. After all the
woman died. In the
resurrection, when rise,
whose wife will she be?
For the seven had
married her." Jesus
answered them: "There
comes your error know
neither the scriptures
nor the power of God?
For when they rise from
the dead neither marry
nor are women given in
marriage, but are like
angels in heaven. As for
the resurrection of the
dead, have ye not read
in the book of Moses in
the passage concerning
the bush, how God told
him: I am the God of
Abraham, the God of
Isaac and the God of
Jacob? He is not God
of the dead, but alive."
(Mark, 12:18 to 12:27.)
30. Jesus is David's
son? - Being in the
temple, and taught the
people when he asked:
"How say the scribes
that Christ is the son
of David?" He added:
"For David himself said,
moved by the Holy
Spirit: The Lord said
unto my Lord, sit at my
right hand until I make
thine enemies thy
footstool. David himself
calls him Lord, how is
he his son? "The
people heard him gladly.
Jesus then warned her,
saying: "Beware of the
scribes, who like to
walk in long robes, to
be hailed in the street,
and occupy the first
seats in the synagogues
and the uppermost rooms
at feasts, who devour
the houses for widows
and for a pretense make
long prayers: these
shall receive greater
condemnation." (Mark,
12:35 to 12:40.)
31. The widow's mite
- then sitting in front
of the box tithes,
watched as people poured
their money there. Now,
many rich cast in much,
but a poor widow came,
he lay there two
currencies, the value of
a quadrant. Calling his
disciples, the Master
said: "Verily I say that
this poor widow hath
cast more in box tithes
that all bidders,
because they gave out of
their surplus, but she
out of her poverty gave
all she had to your
livelihood." (Mark 12:41
to 12:44.)
32. The sermon
prophetic announces
wars, earthquakes and
famine - As they
left the temple, told
him one of his
disciples: "Look,
Master, what stones and
what buildings!" But
Jesus told him: "You see
these great buildings?
will not be stone, not
be thrown down. " That
said, went to the Mount
of Olives, situated
opposite the temple,
when Peter, James, John
and Andrew asked him, in
particular: "Tell us,
when shall these things,
and that will be the
sign when all these to
fulfill? "Jesus answered
them," Take heed that no
man deceive you. Many
will come in my name,
saying, I am and will
deceive many. But when
you hear of wars, be not
terrified: for it is
necessary to pass, but
is still not the end.
For nation shall rise
against nation, and
kingdom against kingdom.
There will be
earthquakes in various
places, and famine:
these things are the
beginning of sorrows.
Are ye on your guard,
for they will deliver
you to court, and be
flogged in the
synagogues, and you will
appear before rulers and
kings for my sake, for a
testimony unto them. But
first it is necessary
that the Gospel be
preached to all nations.
" (Mark 13:1 to 13:10.)
33. He who endures to
the end will be saved
- Jesus charged them
again: "When you lead
and deliver you up, do
not worry about what you
will say, but what you
speak is given at the
time, it is not ye that
speak but the Holy
Spirit. A brother shall
betray his brother to
death, and a father to
his son, the children
shall rise up against
their parents and will
die. You will also be
hated by all for My
name's sake: but he that
endureth to the end will
be saved. But when they
see the abomination of
desolation standing
where it ought not (let
the reader understand),
then those who are in
Judea flee to the
mountains, who is on the
housetop not come down
not to take things from
your house and what is
in the field return back
to take his clothes. But
woe to those who are
pregnant and that give
suck in those days! Pray
that this does not
happen in winter,
because those days shall
be tribulation such as
never was since the
beginning of creation
God made until now, nor
ever shall be. If the
Lord had shortened those
days, nobody would be
saved: but for the
elect's sake, he chose
the briefer. " (Mark,
13:11 to 13:20.)
Respostas às questões
propostas
1. Referring to the
episode of the withered
fig tree that Jesus gave
his disciples two
lessons concerning
prayer. What are the
lessons?
The first lesson was
about the value of faith
for effective prayer.
Jesus said unto them,
Have faith in God: for
verily I say that
whoever says to this
mountain, Be taken up
and cast into the sea,
and no doubt in his
heart but believes that
it will do what it says,
everything you say it
will be done. Therefore
I say that all things
whatsoever ye shall ask
in prayer, believe you
receive, and have them
here. The second lesson
concerns the importance
of forgiveness in our
lives, especially when
we turn in prayer to the
Creator. Jesus said to
them: When ye stand
praying, forgive, if ye
have ought against any:
that your Father in
heaven may forgive you
your trespasses. But if
ye do not forgive,
neither will your Father
which is in heaven will
not forgive your sins.
(Mark, 11:11 to 11:14,
11:20 to 11:26.)
2. Jesus wanted to teach
say, Give to Caesar
what is Caesar's and
unto God what is God?
Recall first the context
in which these words
were spoken. Asked him
whether it was lawful to
give tribute to Caesar.
He knew the malice of
the question, he said
unto them, why tempt ye
me? Bring me a coin to
see it. They brought it.
The Master asked: Whose
is this image and
inscription? They said
unto him, Caesar's. Then
Jesus said unto them,
Render unto Caesar what
is Caesar's and unto God
what is God's teaching
that we must fulfill our
obligations in the face
of the laws of men,
without neglecting our
duties under the laws of
God, and vice versa. The
earthly existence
requires us tasks and
appointments that must
be met as far as the
duties of the soul,
especially the
observance of the laws
that God created and
Jesus revealed in his
teachings. (Mark, 12:14
to 12:17.)
3. A scribe asked Jesus:
Which is the first
commandment of all?
What was the response of
the Master?
Jesus answered him,
saying, Thou shalt love
the Lord thy God with
all thy heart and with
all thy soul and with
all thy mind and with
all thy strength: this
is the first
commandment. And the
second is like it is,
Thou shalt love thy
neighbor as thyself.
There is no commandment
greater than these.
(Mark, 12:28 to 12:34.)
4. In referring to large
disturbances that signal
the called end times,
Jesus mentioned when
such things happen?
No. But before I tell
you, he said to his
disciples, Take heed
that no man deceive you:
for many shall come in
my name, saying I am
Christ, and shall
deceive many. And when
you hear of wars and
rumors of wars, be ye
not troubled: for so
must happen, but still
not the end. For nation
shall rise against
nation, and kingdom
against kingdom: and
there shall be
earthquakes in divers
places, and there will
be famines and troubles.
These things are the
principles of pain. In
truth I tell you, this
generation will not
pass, till all these
things happen. Heaven
and earth will pass away
but my words shall not
pass away. But on that
day and hour no one
knows, neither the
angels in heaven, nor
the Son except the
Father (Mark 13:1 to
13:8 and 13:30 to
13:32.)
5. Finishing the call
prophetic sermon,
the Lord warned: "Take
heed, watch and pray."
Why the Master said
these words?
Jesus' words were these:
Take heed, watch and
pray: for ye know not
when the time. It's like
a man, going into the
ground, left his house
and gave authority to
his servants, and every
man his work, and
commanded the porter to
watch. Watch therefore:
for ye know not when you
come home if the
afternoon is at
midnight, is cock-crow,
or morning, so that
coming suddenly he find
you sleeping. And the
things I say, I tell
them all: Watch. This
teaching of Jesus, so
well known, demonstrates
the importance of
surveillance in our
thoughts and our
actions. Vigilance and
prayer are essential
steps in all our lives,
particularly as
preventive measures in
the face of temptations,
which as we know, the
human creature attached
along its evolutionary
path. (Mark, 13:31 to
13:37.)