1 00:00:10,900 --> 00:00:14,400 Hi everyone, welcome back to logical Bible study podcast. 2 00:00:15,100 --> 00:00:18,900 Our goal on this podcast is to help you understand the Gospel 3 00:00:18,900 --> 00:00:22,100 reading from today's mass, from a Catholic perspective, but 4 00:00:22,100 --> 00:00:24,100 really from an academic perspective as well. 5 00:00:24,100 --> 00:00:27,400 So we're trying to do an exegesis of verse-by-verse, 6 00:00:27,400 --> 00:00:32,000 exegesis of the scriptures. Currently at Mass were moving 7 00:00:32,000 --> 00:00:34,500 through the gospel of Mark. So today, it may see you'll hear 8 00:00:34,500 --> 00:00:38,300 from Mark, chapter 10, verses 28 to 31. 9 00:00:39,200 --> 00:00:41,600 So I'll read out the reading from today's mass and then we'll 10 00:00:41,600 --> 00:00:43,100 have a go at pulling it apart a bit. 11 00:00:44,100 --> 00:00:46,800 At that time, Peter began to tell Jesus. 12 00:00:47,200 --> 00:00:50,000 What about us? We have left everything and 13 00:00:50,000 --> 00:00:54,500 followed you. Jesus said, I tell you, solemnly 14 00:00:54,700 --> 00:00:59,000 there is no one who has left house, brothers, sisters, 15 00:00:59,100 --> 00:01:04,000 father, children, all land for my sake and for the sake of the 16 00:01:04,000 --> 00:01:09,200 Gospel, who will not be repaid? A hundred times over houses, 17 00:01:09,300 --> 00:01:14,700 brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and land Not without 18 00:01:14,700 --> 00:01:19,200 persecutions. Now in this present time and in 19 00:01:19,200 --> 00:01:25,100 the world to come eternal life, many who are first will be last. 20 00:01:25,400 --> 00:01:31,300 And the last first So that's our reading today, it's an 21 00:01:31,300 --> 00:01:33,600 interesting 11. You may not have heard before 22 00:01:34,200 --> 00:01:36,200 let's start by thinking about the context. 23 00:01:36,500 --> 00:01:37,900 So what's happened just before this? 24 00:01:37,900 --> 00:01:42,000 So Jesus has just addressed the Rich Young Ruler and he said to 25 00:01:42,000 --> 00:01:45,000 the Rich Young Ruler how hard it is for the for the rich to enter 26 00:01:45,000 --> 00:01:48,500 the kingdom of God. So that's probably what prompts 27 00:01:48,500 --> 00:01:51,400 Peter now to ask Jesus, what about us? 28 00:01:51,400 --> 00:01:55,500 What about our future? So verse 28 at that time. 29 00:01:55,500 --> 00:01:59,400 So just after Jesus had been speaking to the Rich Young Ruler 30 00:01:59,800 --> 00:02:01,600 Peter. So we're going to see Peter 31 00:02:01,600 --> 00:02:04,600 here, speak up for the apostles. As he does in many other places 32 00:02:05,100 --> 00:02:08,400 Peter speaks with the Apostles showing that he's the leader of 33 00:02:08,400 --> 00:02:11,600 them. He began to tell Jesus what 34 00:02:11,600 --> 00:02:13,900 about us. Now in the original that phrase 35 00:02:13,900 --> 00:02:16,800 is not there, what about us? But it does kind of make sense 36 00:02:16,800 --> 00:02:20,900 of what Peter is about to say. We have left everything and 37 00:02:20,900 --> 00:02:24,200 followed you. So, Peter here is apparently 38 00:02:24,200 --> 00:02:27,800 thinking something like this. Jesus has just said that, it's 39 00:02:27,800 --> 00:02:31,800 very hard for men to be saved, but we, the Apostle's have left 40 00:02:31,800 --> 00:02:33,200 everything to follow. Jesus. 41 00:02:33,200 --> 00:02:36,200 Surely we will be saved. That's probably what he's 42 00:02:36,200 --> 00:02:39,600 worried about. From this verse, we actually 43 00:02:39,600 --> 00:02:41,000 learn a couple of interesting things. 44 00:02:41,000 --> 00:02:44,300 We learned that the apostles were not just occasional or 45 00:02:44,300 --> 00:02:48,200 part-time followers of Jesus, some of his disciples probably 46 00:02:48,200 --> 00:02:52,400 were but it seems the apostles had a literally left their 47 00:02:52,400 --> 00:02:54,400 families. They've left everything their 48 00:02:54,400 --> 00:02:58,000 families and their jobs behind in order to follow Jesus full 49 00:02:58,000 --> 00:03:00,600 time. And on top of that following 50 00:03:00,600 --> 00:03:03,900 Jesus means they live a pretty rough lifestyle where people 51 00:03:03,900 --> 00:03:07,200 constantly rejected them. So, we need to keep in mind the 52 00:03:07,200 --> 00:03:09,700 apostles. I did not live a glamorous life, 53 00:03:09,700 --> 00:03:12,000 they made great sacrifices for God. 54 00:03:13,000 --> 00:03:15,400 And you could say that that contrasts with the rich, man, 55 00:03:15,400 --> 00:03:18,200 because the rich man, apparently was not willing to make 56 00:03:18,200 --> 00:03:21,200 sacrifices in order to enter the kingdom, but the apostles 57 00:03:21,200 --> 00:03:24,400 clearly are and that is going to work in their favor as we're 58 00:03:24,400 --> 00:03:27,800 about to see. Jesus said, I tell you, solemnly 59 00:03:27,800 --> 00:03:31,600 or truly, truly, I say to you. So here we have a promise. 60 00:03:31,600 --> 00:03:34,000 Jesus is about to make a promise to his apostles. 61 00:03:35,000 --> 00:03:38,100 I tell you, solemnly there is no one who has left house, 62 00:03:38,300 --> 00:03:43,000 brothers, sisters, father, children, or lands for my sake 63 00:03:43,500 --> 00:03:47,800 and for the sake of the Gospel. Now, to understand this, we need 64 00:03:47,800 --> 00:03:51,500 to keep in mind that Jesus is thinking primarily of the first 65 00:03:51,500 --> 00:03:55,000 century because he knows that in the first century after he goes 66 00:03:55,000 --> 00:03:58,400 back to Heaven, many Christians would need to go out on 67 00:03:58,400 --> 00:04:01,600 missionary Journeys. So many Christians would leave 68 00:04:01,600 --> 00:04:04,100 their house brother, sister, father children, Etc. 69 00:04:05,000 --> 00:04:07,900 So Jesus here, as he does in many places is telling his 70 00:04:07,900 --> 00:04:11,100 disciples that allegiance to him and the gospel. 71 00:04:11,100 --> 00:04:15,600 The gospel of the Kingdom takes priority over Family Ties. 72 00:04:16,200 --> 00:04:19,399 And that could mean in some situations leaving the family 73 00:04:19,399 --> 00:04:23,300 completely if required, which is pretty radical in that culture, 74 00:04:24,000 --> 00:04:26,200 family ties, were considered to be very important. 75 00:04:26,200 --> 00:04:29,800 So for Jesus to say, I come before family, in fact, you may 76 00:04:29,800 --> 00:04:31,200 have to leave your family entirely. 77 00:04:31,200 --> 00:04:34,800 That's huge. For some Christians, that would 78 00:04:34,800 --> 00:04:37,100 mean leaving their old job behind to go and preach the 79 00:04:37,100 --> 00:04:38,900 gospel. Jesus here says, some of you 80 00:04:38,900 --> 00:04:42,700 will have to leave house or leave land so clearly they're 81 00:04:42,700 --> 00:04:44,200 going to lose money by doing this. 82 00:04:45,400 --> 00:04:47,900 It's referring to those who've left their lives behind to 83 00:04:47,900 --> 00:04:51,600 become full-time disciples. And in particular, Jesus is 84 00:04:51,600 --> 00:04:55,400 thinking of the Apostles though, Jesus does kind of extend it to 85 00:04:55,400 --> 00:05:00,100 everyone here because he does say there is no one who has left 86 00:05:00,100 --> 00:05:01,900 house, okay? So it does apply to everyone 87 00:05:01,900 --> 00:05:03,300 who's willing to give up their life. 88 00:05:03,700 --> 00:05:06,500 To follow him. Now, there's an interesting 89 00:05:06,500 --> 00:05:11,300 implication here in the Greek so the Greek word here for leave as 90 00:05:11,300 --> 00:05:14,700 in no, one who leaves their house, brother, or sister, the 91 00:05:14,700 --> 00:05:18,600 Greek word there is a fehmi and that can also mean release in 92 00:05:18,600 --> 00:05:21,000 this sense of being free from attachment. 93 00:05:21,100 --> 00:05:24,300 So, maybe Jesus also has in mind those who are free from 94 00:05:24,300 --> 00:05:26,600 attachment to their house and their family. 95 00:05:26,600 --> 00:05:29,700 That's an interesting implication verse 30. 96 00:05:30,000 --> 00:05:32,900 There is no one who has left. These things who will not be 97 00:05:32,900 --> 00:05:35,500 repaid. A hundred times over houses. 98 00:05:35,500 --> 00:05:37,800 Brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and land. 99 00:05:38,600 --> 00:05:41,300 So Jesus, he says that all of those things will be given back 100 00:05:41,300 --> 00:05:44,500 to the faithful disciple. In fact, a hundred times better 101 00:05:44,800 --> 00:05:49,500 than what they left behind. But Jesus then adds this phrase 102 00:05:49,600 --> 00:05:54,700 not without persecutions. So there is no one who has left 103 00:05:54,700 --> 00:05:57,000 their house and their land in their family. 104 00:05:57,100 --> 00:06:00,400 Who will not be repaid. A hundred times over not without 105 00:06:00,400 --> 00:06:02,900 persecutions, or you can just translate that with 106 00:06:02,900 --> 00:06:06,200 persecutions. So, this is a condition of the 107 00:06:06,200 --> 00:06:08,300 promise. Jesus says, yes, if you leave 108 00:06:08,300 --> 00:06:11,300 everything to follow me, you will be given these things 109 00:06:11,300 --> 00:06:14,700 provided that you're persecuted. Jesus says that if you want the 110 00:06:14,700 --> 00:06:18,100 promises, the disciple has to be willing to be Acute it and we 111 00:06:18,100 --> 00:06:21,700 know from history that many of them were now the wording here 112 00:06:21,700 --> 00:06:24,800 suggests that persecutions will happen if you think about the 113 00:06:24,800 --> 00:06:27,500 way it's phrased. It he says, if you leave 114 00:06:27,500 --> 00:06:30,000 everything to follow me, you will be persecuted. 115 00:06:30,400 --> 00:06:33,300 It's important that Jesus adds this he wants Peter, and the 116 00:06:33,300 --> 00:06:36,700 other Apostles to know that the blessings aren't guaranteed. 117 00:06:36,700 --> 00:06:39,500 Just because they say their followers of Jesus, the 118 00:06:39,500 --> 00:06:42,100 blessings aren't guaranteed unless they're willing to give 119 00:06:42,100 --> 00:06:45,100 everything up and to endure persecution for his sake. 120 00:06:46,900 --> 00:06:49,700 And Jesus now adds this interesting phrase now in this 121 00:06:49,700 --> 00:06:52,100 present time. So Jesus says that those 122 00:06:52,100 --> 00:06:56,400 promises is just been talking about to have mother sister and 123 00:06:56,400 --> 00:06:59,100 land given back to you. Jesus says you'll get that in 124 00:06:59,100 --> 00:07:03,800 this life in this present time. So in what sense do the apostles 125 00:07:03,800 --> 00:07:07,300 and The Disciples of Jesus receive a hundredfold houses 126 00:07:07,300 --> 00:07:10,600 brothers and sisters? We know from history that most 127 00:07:10,600 --> 00:07:13,000 of the disciples were poor when they left everything to follow 128 00:07:13,000 --> 00:07:15,300 Jesus. And to preach the gospel, they 129 00:07:15,300 --> 00:07:17,600 didn't get these things. They don't literally get new 130 00:07:17,600 --> 00:07:20,300 houses. New biological Brothers, Etc. 131 00:07:20,300 --> 00:07:23,500 So what does it mean? When Jesus says, you will get 132 00:07:23,500 --> 00:07:26,900 these things in your present life, most likely Jesus, here is 133 00:07:26,900 --> 00:07:29,500 referring to the church that's going to be their new family. 134 00:07:29,500 --> 00:07:32,800 Those who give up everything for Jesus will not be left. 135 00:07:32,800 --> 00:07:36,400 Lonely and isolated, they're going to experience the warmth 136 00:07:36,400 --> 00:07:39,500 and Hospitality in which fellow Believers and even unbelievers 137 00:07:39,500 --> 00:07:42,600 will welcome them into their homes and we see that in the 138 00:07:42,608 --> 00:07:45,000 book of Acts and in some of Paul's letters as well. 139 00:07:45,000 --> 00:07:49,600 Those who Oh, Jesus full-time. Do kind of receive a new family 140 00:07:49,800 --> 00:07:51,500 and that's what Jesus is talking about here. 141 00:07:51,500 --> 00:07:55,200 Apparently, interestingly notice who's not in this list. 142 00:07:55,200 --> 00:07:58,400 Jesus says, you'll be given back houses. 143 00:07:58,400 --> 00:08:02,900 Brothers sisters, mothers children and land father is not 144 00:08:02,900 --> 00:08:04,700 on that list, which is interesting. 145 00:08:04,900 --> 00:08:08,500 So here as, in other places, Jesus, never promises that 146 00:08:08,500 --> 00:08:12,100 you'll be given a new father. The idea is that God himself is 147 00:08:12,100 --> 00:08:14,800 already, the father of the family of Jesus. 148 00:08:14,800 --> 00:08:18,200 God himself is the father and There is no other father in that 149 00:08:18,200 --> 00:08:19,900 family. It's really interesting when you 150 00:08:19,900 --> 00:08:23,200 noticed that and then Jesus says, you'll be given these 151 00:08:23,200 --> 00:08:26,300 things in the present time and in the world to come or you can 152 00:08:26,300 --> 00:08:27,900 translate that in the age to come. 153 00:08:28,700 --> 00:08:31,000 That's a Jewish way of describing the final 154 00:08:31,000 --> 00:08:32,700 manifestation of the kingdom of God. 155 00:08:32,700 --> 00:08:35,700 And as Christians, that's pretty much equivalent to what we would 156 00:08:35,700 --> 00:08:37,900 call the new heavens and the new Earth. 157 00:08:38,000 --> 00:08:42,799 So, Jesus says these promises will be given to you also in the 158 00:08:42,799 --> 00:08:45,400 new heavens and the new Earth in the future in the resurrection. 159 00:08:46,600 --> 00:08:49,500 In the time of Jesus, the Jews believe that God had divided the 160 00:08:49,500 --> 00:08:53,200 world into two great ages, sometimes called the old age in 161 00:08:53,200 --> 00:08:56,000 the New Age. So when Jesus, he is says here 162 00:08:56,000 --> 00:08:59,700 as in other places in the age to come, he's thinking of this 163 00:08:59,700 --> 00:09:02,800 Jewish way of thinking about one day, when the kingdom of God 164 00:09:02,800 --> 00:09:05,200 comes in its fullness, it will be the age to come. 165 00:09:06,000 --> 00:09:08,400 Now Matthews version of this same story. 166 00:09:08,400 --> 00:09:11,700 It actually reads slightly differently, it says when the 167 00:09:11,700 --> 00:09:14,500 Regeneration happens or in the new world. 168 00:09:14,700 --> 00:09:18,600 So all of these are Decent translations of this idea that 169 00:09:18,600 --> 00:09:21,600 Jesus is trying to get across of the new age that age to come. 170 00:09:21,600 --> 00:09:24,800 The kingdom of God, there's all sorts of different words that 171 00:09:24,800 --> 00:09:28,500 are used for it and in the Book of Revelation it's called the 172 00:09:28,500 --> 00:09:31,600 new heavens and the new Earth. But before that the Jews had 173 00:09:31,600 --> 00:09:35,100 lots of different ideas and titles for this coming age. 174 00:09:35,100 --> 00:09:39,100 And Jesus says, in the age to come, you'll be given eternal 175 00:09:39,100 --> 00:09:40,400 life. That's a phrase. 176 00:09:40,400 --> 00:09:44,000 He uses your eternal life. Jesus promises that the faith 177 00:09:44,000 --> 00:09:48,000 will persecute a disciple will Receive eternal life and will 178 00:09:48,000 --> 00:09:51,000 enter the final kingdom of God provided that they stay 179 00:09:51,000 --> 00:09:53,100 faithful. This is Jesus teaching all 180 00:09:53,100 --> 00:09:57,400 throughout the gospel. This is an example of how it is 181 00:09:57,400 --> 00:10:00,200 possible for people to be saved with God's grace. 182 00:10:00,200 --> 00:10:02,700 Remember earlier, when the Rich Young Ruler came to Jesus. 183 00:10:02,700 --> 00:10:05,000 And says, what do I have to do to inherit eternal life? 184 00:10:05,400 --> 00:10:08,100 Well, now, Jesus, finally, kind of answers that he says, if you 185 00:10:08,100 --> 00:10:11,400 follow me and you're persecuted for my sake in the kingdom of 186 00:10:11,400 --> 00:10:13,300 God, you will receive eternal life. 187 00:10:13,300 --> 00:10:16,600 So it clarifies. The question of who, then Can be 188 00:10:16,600 --> 00:10:18,400 saved. It's those who give up 189 00:10:18,400 --> 00:10:21,000 everything and follow Jesus, in this context. 190 00:10:22,500 --> 00:10:26,400 Matthews version at this point adds that the apostles, there's 191 00:10:26,400 --> 00:10:27,700 another promise given to the apostles. 192 00:10:27,700 --> 00:10:32,300 Here, the apostles will be set on 12 Thrones to judge the 12 193 00:10:32,300 --> 00:10:34,500 tribes of Israel. That's actually what Jesus says 194 00:10:34,500 --> 00:10:36,500 to them here. He gives them that promise, but 195 00:10:36,500 --> 00:10:40,000 Mark doesn't include that possibly because he knows that 196 00:10:40,000 --> 00:10:42,500 hit many of his readers won't be as familiar with this kind of 197 00:10:42,500 --> 00:10:45,400 Jewish language of twelve Thrones and twelve tribes. 198 00:10:46,900 --> 00:10:50,400 Verse 31, Jesus has this enigmatic phrase, many who are 199 00:10:50,400 --> 00:10:53,700 first will be last, and the last first. 200 00:10:54,400 --> 00:10:57,000 Now, Jesus uses this phrase, a lot in his ministry, but it 201 00:10:57,000 --> 00:10:59,500 seems to mean different things in different contexts. 202 00:11:00,100 --> 00:11:04,500 Here it means that many people who have high on it in this life 203 00:11:04,700 --> 00:11:08,900 will not have in the next life and those who are persecuted and 204 00:11:08,900 --> 00:11:12,800 have low status in this life, will be the most elevated in the 205 00:11:12,800 --> 00:11:14,600 next life. That's sort of what Jesus means 206 00:11:14,600 --> 00:11:16,300 here. In terms of those who Who have 207 00:11:16,300 --> 00:11:18,600 rough lives following him in a persecuted. 208 00:11:18,700 --> 00:11:21,200 They will be the ones that are given a high place in the next 209 00:11:21,200 --> 00:11:23,000 life. Whereas those perhaps like the 210 00:11:23,000 --> 00:11:26,300 Pharisees and the other leaders of the world in Jesus time, they 211 00:11:26,300 --> 00:11:28,200 will not be elevated in the next life. 212 00:11:30,700 --> 00:11:33,200 Let's now turn to the catechism. There's one really interesting 213 00:11:33,200 --> 00:11:36,700 reference here. Paragraph 1618, which is about 214 00:11:36,700 --> 00:11:38,600 virginity for the sake of the Kingdom. 215 00:11:39,500 --> 00:11:42,100 Christ is the center of all Christian Life. 216 00:11:42,400 --> 00:11:45,800 The bond with him, takes precedence over all other bonds 217 00:11:46,100 --> 00:11:49,700 familial or social from the very beginning of the church. 218 00:11:49,700 --> 00:11:52,100 There, have been men and women who have renounced the great 219 00:11:52,100 --> 00:11:55,700 good of marriage to follow the lamb, wherever he goes to be 220 00:11:55,700 --> 00:11:59,100 intent on the things of the Lord, to seek to, please him, 221 00:11:59,200 --> 00:12:00,300 and to go out to meet the bridegroom. 222 00:12:00,500 --> 00:12:03,900 Right, groom, who is coming. And the paragraph goes on from 223 00:12:03,900 --> 00:12:06,000 there. So here, the catechism talks 224 00:12:06,000 --> 00:12:08,200 about virginity, for the sake of the kingdom. 225 00:12:08,200 --> 00:12:11,300 And one of the links that makes here is that even in the 226 00:12:11,308 --> 00:12:14,700 gospels, and even in the first century, Christians were willing 227 00:12:14,700 --> 00:12:17,000 to leave their homes to follow Jesus. 228 00:12:17,100 --> 00:12:19,400 Now, in the list, we have here in Mark chapter 10, Jesus, 229 00:12:19,400 --> 00:12:21,800 doesn't mention leaving your husband or wife, but he does 230 00:12:21,800 --> 00:12:25,300 mention leaving children. So, it's implied, that many of 231 00:12:25,300 --> 00:12:29,400 the disciples would have had to have had to leave their husband 232 00:12:29,400 --> 00:12:31,200 or wife in certain circumstances. 233 00:12:31,200 --> 00:12:34,400 So in this sense, there are good example of spiritual version 234 00:12:34,400 --> 00:12:36,100 virgins for the sake of the Kingdom. 235 00:12:37,300 --> 00:12:39,100 I hope you've learned something new today. 236 00:12:39,100 --> 00:12:41,300 If you've got any questions about what you've heard or you 237 00:12:41,300 --> 00:12:44,900 want to dispute something that's been said, or you just want to 238 00:12:44,908 --> 00:12:47,600 learn more about certain things. That I've said, then I love to 239 00:12:47,600 --> 00:12:49,900 hear from you. Please send an email through to 240 00:12:49,900 --> 00:12:53,500 logical Bible, study at gmail.com and your question, or 241 00:12:53,500 --> 00:12:56,800 your comment might be featured in a future episode or you can 242 00:12:56,800 --> 00:13:00,100 even record a voice recording for the ministry and the link 243 00:13:00,100 --> 00:13:03,000 for that is in the show notes. Please continue to tell other 244 00:13:03,000 --> 00:13:04,700 people about it. If you're benefiting from this 245 00:13:04,700 --> 00:13:08,200 ministry, consider becoming a financial supporter that really 246 00:13:08,200 --> 00:13:11,100 helps keep the podcast going. All the information about the 247 00:13:11,100 --> 00:13:13,200 patreon page is in the show notes. 248 00:13:13,700 --> 00:13:16,200 Thanks, and we'll continue in Mark in the coming days.