“While Jesus was teaching in the temple courts…the large crowd listened to him with delight.” Mark 12:35, 37.
Here is a scene on the temple grounds possibly as late as Wednesday afternoon of Passion Week. The temperatures in Jerusalem in April are not hot—perhaps a high of 21C (70F) after a low of 12C (54F). Hundreds of people are gathered around Jesus as he speaks, and they are smiling and enjoying every word he says. That crowd includes the disciples, but especially it includes Peter.
Just what was Jesus teaching? Only a few verses earlier (v.28), Mark reports that a teacher of the law had just asked “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” Remember at this point, that the rabbis had added rule upon rule for centuries, until now there were 613 of them.
This man showed remarkable insight; he realized that the law might be summarized in one command. Then Jesus replied, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” He then gave a second command, that might give more direct guidance as to how to apply the first, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
This teacher was amazed at Jesus’ answer—"This is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
I can see how this would be a delight to the people—it would really simplify life if they could get rid of the petty rules about “tithing mint and cumin”, and all the rest. Here we have some insight into the content of Jesus’ teaching, but what about his manner of teaching? How did he present himself? How did he treat the people? Not like the leaders of a previous generation did. Rabbis Hillel and Shammai had leaned heavily on tradition. Not like the prophets—their favourite authorization was, “Thus saith the Lord.” No! Jesus taught with his own authority, “I say unto you.” (e.g., Matthew 5:22, 28, 32, etc.)
But let’s leave this delightful scene and move on. What a change comes on Friday morning! Possibly some of the very people in that delighted crowd now turn on Jesus— “Away with him! Let him be crucified!” They betray him! Let’s particularize it to one person—look at Peter in the high priest’s courtyard. A girl seems to recognize him—was she in the delighted crowd at the temple? Did she see Peter there? Then his Galilean accent completely gives him away—he was one of “them”. Peter denies it (even with oaths and curses). How far did he go? Could he have even gone so far as to say, “I don’t care. Let him be crucified!”?
Then the rooster crows and shocks Peter back to reality. Had he lost his mind? Then comes the sad look from Jesus. Peter collapsed. Will he ever forget it?
This is where we’ve all been, to one degree or another. We’ve let Jesus down. Listen, however, to Peter’s declaration thirty years later: “Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy.” (1 Peter 1:8)
Now we come to Communion. Here is our chance to show our hearts to Jesus. To redeem ourselves in a small way. This is what the bread and the wine are all about. As Jesus said, “Do this in remembrance of me!”
