Gobbets

See that you don’t tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest

and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a

testimony to them.

(Mark 1:44)

Context: The healing of the man with leprosy.

Points of interest and difficulty:

• the instructions Jesus gave when he healed the leper

• shows Jesus’ awareness and observance of the Mosaic Law

• sacrifice for ritual cleansing

• part of Mark’s theme of the ‘Messianic secret’

• Jesus is concerned with the spiritual not just physical

And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written:

‘My house will be called

a house of prayer for all nations’?

But you have made it ‘a den of robbers’.”

(Mark 11:17)

Context: Jesus overturns the tables of the moneychangers in the Temple. Set during the last week of Jesus’ life. Points of interest and difficulty:

• ‘My house’ – Temple

• the anger of Jesus displayed here. Mark showing the human nature of Jesus which is characteristic of Mark

• trading in the Temple was part of the ‘norm’ – dove sellers would sell the doves for sacrifice for the poor to purchase as they could not afford a greater sacrifice. Temple authorities cashed in from this process

• Jesus’ actions upset the religious authorities. Incites the religious groups to want him dead

• Jesus displays both anger and violence which contrasts with his teaching about these given in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5:38–42)

• appears in all the gospels