Mark 14

Mark 14:1

Beware of the scribes. Mark gives in three verses his report of the wonderful discourse recorded in Matthew, chapter 23. These three verses are parallel to Matthew 23:5,6,14. See notes there. Compare Lu 20:45-47. Love to go in long clothing. Peculiar to Mark. Long, flowing robes, reaching to the feet, similar to those worn by Romish priests, and were worn by the scribes as a kind of professional attire, in order to attract attention. When Christ sent his apostles out to preach, he directed that they should be clothed as the common people (Mr 6:9 Matthew 10:10). The “scribes”, ancient and modern, love display, showing themselves off in the chief places of concourse. They love appellations of honor and respect, such as Rabbi, Father, Master, Teacher. Men often profess a desire to magnify their office, when in truth they want to magnify themselves. They love robes that advertise to every one that they are separate from the rest of the people.

Mark 14:4

Jesus sat over against the treasury. This incident of the widow’s mites is omitted by Matthew, but given in Lu 21:1-4. It is given as a contrast to the hypocrisy of the scribes. Treasury. A name given by the rabbis to thirteen chests, called trumpets, from their shape, which stood in the court of the women, at the entrance to the treasure-chamber. Lightfoot says: ``Nine chests were for the appointed temple tribute, and for the sacrifice-tribute; that is, money-gifts instead of the sacrifices; four chests for free-will offerings, for wood, incense, temple decoration, and burnt offerings.’' Beheld how the people cast money. Jesus still takes note of our offerings. Before the passover, free-will offerings, in addition to the temple tax, were made.

Mark 14:5

There came a certain poor widow. Here, as in other places in the Bible, we must remember the exceedingly depressed and dependent condition of a poor man’s widow in the countries where our Lord was. The expression is almost proverbial for one very badly off, and most unlikely to contribute anything to a charitable purpose. Two mites. The smallest of Jewish coins, about the value of one-fifth of a cent. It took its name from its extreme smallness, being derived from the adjective “lepton”, signifying “thin”. A farthing. Mark (not Luke) adds for his Roman readers an explanation, using a Greek word, “kodrantes”, (taken from the Latin “quadrans”), meaning the fourth part, as our word “farthing” does. The value is only of importance as showing upon how minute a gift our Lord pronounced this splendid panegyric, which might be envied by a Croesus or a Rothschild.

Mark 14:6

Cast more in than all. Note the word “more”–proportionately, to-wit, to her means, and thus more in the estimation of God, who measures quantity by quality.

Mark 14:7

For. The worth of a gift is to be determined, not by intrinsic value, but “by what it costs” the giver. The measure of that cost is what is “left”, not what is given. For the widow to give her mites was noble; for one well off to give “his mite” is contemptible. All that she had, [even] all her living. Out of her want, out of her destitution, she has cast in all that (in cash) she possessed–her whole (present) means of subsistence. In love she devoted all of God, with strong faith in his providential care.

Mark 14:9

Christ’s Discourse on the Last Days SUMMARY OF MARK 13: The Destruction of the Temple Foretold. The Persecution of the Saints. The Gospel Preached to All Nations. The Awful Calamities of the Jewish Nation. Christ’s Coming to Judgment. The Hour When He Shall Come Not Known. Watch, Pray, and Be Ready. As he went out of the temple. This whole discourse is reported most fully by Matthew in Matthew 24:1-51, on which see notes. Compare Lu 21:5-38. I only notice here what is peculiar to Mark.

Mark 14:11

Peter and James and John and Andrew. Matthew says “the disciples came to him privately” (Matthew 24:3), but does not name them. Asked him privately. “Privately” probably means apart from the multitude. The destruction of the temple had been publicly foretold (Matthew 23:38 24:2).

Mark 14:17

Take heed. Not to escape persecution, but to be ready for it. In Matthew’s report persecution is foretold, but the injunctions of Mr 13:9-11 are omitted, or rather given in Matthew 10:18-20, on which see notes. They shall deliver you up to councils. Jewish courts. Besides the great national council, the Sanhedrin, each principal town had a smaller council, or local Sanhedrin. In the synagogues ye shall be beaten. In every Jewish synagogue there were three magistrates authorized to inflict certain punishments, scourging being one. The number of stripes could not exceed forty (Deuteronomy 25:3); hence they always stopped at thirty-nine. Rulers and kings. Roman officials, such as Felix (Acts 24:24), Festus (Acts 25:4-6), Gallio (Acts 18:2), King Agrippa (Acts 26:1), and Nero (Acts 25:12).

Mark 14:26

Pray ye that your flight be not in the winter. Matthew adds, “’neither’ on the Sabbath day” (Matthew 24:20). The reasons for these admonitions to the Jerusalem church are given in the notes on Matthew. The sign given by the Lord for the flight, the environment of the city by the Romans, and the panic that caused their sudden withdrawal, occurred on Tuesday, in October. Hence the flight was neither in the winter, nor on the Sabbath day.

Mark 14:38

This generation shall not pass. See PNT Matthew 24:34.

Mark 14:40

Of that day and [that] hour, etc. When the Son was on earth in the flesh, he voluntarily subjected himself to limitations, among them ignorance of the hour when he would return again to judgment. If he voluntarily knew not, what folly of theologians to fix upon the time.

Mark 14:45

Watch. Observe in this chapter the emphasis given to Christ’s exhortation, “‘Watch’”! Matthew tells us how the Lord sought to impress these lessons of watchfulness and faithfulness still more deeply by the parables of the “Ten Virgins” (Matthew 25:1-13), and the “Talents” (Matthew 25:14-30), and closed all with a picture of the awful day when the Son of man should separate all nations from one another, as the shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats (Matthew 25:31-46).

Mark 14:47

The Seizure, Trial, and Condemnation of Christ SUMMARY OF MARK 14: The Sanhedrin Resolves on Christ’s Death. The Anointing at Bethany. Judas Sells His Lord. The Day of Unleavened Bread. The Lord’s Passover. The Lord’s Supper Established. Peter’s Denial Predicted. The Agony in the Garden. Christ Seized by the Soldiers and Temple Guards. Christ Before the Sanhedrin. The Confession and Condemnation. After two days was [the feast of] the passover. See notes on Matthew 26:1-16. Compare John 12:1-8. The action of the Sanhedrin was taken on Wednesday, the Anointing took place the Saturday before, and is brought up here on account of its connection with the bargain Judas made with the chief priests.

Mark 14:56

Judas Iscariot. See notes on Matthew 26:14-16.

Mark 14:58

The first day of unleavened bread. See notes on Matthew 26:17-19.

Mark 14:63

In the evening he cometh. On the Lord’s last passover see notes on Matthew 26:21-25. Compare Lu 22:21-23 John 13:21-35. See also notes on John.

Mark 14:68

As they did eat. On the institution of the Lord’s Supper, see notes on Matthew 26:23-29. Compare Lu 22:19-21 1 Corinthians 11:23-25.