Mar 12:40 | KingComments | STEP | The Lord continues to reveal the wickedness of the religious leaders and takes the place of Judge. These wicked people have the say in the temple. They are proud and arrogant. Not only is their doctrine completely flawed, but there is much that is morally low and bad in their actions. They love the honor of men, especially in religious terms. Walking in long robes is expressing themselves, so that they stand out among the people. They love the greetings in the market places, because they express what they are looking for: that special and above all open recognition. To take the chief seats in the synagogue means that they claim honor from a social point of view ( ). Taking the places of honor at banquets shows that they are full of their own importance. And that is not all. They take advantage of people’s worries to bring them under their influence. This goes hand in hand with great religious display, for they offer long prayers for appearance’s sake. Thus many religious leaders behave in what today boasts of being the temple, the dwelling place of God, that is the whole of professing Christianity. These are the elements of the great Babylon that enslaves its followers or subjects to profit from it, monetarily and spiritually. The judgment of such people will be heavier than any other. Mark does not give that detailed description of the depravity of these leaders and then pass judgment on it as Matthew does in Matthew 23. Here the Lord warns as Prophet. Here the Lord as Prophet shows the true character of the piety of the scribes and warns His disciples against them. The Lord has just brought them all into the light as they had come to catch Him on a word. They have not repented through their defeat, but will direct all their hatred toward the disciples as well. The disciples should not be blinded by the beautiful appearance of the haters of the Lord. Even less should they become jealous to get the honor of people that way.

‏ Mark 12:40

Beware of the Scribes

The Lord continues to reveal the wickedness of the religious leaders and takes the place of Judge. These wicked people have the say in the temple. They are proud and arrogant. Not only is their doctrine completely flawed, but there is much that is morally low and bad in their actions. They love the honor of men, especially in religious terms. Walking in long robes is expressing themselves, so that they stand out among the people. They love the greetings in the market places, because they express what they are looking for: that special and above all open recognition.

To take the chief seats in the synagogue means that they claim honor from a social point of view (Jam 2:2-3). Taking the places of honor at banquets shows that they are full of their own importance. And that is not all. They take advantage of people’s worries to bring them under their influence. This goes hand in hand with great religious display, for they offer long prayers for appearance’s sake.

Thus many religious leaders behave in what today boasts of being the temple, the dwelling place of God, that is the whole of professing Christianity. These are the elements of the great Babylon that enslaves its followers or subjects to profit from it, monetarily and spiritually. The judgment of such people will be heavier than any other.

Mark does not give that detailed description of the depravity of these leaders and then pass judgment on it as Matthew does in Matthew 23. Here the Lord warns as Prophet. Here the Lord as Prophet shows the true character of the piety of the scribes and warns His disciples against them.

The Lord has just brought them all into the light as they had come to catch Him on a word. They have not repented through their defeat, but will direct all their hatred toward the disciples as well. The disciples should not be blinded by the beautiful appearance of the haters of the Lord. Even less should they become jealous to get the honor of people that way.