Commentary on the Gospel of
Coming from Jerusalem
Mark opens the episode of the day with a curious observation: “Some teachers of the law had just come from Jerusalem.” This could mean that those teachers would have, in all probability, visited the Temple in Jerusalem. Even if they hadn’t, they had surely come from a place where God’s presence was acutely felt as an everyday presence. Yet, sadly, it looks like their visit to God’s eternal city had only sharpened their divisive and accusing sense of the law, instead of softening their heart with love! They could only find fault with everything Jesus and his disciples were doing. This begs the question: What kind of God do we encounter and take after from our visits to our churches and holy places? Do we come from “Jerusalem” with a divisive and condemning heart or with a heart that beats with greater compassion and Christ-likeness?
