Year of the Bible
Mark 15
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Commentary on the Gospel According to St. Mark, Chapter 15:
Following their overnight meeting (14:53-65), the Temple leaders “deliver” (literally “hand over,” the same word as “betray” in Greek) Jesus to the Gentile leader, Pilate, who unlike the religious leaders, does have the legal authority to issue a death sentence (vs.1). As a secular Roman government official, Pilate is not interested in the Temple leaders’ accusation of blasphemy, but is responsible for determining if Jesus has committed treason against the government (vs. 6-15). Pilate acts politically, keeping “peace” with the Jews as the Roman Emperor desired by “delivering” Jesus to the sentence for treason, crucifiction (vs. 15). Jesus is crucified (foretold in 10:33-34), dies (a fulfillment of Mark 13:24-26), the Temple curtain blocking access is torn open (vs. 38), and a man (a Gentile!) is the first person in Mark’s Gospel to declare Jesus the “Son of God” (1:1), as we and Mark’s audience knew from the start!
The Gospel According to St. Mark, Chapter 15:
Jesus before Pilate
1 And as soon as it was morning the chief priests, with the elders and scribes, and the whole council held a consultation; and they bound Jesus and led him away and delivered him to Pilate. 2 And Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” And he answered him, “You have said so.” 3 And the chief priests accused him of many things. 4 And Pilate again asked him, “Have you no answer to make? See how many charges they bring against you.” 5 But Jesus made no further answer, so that Pilate wondered.
Pilate Delivers Jesus to Be Crucified
6 Now at the feast he used to release for them one prisoner for whom they asked. 7 And among the rebels in prison, who had committed murder in the insurrection, there was a man called Barabbas. 8 And the crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to do as he always did for them. 9 And he answered them, “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?” 10 For he perceived that it was out of envy that the chief priests had delivered him up. 11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release for them Barabbas instead. 12 And Pilate again said to them, “Then what shall I do with the man whom you call the King of the Jews?” 13 And they cried out again, “Crucify him.” 14 And Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify him.” 15 So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas; and having scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.
The Soldiers Mock Jesus
16 And the soldiers led him away inside the palace (that is, the praetorium); and they called together the whole battalion. 17 And they clothed him in a purple cloak, and plaiting a crown of thorns they put it on him. 18 And they began to salute him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 19 And they struck his head with a reed, and spat upon him, and they knelt down in homage to him. 20 And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak, and put his own clothes on him. And they led him out to crucify him.
The Crucifixion of Jesus
21 And they compelled a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross. 22 And they brought him to the place called Golgotha (which means the place of a skull). 23 And they offered him wine mingled with myrrh; but he did not take it. 24And they crucified him, and divided his garments among them, casting lots for them, to decide what each should take. 25 And it was the third hour, when they crucified him. 26 And the inscription of the charge against him read, “The King of the Jews.” 27 And with him they crucified two robbers, one on his right and one on his left. 29 And those who passed by derided him, shaking their heads, and saying, “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, 30 save yourself, and come down from the cross!” 31 So also the chief priests mocked him to one another with the scribes, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. 32 Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe.” Those who were crucified with him also reviled him.
The Death of Jesus
33 And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land h until the ninth hour. 34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 35 And some of the bystanders hearing it said, “Behold, he is calling Elijah.” 36 And one ran and, filling a sponge full of vinegar, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.” 37 And Jesus uttered a loud cry, and breathed his last. 38 And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. 39 And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that he thus breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”
40 There were also women looking on from afar, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome, 41 who, when he was in Galilee, followed him, and ministered to him; and also many other women who came up with him to Jerusalem.
The Burial of Jesus
42 And when evening had come, since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day be fore the sabbath, 43 Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus. 44 And Pilate wondered if he were already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he was already dead. 45 And when he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the body to Joseph. 46 And he bought a linen shroud, and taking him down, wrapped him in the linen shroud, and laid him in a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. 47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid.
*Daily Lectio Divina Question:
Lord, which character do I resonate with most in my life right now from this chapter of Mark: Simon of Cyrene who helped you carry your cross? Pilate who asked you if you were the King of the Jews? Joseph of Arimathea who wrapped your body for burial? One of the Marys who watched where you were laid?...(Help me rest in the imagery of this scene)
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Marcos 15
1 Y de mañana, enseguida, se reunieron
en consejo los príncipes de los
sacerdotes con los ancianos y los escribas
y todo el Sanedrín y, atando a Jesús, lo llevaron
y lo entregaron a Pilato. 2 Y le preguntó
Pilato:
–¿Eres tú el Rey de los Judíos?
–Tú lo dices –le respondió él.
3 Y los príncipes de los sacerdotes le
acusaban de muchas cosas. 4 Entonces
Pilato volvió a preguntarle:
–¿No respondes nada? Mira de
cuántas cosas te acusan.
5 Pero Jesús ya no respondió nada, de
modo que Pilato estaba admirado.
6 En el día de la fiesta acostumbraba
a conceder la libertad de uno de los
presos, el que pidieran. 7 Había uno que
se llamaba Barrabás, apresado con otros
sediciosos, que en una revuelta habían
cometido un homicidio. 8 Subió la gente
y comenzó a pedirle lo que les solía conceder.
9 Pilato les respondió diciendo:
–¿Queréis que os suelte al Rey de los
Judíos? 10 –pues sabía que los príncipes
de los sacerdotes lo habían entregado
por envidia.
11 Pero los príncipes de los sacerdotes
incitaron a la gente, para que mejor
les soltase a Barrabás. 12 Pilato de nuevo
les preguntaba:
–¿Y entonces qué queréis que haga
con el Rey de los Judíos?
13 Ellos volvieron a gritar:
–¡Crucifícalo!
14 Pilato les decía:
–¿Y qué mal ha hecho?
Pero ellos gritaban más fuerte:
–¡Crucifícalo!
15 Pilato, queriendo contentar a la
muchedumbre, les soltó a Barrabás; y a
Jesús, después de haberle hecho azotar,
lo entregó para que fuera crucificado.
16 Los soldados lo condujeron dentro
del patio, es decir, el pretorio, y convocaron
a toda la cohorte. 17 Lo vistieron
de púrpura y le pusieron una corona de
espinas que habían trenzado. 18 Y comenzaron
a saludarle:
–Salve, Rey de los Judíos.
19 Y le golpeaban en la cabeza con
una caña, le escupían e hincando las rodillas
se postraban ante él. 20 Después de
reírse de él, le despojaron de la púrpura
y le colocaron sus vestiduras. Entonces
lo sacaron para crucificarlo.
21 Y a uno que pasaba por allí, que venía
del campo, a Simón Cireneo, el
padre de Alejandro y de Rufo, le forzaron a
que le llevara la cruz.
22 Y le condujeron al lugar del Gólgota,
que significa «lugar de la Calavera
». 23 Y le daban a beber vino con mirra,
pero él no lo aceptó. 24 Y le crucificaron y se repartieron
sus ropas echando suertes sobre ellas
para ver qué se llevaba cada uno. 25 Era
la hora tercia cuando lo crucificaron.
26 Y tenía escrita la inscripción con la
causa de su condena: «El Rey de los Judíos
». 27 También crucificaron con él a
dos ladrones: uno a su derecha y otro a
su izquierda. (28 )
29 Los que pasaban le injuriaban, moviendo
la cabeza y diciendo:
–¡Eh! Tú que destruyes el Templo y
lo edificas de nuevo en tres días, 30 sálvate
a ti mismo, bajando de la cruz.
31 Del mismo modo, los príncipes de
los sacerdotes se burlaban entre ellos a
una con los escribas y decían:
–Salvó a otros, y a sí mismo no puede
salvarse. 32 Que el Cristo, el Rey de Israel,
baje ahora de la cruz, para que veamos
y creamos.
Incluso los que estaban crucificados
con él le insultaban.
33 Y cuando llegó la hora sexta, toda
la tierra se cubrió de tinieblas hasta la
hora nona. 34 Y a la hora nona exclamó
Jesús con fuerte voz:
–Eloí, Eloí, ¿lemá sabacthaní? –que
significa Dios mío, Dios mío, ¿por qué
me has desamparado?
35 Y algunos de los que estaban cerca,
al oírlo, decían:
–Mirad, llama a Elías.
36 Uno corrió a empapar una esponja
con vinagre, la sujetó a una caña y se lo
daba a beber mientras decía:
–Dejad, veamos si viene Elías a bajarlo.
37 Pero Jesús, dando una gran voz,
expiró.
38 Y el velo del Templo se rasgó en
dos de arriba abajo.
39 El centurión, que estaba enfrente
de él, al ver cómo había expirado, dijo:
–En verdad este hombre era Hijo de
Dios.
40 Había también unas mujeres mirando
desde lejos, entre las que estaban
María Magdalena y María –la madre de
Santiago el Menor y de José– y Salomé,
41 que le seguían y le servían cuando estaba
en Galilea, y otras muchas que habían
subido con él a Jerusalén.
42 Y ya al atardecer, puesto que era
la Parasceve –es decir, el día anterior
al sábado–, 43 vino José de Arimatea,
miembro ilustre del Consejo, que también
él esperaba el Reino de Dios, y
con audacia llegó hasta Pilato y le pidió
el cuerpo de Jesús. 44 Pilato se sorprendió
de que ya hubiera muerto y,
llamando al centurión, le preguntó si
efectivamente había muerto. 45 Informado
por el centurión, le dio el cuerpo
muerto a José. 46 Entonces éste,
después de comprar una sábana, lo
descolgó y lo envolvió en ella, lo depositó
en un sepulcro que estaba excavado
en una roca e hizo rodar una piedra
a la entrada del sepulcro. 47 María Magdalena
y María la de José observaban
dónde lo colocaban.
Pregunta de Lectio Divina del día de hoy
Señor, ¿con cuál personaje de éste capítulo de Marcos resueno más en mi vida ahora mismo: ¿Simón de Cirene que te ayudó a cargar la cruz? ¿Pilatos que te preguntó si tú eras el Rey de los Judíos? ¿José de Arimatea que envolvió tu cuerpo para ser enterrado? ¿Uno de los muchos que vieron en dónde fuiste recostado? ... (Ayúdame a reposar en la imágen de esta escena)
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