GREAT THINGS ENTERPRISE
CLAUDE BLACK
Mark 14:2
Fear the Lord
A speaker told of a pastor who was found guilty of embezzling church money for his own use and sentenced to prison. A friend visited him in jail and asked, “When did you stop loving Jesus?” “Oh,” the convicted pastor replied, “I never stopped loving Jesus. I stopped fearing Him.”
In Chapter Fourteen, Mark turns to the denouement of his story as Jesus was in Jerusalem for the last time during the Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread, two of the most holy times in the Jewish calendar. His ministry had attracted large crowds, and the religious officials in Jerusalem—priests, scribes, and elders—were aware of his presence and secretly sought a way to arrest and kill him.
The population of Jerusalem swelled at this time of year, and there were undoubtedly many in the crowd who had heard Jesus teach and many who had been healed by his ministry. At this time, the Roman officials governed Palestine, and it was important to ensure that the area stayed peaceful. So the religious authorities plotted secretly to arrest and murder Jesus, but they knew they had to tread carefully: “For they were saying, ‘Not during the feast, lest there be a riot of the people’” (Mark 14:2—a riot that would bring down the full wrath and fury of the Roman government.)
These religious leaders undoubtedly loved Yahweh, for they had spent years studying and observing the ceremonies. Somewhere, however, it seems that they had stopped fearing Yahweh. On the one hand, they could dress in the appropriate robes, trim their beards correctly, and conduct the ceremonies they loved, while on the other, they could plot murder.
he “fear of the Lord” is an often misunderstood concept when viewed negatively; however, the concept has a wonderful positive side. Early Christians lived “in the fear of the Lord.” (Acts 9:31) This describes a joyous, celebratory community that lived daily with pure love for the Lord, love for their neighbors, and wholehearted service to Him, with the understanding that He was present with them. That is the fear the priests, scribes, and elders of Jerusalem failed to possess, and it was that lack that allowed them to plot and do evil.
That is the gist of the prophet Samuel’s admonition to his contemporaries: “But be sure to fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you.” (1 Samuel 12:24) The prophet’s voice still speaks to believers.
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