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As Jesus was teaching in the temple area he said, “How do the
scribes claim that the Christ is the son of David? David himself,
inspired by the Holy Spirit, said: The Lord said to my lord,
‘Sit at my right hand until I place your enemies under your
feet.’ David himself calls him ‘lord’; so how is he his son?”
The great crowd heard this with delight. Mark 12:35–37
Today’s Gospel presents us with one of Jesus’ many teachings in the
Temple area just days before His Passion. Just prior to this
Gospel, Jesus praised one of the scribes for his understanding of
Scripture, saying to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God”
(Mark 12:34). He then turned His attention to a large crowd and
revealed the limited understanding that many of the scribes and
teachers of the Law had about the Messiah.
Though the scribes rightly understood from Scripture that the
Messiah would be born of King David’s lineage, their understanding
of the Messiah was incomplete. Many believed that, as David’s
descendant, the Messiah would be a great king who would lead the
Jewish nation militarily and free them from Roman oppression. What
they failed to understand was that the Messiah was not only a “Son
of David” but also divine.
Jesus quotes Psalm 110:1, one of the most frequently cited Old
Testament passages in the New Testament: “The LORD says to my lord:
‘Sit at my right hand while I make your enemies your footstool.’”
King David, who was inspired by the Holy Spirit, refers to the
Messiah as his lord or master, expressing that the Messiah would
not only be his descendant but also greater than David.
Furthermore, David reveals that the LORD—the Father in Heaven—would
exalt the Messiah to a position of divine authority.
To “sit at my right hand” was a favor granted only to one who was
divine; not even David could sit at God’s right hand. To “make your
enemies your footstool” was a reference to the ancient practice by
which a victorious king would have his enemies lay prostrate before
him, placing his foot upon them as a symbol of absolute dominion.
However, Jesus’ kingship is not merely earthly but spiritual and
eternal. The true enemies placed under His feet are sin, death, and
the demons (1 Corinthians 15:25–26, Colossians 2:15).
Though we understand Jesus’ identity as the Son of David, the
Messiah, and God Himself, it is important to humbly recognize that,
like the scribes, we, too, struggle to fully grasp the mysteries of
faith. In Heaven, when we see God face to face in the Beatific
Vision, we will receive a full and immediate understanding of Him
in His essence, far greater than anything we can comprehend today.
Though this full revelation will be given to us at that time, we
must continuously strive for greater clarity now.
The first and most important foundational step toward that end is
to prayerfully reflect on the Scriptures. This is more than merely
acquiring intellectual knowledge of Scripture, as the scribes did.
Study is a human effort, and while valuable, the only way to arrive
at true understanding of Scripture—and of God, Whom Scripture
reveals—is through the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Here and now,
we must be open to illumination that comes only from God.
Many of the scribes criticized Jesus because they relied solely on
their own interpretation of Scripture. Most of them failed to be
open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit in their study. Perhaps the
one scribe who spoke to Jesus with understanding and was “not far
from the kingdom of God” stirred Jesus’ Sacred Heart with a longing
that all scribes—and all of us—would approach His Word with the
same openness.
Reflect today on the scribes and see yourself in them. Pray for the
gift of divine illumination as you spend time in God’s Word,
seeking to follow the example of the one scribe who understood.
Invite the Holy Spirit to guide your understanding so that, like
those listening to Jesus in the Temple, you, too, may understand
His Word “with delight.”
My revealing Lord, I pray that one day I may be blessed with the
Beatific Vision, beholding You face to face and comprehending all
mysteries in the fullness of Your divine gift. Until that day, open
my mind to understand and my heart to respond to You. Reveal
Yourself and Your Truth to me, that I may delight in You now and
forevermore. Jesus, I trust in You.
Image: Christ the Universal King by Lawrence OP, license CC
BY-NC-ND 2.0.
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