Mark 11:12 - Printer Friendly

What does Mark 11:12 mean?

ESV: On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry.

NIV: The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry.

NASB: On the next day, when they had left Bethany, He became hungry.

CSB: The next day when they went out from Bethany, he was hungry.

NLT: The next morning as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry.

KJV: And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry:

NKJV: Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry.

Verse Commentary:

Jesus and the disciples stay on the Mount of Olives, possibly in Bethany, during the night and go to Jerusalem during the day (Luke 21:37). Mary, Martha, and Lazarus share at least one dinner, and possibly two separate dinners, with Jesus and His followers (John 12:1–8; Mark 14:3–9). Most likely, they did not provide food for Jesus and the disciples twice a day, every day. As fully man, Jesus does experience hunger (Matthew 4:2), fatigue (Mark 4:37–38), and pain. A life lived in service to God does not protect Him from physical discomfort or harm.

Prior to this verse, Jesus had said, "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on" (Matthew 6:25). He goes on to talk about how God feeds the birds and clothes the grasses of the field. "Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you" (Matthew 6:31–33).

Later, Paul will write, "No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it" (1 Corinthians 10:13).

People through the years have translated these verses to imply that no true Christian will ever starve. Others suggest it inspires the cliché "God will not give us more than we can handle." Neither are remotely close to what the text is saying. The Greek root word for "added" used in Matthew chapter 6 is prostithēmi. It means "joined to or increased." It does not mean "entirely or sufficiently supplied." If we seek God's kingdom, He will supply us enough to accomplish His will, but He doesn't promise we will never go hungry or even starve.

The passage in 1 Corinthians is about being tempted to sin when we endure hardships. Paul is talking about the children of Israel who grumbled as God led them and provided for them in the wilderness. Paul isn't saying that God will never let us endure anything that will break us emotionally or even kill us. He's saying God will never let us be in a position where we have no choice but to sin.

The lives of Jesus and the disciples play this out. Jesus didn't die of starvation, but He did die without clothing. And both He and most of the disciples experienced hardships that resulted in death. Jesus never sinned (Hebrews 4:15), but of course, the disciples continued to sin. They, like other Christ-followers, were human and humans will sin until we receive our glorified bodies. But no matter what we face, it's important to remember that we sin because we choose to, not because God has placed us in a situation where we have no other choice.

Mark 11:12–14 is another example of Mark's habit of placing two related stories around a third, subtly related idea. These connections become clear when the stories are seen together, such as Jairus' sick daughter wrapped around the ''daughter'' with an issue of blood (Mark 5:21–43). Jesus approaches the fig tree and finds it unfruitful, so He judges it (Mark 11:12–14). He then finds the temple corrupt and judges it (Matthew 11:15–19). The next morning, the disciples find the fig tree is dead (Mark 11:20–25), a fate Jerusalem will share in AD 70. Matthew joins both parts of this story of the fig tree in Matthew 21:18–22.

Chapter Summary:

Jesus and the disciples arrive in Jerusalem a week before the crucifixion, and Jesus begins the last days of His public ministry. They spend their nights on the Mount of Olives and their days in Jerusalem (Luke 21:37). Jesus accepts the accolades designed for a king (Mark 11:1–11), attacks materialistic tradition that keeps people from worshiping God (Mark 11:15–19), gives an object lesson about the fate of fruitless Jerusalem (Mark 11:12–14, 20–25), and reveals the Jewish religious leaders' hypocrisy (Mark 11:27–33). Despite the support of the crowd, Jesus is pushing the leaders toward the crucifixion.

Chapter Context:

The preceding passages included several miracles and lessons from Jesus. These set the stage for the last, dramatic days of His earthly ministry. In this chapter, Jesus enters Jerusalem to great fanfare and openly confronts local religious leaders for their hypocrisy. Over the next few chapters, Mark will continue to record controversial teachings, leading up to Jesus' arrest and early sham trials, recorded in chapter 14.

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus' servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel's authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus' miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus' teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus' ministry being misunderstood by others.

Accessed 5/3/2024 1:07:18 AM