9th Week in Ord. Time, Friday – 5th June 2020 — Gospel: Mk 12,35-37
Messianic identity and authority
When none of the religious leaders dare to ask Jesus any more questions, now it was his turn to ask one final question. The issue centered on: “How can Messiah be both David’s son and David’s Lord?” This tricky question silenced them. Jesus points out that the religious leaders did not understand the Messiah of the scriptures. Judaism universally accepted that Messiah would be the ‘son of David’. As Messiah, Jesus is indeed the Son of David but that title is inadequate. Because the religious leaders regarded Messiah as mere man and a military leader like David. Nevertheless, Jesus demonstrates that he was spiritually superior to David due to his divine authority. This was the bone of contention underlying all the questions of the day. Therefore Jesus quotes Ps 110:1 as key to his identity and authority. Indeed, He is David’s Lord, the Son of God. Jesus affirms, at one and the same time, that He was son of David (identity) and Son of God (authority), which the religious leaders refused to acknowledge. His divinity sets Him from all men, and what qualified Him to be the Saviour of the world. At God’s right hand, Jesus will rule over not only the kingdom of David but also the whole of God’s creation.
