Our community in the downtown east side of Vancouver has been slowly working through the Gospel of Mark. We’re nearing the beginning of the end, but first, Jesus has some more teaching to do. Here’s the story so far:
Jesus has finished his long journey to Jerusalem, and has entered the city to the fanfare of the crowds, but all is not well. Jesus is not welcome; the ruling classes – the Pharisees and Sadducees, who direct the spiritual lives of the people, and the Herodians, who direct the political lives of the people – all three groups feel threatened by Jesus. The three groups, which normally are at odds with one another, form an uneasy alliance in an attempt to take down Jesus. Jesus has had some harsh condemnation for them: He has claimed that they have turned the Temple – God’s house – into a den of thieves, and in the parable last week, he accused them of killing the servants of God – and even foreshadowed his own death at their hands! He threatened their position and scared them with his talk.
Jordan Shaw lives with his family in the Downtown East Side of Vancouver, engaging in life with his friends from across the socioeconomic spectrum.