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Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

Anointing, supper, prayer, arrest, council and denial preserve Mark’s actors, speech, sequence and two explanatory annotations.

Chapter breakdown

# Mark 14

With pasch and Azymes after two days, chief priests and scribes seek a cunning seizure and killing, saying not on the festival lest a tumult occur. The separate annotation defines Azymes as unleavened bread. At meat in Bethania in Simon the leper’s house, an unnamed woman breaks an alabaster box of precious spikenard and pours it on Jesus’ head. Some indignantly call it waste and say it could sell for more than three hundred pence for the poor. Jesus says to leave her alone: she wrought a good work, they may do good to the always-present poor whenever they will, but will not always have him. She has done what she could, anointing beforehand for burial; wherever the gospel is preached her act will be memorialized. Judas goes to chief priests to betray him; glad, they promise money and he seeks a convenient betrayal. Neither Mary as the woman’s identity nor silver coin valuation is supplied.

On unleavened bread’s first day when the pasch is sacrificed, disciples ask where to prepare. Jesus sends two to the city to follow a man with a water pitcher, ask the house’s master for his refectory and prepare in the shown large furnished dining room. They find it as said and prepare. No earthen pitcher or upper-floor location is added. Evening brings Jesus with the twelve. Eating, he says one eating with him will betray him; sorrowful, they ask one by one Is it I. He identifies one of twelve dipping with him in the dish. The Son of man goes as written, but woe to the betrayer, better not born. He blesses, breaks and gives bread, saying Take ye. This is my body. Giving thanks, he gives the chalice and all drink. He calls it his blood of the new testament shed for many, and says he will no longer drink the vine’s fruit until drinking it new in God’s kingdom. The admitted words are not replaced by a broader explanation of sacramental species or transformation.

After a hymn they go to Mount Olives. Jesus predicts all being scandalized that night, citing shepherd struck and sheep scattered, and promises to precede them to Galilee after rising. Peter says not he, even if all others. Jesus predicts three denials that very night before two cock crows. The annotation identifies first crow about midnight and second at the time commonly called cock crowing, explaining other Evangelists’ omission of the first. Peter insists more vehemently he will die with him rather than deny, and all say likewise; no oath is stated here.

At a farm called Gethsemani Jesus tells disciples to sit while he prays and takes Peter, James and John. He begins to fear and be heavy, says his soul is sorrowful unto death and tells them to watch. A little forward he falls flat and prays for the hour to pass if possible, saying Abba, Father, all things are possible, remove the chalice, but not his will, the Father’s. Finding them asleep, he asks Simon whether he could not watch one hour and tells them to watch and pray against entering temptation, spirit willing and flesh weak. He again prays the same words and finds them sleeping with heavy eyes and no answer. Third return brings Sleep ye now and take your rest, enough, the hour come and betrayal into sinners’ hands; then Rise up, let us go, the betrayer near. No olive grove, deeper garden route or omitted sleep/rest saying is substituted.

Judas arrives during his speech with a sword-and-stave multitude from chief priests, scribes and ancients. His sign is the one he kisses, to seize and lead carefully. He greets Hail Rabbi and kisses Jesus; they seize him. An unnamed bystander cuts off the high priest’s servant’s ear with a sword. Jesus asks why weapons as for a robber, since he taught daily in their temple without seizure, and speaks of fulfilling scriptures. All disciples flee. A certain young man follows wearing linen over naked body; they seize him, he casts off the cloth and flees naked. The object seized is the man, not expressly the cloth.

They bring Jesus to the unnamed high priest with priests, scribes and ancients assembled. Peter follows afar, sits with servants at the fire and warms himself. Council seeks evidence for death but finds none; false testimony disagrees, including the alleged destruction of the handmade temple and building another without hands within three days. Jesus answers nothing to the first question, then answers I am to whether he is Christ, Son of Blessed God, adding the Son of man at God’s powerful right hand and with heaven’s clouds. The priest rends garments, calls it blasphemy and asks their verdict; all condemn him guilty of death. Some spit, cover his face, buffet and command Prophesy; servants slap him. Caiaphas, palace, brazier and feigned horror are not in this span.

A maidservant below sees Peter warming and says he was with Jesus of Nazareth. He denies knowing or understanding, goes before the court and a cock crows. Again a maidservant tells bystanders he is one of them; he denies again. Later bystanders call him one of them because he is Galilean; no dialect is mentioned. He curses and swears he knows not the man. The second crow brings remembrance of the prediction and he begins to weep. Bitter tears and a completed restoration by repentance are not asserted.

The story inside

Two-day plot; Bethania; meal preparation; supper; Mount Olives; farm; seizure; council; denials.

Lessons worth keeping

1
The woman and high priest are unnamed.
2
The place is a farm and the room a dining room.
3
The ending reports beginning to weep without a restoration claim.

Test your recall

Azymes; precious spikenard; pence; refectory; two cock crows; farm; linen; Galilean.

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 116137–116244
14:1. Now the feast of the pasch and of the Azymes was after two days: and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might by some wile lay hold on him and kill him. Azymes.... That is, the feast of the unleavened bread. 14:2. But they said: Not on the festival day, lest there should be a tumult among the people. 14:3. And when he was in Bethania, in the house of Simon the leper, and was at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of precious spikenard. And breaking the alabaster box, she poured it out upon his head. 14:4. Now there were some that had indignation within themselves and said: Why was this waste of the ointment made? 14:5. For this ointment might have been sold for more than three hundred pence and given to the poor. And they murmured against her. 14:6. But Jesus said: Let her alone. Why do you molest her? She hath wrought a good work upon me. 14:7. For the poor you have always with you: and whensoever you will, you may do them good: but me you have not always. 14:8. She hath done what she could: she is come beforehand to anoint my body for the burial. 14:9. Amen, I say to you, wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, that also which she hath done shall be told for a memorial of her. 14:10. And Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests, to betray him to them. 14:11. Who hearing it were glad: and they promised him they would give him money. And he sought how he might conveniently betray him. 14:12. Now on the first day of the unleavened bread, when they sacrificed the pasch, the disciples say to him: Whither wilt thou that we go and prepare for thee to eat the pasch? 14:13. And he sendeth two of his disciples and saith to them: Go ye into the city; and there shall meet you a man carrying a pitcher of water. Follow him. 14:14. And whithersoever he shall go in, say to the master of the house, The master saith, Where is my refectory, where I may eat the pasch with my disciples? 14:15. And he will shew you a large dining room furnished. And there prepare ye for us. 14:16. And his disciples went their way and came into the city. And they found as he had told them: and they prepared the pasch. 14:17. And when evening was come, he cometh with the twelve. 14:18. And when they were at table and eating, Jesus saith: Amen I say to you, one of you that eateth with me shall betray me. 14:19. But they began to be sorrowful and to say to him, one by one: Is it I? 14:20. Who saith to them: One of the twelve, who dippeth with me his hand in the dish. 14:21. And the Son of man indeed goeth, as it is written of him: but woe to that man by whom the Son of man shall be betrayed. It were better for him, if that man had not been born. 14:22. And whilst they were eating, Jesus took bread; and blessing, broke and gave to them and said: Take ye. This is my body. 14:23. And having taken the chalice, giving thanks, he gave it to them. And they all drank of it. 14:24. And he said to them: This is my blood of the new testament, which shall be shed for many. 14:25. Amen I say to you that I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine until that day when I shall drink it new in the kingdom of God. 14:26. And when they had sung an hymn, they went forth to the mount of Olives. 14:27. And Jesus saith to them: You will all be scandalized in my regard this night. For it is written: I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep shall be dispersed. 14:28. But after I shall be risen again, I will go before you into Galilee. 14:29. But Peter saith to him: Although all shall be scandalized in thee, yet not I. 14:30. And Jesus saith to him: Amen I say to thee, to-day, even in this night, before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. Crow twice.... The cocks crow at two different times of the night; viz., about midnight for the first time; and then about the time commonly called the cock crowing; and this was the cock crowing our Saviour spoke of; and therefore the other Evangelists take no notice of the first crowing. 14:31. But he spoke the more vehemently: Although I should die together with thee, I will not deny thee. And in like manner also said they all.
Lines 116246–116370
14:32. And they came to a farm called Gethsemani. And he saith to his disciples: Sit you here, while I pray. 14:33. And he taketh Peter and James and John with him: and he began to fear and to be heavy. 14:34. And he saith to them: My soul is sorrowful even unto death. Stay you here and watch. 14:35. And when he was gone forward a little, he fell flat on the ground: and he prayed that, if it might be, the hour might pass from him. 14:36. And he saith: Abba, Father, all things are possible to thee: remove this chalice from me; but not what I will, but what thou wilt. 14:37. And he cometh and findeth them sleeping. And he saith to Peter: Simon, sleepest thou? Couldst thou not watch one hour? 14:38. Watch ye: and pray that you enter not into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. 14:39. And going away again, he prayed, saying the same words. 14:40. And when he returned, he found them again asleep (for their eyes were heavy): and they knew not what to answer him. 14:41. And he cometh the third time and saith to them: Sleep ye now and take your rest. It is enough. The hour is come: behold the Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of sinners. 14:42. Rise up: let us go. Behold, he that will betray me is at hand. 14:43. And while he was yet speaking, cometh Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve: and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and the scribes and the ancients. 14:44. And he that betrayed him had given them a sign, saying: Whomsoever I shall kiss, that is he. Lay hold on him: and lead him away carefully. 14:45. And when he was come, immediately going up to him he saith: Hail, Rabbi! And he kissed him. 14:46. But they laid hands on him and held him. 14:47. And one of them that stood by, drawing a sword, struck a servant of the chief priest and cut off his ear. 14:48. And Jesus answering, said to them: Are you come out as to a robber, with swords and staves to apprehend me? 14:49. I was daily with you in the temple teaching: and you did not lay hands on me. But that the scriptures may be fulfilled. 14:50. Then his disciples, leaving him, all fled away. 14:51. And a certain young man followed him, having a linen cloth cast about his naked body. And they laid hold on him. 14:52. But he, casting off the linen cloth, fled from them naked. 14:53. And they brought Jesus to the high priest. And all the priests and the scribes and the ancients assembled together. 14:54. And Peter followed him afar off, even into the court of the high priest. And he sat with the servants at the fire and warmed himself. 14:55. And the chief priests and all the council sought for evidence against Jesus, that they might put him to death: and found none. 14:56. For many bore false witness against him: and their evidences were not agreeing. 14:57. And some rising up, bore false witness against him, saying: 14:58. We heard him say, I will destroy this temple made with hands and within three days I will build another not made with hands. 14:59. And their witness did not agree. 14:60. And the high priest rising up in the midst, asked Jesus, saying: Answerest thou nothing to the things that are laid to thy charge by these men? 14:61. But he held his peace and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him and said to him: Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed God? 14:62. And Jesus said to him: I am. And you shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of the power of God and coming with the clouds of heaven. 14:63. Then the high priest rending his garments, saith: What need we any further witnesses? 14:64. You have heard the blasphemy. What think you? Who all condemned him to be guilty of death. 14:65. And some began to spit on him and to cover his face and to buffet him and to say unto him: Prophesy. And the servants struck him with the palms of their hands. 14:66. Now when Peter was in the court below, there cometh one of the maidservants of the high priest. 14:67. And when she had seen Peter warming himself looking on him, she saith: Thou also wast with Jesus of Nazareth. 14:68. But he denied, saying: I neither know nor understand what thou sayest. And he went forth before the court; and the cock crew. 14:69. And again a maidservant seeing him, began to say to the standers by: This is one of them. 14:70. But he denied again. And after a while they that stood by said again to Peter: Surely thou art one of them; for thou art also a Galilean. 14:71. But he began to curse and to swear, saying: I know not this man of whom you speak. 14:72. And immediately the cock crew again. And Peter remembered the word that Jesus had said unto him: Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt thrice deny me. And he began to weep.