Board index ‹ Specific Bible verses, texts, and passages ‹ Mark

[Ironman]

I opened Mark this morning and was a little confused by .."the angels were ministering to him." what would they have been ministering and why? Jesus was the Son of God/Man why did he need ministering?

Thank you.

[jimwalton]

Obviously we are left to interpret it. The term is διηκόνουν (diekonoun), and it was used of waiters serving tables in inns. It came to mean service of any kind, and was used of church officials (deacons; servants; ministers) and also of government officials (Ministry of Defense; Ministry of Commerce, etc.)

Since it can apply to any kind of service, we are left with two main choices. The angels came to encourage him after his temptation with the devil. He had been abandoned by people (he was alone) and had been tempted by Satan (spiritual oppression). So the angels came after this intense spiritual struggle in a time of physical weakness to give him company and worship. Now that His time of trial (that he had to face alone) was over, now the angels could come and be with him again.

Lane makes an interesting comment: "There is no indication that the angels ever cease ministering to Jesus. Mark thinks of the temptation at Satan’s hand and support at the hands of the angels as continuing events in the course of which all the forces of God and Satan are simultaneously present. Such is life, for Jesus as God and for us."

A second choice is what seems to be taught by most commentators: They brought him food. After 40 days of fasting, he was weak with hunger, and God sent messengers to bring him something to eat.

Grant Osborne: "This can depict worship, but more likely indicates serving food to Jesus."

France: "God’s messengers break the fast that Jesus would not himself break."

Expositor's Greek Testament: "We are not told in what way they ministered to him, but exhaustion on Jesus’s part is implied."

Joel Marcus: "The original meaning of the word is to wait on tables, serving food and drink. Similar to the treatment of Elijah in 1 Ki. 19, that is possibly exactly what the angels are doing for Jesus here. See also Lk. 10.40; Jn. 12.2; Mk. 1.31."