Sitting, Observing, Identifying:
Mark 12:41 narrates: “He [Jesus] sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums.”
Three things are observable in this verse. First, here, Jesus was not sitting accidentally, but intentionally. The Greek word used for sitting is kathisas that can mean to cause to sit or place, to be appointed, to be seated, and like. From the peculiar expression one needs to understand that something caused Jesus to sit down opposite the treasury.
Second, Jesus was not seeing things accidentally, but intentionally. The Greek word used for seeing is etheōrei; that can mean to be a spectator, to gaze on, to contemplate, or to consider/perceive/watch/observe. These English expressions show that Jesus was thoroughly watching people’s activity of giving in the temple.
Third, Jesus parallels the many rich people with their large (sums). The Greek expressions polloi (many) rich men and polla (much sums) reveal that there were many rich people in Jerusalem and that the temple was affluent. Jesus identified the riches of many and the financial stability of the temple.
Thus the narrator of the story brings the following three things into the fore: first, Jesus was sitting opposite the treasury with a purpose; second, Jesus was observing the people and their activity of giving unto God; and third, Jesus was identifying the many rich men and their much (sums).
Prayer: Jesus, you sit with a purpose, you observe our doings, and you identify our nature and category. Empower us to sit as you sit, observe as you observe, and identify as you identify. Amen.
