On Line Bible Study - for the week July 13-19, 2009

Lesson 396

Mark 9:14-29 - Jesus heals a boy possessed by an evil spirit.

Because we are covering a lot of material I'll have to assume that you will read the stories on your own rather than put the text in the body of this email. Mark 9:14-29 has several key points:

1. This is less a healing than it is an exorcism.
2. Faith is the issue - the faith of the man whose son is possessed, and the faith of the disciples.
3. There are hints of the resurrection in the story.

The problem the child is dealing with is a demon - this emphasizes the cosmic nature of the fight between good and evil that Jesus is engaged in. That's what this project is about! The disciples are unable to perform the exorcism - even though Jesus had commissioned them and empowered them to cast out evil spirits (see Mark 6:7), this one required a power the disciples did not have. But it is a power they lack because they are an unbelieving generation . . . (Mark 9:19). The father's faith is equivocal - he says to Jesus: If you can do anything, take pity on [my son]. Jesus responds with what seems to be some exasperation - 'If you can'? Everything is possible for one who believes.

As the child is freed from the demon, he lies as if dead. Jesus extends his hand to him, not unlike what he did with Simon Peter's mother-in-law and with Jairus' daughter. The imagery is not unlike what he will depend on his Father to do for him after the crucifrixion. Everything is possible for one who believes ... We can't help but wonder as to the faith required of Christ to do what he did.

And now Jesus leaves Galilee for the last time, instructing his disciples as he travels.

Mark 9:31 The Son of Man is going to be delivered over to human hands. He will be killed, and after three days he will rise.

This is the briefest of the three predictions of Christ's suffering, death and resurrection. As we read this second prediction, we begin to sense there is more to this than a simple "prediction". There is something behind the event being foretold - God is the agent acting behind it all, to accomplish God's purposes. But we are told the disciples did not understand. And the fact that they then begin to argue who is the greatest indicates the extent of their lack of understanding. Jesus brings a child into their midst, equating faithful ministry with service and identifying himself with this little one.

And then, this interesting situation:

Mark 9:38 "Teacher," said John, "we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us."

In their commentary on Mark, Donahue and Harrington translate this as follows: ....and we told him to stop, because he does not follow us.

Does not follow who? Does this get to the heart of our tendencies toward exclusivism? Is it Jesus we follow, or our own selves? Who are we to determine how, when, where, and why Christ is active in the world? Is he Lord or our lives -- that is the first thing we need to tend to, and perhaps the only thing we need to truly concern ourselves with!

Jesus continues to teach as the gospel progresses ...

On Line Bible Study - for the week July 6 - 12, 2009

Lesson 395

The Transfiguration ...

If you recall the story of the Transfiguration (metamorphosis) as recorded in Mark 9:1-13, there are three basic elements:

1. The coming of the kingdom of God is imminent. Mark 9:1
2. The event of the Transfiguration. Mark 9:2-9
3. The conversation between Jesus and the disciples with regard to his suffering. Mark 9:10-13
   

Mark makes very sure that we don't miss this singular fact - The kingdom of God and the glorification of Jesus are intimately tied to the suffering of Christ.

Donahue and Harrington suggest that it is Mark who puts these three things together in ways that influence the other gospels and define Christian theology through the ages. While these are distinct events, they are a trinity in that none of them are possible without the other two. There is no "kingdom of God" for the Christian apart from the notion of the suffering of Jesus and his invitation to his followers to "take up the cross and follow ..." Just as Jesus is "transformed" on the mountaintop, that experience is validated by his willingness to suffer. This is the conversation that the church needs to continually have. What is the call - in your current and specific setting - to bear the burden of the cross?

What is the power resident in suffering? Christians say that there is no "power" in suffering alone. Rather, it is suffering that makes way for the possibility of resurrection - we don't suffer for its own sake, but for the sake of what can emerge from it. This helps to keep suffering grounded in the truth of the gospel. Suffering at the hands of injustice is not in and of itself redemptive. Suffering physical or emotional pain is not in and of itself redemptive. But when we willingly and voluntarily accept a role of suffering looking for what God is going to accomplish in and through it - then the cross becomes incarnate once again.

Remember that Jesus on the cross is able to say: "It is finished!" (John 19:30.) The cross makes way for the possibility of the resurrection!

Could it be the genius of St. Mark that puts this all together for the first time? And, of utmost importance for us is this simple question: Do we get it? Not just Do we believe it; but do we accept it as the gospel truth?

The promise of the kingdom, the glory of Jesus in our midst, the reality of suffering leading to new life - to resurrection - that's what this project is all about. And before this day is over, you will have the opportunity to enter into the mystery ... or to avoid it. The choice is ours.

We will finish chapter 9 in our next lesson.

On Line Bible Study - for the week June 29 5, 2009

Lesson 394

We have seen the genius of the Gospel of Mark - put together such that the disciples (and the readers) experience Jesus' proclamation and power, with signs accompanying - all leading to the question that is the centerpiece of this work: Who is Jesus?

The disciples are one minute blind, and the next minute seeing; they are "hard of heart" in one instant, and standing with hearts open to the message in the next. Peter rises to the occasion, having proclaimed Jesus is the "messiah"; then he plummets to the pits upon learning that the messiah must suffer. It is following the revelation of messianic suffering that Mark takes us to the Mountain of Transfiguration - but first - an interesting and challenging statement from Jesus:

Mark 9: ¹And he said to them, "I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power."

The general interpretation of this passage is that Jesus expected the fullness of the kingdom of God to manifest itself in the lifetime of some of those alive at the time he spoke. In other words, it was a kingdom not yet fully incarnate. There is another possible interpretation, perhaps best demonstrated by putting a "comma" after the word "God". So the line would read:

Mark 9: ¹And he said to them, "I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God, come with power."

The meaning then could be that some, standing there now will see (recognize) the kingdom of God, which has already come. No need to push too hard on this interpretation; but it is an interesting alternative.

Mark 9: ²After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. ³His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. ⁴And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus.

In Exodus 24:16 we read that Moses went up to the mountain and God's glory shown for 6 days before Moses entered into it. Mark is creating a parallel situation in his gospel.

There are several contestants standing line for the honor of being the actual mountain where this event takes place - Mount Hermon, Mount Carmel, and Mount Tabor. The geographical location is less important to Mark than the fact that this theophany occurs in a high place - the traditional setting for communication with the divine. The three disciples are "alone" with Jesus - there is an air of mystery about the episode.

The word "transfigured" deserves some attention. The Greek word μορφέ - morphe - means "form". In Philippians 2:6 we read of Jesus ... who being in the very form [of] God ... the word "form" (some translations might say "nature") is this Greek word - μορφέ. Our English word - metamorphosis - is derived from it. So, this "transfiguration" is a metamorphosis - a change of form.

Elijah and Moses ... these represent the great prophets who had suffered for God - one was taken to heaven in a chariot/whirlwind (II Kings 2:11); the other was mysteriously buried by the Lord (Deuteronomy 34:5-6). The mystery surrounding the death and burial of Moses led to a Jewish tradition that he was assumed into heaven.

Mark 9: ⁵Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." ⁶(He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.)

Here he is again! Peter speaks up - and what do you make of his comment? Some commentaries believe Peter was looking for a way to prolong this glorious, mysterious experience. And then, it gets even better - from the cloud there comes the voice of God:

Mark 9: ⁷Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud: "This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!"

Note the difference between this moment and the moment at Jesus' baptism ... At his baptism, the comment was addressed to Jesus - You are my beloved Son ... At the Transfiguration of Jesus, the statement is addressed to us (through the disciples ...) So, the same phrase is used at the beginning of Jesus' ministry (Mark 1:11) and as Mark begins the second half of his Gospel (Mark 9:7). The message is the same - this man is the Son of God! We are going to hear this proclamation one more time before this Gospel is over ...

We need a little more time with this story. We'll stay with it for one more week.

On Line Bible Study - for the week June 22-28, 2009

Lesson 393

Mark 8:29 Peter answered, "You are the Christ."

As dense as the disciples of Jesus have been up until now, Peter acknowledges Jesus as the "Christ" - a moment of lucidity and faith that is dramatic both for its insight and for it coming from one who, just several verses earlier, is part of the group that Jesus accuses of "having eyes" but "failing to see".

But as amazing as this statement of faith is, it is immediately followed by proof that Peter - and the other disciples - still have a long way to go to understand what Jesus means by "messiah".

Mark 8: ³¹He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. ³²He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.

³³But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. "Get behind me, Satan!" he said. "You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."

When I was in Music School my piano teacher was always assigning me pieces to learn that pushed me beyond the level of my current technical ability. Before I could learn the piece, I had to master new techniques. Jesus, always the teacher, takes the "progress" Peter has made, and now pushes it to the next level.

But Peter is not the only problem here - he is not the only "student" who might not fully understand what this lesson is all about. And, in truth, he and the other disciples have a valid excuse. No where in the Hebrew Bible is the "Son of Man" (a term used frequently in Ezekiel and Daniel; there are numerous references beginning in Ezekiel 11, and two references in Daniel - 7:13 and 8:17) said to have to suffer. So Jesus is putting new content to an already-existing term - re-defining an already existing set of assumptions.

But us - So many of us who read the Bible do so as "believers". Do we fully understand how Jesus is defining his role? And do we truly accept that his role is to be our role as well? The mutual "rebuking" that is going on between Jesus and Peter - Peter trying to dissuade Jesus from the suffering, and Jesus trying to set Peter right in his understanding of what it means for Jesus to be the "Christ" - it is put differently in Eugene Peterson's paraphrase from The Message:

Mark 8: ^32-33But Peter grabbed him in protest. Turning and seeing his disciples wavering, wondering what to believe, Jesus confronted Peter. "Peter, get out of my way! Satan, get lost! You have no idea how God works."

The methodology of Jesus' ministry, especially as it draws to its conclusion on the cross, is not up for debate. At this point, "protests" only result in confusion, and Jesus wants Peter, the other disciples - and all of us - to understand what it means to follow him. From Peter's standpoint in the text he does not have access to "resurrection". If he had, would his reaction have been any different? While we don't try to convince Jesus not to go through with this because of our vantage point, the issue for us is more centered around our own behavior.

Do I believe that with death comes resurrection? Look at the next verses, as paraphrased by Peterson:

Mark 8: ^34-37Calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, "Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You're not in the driver's seat; I am. Don't run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I'll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to saving yourself, your true self. What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you? What could you ever trade your soul for?

"Calling the crowd ..." That would be us! For St. Mark, he uses his gospel as a way for Jesus to teach the Twelve - and all the rest of us, too.

The mastery of the Gospel of Mark becomes even more obvious with what happens next ...

(Thanks to the Sacra Pagina Series Commentary on Mark by John Donahue and Daniel Harrington; also, thanks this week to Theodore Weeden's book: Mark - Traditions in Conflict.)