The way of imagination

“Then [Jesus] said to them, “The sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the sabbath;   so the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath.” (Mk. 2.27-28)      Between two accounts of Jesus visiting the seaside to teach/heal the ever-present and ever-growing crowds (2.13; 3.7-12), Mark shows us the collision of Jesus’ vision of holiness with that of the Pharisees.   Mark accomplishes this by means of 4 short episodes, each of which contains a question that serves to reveal the underlying motives of these competing visions, the first three being asked by the Pharisees of Jesus/his disciples (concerning eating) and the fourth being asked by Jesus of his opponents (concerning the sabbath; cf. 2.6-9).   Jesus’ unconventional ways about the town of Capernaum now begin to make waves.      The third episode (2.23-28) has Jesus and his disciples walking through a grainfield on the sabbath.   The disciples, being hungry, be...

“When the scribes of the Pharisees saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, they said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”   When Jesus heard this, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.” (Mk. 2.16-17)      Between two accounts of Jesus visiting the seaside to teach/heal the ever-present and ever-growing crowds (2.13; 3.7-12), Mark shows us the collision of Jesus’ vision of holiness with that of the Pharisees.   Mark accomplishes this by means of 4 short episodes, each of which contains a question that serves to reveal the underlying motives of these competing visions, the first three being asked by the Pharisees of Jesus/his disciples (concerning eating) and the fourth being asked by Jesus of his opponents (concerning the sabbath; cf. 2.6-9).   Jesus’ unconventional ways about the town of Ca...

  “…Jesus said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”    Now some of the scribes were…questioning in their hearts,   “Why does this fellow speak in this way? It is blasphemy! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”    At once Jesus…said to them…Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Stand up and take your mat and walk’?   But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— “I say to you, stand up, take your mat and go to your home.” And he stood up, and immediately took the mat and went out before all of them; so that they were all amazed…” (Mk. 2.5-12)      Along with exorcisms and healings, there is another predominant theme in the first two chapters of Mark’s Gospel – the forgiveness of sins.   This had been the essence of John’s message (1.4-5).   Whether John’s preaching was the catalyst of what Mark ...

“A leper came to him begging him, and kneeling he said to him, “If you choose, you can make me clean .”   Moved with pity, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him, “I do choose. Be made clean !” Immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean .   (Mk. 1.40-42)      Along with exorcisms, Jesus performs many healings of various physical ailments in the early chapters of Mark’s Gospel.   Jesus’ first healing is that of Simon’s mother-in-law (1.29-31).   With the restoration of the leper, we begin to understand the meaning of Jesus’ healings (and exorcisms).   The thrice-repeated word “clean” in the above passage reveals what is truly going on when the King restores the members of the people of God to wholeness.   Leprosy rendered its victim “unclean”, i.e., it proscribed that person from participation in the life of the community, of both civil society and the worship/litur...

“They went to Capernaum; and when the sabbath came, [Jesus] entered the synagogue and taught…he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. Just then there was…a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.” (Mk. 1.21-24)      Although, as he began his public career, no human being recognized Jesus as the King, there was a group of beings who knew all too well who he was – the demons of Galilee.   The very presence of Jesus compelled the demons within those people in his vicinity to confess Jesus’ identity (Mk. 1.24-25, 34).   Far from being gratified by this recognition of his true role, Jesus is inconvenienced by the demons’ knowledge of his identity and does all in his power to prevent them spreading the truth about him.   Jesus’ identity is dangerous to himself and to those around him; he has a mi...

  “As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen.    And Jesus said to them, “Follow me and I will make you fish for people.”  And immediately they left their nets and followed him.” (Mk. 1.16-18)      Following his public “unveiling” as the Son of God and his 40-day trial in the wilderness, the King of Israel began to tour his kingdom and to gather a group of apprentices (i.e., disciples) who would learn his ways and partner with him in his mission.   Jesus had a home in Capernaum (cf. Mk. 2.1; 3.19-20), and it seems that Simon and Andrew, along with James and John, were Jesus’ “neighbours” (cf. 1.21, 29).   Indeed, most of the action in chapters 1—3 takes place in/around Capernaum – either by the lake (1.16-20; 3.7-12), in the synagogue (1.21-28; 3.1-6) or in Jesus’ home (2.1-12) or those of his fellow townsfolk (1.29-34; 2.13-17).    ...

  “The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” (Mk. 1.1)      We have seen that Mark, through his Gospel, is calling his readers to follow the King whose strange story he has told.   If it was difficult for Jesus’ contemporaries to see him as a king, it is doubly difficult for us who have inherited 2,000 years of Christian piety which has more often than not obscured the fact that Jesus, from the moment of his baptism, lived and died as a public figure , claiming to occupy the highest office among the people of God, that of the anointed Son of David, i.e., the Messiah, the King of Israel and – in virtue of that fact – of the nations.   As Israel’s “Christ”, Jesus claimed to be inaugurating the very kingdom of Yahweh, making it a reality “on the ground” (as in heaven, one might add).      In 2 Samuel 7.8-16, we have the story of the founding of the Davidic covenant – God’s promise that there would always...

“…the Spirit immediately drove [Jesus] out into the wilderness.  He was in the wilderness forty days , tempted by Satan…” (Mk. 1.12-13)      Jesus’ 40-day sojourn in the wilderness followed immediately upon his baptism by John in the Jordan River (cf. Mk. 1.9-11).   This is reminiscent of Israel’s 40-year trek through the wilderness after having passed through the Red Sea (cf. Exodus chapters 14-15).   Jesus’ baptism is the first of two moments in Mark’s narrative where God declares Jesus to be his “Son” (Mk. 1.11; 9.7; cf. 1.1; 3.11; 5.7; 8.29; 12.6; 15.39 ).   As the nation of Israel – Yahweh’s “son” (cf. Ex. 4.22; Hosea 11.1) – had been “tested” in the desert for 40 years – and had “tested” God! (cf. Ps. 95.8-11) – so Jesus, Israel’s representative king, is also tested and tried (cf. Mt. 4 & Lk. 4 where Jesus is said not to have eaten anything during these 40 days).   Lent – the 40-day penitential season on the church’s calendar – ...