The way of imagination

  “ James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to [Jesus] …And he said to them, “What is it you want me to do for you?” And they said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” …Then Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized;   but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.” (Mark 10.35-40)      “They were on the road, going up to Jerusalem…” (10.32).   It’s hard to know whether to laugh or cry as one reads this passage (you’ll see what I mean).   Once again, Jesus takes the Twelve aside and tells them what is going to happen to him in the capital – the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes who, in turn, will hand him over to the Gentiles, who will mock him, spit on him, flog him and kill him; and after three d...

  “ …a man ran up and knelt before [Jesus], and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus said to him…   You know the commandments…He said to him, “Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.” Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.”   When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.” (Mark 10.17-22)      Jesus is now preparing his journey, so as to arrive in Jerusalem in time for Passover, the Jewish national holiday (10.17).   The narrative is rushing towards its climax.   A man runs up, kneels before Jesus and interrupts his preparations.   This is the first of three episodes in this chapter where people come to Jesus with (what they consider to be) an urgent question.   In the case of this man, he asks “Goo...

  “ When [Jesus] had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about the parable. He said to them, “Then do you also fail to understand? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile, since it enters, not the heart but the stomach, and goes out into the sewer?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.)   And he said, “It is what comes out of a person that defiles.  For it is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come…” (Mark 7.17-21)      Once again Jesus’ opponents, who had previously slandered him as being demon-possessed, “gather around him” to scrutinize the eating habits of his disciples (7.1-2; cf. 3.20-22; 2.15-28).   Jesus had multiplied the loaves and fish for the crowd of 5,000 in the previous chapter, and the theme of bread continues here (7.2).   The Pharisees and the scribes ask: “Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but...

       The opening verses of Jeremiah chapter 32 situate us in the court of the guard in the king’s palace of Jerusalem, as the city is besieged by Babylonian armies, in the tenth year of king Zedekiah’s reign, which places this passage about mid-way through the siege (32.1-3; cf. 39.1-2).   32.3-5 recalls a complaint of Zedekiah as to why Jeremiah has been prophesying defeat (cf. 38.14-23; 34.1-7).   Jeremiah then has a premonition that his cousin Hanamel is going to offer to sell him his field in Anathoth, since Jeremiah holds the right of redemption over the field (32.6-7; cf. Ruth 4.1-8).   Sure enough, Hanamel comes to the court of the guard and makes his offer to Jeremiah (32.8).   The incident reminds us of God’s commands to Jeremiah to buy a loincloth and hide it (cf. 13.1-11) and to buy an earthenware jug and break it (cf. chapter 19).   In each case, Jeremiah is told to “buy” something.   These are all symbolic actions announci...

       Chapters 27-29 of the book of Jeremiah describe events which occurred nine years before the siege of 589 began, i.e., in 598 B.C.   This was a year of 3 kings – Jehoiakim died, his son Jehoiachin (a.k.a. Jeconiah: 27.20) reigned for three months before being deposed and exiled to Babylon by emperor Nebuchadnezzar along with the royal family, the artisans and many inhabitants of Jerusalem [1] (29.1-2), who placed his uncle Zedekiah on the throne of Jerusalem (he would be the last king of Judah, the third son of Josiah to rule, and the last descendant of David to wear the crown; cf. 2 Sam. 7.1-15).        In chapter 27, Jeremiah performs an enacted parable by walking the streets of Jerusalem wearing a “yoke” across his neck and shoulders like an ox, as a symbol of what Jerusalem should do vis-à-vis the Babylonians – they should submit to them and be an obedient vassal to the Babylonian empire.   Jeremiah prophesies tha...

  “ Then they came to Capernaum; and when [Jesus] was in the house he asked [his apostles], “What were you arguing about on the way?”    But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another who was the greatest.    He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.”    Then he took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.” (Mark 9.33-37)      For the third time, Jesus forewarns the apostles about his upcoming suffering, death and resurrection (9.30-31; cf. 8.31; 9.12).   Once again, the apostles fail to understand what Jesus is saying, and prove themselves to be complicit in their own ignorance, since they are afraid to ask him to explain himself (9.32; cf. 9.9-10), unlike the m...

  “ Someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought you my son; he has a spirit that makes him unable to speak;   and whenever it seizes him, it dashes him down; and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid …Jesus asked the father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. It has often cast him into the fire and into the water, to destroy him; but if you are able to do anything, have pity on us and help us.” Jesus said to him, “If you are able!—All things can be done for the one who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out, “I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mark 9.17-18, 21-24)      Once Peter, James, John and Jesus come down the mountain after the transfiguration of the Son of God, they come upon a great crowd which is surrounding the other disciples, who are arguing with some scribes (9.14; cf. 3.22; 7.1; 8.31; 9.11).   The scribes do not (have the chance to) res...

  “ …Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them,   and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them. And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, who were talking with Jesus.   Then Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” … Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, “This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!” (Mark 9.2-7)        Six days after Peter’s confession of him as Messiah (i.e., on the seventh day; 9.2), Jesus takes the “inner ring” of Peter, James and John (cf. 5.37) up a mountain by themselves (cf. 3.13).   At the summit, Jesus is “transfigured”; i.e., his divine nature shines through his mortal condition (9.2-3).   Peter’s proposal to build three “tents” ...