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The Gospel of Mark
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BIBLE STUDY MARK 8:1-38 REVIEW: Chapter 7 began with another account of confrontation between Jesus and some of the Pharisees and scribes. This one concerning religious practices, specifically the ritual practice of ceremonial hand washing. Apparently some of his disciples were not washing their hands. Jesus, however, reframes the argument by discussing the difference between God’s commandments (words) and human tradition. According to Jesus, the neglect of human rituals, initially designed to “erect a fence” around the law (Torah), is not necessarily an indicator of uncleanness or unfaithfulness before God. In the next section Jesus takes his argument a step further by illustrating how a specific religious tradition, one likely promoted by the religious leaders in Jerusalem to whom Jesus was speaking, was actually causing people to break God’s commandment (word). The Corban (that is, an offering to God) apparently, in religious practice, superseded the Commandment to “Honor your father and mother.” That is, people were forced to give their financial support to the temple before taking care of their parents. Jesus was pointing out how some religious practices or human traditions are not necessarily beneficial to ones relationship with God—a relationship for which God gives us guidance in his commandments. The next section provides a pithy summary to previous discussion of purity. His confrontation with the Pharisees and scribes turns into a teaching moment with his disciples. Jesus says, “There is nothing outside a person that by going in can defile, but the things that come out are what defile.” Here Jesus gives good explanation as to the root of human evil. It comes from within. Next, on the heels of the discussion about ritual purity, come two interesting narratives about Jesus healing among Gentiles. First, the daughter of a Syrophoenician woman. At first it seems that Jesus is not interested or willing to help this outsider. He says, “It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” It seems, however, that with her determination, “Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs,” the woman is able to persuade Jesus to cross the boundary of culture (and gender). The message of this passage is clear—EVERYONE (Jew and Gentile, male and female, etc) has a claim on God’s mercy—and that in Christ the cultural and social boundaries that separate us from each other are being overcome. Chapter seven concludes with a detailed account of Jesus’ healing of a deaf and mute man in the region of the Decapolis…again…among the Gentiles. CHAPTER 8:1-10 “Feeding the Four Thousand” “In those days when there was again a great crowd without anything to eat, he called his disciples and said to them, “I have compassion for the crowd, because they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat. If I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way—and some of them have come from a great distance.” His disciples replied, “How can one feed these people with bread here in the desert?” He asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, “Seven.” Then he ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground; and he took the seven loaves, and after giving thanks he broke them and gave them to his disciples to distribute; and they distributed them to the crowd. They had also a few small fish; and after blessing them, he ordered that these too should be distributed. They ate and were filled; and they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. Now there were about four thousand people. And he sent them away. And immediately he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha.” This story is an obvious parallel to the “Feeding of the Five Thousand” in Chapter six (35-44). Mark, in doing so, doubly emphasizes his beautiful portrait of Jesus: The Elisha-like prophet (see 2 Kings 4), the rest-giving shepherd (Psalm 23), the empathetic and compassionate teacher, and the divine provider. So, why does Mark use parallel stories? We already have experienced this literary device in earlier chapters. Recall that Chapter 1 and Chapter 5 also give parallel stories about Jesus’ exorcising demons. In Mark 1:21-28 Jesus cast the demon out of a man in the synagogue—a Jew, and in Mark 5:1-13 he cleans a Legion of demons out of the man from Gerasene—a Gentile. In doing this, Mark makes a deliberate point about the expansive reach of Jesus’ power and authority to reach not only Jews, but now also Gentiles. Donohue and Harrington in their commentary on the Gospel of Mark, suggest that this parallel story—the feeding of the four thousand—has the same purpose. It makes clear that Jesus’ spirit—his character and his impact on people—is the same among the Gentiles as among Jews. Preceding this story there are two healing stories that take place among Gentiles. There is no reason to think his audience has changed between chapters. In fact, “they have been with me now for three days,” is a hint that Jesus is still interacting with the same people—with Gentiles. Donohue and Harrington point out more hints in the text that may lead to the same conclusion, that this is the “Gentile setting” version of the “feeding multitudes” story. First, when Jesus says “some of them have come from a great distance,” this is apparently symbolism used for Gentiles in other parts of scripture that uses similar Greek language (Joshua 9:6 [LXX]; Isa 60:4 [LXX]; Acts 2:39; 22:21; Eph 2:11-12). Secondly, the number seven used to count fish and baskets in this narrative is often considered to suggest Gentiles. There are seven commandments in the Noachic covenant (Gen), seven churches in Revelation 2-3, and seven pagan nations of Canaan (Deut 7:1; Acts 13:19). Again, the purpose of having parallel feeding stories in the 6th and 8th Chapters of Mark is likely to make clear that Jesus’ spirit—his character and his impact on people—is the same among the Gentiles as it is among Jews: Prophetic, restful, compassionate and provisionary. This makes sense, considering Mark’s intended audience in Rome, a great distance from the region where Jesus had lived in person. CHAPTER 8:11-13 “Signs” “The Pharisees came and began to argue with him, asking him for a sign from heaven, to test him. And he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, “Why does this generation ask for a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to this generation.” And he left them, and getting into the boat again, he went across to the other side.” “Signs” (semeioin in Greek) refer to a mark by which something is known. In Mark and in the other Synoptic Gospels, unlike in John, “signs” is never used to describe miracles of Jesus (which are primarily called dynameis, “works of power”). On the contrary, signs are expected to come from God in heaven. In the Hebrew scripture, prophetic messages and activities were often confirmed by divine signs (2 Kgs 20:8-9; Isa 7:11-14; Ezek 12:11). Jesus’ sigh is only used here in the NT. It suggests, perhaps, his anguish at being asked for a sign, and also the solemnity of his response to the Pharisees. “Amen I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.” According to Donohue and Harrington, Mark does not deny that the mighty works of Jesus are manifestations of God’s power, but he insists that these works are experienced by people with faith (2:5; 5:34; 10:52); miracles do not produce faith. That is, people with faith will see the hand of God moving in the works of Jesus Christ, people without faith will continue to look beyond the works being performed, hoping for a sign “from heaven,” which they will not get (at least not in Jesus’ generation). What about you…have you ever wished or asked for a sign beyond what you were given? If you actually got a sign from heaven, would you believe that that is what it was? CHAPTER 8:14-21 “Blind Disciples” “Now the disciples had forgotten to bring any bread; and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. And he cautioned them, saying, “Watch out—beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod.” They said to one another, “It is because we have no bread.” And becoming aware of it, Jesus said to them, “Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes, and fail to see? Do you have ears, and fail to hear? And do you not remember? When I broke five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you collect?” They said to him, “Twelve.” “And the seven for the four thousand, ho many baskets full of broken pieces did you collect?” And they said to him, “Seven.” Then he said to them, “Do you not yet understand?” This passage begins with a warning for the disciples to guard against the corruption of the Pharisees and of Herod. However, the analogy that Jesus chooses, the disciples seem unable to understand. To me (Pastor Josh), Jesus in these two sections (8:11-13 and 14-21), seems extremely lonely—there is no one who can relate to him. While the Pharisees want a sign, his own disciples seems stuck worrying about food. This despite the works of power that they had already experienced first hand. Trying to make them “perceive or understand,” Jesus goes so far as to retrace with them the events that unfolded with the fish and loaves in the feeding stories. While they can recount the events that unfolded (the facts of the matter), they seem unable to apply it to their present situation in terms of faith. The passage ends with Jesus’ rhetorical questions, which are full of biblical imagery: “Are your hearts hardened?” (Exod 10, Ezek 11:19) “Do you have eyes, and fail to see? Do you have ears, and fail to hear?” (Jer 5:21, Ezek 12:2). CHAPTER 8:22-26 “Blind Man” “They came to Bethsaida. Some people brought a blind man to him and begged him to touch him. He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village; and when he had put saliva on his eyes and laid his hands on him he asked him, “Can you see anything?” And the man looked up and said, “I can see people, but they look like trees, walking.” Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he looked intently and his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. Then he sent him away to his home, saying, “Do not even go into the village.” Following Jesus’ discussion with his disciples where he questions their ability to perceive or understand the significance of the events unfolding around them, a man who is physically blind is now brought before him. While Jesus seemed to struggle in the previous scene to open his disciples’ “spiritual eyes,” asking them, “Do you have eyes, and fail to see?” the man’s physical blindness in this story (although it took two tries) seems much less of a struggle to cure. This contrast between the physical and the spiritual seems a reoccurring theme in Mark. Remember, in the story of the paralytic in Chapter two, Jesus asks the scribes this question, “Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Stand up and take up your mat and walk?’” Needless to say, this is also true in our own lives. It is often times easier to help people in physical ways, than it is with matters of faith, belief and identity. Jesus, however, addresses both and must have viewed both as important if not directly related. Again, just as in Jesus’ healing of the deaf and mute man in Chapter 7, Jesus uses saliva as part of his ritual for healing. According to Bruce J. Malina and Richard L. Rohrbaugh in their Social-Science Commentary on the Synoptic Gospels the actions Jesus performs here are typical of traditional healers. Spitting is a common action to ward off evil. Again, we see in this story an example of the “messianic secret motif” in Mark. Jesus takes the blind man away from his friends, outside of the village of Bethsaida before he does his healing. Afterwards, he commands the man with restored vision to not re-enter the village. CHAPTER 8:27-30 “Naming Jesus: The Messianic Secret” “Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” And they answered him, “John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” He asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Messiah.” And he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him.” This is the second section that specifically addresses the name, or identity, of Jesus. What was first introduced by the voice of the narrator in Chapter 6 is now heard through the voice of his disciples. See here how closely this section parallels Chapter 6:14-16: King Herod heard of it, for Jesus’ name had become known. Some were saying, “John the baptizer has been raised from the dead; and for this reason these powers are at work in him.” But others said, “It is Elijah.” And others said, “It is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” But when Herod heard of it, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.” Obviously, the emphasis of these to passages, when viewed side by side, is the different conclusions reached by Herod and Peter. While Herod could only see Jesus as the haunting return of the Baptizer who he had murdered, Peter finally gets it right when he says, “You are the Messiah.” So, why the Messianic Secret? Both Messiah in Hebrew and Christ in Greek mean “the anointed one.” In the OT priests, prophets, and kings were anointed in rites that seem also to convey the idea of their divine election. In Jesus’ time Messiah/Christ/Anointed was by no means a univocal term, and so one can correctly speak about Judaism and their messiahs. However, one prominent form of messianism in the [time of Jesus] is represented by the hope for a future Davidic king who would restore justice and the good fortunes of God’s people. Such a messiah would naturally be a threat to the Roman rulers and their Jewish collaborators in the land of Israel. In light of what Jesus did (especially his acts of “power”) and said (his claims about sonship, his pivotal role in God’s plan, and his sayings about the Temple), it is likely that some people did identify Jesus as such a messiah…In fact, such popular speculation may have contributed to the events leading to Jesus’ death (Donahue and Harrington, p261). CHAPTER 8:31-38 “Jesus Speaks Openly” “Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.” He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of this Father with his holy angels.” Now that the disciples have named/identified Jesus as messiah, they need to know what kind of messiah he is. Here, Jesus begins to teach them. This is the first “passion prediction” in Mark (8:31, 9:31, and 10:33-34). All three say that he will be a messiah who suffers according to God’s plan, but notice, they also end by predicting the resurrection. The reason for Peter’s reaction is not explicit here. Either the content of Jesus words or the openness with which he now speaks makes him react. Nonetheless, Peter’s private rebuke of Jesus quickly turns into a public rebuke—or a teaching moment—for Peter and anyone else who would reject the plan of God. The Hebrew verb for Satan means “test” or “tempt,” which expresses well the Satan figure of Job 1-2. By Jesus’ time the figure of Satan had come to characterize the principle of evil in the cosmic struggle that shapes human history until the eschaton. By rejecting the plan of God, Peter here puts himself on the wrong side of the struggle. Finally, the true significance of discipleship becomes clear here as well. Not only is Jesus to be a suffering messiah, so also are his followers to take up the instrument of their own death and follow the path of suffering that Jesus will establish. Ironically, to guard one’s life against death is counterproductive, for it causes people to lose the deeper meaning of one’s life. The Greek word psyche is often translated “soul,” or simple “life.” What is at stake is the inner core of the person, what constitutes the self. For if we loose our selves—our identities— in pursuit of “human things” what good is life then? -------------------- Joshua W. Magyar, Pella Lutheran Church 418 W. Main Street Sidney, MT 59270
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