Sunday’s Gospel had a troubling subtext for me. It hit me as it was being read and then I came home and reflected on it more. I thought I’d share it with you so you can be troubled too. After all, aren’t theologians to ask questions as much as have answers?
The reading describes Jesus busy teaching a large crowd. While he’s teaching, his family, that is his mother, his brothers and his sisters arrive. They can’t get to Jesus because of the crowd, but word comes to him that they are outside and are calling to him. Jesus utters his famous saying about who is actually his family and it’s not about biology. Jesus describes “family” as those who do the will of God; they are his “brother and sister and mother.” This is an obvious subtext and important truth and I’m all over the idea. Both Matthew and Luke report the same large crowd and his family showing up, and his new definition of family. Clearly these three writers believe it to be a core teaching of Jesus so this subtext preserves an important truth for the Kingdom.
But only Mark includes some other information and this is the troubling part to me. Why does Jesus’ family come? They come “to restrain him,” because people have been saying that he has “gone out of his mind,” and that he’s possessed of the devil. Matthew and Luke don’t include this. It seems a little too disrespectful of Jesus I suppose, but I’m OK with their not including it for whatever their reason was. However, Mark did include it and I think it’s problematic.
Mark doesn’t have the beautiful and iconic birth narratives found in Matthew and Luke. There is no mention of Mary as the virgin mother of Jesus. None in John either, by the way. Had he ever heard that story? If he did, Jesus’ birth wasn’t the important thing for Mark; it was Jesus’ obedience and death that mattered most. Many NT scholars describe the first half of Mark as the prelude to the Passion Narrative that makes up the second half. Maybe that’s why he doesn’t mention the birth story; I don’t know. What I do know is that in Matthew and Luke, Mary plays quite a role in the birth story, including being told that the one she will carry will “be called holy, the Son of God.” So, for Matthew and Luke, she knows from the beginning who Jesus is and what his mission is.
Here’s comes the troubling part for me. If she knew from the beginning, why now is she thinking the crowds might be right, that her son has lost his marbles or become possessed? I have some trouble reconciling these two things. I can do it, but it requires some mental gymnastics I’m not that happy to have to perform. I think we can say from Mark’s perspective, she didn’t know. Why? She didn’t get advanced notification that her unborn son was to be the son of God.
In teaching early Christianity classes, I have mentioned that many early Christian communities in the first and early second century had no idea Jesus was born of a virgin and was predestined to be the Messiah. Why? From about 55 AD to 70 AD, they only had Paul’s letters and he makes no mention of it. From 70 AD to about 85 AD, they only had Paul’s letters and Mark’s gospel. Sure, maybe they had some oral tradition about it, but as far as written documents which were read in their worship--no mention. This statement has freaked out more than one of the more conservative students. The implication is simple: believing in the virgin birth wasn’t a condition of being a faithful Christian.
So what? Just this: the larger truth for me is this: a set of propositions about what to believe doesn’t seem to need to be at the heart of our faith. After all, Jesus says his family is made up of those who do the will of God--no mention of believing the right set of ideas. Before I get called a heretic, let me make it clear that I’m not suggesting the ideas of the Creeds are unimportant. I’m quite willing to say they are important--just not the litmus test of faith. Again, I appeal to Jesus himself as portrayed in the Gospels. He is clearly much more about how we behave in response to God’s love than what set of things we believe.
As it turns out, as I’ve written this, I find I’m not troubled at all by Mark’s story. I am fascinated though. What about you?
Peace, Jerry
I do think it is fascinating...as is wondering what people thought when they saw Jesus, heard of his miracles, watched him work, etc. To me it's easy to believe that even Mary couldn't grasp it all...leaving room for all of us to question, have our moments of doubt and truly wonder. Maybe we hear of these kind of stories so we don't get hung up on the "conditions" required for faith but more what it is we're asked to be faithful to....pure love. And sometimes that only comes when I let myself feel the anger, fear and uncertainty that comes with being alive.
ReplyDeleteThanks for you comment above. My comment isn't really a disagreement with yours. Just my personal take on Jesus and Biblical text interpretation. Again thanks.
DeleteMy first experience with the New Testament, and Christianity, gave me some insider insight on Jesus, the Catholic Church, and Christian docterene.
Jesus, the messiah, Savior, and Isrealite, seemed in the New Testament to have some conflicts. Jesus miracles were witnessed including Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead, healing the sick, removing demons.
One of the things I found about being a Christian is that over time, there are those in the real world who oppose Christs prophetic messages that he recieved from God.
Did he recieve these messages from God "Love thy neighbor.""Do unto other as you would have them do unto you."
I think in todays modern world these messages from God are contradicted in day to day actions.
Christ called himself the Son of Man. Also the Catholic Church called him the Son, the Father being God, wrapped up in the holy spirit.
For believers there is no other way of seeing Jesus but as the Lord and Savior.
Who am I to doubt that believers connect Christ at Church, and within the Christian community.
But Christ has his doubters. Sometimes I feel they are not neccesarily a good thing.
They may be people who are diametriclly opposed to Jesus "Love thy Neighbor" People whom are less kinder and gentler, and may have more of a devilish side than people first could accept.
I've found that the people who oppose Christ don't just do it vocally but oppose him in spirit.
Today right now, the people who oppose Christ are not whom you would expect.
In my life, females oppose Christ when they are driven to compete in a mans world. Feminism seems today to be the most anti christian doctrine going.
The first wave of feminism and 2nd were not as much an opposition to Christianity.
But the third, and or most recent is definitely an oppostion to christianity.
So the next time a female who wants to destroy you, whether she be a manager of retail store, an authority figure who commands a 6 figure salary, or just a garden variety anti social personality, guys the new anti christ is a woman.
Preety as they are, Feminist love anti christian doctrine.
To them I've be called short, stupid, gay, freak, pervo, loser, faggot, liar, boogie man.
Guys women can't take the pressure. They are vindictive as preety as they are.
This discussion reminds me of a sermon preached by Laura Gettys at St Mary's. She talked about Jesus being approached by the "city fathers" after a particularly dramatic event (was it feeding the 5000, I dont remember) and asking him to stay. Laura described the disciples urging Jesus to "set up shop", as it were, to stay in the place where everyone loved him and keep doing great things. Jesus, of course, moved on to the next town. I think everyone in Jesus' life had a hard time understanding why he did the things he did. Even if Mary knew Jesus was supposed to be a "holy man", did that mean she agreed with everything he did? Does any mother agree with everything her son does? ALso, we have the gift of hind sight, which of course Mary and the disciples did not have. It makes me think of all the things going on in our lives that we dont understand and that years from now may be for the best.
ReplyDeleteJust some rambling thoughts in response to your question, thanks for the stimulus!
Thank you both for your thoughts. Just a word of response to WTN: No, every parent doesn't agree with everything their kids do. But if Mary had heard the angel, she knew he was more than a holy man--he was the son of God. She didn't knew the gift of hindsight, she had the gift of foreknowledge. Presumably, she would have been prepared for some pretty strange things in his life. The manipulation I mentioned I have to do is to think that Mary indeed did think Jesus was the son of God and had a great destiny, BUT she may have been worried that he had gone off the rails and was jeopardizing that legacy/mission so she went to his rescue. Ultimately, it doesn't really matter to me as I said in the blog. Thanks again for commenting. Love it!
ReplyDelete