They may spend a lot of time on exercise, diet, surgeries, and medications to preserve their youth. 38If anyone is ashamed of me and my message in these adulterous and sinful days, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in the glory of his Father with the holy angels. (NLT) Lets focus on verse 35 today. As Fowler suggests, the way to determine the significance of a verbal paradox is by means of metaphor. Cook, the Endeavour, and Possession Island. They are going to fight for the kind of life they want to live. The present writer takes the first view because the context deals with what the disciples needed to do to overcome their propensity toward seeking greatness. The reversal of values relates to Jesus way of attaining precedence. Let me be clear here. He is not calling you and me to simply be sacrificial people. This is what Jesus wants His followers to seriously consider when it comes to their lives. In the first half of the following discourse (vv. It entails going against the values and standards of this adulterous and sinful generation, which sought to disown Jesus. The identity of Jesus continues as a motif running through this Gospel. Kittel writes that is quite common in secular Greek, Philo, Josephus, and the Septuagint. Stated negatively, the refusal to lose ones life for Jesus sake and the gospels means being ashamed of Jesus and His words. So this transformation shows that not being ashamed of Jesus and His words relates to believing the importance of His passion prediction in verse 31.
(Oxford: Clarendon, 1948), 2:1309. Welcoming others encompasses those who may come from unexpected quarters,27 yet who are wholly accepted by Jesus Himself. They were intolerant toward someone who did not belong to their group.26 Such a negative attitude is ironic in light of the disciples helplessness in exorcizing a demon-possessed boy (vv. Fleddermann comments on receiving a child and being a servant of all: The receive of v. 37a is colored by the servant of v. 35to receive a child is to serve a child. This is a shocking affirmation, and it is puzzling to know how utmost servanthood can be linked with being first or great. Easter Sunday Reflections. This verbal paradox is transformed, however, by Jesus words in verse 45: For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many. One can fathom how to be servant and slave of all only by following Jesus servanthood. Because He is our Master, we share His message with others. The word sake has two meanings. And we cleaned up the authors lists to try to remove duplicates. Shipley comments that the word oxymoron itself is a contradiction in terms. This describes the person who is focused on the temporary and earthly things of this life. I present them to you as is. The cross is introduced by Jesus himself, when he teaches his followers: 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 (8:31). helpless, or needy.24 Thus being viewed as last in society occurs when Jesus followers welcome an unimportant person and treat that person as very important in the way Jesus has been valuing people around Him. These statements occur within the context of Jesus three Passion predictions (8:31; 9:3031; 10:3234), the disciples misunderstanding of His passion predictions (8:32; 9:32; 10:3541), and the ensuing three discipleship discourses of Jesus (8:349:1; 9:3550; 10:4245). Holy Saturday Reflections, Liberating Life: a new way of being. In addition the expression servant of all is transformed by the picture of receiving a child.25 Jesus followers are not simply to serve those who are considered superior to them (e.g., Jesus), but also those whom society considers inferior. Regarding this third step, Fowler writes, This reply does not answer the question of 3:23 explicitly, but it does imply that if the scribes really believed what they were saying they would not oppose him; they would instead encourage and congratulate him for hastening the demise of the kingdom of Satan.12. (3). The question of the identity of Jesus is posed once again in the trial of Jesus before the Jewish authorities in Jerusalem. How do I make my life complete, full, and rich, worth the living? 3334) triggered the occurrence of the second verbal paradox (v. 35), which, in turn, led to the second discipleship discourse (vv. This is the person who has to have things to be happy. That is a reflection of your soul. The paradox also points up the truth that servanthood that is done in Jesus name is a rewarding expression of ones true authority according to Gods standard of greatness. Kittel argues that has in all non-biblical Greek a basic meaning which reflects its link with , namely, what one thinks, opinion (ibid., 233). Cf. Three canoes lay upon the beachthe worst I think I ever saw. James Cook at Botany Bay, 29 April 1770, We weighd and run into the Harbour. Yet immediately we hear the paradoxical note that Jesus strictly charged them to tell no one about him (8:30). Second, He transformed the paradox into a metaphor. In the first segment the metaphors relate to receiving a child (whom Jesus took in His arms) and receiving Jesus (and ultimately the one who has sent Him). Jesus set himself before the disciples as an example to follow something that often has been forgotten by his followers.30 As Kingsbury notes, Just as it is his purpose to serve and not to be served, so it is the purpose of disciples to be servants of one another and slaves of all.31 Jesus words did not come to be served but to serve underline the emphasis on servanthood. of water (v. 41). Listen carefully to what Paul says in Acts 20:24 where he captures this idea, But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesusthe work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God (NLT). Or a later, imperfect imitation? Musing on the role model which Paul offers in Galatians. This persons life can be summarized by what they have and what they collect. The opportunity of Lent, Passing the peace, sharing the elements, greeting the minister, When you come together reflections on community in the midst of a pandemic. 17James A. Brooks, Mark, New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman, 1991), 150; William Lane, The Gospel of Mark, New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1974), 339; and Urban C. Von Wahlde, Mark 9:3350Discipleship: The Authority That Serves, Biblische Zeitschrift 29 (1985): 54. Journal: Bibliotheca SacraVolume: BSAC 157:625 (Jan 2000)Article: Jesus Paradoxical Teaching in Mark 8:35; 9:35; and 10:43-44Author: Narry F. Santos, Jesus Paradoxical Teaching in Mark 8:35; 9:35; and 10:43-44. 19Marcan scholars have argued that the issue of receiving can mean either that the disciples are the ones to do the receiving or are the ones to be received. Yet, it is a striking fact that, in this gospel, Jesus never himself claims that he is the Christ. Being last of all relates to being a servant () of all. So Jesus is saying, I want you to take your life, your soul your mind, will, and emotions who you really are and sacrifice them for my sake. Out of consideration for who I am, what Ive done, and what I will do give me your soul, give me your life. The ironic thing is that if you try to save your life, you will lose it; but if you give your life away, then you will save it. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); On Jesus and Justa, Tyre and Decapolis (Mark 7; Pentecost15B), https://johntsquires.com/2021/03/26/reading-the-crucifixion-as-a-scene-of-public-shaming/, https://www.google.com.au/amp/s/johntsquires.com/2019/03/05/a-testing-time-forty-days-in-the-wilderness-1/, https://johntsquires.com/2021/02/22/2740/, An orderly account: a quick guide to Luke and Acts. 16For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. Wishing to be great becomes wishing to be the first (i.e., the highest form of greatness), and being your servant becomes being slave of all (i.e., the highest form of daily servanthood). They are consumed with this life. Im going to call you to deny yourself and take up your cross on a daily basis. Then, Jesus specifies the sense of shame that is involved in taking up your cross and losing your life, but he turns the tables as he declares that 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 his Father with the holy angels (8:38). From the human point of view, we are losing ourselves, but from the divine perspective we are finding ourselves. He asked the scribes, How can Satan cast out Satan? (v. 23). In fact His death shows that servanthood may call for the ultimate sacrifice of self for the welfare of others. So, the key question remains for us: who do people say that I am? (8:27, asked by Jesus)a question which he immediately sharpens into who do you say that I am? (8:28). (Mark 10; Pentecost 21B), Seeing and believing as Jesus passes by (Mark 10; Pentecost 22B), Love God, love neighbour: prioritising the Law (Mark 12; Pentecost 23B), Love with all that you areheart and soul, completely and entirely (Deut 6 in Mark 12; Pentecost 23B), Jesus, the widow, and the two small coins (Mark 12; Pentecost 24B), The beginnings of the birth pangs (Mark 13; Pentecost 25B), The origins of Jesus in the book of origins: Matthew 1 (Advent Year A), Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way (Matthew 1; Advent 4A), A young woman? NEW CONTENT ADDED Oct 21, 2021: We added the most recent volumes available for all the existing journals. About to give birth? 11Fowler, Let the Reader Understand, 185. The first portion of verse 43, whoever wishes to be great, corresponds to the first part of verse 44, whoever wishes to be first. And the second portion of verse 43, shall be your servant, corresponds to the second portion of verse 44, shall be slave of all. Such correspondence shows intensification, which reaches a climax. It was on that night that everything came to a head.
Truth, Nicely put and very informative. Jesus verbal paradox was given in a forceful way. 4Gerhard Kittel, , in Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, 2:23336. And no joyful singing. Similarly, not being ashamed of Jesus and His words and serving others for His sake and the gospel are profitable because they lead to gaining a glorious future (i.e., saving ones life). (Letters to Luke #3; Year C), I write briefly (Letters to Luke #4; Year C), I am happy to report that we have held another reading (Letters to Luke #5; Year C), I was astonished to receive your brief note (Letters to Luke #6; Year C), The Word of God, Scripture, and Jesus Christ, Marrying same-gender people: a biblical rationale. Their. Verbal paradox conveys an oxymoronic turn of phrase.6 An oxymoron7 is a verbal play or figure of speech that combines incongruous and apparently contradictory words and meanings for a special effect.8. Your life represents your interests, your passions, your, your relationships, your hobbies, your pleasure, your career, and so on. They will avoid any tough decisions and anything that may cause discomfort or conflict in order to hang on to their happy life. ones life also includes denying oneself, taking up ones cross, and following after Jesus and His ways. This corrective teaching of Jesus transforms receiving a child into not hindering a stranger who also does the work of God. See also https://johntsquires.com/2021/02/22/2740/, My name is John Squires. 31 March 2020, Pastoral Letter to Canberra Region Presbytery: June 2020, Greet one another (2 Cor 13). 26Fleddermann, Discipleship Discourse (Mark 9:3350), 6566; and Von Wahlde, Mark 9:3350Discipleship: The Authority That Serves, 5556. Their soul (mind, will, emotions) is consumed and driven by what makes life happier and easier. View all posts by John T Squires, Awesome reading. Pregnant? Three related instances of verbal paradox in the Gospel of Mark include 8:35 (whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it and whoever loses his life shall save it); 9:35 (If any one wants to be first, he shall be last of all); and 10:4344 (whoever wishes to become great shall be your servant and whoever wishes to be first shall be slave of all). The Greek word translated life is psyche, which can mean either life or soul. Therefore, we can paraphrase the paradox two ways. Their, Another glimpse of someone hanging on to their life is the person who is consumed with pleasure. Jesus says, If you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it. You will save your life! This person is all about having fun, laughing, and enjoying life. (2 Thessalonians; Pentecost 21B to 23B), To the saints [not just in Ephesus] who are faithful (Ephesians 1; Pentecost 7B), Declare boldly the gospel of peace, put on the armour of God (Ephesians 6; Pentecost 13B), In the name of the apostle (2 Timothy, Pentecost 17B to 21B), Rightly explaining the word of truth (2 Tim 2:15; Pentecost 18C), What does it mean to say that the Bible is inspired? But Jesus balances all this with the phrase for the sake of the Good News. Because we live for Him, we live for others. (LogOut/ Peter has identified him accurately; Jesus is the Messiah. The prayer that Jesus taught (Luke 11; Pentecost8C), Cords of kindness, bands of love: the prophet Hosea (Pentecost 7C and8C), There is need of only one thing. Pastoral Letter to Canberra Region Presbytery on COVID-19 pandemic, Pastoral Letter to the Canberra Region Presbytery of the Uniting Church in Australia. If you think and feel that relationships are important you will make decisions that prioritize relationships. (Acts 9; Easter 4C), Even to the Gentiles! Peter misunderstood Him, as seen in his clear rebuke of Jesus (v. 32). 3537; also twice the personal pronoun it in verse 35 refers to the soul). Saving oneself can be linked with setting ones mind on ones own interests, not Gods (cf. Third, Jesus applied a logical implication as He returned to the scribes accusation: And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but he is finished (v. 26). A paradox is an apparently self-contradictory statement, containing truth that reconciles conflicting opposites. And Jesus persists in instructing people not to spread the news about him after he has healed them or cast out demons from them. We cant read Marks Gospel without being confronted, again and again, by this question, in whatever guise it comes: what have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? (1:24, from a possessed man); who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him? (4:41, from the disciples); what have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? (5:6, from the disciples); what have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? (5:6, from the Gadarene demoniac); where did this man get all this? Holy Week: a week set apart, in a time set apart. The English word comes from the Greek word .1 It is a combination of. Some people give up their lives for animals, for political movements, for medical advancements, and the list could go on and on.
(The irony, of course, is that the term used to describe the followers of Jesus throughout the centuries, Christian, is based precisely on the claim that Jesus is the Christ.). 32Lane, Mark, 383; cf. (2 Tim 3:16; Pentecost 19C), On care for orphans and widows (James 1; Pentecost 14B), Fulfilling the Law (James 2; Pentecost 15B), Wisdom from ages past for the present times (Leviticus, Jesus, James, and Paul) (Pentecost 15B, 23B), The wisdom from above (James 3; Pentecost 17B), The word of exhortation that exults Jesus as superior (Hebrews 1; Pentecost 19B), A great high priest who has passed through the heavens (Hebrews 4; Pentecost 20B), A priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek (Hebrews 5; Pentecost 21B), The perfect high priest who mediates a better covenant (Hebrews 9; Pentecost 23B), The superior high priest who provides the better sacrifices (Hebrews 9; Pentecost 24B), The assurance of hope in the word of exhortation (Hebrews 10: Pentecost 25B), Forty days, led by the Spirit: Jesus in the wilderness (Mark 1; Lent 1B), The kingdom is at hand; so follow me. 3234). The attractive option for negotiating a paradox, which Fowler recommends, is to transfigure the paradox into another figure. Not only are we giving up our lives for his sake, but also for the sake of the Good News. These two must go together. I am committed to providing the best opportunities for education within the church, so that people can hold to an informed faith, which is how the UCA Basis of Union describes it. Coloniser? Following JesusGive up your life to save itMark 8:35 commentaryMark 8:35 sermonMark sermon seriesParadox in the BibleStott commentary on Mark 8:35What does it mean to follow Jesus. Jesus third discipleship discourse includes the verbal paradox in verses 4344. Like the first two instances of verbal paradox, the third one appears in the context of Jesus Passion prediction (10:3234) and the misunderstanding by His disciples (vv. First, regarding saving and losing ones life (8:35), the desire to claim and cling to worldly authority (i.e., wishing to save ones life) is not profitable because it leads to the loss of ones soul to eternal ruin (i.e., losing ones life). Marks intentional repetition of the word all in both phrases points to the close link in meaning between the two phrases. The second paradox: the shame of the central dynamic of crucifixion. 3641),18 helpful word pictures or metaphors are included in the three short segments (vv. 29Ibid., 104; and Lane, Mark, 382. Save your life from any pain, discomfort, or suffering. It also marks the change in ones eternal destiny. Reconciliation on the land of Australia: these are my people this is my land. So important is this teaching, that Jesus repeats it twice more: The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. free himself or herself. Thine or yours? Or, maybe, two. For two decades I taught Biblical Studies at a theological college and most recently I was Director of Education and Formation and Principal of the Perth Theological Hall. The disciples were puzzled to know how servanthood could be linked with being great.28. In the same manner, being unashamed of Jesus and His words and being a servant for the sake of Jesus and the gospel is profitable because it leads to the gaining of a glorious future (i.e., saving ones life). When you give up your life for Jesus and the gospel you discover what real life is all about. This is where you find your personality, your hopes, and aspirations. But when you truly follow me you will discover that your true life is found in giving up your life.. The disciples need not be ashamed of Jesus impending suffering, rejection, and death at the hands of the religious leaders because being unashamed verifies that they are following Gods thoughts, not mans. 1Gerhard Kittel, , in Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, ed. If we embrace this. The typical process of crucifixion involved moment after moment of humiliation, undermining any sense of honour that the victim had, increasing the sense of public shame that they were experiencing. Each paradox invites considered reflection. And yet, immediately after he spoke this prophetic word, Jesus issued his disciples with a call to take up their crosses themselves: if any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me (8:34). They have not been proofed for spelling or grammar. I have served in rural, regional, and urban congregations and as a Presbytery Resource Minister and Intentional Interim Minister. Their soul (mind, will, emotions) is wrapped up in their possessions. The public nature of crucifixion was humiliating and shaming. Both the lowliness of the child and the ideal of service to the community are opposed to the status-seeking of the disciples.. In summary the verbal paradox in verse 35 can be understood in this way: The desire to claim and cling to worldly authority (i.e., wishing to save ones life) is not profitable because it leads to the loss of ones soul to eternal ruin (i.e., losing ones life). (Easter 5A), Father, Son, and Disciples (I): the *real* trinity in Johns Gospel (John 17; Easter 7A,B,C), Father, Son, and Disciples (II): the *real* trinity in Johns Gospel (John 17; Easter 7A,B,C), In defence of Thomas: a doubting sceptic? This paradox in Mark 8:35 can best be understood by looking at the rest of the antithetical saying and the paradoxical discourse. Sacks includes helpful summaries by Ted Cohen, Metaphor and the Cultivation of Intimacy, 6; Donald Davidson, What Metaphors Mean, 43; and Wayne Booth, Metaphor as Rhetoric: The Problem of Evaluation, 52.
Rather, it is Jesus himself who is that chosen, anointed one.
This is your thinker, doer, and feeler part of you. Lets break this down a little further. Discoverer? Francis MacDonald Cornford [New York: Oxford University Press, 1963], 471c474b). Moreover, the word slave () occurs here in the Gospel of Mark for the first time. That is a reflection of your soul. Thus the second clause of the paradox (losing ones life), is revealed as not being ashamed of Jesus and His words. Trial or temptation? Some translations try to capture the meaning by saying, For whoever wants to save his life (NASB). Walter W. Wessel, Mark, in The Expositors Bible Commentary (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1984), 8:697. 0Robert M. Fowler, Let the Reader Understand: Reader-Response Criticism and the Gospel of Mark (Minneapolis: Fortress, 1991), 18494. Now listen carefully, as you live your life your soul will be expressed in your life. Fourth, Jesus presented a typically indirect statement by concluding the paradoxical interaction with the metaphorical picture of a burglar and a strong man: But no one can enter the strong mans house and plunder his property unless he first binds the strong man, and then he will plunder his house (v. 27). The basis of this acceptance, which links the two expressions of receiving a child and not hindering a stranger, is the commonality of doing so in the name of Jesus (i.e., under His authority and will). What does it mean to be Protestant in the Contemporary World? Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. This could be anything. Reconciliation ruminations, Heal Country: the heart of the Gospel (for NAIDOC WEEK 2021). (Luke 19; Palm Sunday C), Sacrificial death and liberating life: at the heart of Easter, The death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus in Lukes orderly account, Easter in Christian tradition and its relation to Jewish tradition. In the first half of the discourse receiving a child (v. 37) is transferred into not hindering an exorcist (v. 39). These were people whose situations or actions had generated shame. (Acts 8; Easter 5B), The calling of Saul and the turn to the Gentiles: modelling the missional imperative (Acts 812; Easter 3C), You will be told what you are to do (Acts 9; Easter 3C), Resurrection life, economic responsibility, and inclusive hospitality: markers of the Gospel (Acts 9), Another resurrection! This indicates that the disciples had not learned the lesson of receiving or welcoming others. What is the meaning of life? In mentioning that His life is given as a ransom (), Jesus appealed to the prevailing notion behind the metaphor (i.e., deliverance by purchase, whether of a prisoner of war, a slave, or a forfeited life).32 A ransom also speaks of a liberation that suggests a servitude or an imprisonment from which a person cannot. Verses 3637 include two rhetorical questions that expect negative answers. Change). It reports the paradox that the fundamental identity of Jesus was recognised by Peterfollowed by a command silencing Peter from telling anyone else about this. There are people who sacrifice time and money and big chunks of their life for good causes and they make life better for many people. But Jesus comes along and says, If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. What does it mean to try to hang on to your life or to save your life? This second verbal paradox, expressed in the contrasting pair of being first and being last, emphasizes the reversal of values17 Jesus requires of His disciples.
You discover who you really are in Christ. Mark reports that the high priest asked him, Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?, to which Jesus replied, I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven (14:6162). Invader? Where will we find hope? 8Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. It is as if the story needs to take us to the very edge to hear the clarifying conversation about Jesus. Lets start with this word life. What are people trying to hang on to and save?
