MARK 9:2-13, a fragment

[R E LANGFORD JR]

Greetings All!

Here is the reflections and material I can remember about MARK. We have begun again in the chat room, after a summer's break. This is for "The Transfiguration."

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1revd:	*MSG* Let us pray::
1revd:	*MSG* LORD God, Father in heaven, direct and control our thoughts and words
1revd:	*MSG* that our interest in the gospel according to Mark may prove helpful and full of insight
1revd:	*MSG* for all those who study and ponder the Evangelist's text, so that the name of your Messiah
1revd:	*MSG* may be praised and adored by all who love you. In Jesus' name we ask this.
1revd:	*MSG* Amen.
1revd:	*MSG* * * *
1revd:	*MSG* Last session, 28 Sept. '12, I wrote to ask each participant to list for themselves "who" are the characters in this "set piece" out of which Mark will unfold the rest of his tale. Who has a "speaking" part, and who is spoken about, and who says what? What is Jesus' attitude toward his key disciples? How would you characterize the way Peter behaves and speaks? What were Jesus and the two ancients from the TANAKH discussing do you suppose?
1revd:	*MSG* Thinking of yourself as a contemporary of the key disciples, what would "rising from the dead" have meant to you back then? Does the fact that Mark says Peter's mind was set on shelters or booths or tabernacles give any solid hint about what time of year it was when this event happened? Why do the teachers of the law (of Moses) say that Elijah has to come first? First, before what, exactly?
1revd:	*MSG* Do we know that ISAIAH 53 was read in synagogue worship during or prior to the writing down of Mark's gospel tale? If so, why would anyone be upset that the Messiah has to suffer and be rejected? If not, why not? Let's keep in mind the kind of things that, I admit it, help a person, or at least me, remember what they know about Mark's good news tale.
1revd:	*MSG* * * *
1revd:	*MSG* "The Transfiguration" This simply means Jesus' face and appearance changed; his key disciples saw him as he is. This is where we take up our bible study: MARK 9:2-13 = 2 After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him. He led them up a high mountain. They were all alone. There, in front of them, his appearance was changed. 3 His clothes became so white they shone. They were whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. 4 Elijah and Moses appeared in front of Jesus and his disciples. The two of them were talking with Jesus.
1revd:	*MSG* 5 Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters. One will be for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." 6 Peter didn't really know what to say, because they were so afraid.
1revd:	*MSG* 7 Then a cloud appeared and surrounded them. A voice came from the cloud. It said, "This is my Son, and I love him. Listen to him!" 8 They looked around. Suddenly they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus.
1revd:	*MSG* 9 They came down the mountain. On the way down, Jesus ordered them not to tell anyone what they had seen. He told them to wait until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. 10 So they kept the matter to themselves. But they asked each other what ?rising from the dead? meant.
1revd:	*MSG* 11 Then they asked Jesus, "Why do the teachers of the law say that Elijah has to come first?"
1revd:	*MSG* 12 Jesus replied, "That's right. Elijah does come first. He makes all things new again. So why is it written that the Son of Man must suffer much and not be accepted? 13 I tell you, Elijah has come. They have done to him everything they wanted to do. They did it just as it is written about him." [NIRV]
1revd:	*MSG* * * *
1revd:	*MSG* A week ago our bible study ended by me listing a mess of questions such as I might ask myself. The point was to try to reflect the perceptions Mark has recorded for us as important features about Jesus. It is always very difficult to strive to avoid laying our later preconceptions over what Mark writes. We have an advantage in knowing the POV of Paul, Luke, Matthew, and John. These are all in addition to what Mark tells us in his tale. It's what Mark wants us to know that is most important if we are to comprehend, grasp and hold, his perspective about Jesus and his mission and ministry.
1revd:	*MSG* Thus, especially with a complex tale such as this cameo, "The Transfiguration," it is of prime importance that we strive not to import into Mark's tale any extraneous bits of information or attitudes we learned, beyond what an audience of Mark himself might have reasonably known in the first century.
1revd:	*MSG* Some of my colleagues will claim this is an impossible task. They cite Schweitzer's monumental study to show that everyone who ever wrote about the "historical" Jesus invariably imposed on this figure their own preconceptions, their own attitudes. That is without a doubt a possible outcome of this study. I put it to you, even so, that the struggle is worth the effort, if only we are able to point out our own tendencies to read things into Mark's tale that are not already there.
1revd:	*MSG* At this point I'd typically make a break and ask if there were questions or concerns. If trying to read the first gospel tale written produces questions about the "historic" Jesus, IMO, we must defer them to some later study. Our concern here is to strive to hear and comprehend what MARK tells us about Jesus.
1revd:	*MSG* * * *
1revd:	*MSG* Some exceptionally important facts need to be perceived. The Jewish folk of that era were well aware of two salient issues: #1 God is one! Yes, YHWH is complex, but in his complexity, he is integrated and singular; He is but one God. [DEUTERONOMY 6:4-5] "4 Israel, listen to me. The LORD is our God. The LORD is the one and only God. 5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Love him with all your strength."
1revd:	*MSG* #2 The Jewish folk of Mark's era also knew that God had promised that he, himself, would come to rescue them. They thought this would happen because the Messiah promised to be "like Moses" would come and set everything right for them socially, politically, financially, religiously etc. They would once again be masters in their own country and at peace. [2 SAMUEL 22:3] "My God is my rock. I go to him for safety. He is like a shield to me. He?s the power that saves me. He?s my place of safety. I go to him for help. He?s my Savior. He saves me from those who want to hurt me."
1revd:	*MSG* Just as Samuel had anointed Saul and David, the first "kings" the Jewish people had who were just humans, so in our Lord's time the hope for a Davidic king, a Messianic figure was quite strong. They had not yet grasped the possible interpretation of the many comments about God saving his people to mean that he, God himself, would come to do so [Cf. 1SAMUEL 10:19; JOB 5:15; JOB 36:15; PSALM 7:10; PSALM 18:2; PSALM 20:6; PSALM 34:17; PSALM 40:17; PSALM 50:23, and many other such statements]. One might say that there are yet Jewish folk who do not comprehend this option, let alone grasp and cling to it.
1revd:	*MSG* There is another strong tradition in the TANAKH that God hides himself, that he is a deus absconditus. In fact, God tells Moses that (because all of us are offspring of Adam who turned against God) no human shall see God and live [EXODUS 33:18-23].
1revd:	*MSG* "18 Then Moses said, "Now show me your glory." 19 The LORD said, "I will make all of my goodness pass in front of you. And I will announce my name, The LORD, in front of you. I will have mercy on whom I have mercy. And I will show love to those I love. 20 But you can't see my face," he said. "No one can see me and stay alive." 21 The LORD continued, "There is a place near me where you can stand on a rock. 22 When my glory passes by, I will put you in an opening in the rock. I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by. 23 Then I will remove my hand. You will see my back. But my face must not be seen."
1revd:	*MSG* Taking these facts as a kind of backbround for our thinking, we are able to struggle with what event Mark reports happening on the mountain. Let us go verse by verse, ad seriatim, as we have in the past. Are we all ready, or are there questions or concerns?
1revd:	*MSG* * * *
1revd:	*MSG* MARK 9:2 = "2 After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him. He led them up a high mountain. They were all alone. There, in front of them, his appearance was changed." [NIRV]
1revd:	*MSG* Six days after what? After going on to the villiages of Caesarea Philippi where, along the way, Jesus elicited from Peter the confession that The Twelve thought he was the Messiah. Immediately, Jesus foretold his rejection, suffering, death, and resurrection, and Peter again (I suspect as spokesman for the group) remonstrates with him that this cannot be what God has in store for the Messiah.
1revd:	*MSG* So, in about a week after Jesus is confessed as who the disciples think he is, Jesus shows the "ring leaders," the "inner circle," in a mountain top experience, who he really is. My guess is it was Mt. Hermon (not super far walk from the villages around Caesarea Philippi), and this in contradistinction from Mt. Tabor (which had a fortress atop it), the "traditional" site. Peter, James, and John seem to have an especially intimate fellowship with their Master.
1revd:	*MSG* MARK 9:3 = ?3 His clothes became so white they shone. They were whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them.? [NIRV]
1revd:	*MSG* The change in Jesus has a concomitant effect on his robes. Bleach was known in the ancient world, but often it was achieved not merely with sunshine and lemon juice, but the Romans had a custom of rubbing chalk into the weave of the cloth. This gave it a sparkly sheen, in fact this was done to the robes of candidates for office in Rome, candida, meaning chalk. Is this a quick slap at the Roman Emperor who wore white robes, well and truly bleached, as a sign that he was "son of god?"
1revd:	*MSG* MARK 9:4 = "4 Elijah and Moses appeared in front of Jesus and his disciples. The two of them were talking with Jesus." [NIRV]
1revd:	*MSG* Why Elijah and Moses? Elijah is the great wonder-worker, and Moses who, by tradition, wrote the Pentateuch or Law; why them? We hearers of Mark?s tale note Jesus is seen speaking with Moses, like whom he was said to be in that he rescues God?s People, (not from slavery in Egypt, but from slavery to sin, disease, and death), as Mark's tale has in fact told us in some detail.
1revd:	*MSG* We note Jesus speaks with Elijah, who accomplished great wonders to win God's People's hearts back to God. Think of that; there is more to come on that thread shortly. I do hope you have read the entire gospel according to Mark at least once. In essence, two figures who stand for the whole of the Tanakh, or Old Testament: the Law and the Prophets are conversing with Jesus. Jesus himself will expound on just who Elijah is, and why he had to come, to prepare the way for the Messiah.
1revd:	*MSG* MARK 9:5 = "5 Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters. One will be for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." [NIRV]
1revd:	*MSG* Rabbi, meaning Teacher, or (my) Teacher, a term of respect, but potentially also a term of endearment. Did Peter wish to put up new tents of meeting where God could once again, as in the tabernacle during the 40 year wandering out of Egypt, speak directly with his people?
1revd:	*MSG* Was Peter's mind bending toward the booths or tents used at the Feast of Tabernacles? Was that great festival so present in Peter's thoughts because it was indeed that time of year? Or was Peter still anxious to find the promised glory for all Israel then and there, so that the predicted rejection, sufferings, and death would never come about, even if Jesus declared all that to be necessary?
1revd:	*MSG* Do we likewise seek to achieve direct fellowship with all the saints, yes, even with Jesus and his God, without all the bother of suffering and death? Essentially, are we seeking a fulfillment of a theology of glory rather than live the theology of the cross Jesus perceives as necessary? I cannot respond for you, but I can answer for myself. For me, it is a continual struggle, in part because I am not overly fond of pain, suffering, rejection, and death. I am also inclined to be like Peter and seek, because of my sinfulness, to find a way around the "Way of the Cross" directly toward a convenient and comfortable "glory" for Jesus and all his disciples ... contrary to what is the clear witness of the scriptures. So, how about you?
1revd:	*MSG* MARK 9:6 = "6 Peter didn?t really know what to say, because they were so afraid." [NIRV]
1revd:	*MSG* This I take to be a comment of Mark. Some believe it to be a faithful report, by Mark, of a remembered emotion of Peter shared with the younger disciple. If that is so, it is important not to make over much of it. Of what were they afraid? The sudden appearance of two elderly men talking with Jesus who was shining like the sun?
1revd:	*MSG* BTW, how would three first century peasant fisherfolk know how the great leader and law transmitter Moses would look as he had died 1400+ years previously, or Elijah, who disappeared from history about 850 years previously? Remember there were no "smart" phones, and the Hebrew peoples had this thing about making images of people. We simply do not know; I suggest that it is wrong to invent answers.
1revd:	*MSG* MARK 9:7 = "7 Then a cloud appeared and surrounded them. A voice came from the cloud. It said, "This is my Son, and I love him. Listen to him!"" [NIRV]
1revd:	*MSG* Oh, my! Now you know why I promote the perspective that this cameo stands as a proscenium or "set piece" for the second half of Mark's tale. We have already heard this scene once before, in the Baptism of Jesus in MARK 1:9-11.
1revd:	*MSG* "9 At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee. John baptized him in the Jordan River. 10 Jesus was coming up out of the water. Just then he saw heaven being torn open. He saw the Holy Spirit coming down on him like a dove. 11 A voice spoke to him from heaven. It said, "You are my Son, and I love you. I am very pleased with you."" [NIRV]
1revd:	*MSG* That first time the voice spoke from a ripped heaven it is not clear precisely who heard and remembered what the voice said. Jesus seems to have heard the voice since it was addressing him. He seems to take this as a confirmation of his ministry and mission, beginning with getting it right in seeking baptism from John thus identifying himself with sinners in need of a redeemer. Not, as some wags down through history have joked, that Jesus was himself a sinner in need of redemption.
1revd:	*MSG* In this "Transfiguration" scene, the cloud surrounds the little group of six, and a voice comes from out of the cloud. Clouds are often, in the TANAKH, a sign of the real presence of God, especially to guide and protect. We think of the Exodus tale Moses records for us.
1revd:	*MSG* Notice also that in Old Testament numerology, six is an incomplete number, whereas seven, with the implied presence of God in Person in the cloud is a "perfect" number. Notice this voice seems addressed to the three key disciples, and perhaps also Moses and Elijah. "This is my son" is akin to God?s comment to Abraham about his son, his only, his beloved. I suggest that in this instance, after Jesus has asserted the necessity of his rejection, suffering, death, and resurrection, that the voice from the cloud is a voice of confirmation . . . once again Jesus has gotten it aright.
1revd:	*MSG* "Listen to him" as a demand coming from the God who hides himself from the eyes of sinners in the fullest sense includes obedience. Essentially we understand God to be saying, "If you hear Jesus, obey him." Others will suggest that when God is involved and speaks, the singular aspect that shows a person has heard is when the person obeys.
1revd:	*MSG* MARK 9:8 = "8 They looked around. Suddenly they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus." [NIRV]
1revd:	*MSG* So as the frightened, bewildered peasant disciples are looking around, peering into the cloud, suddenly the cloud was gone. Suddenly, Moses and Elijah were no longer there. No one was with them except Jesus! I do not know about you, but this latter even, with Jesus suddenly himself again (not shining like the sun) would have caused me even more fright than the earlier change or transfiguring.
1revd:	*MSG* There is, I put it to you, a deep spiritual truth hidden in the dynamics of "The Transfiguration" cameo. It is simple. It is, IMO, obvious. No longer is any disciple of Jesus to talk glibly about spiritual matters and perceptions of God and how he relates to us. Of all the people Christians must limit themselves to talk about Jesus ... when they want to talk about who God is, or what God intends, or what God wants (wills).
1revd:	*MSG* And this brings us through the first half of the cameo or periscope. Next time we get into the theology, or "God talk," of Jesus about who he is, who Elijah is, and who John the Baptizer is. If there is interest we can talk some about the questions with which I ended our previous session. Some moderns have even claimed that this pericope or cameo is an interpolation or insertion into the middle of Mark's tale. They claim that it is in fact a "resurrection" vision or experience that has been moved. But that can await next time, yes?
1revd:	*MSG* * * *
1revd:	*MSG* Let us pray::
1revd:	*MSG* Direct, control, suggest, this day, all I may design, or do, or say, that all my powers, with all their might, in your sole glory may unite. In Jesus' name.
1revd:	*MSG* Amen.
1revd:	*MSG* * * *

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Our study ended here. Let me urge you to read through MARK once more.
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The Rev'd R E LANGFORD JR, FAPC, ELCA pastor  ! retired !
       39.58°N by 75.98°W

My clarity of conscience and my purity of heart are undisputed

evidence that my memory is failing me.

        

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