Marginal Christianity

“Liberating Space for Change” is the heading for this first section of Mark. In it God acts to liberate new space for change in a world where the space he had created (Israel) as liberating space had closed itself off to him in disobedience and rebellion. It had become a closed and oppressive space which required a new act of liberation, a New Exodus. And that is what we have seen in the first part of this opening section of Mark’s story of Jesus. -Old Testament promises fulfilled, -John the Baptist calls for Israel to gather outside the land at the Jordan River baptizing them in preparation for this New Exodus, -Jesus appears among the people and in baptized by John and affirmed and equipped by God’s voice for his mission as chief agent of his New Exodus, -Jesus is tested in the wilderness by the devil whom he rebuffs and proves himself faithful to is charge, -He launches the New Exodus announcing the arrival of God’s kingdom, and -gathers the nucleus of this New Exodu...

Parable of a Landowner and his Laborers (Mt.20:1-16) I will never forget an Adult Sunday class I sat in on one Sunday on this parable. The teacher, a local insurance salesman, tried to give it his best effort but at the end of the day sadly shook his head and confessed to me that he could not understand how anyone could run a business like that. I told him that was precisely the point! He got it (though he didn’t realize it)! The kingdom of heaven operates on a completely different logic and dynamic than does the commerce of the world where competition, competence, and production govern one’s success. That’s why Jesus told this story in the first place. The clue comes with the description of the workers last hired. The vineyard is a stock symbol for Israel, the landowner is God, and the various workers are classes of people within Israel. The last hired confess they are still available “Because no one has hired us” (v.7). These are the last and the least among the people. ...

Jesus: A Counter-Temple Movement (9:2-8) Back home again (9:1), Jesus encounters a paralytic carried on a bed by some friends to him. This man and his body are imprisoned by guilt and shame. We call them psychosomatic illnesses. Body and mind are intricately and inextricably connected. These afflictions are as real and debilitating as any nerve or muscular damage. Jesus knows this and upon seeing this scene immediately offers him forgiveness for his sins, the source for his guilt and shame. The heresy detectors present, the scribes, immediately go into high gear. “Who but God can forgive  sins? And where is that forgiveness dispensed but in the temple?” they say to one another (v.3). “This is blasphemy,” they cry. Jesus knows their thoughts and declares them evil (v.4). They are committing what Jesus will later call the “unforgiveable sin,” blasphemy against the Spirit (Mt.12:31-32). Nevertheless, they challenge his claim to act in God’s stead, forming in hims...

“All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”                                                                                                                                        Fellowship of the Ring Jesus Exposes the Pharisees (2:23-28) Mark draws together two unrelated stories here...

Mark 2:1-3:6 present a series of stories of rising conflict between Jesus and the power structure of Israel. New Exodus shakes things up and evoke an inevitable and unmistakable response. Perception of Jesus’ threat escalates culminating in a pow wow between the Pharisees and Herodians (strange bedfellows there!) to do away with him. We start with his challenge to the temple and its keepers. The crush around Jesus continues. The crowds find out where he is, surround the house to him preach the Word. Four men bring a crippled mate on a pallet, climb to the roof, dig through it, and lower the man on the pallet into Jesus’ presence. On the faith of the four friends who made such a persistent and herculean effort to get the man to Jesus, he declares him forgiven before he can say anything for himself (v.5). An individualistic faith searching for personal forgiveness and life after death with God will never understand what is happening in this story. Such folk worry about how J...