New Testament theology : [volume one, the proclamation of Jesus] 9780334011446, 0334011442

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JOACHIM JEREMJAS

NIEW TIESTAMIEN'f TIHIEOLOGY

The Proclamation ofJcsw

C ll ARLES SCR!Bl'\ER'S SONS i\E \V YORK

Ck11n:u:. 1:11:1.i:u~l' n h1w11 11ubl1lh«l r•n 1 b)· Giikultoher Verla.i:lbirus Gerd Mo!w undn tl:l' liik i".eoutttt1>•11eat (J) The .~iil.i mphi.~che Vorlesungen

LThK

Uxik()n fiir Thtnlngie urn! /(irehe

MeyerK

Ktit.isch·Exegetischer Konunentar Uber das Neue Tesla1ne1H, begro.1~det von Heinrich Augu&t \.Vilhehn

J\'ooTtst

~feye r

}l"rum TestamenJum Supplements to Nov.um Tutammtum

NovTcstSuppl NTA

Neutcstamcntlichc Abhandlungcn

NTD NTS

.N~•v Tt.Jtamenl Studies

Das Neue Testament Deutsch

RGG

RHPR

RaJut Biblique Die Rtligi&n in CeschUhtt un.d Gtgu:u,'(lrt Ret·ut d'Hiswire et dt Pltilosophie rtligleuses

SBT StTh SUNT

Studies io Biblical Theology Studia T/110/ogica Studien zur Um\'1C1t des Neucn Testaments

TDNT

T/11.()/qgical Dicti'1Mry Qj the JVau Tesla.Tt:tnt (English mtnslation of n¥NT)

RB

ThBI ThStKr

TLZ TQS

rrz

TU

TWNT

1'htologi"h' IJ/atttr 1·he0Jogische Studicn und Kritikcn ThtologiscM Literalur .;:,eilung

Tluologisdv. QuM/.13; K~~l' ~fall. 11.. n Joho l·i3· u b. Shab. 116b. 1• !\iau. 2746. 2

"Zo""°'"

,,.ni

6

TRA.O l'rTON OJ.' THt SAYJNC$ OF JtSUS

mofuirl

mtim6nti•

'Ort!)~ta-i

qiim"'

/MJ~·· rabbf?

fJ'!Ja.9, 11, 13. po...-Of is a Greek IOrmoftheAra1)!aicempbatic state ending in -11, ~b. Shab. 1 16b. • J\-tark 14,1+ par.; blau. 26.2; Luke 22.8, 15.. Wxe is a ttan!ICtiption of the A/$maie JX'IM~ the I ltbrcw pe.so(I, 01) the other haJld, d wi.1hou t ex~eptio1' ttan· .scribed as ~. •).lark 5.41. ' !Ylau, 23.7f., cf. Dalman, CraNlm ' (since) entered the hu~· nlight be ex.peeled. The«: is obviously a tr.i.n$1:Uic)n errQr hen:; in Ga.til~:an Ar1maic '•laJl'l hiu both meanings, 'l came' and 'lhe earoe' (cf, Oalrn:an, Cr.rmm1.1ti.~''• 3-$8, 3-flf., 4(16). On~~ a:i a ttaosla· tion ~rror in ,\11u1. 5. 13 P"lr. l.uk~ •·1~:H v,r: p. ~8 below.

s.'"

t

B.g.

~(ark

8.38 par. Luke 9.-;i6 ;.; ,Y :p ,·~ ~ ( - ~'Jxu, 'be adiAmM

or'), con1.rast ~1au. 10,33 par. Luke lll.9 °"771~ &' o.. ~~:'" ( - k~frd 57ff.). t Few

•Oatman,,.,..,..,_. efJmu, 11~5:5> Bt11crbttk [ ~""' ('bca\'eti'}; lJ ~tr. " '-!•rk 10••11 par.; 12:.115 par.; '3-3'l; ~11-U. l-Ht (MIJ'. Luke 6.23; ~fat L 6.20 par. l.ukt' 111.53; r>.(att. 16.19bc; 18.1&h; l.uktl 10.110; •l-7· ~ l,.ukc 1~.181 ~ 1. • ""li.rli • pi1r. t 1\ 1la1•k 4 t imes; ll>g~ conunoo to ~1au hew n.nd L.ukc 7 tiruC11; l..uke .;i.Jone 6 tin\et; .\i nuhew •J~ 3'l •.imes: J ohn 109 clmca. Jnstancca in J. Jermtiai, 1N Pta;11.u ef]fJto, S.UT lJ 6, in ll~ l.Ub oo p. 3G ('F•ll~' ~ tille fo1· Cod} and p. S4 (' F1.ther' u MtdtCll •o God). •The w.ualpoi~in R:.bt.i;nic liles~turc ; c£ a.ucst...d I 443; 11221. • l Jn(c)rhanattJy lhc C'rreelit (I)....;.,-~"°' ldl w. •'hat Hcbtt.· or Aramaic

•·S-0

I()

TRADJTION OF TUE SAYINGS Of J&SVS

6. & rafp~ roO 0V~110Q l(O.( ~~ yi?r: tvlatt. 11.25 par. Luke 10.21; i· "1 ~u1-us : ~lark 14.62 par. ~fan. 26.64- (with the seoonrlary addition of ,.oo ~coU Luke 22.69) ~perhaps also Mark 12.24 par. !\ yo'~ 12.10 ; 8~ t-IJ• !l:~ j 8 .12; l ~.tl ; ~ 10.i j ~~p:w +~t; 1

w;

•o~··&.i9.:;1 1 ; 1+,p ; ..por~~.. ·1"' 4>~8. 17;~~111 l). 13.

'J.Atia common

~faH .

to ~1.auhew AAd J..uke: i,iy..)t-.. Mat~ 6.9 (l.u}:e 11.2) ; ~iyw 7.7 (Luke 11 ,9); !\tau. 7.8 (Luke 11.10) ; O.~w ~i~H . 10.26 (Lu.kc

12 .2): d""""'''"°' f\fa.u. 23.37 (Luk1-t.i.nOt"..s :trc induded in notes 4 and 5 ~spce1ivcl)". 4 ~i:uth~·: .,J,,_ ~ 1 .43; ci""'"/.\W 1 5.~'f-; ~"' 5 .~; 7.19 ; y("°f'-«' 6.10 ; 9.~9; ~6.1~ ; Slw 16 . 19 ~ 18 . 1 6~ 3,·~, 19. 11 ; ~ 1 ··1·3> a...._..,J,,, 1 ~.~7; riml-tt(lii.11 6.7; ~·,,.l((i'""' 7.19; i.o:po(Ow 15,t3; U.Ci(# 5.7~ c'100~ 25.34, 4 1 i Nt.5.9, 19 (twioe) ; ""'no8i~(w 12.']7 j KO.to.,oQoµOt '2S..,,. : Luke 1147a/lb (ooaur:ut fl.·lau. '23.29f.); Luke t t.48b/Jc {contl'ilSt Matt. 23.31). Thcs.c ten instanttl a.re OOull;tcd in n.3 and p. 16, n.1. a Mau. ~.17a/Jb, r9af/b, 21b//c (quot.), 211J22 (v. 21 i3 the fli1t clal.de of the antith' st&.1ement or th ~harvl y th.:it no l"QQl"l'l CJ left l'or 0U1Y interml:'diarie11: t\f:uk 'l-·'25 p.-t.r.; 11).31 par. ; f\fau. G.11-4 par. ; Luke 11.8 10. 'The M:tond line enl.:i~ on wh.,1 t he fi" t lim: iay$, b\l.t "'·e c.annot ipe.ak of •>·ntheiic par.:illdism, bec.i.u$e 1lu: antithccio 1I oel~men 1 is io tbe foreground : l\1.;trk '2.19b f. p 5f., 14-f., 1~18; 10.~f. , '24--:t5::1; '2 1.9'2; 23.3; 25.3f., :w-40/ 41-.is; - Luke 6.sD: 7.44, 45, ~; 10.20; 12 ....i f., 56; 1+6-10, 12-14; 15.29r.: 17.2of.; 23f.. 22.95[.; 123.28.

r.;

\VAYS OF

S P~AKl:OO

PR&F.&RR&D B Y JES US

17

reservatio ns that this makes nccCS$ary, it is possible to venture a few remarks. (a) It is noteworthy c.h at the table above shO\VS that all four strata of the synoptic tradition are unamimous in attesting that Jesus frcqtJcntly used antithetic parallelism. l e is still more important thac this parallelis1n is disc.ributed approxi1nately equally an1ong the sayin~r-s of J esus in !he four strata. The reason \vhy the number of instances per page adds up to 0·6/0·75 in ~·lark and in the Lucan special tnaterial and to 2 ·2 iu the logia coaunon to ~1aul1cw and L~1ke and the :\1ntthaean spc:cial material respectively is that in the forn1er, narrati\•e material takes up much 1n.o:re space. (b) 'flu: follo,ving may be said abou t the relative share o f tradition and redaction in the origination of antithetic parallelism: AfllU.fu..:oluu t.alwn over uuly 'lj of the 30 autilhe-tic 1,arallclh:nu offered to h i en by in ~\·er:al c;aU':'I heh:\$ :i.bbr~:i.t~ them ""nd t.uuent:d them to bring Ol•I th.6 (oonrr:an Mau. 11). t;}) • small because ancl1hetic paraUelism is used in the $3.ying:s J esus in far more than the context that has bece on the rbyitun. '~e bc:lo\-.• pp. 1931f.

22

'l'RADITION OP TU£ SAVJNOS OF JllSUS

pause 1 is applied, in accordance wilh ···"11icb the second bea( is on1ittcd and replaud by a pause : ~t/;T(p

Jy1a~/:rw 1°0 ~"°"'' (r(IV iA.tlMw ~ {ktoWta. u ovt

Only .,.;ith the petitions in the first person plural does the Lord's Prayer go over to four-bea t rhythm, to returo abruptly to a two-beat line in the closing p etition. Decause of its brevity, the two-beat line necessitates tei:-sc and abrupt for1nulations, "·hose sparseness and monotony lends tben1 the utmost urgency. A fUrther look at the the.mes of the ex.::unples given above ,,,-jlJ immediately shO\\' that Jesus used the tw·o-beat line a bove all to -impress 1.1. pon h is hc.arers c1ntral -ideas of his message.

(b) Four-beot "fhe OOutex.l in tJie Sa)'ill,b"S ofJesus rt:!Se:rved is d ifferent, a s Lhe foJlo,"ing example,'$ indicate: 'in mil/!d ltij.'ll

for the fou r-beat lin e

,,.md 1~1ahh•li'm

-.•rut $d:dr hlJ:f/J llMM 11bil(fl:ii fal1t lliD~ (vJtdlid

' i!!'"'')' 1 OJ>.

dt., 1o6. F urd1u cxa.inplcs of the we or ttw! law or ot)mpen1':H:ion in the

th r«>-IKat li.ne: P.s.. {1+5; 1s.. 1; Arm:is $· ~4 i ~fark 13.25 (! 8 un1ey, • O~). ' OJ>. d1., 1;1f. Burney dcktc:s the fwrth beat in t he th ird line, OOt 1hiscorrectio1~ i.s not rux:en:uy, "'31.1eh IM;coc.:e is :allowed; nor doi:s rhe l'irth line o«d to be 6lltd out, as the !Aw of the pawc, mentioned on pp. :.i 1f. above, is a pplied )10-e.

• Op. 'it.. 13of. ' Dabnan, J rtvs·J t s11114, 73. 'At t he l1cginning of th~ acoood lin-c, syPtl tfl·

~Ii t~m6t1. fM1g'/iyydttk4fl t•'6f'Pl ti•Z,ir"J')ld

h•11.im '•rf.nt/n J:ogln ft.iu.uvit.uiid. Jit•mimi1t /r.•gJn .)'6t';4y.}4

(?>.!au. 10. 16)• mtgi'lri tfa'Umtm :,•minl'I Wp'hQM Jt'iMWl h-ltirfn A comh in:uio n of 1 hreeo~.at :\nd two--bc:at linr.s:

Jo'•lfu.

iimiJ.>~:ltl6

l•k611

b•'i11t io"'ait~• malt•#n 'artcqdn iimi'tfJ•dfi l•l;&J tl~kll mirn d'ki'I' r.•s.db w/'&1·1 mtJ!kdf; ~tfi/ mitf>'t4./l llA (~fil.ll.

7.7f. sy~ p M.) 4

Rhyme U to be found p:i.rcicularh• ol\en with three-beat lines; the \.-Cry tint example (~tatt. 8..20 par. L·uke 9.58) provided ;in ioatan«- It is difficult to say wbc-tbcr lh~ rhyme "''as de1ibcratc and conscious in~ case.

Even in the \Vl$dorn literature of the Old Testament, the threcbeat line is used by preference for oonvcying meditat ive thoughts, aphoris1ns1 provet bs and experiential \vlsdom; il is also used very often in the psalms. It is the most frequent rhythm to be used in the sayings ofJesus i it serves to drUtt ltomt important sayings and maxims.$ (d) Tiu kinii metre The kin.a metre has the most individual rhytlun: 6 3+2 'vith occasional variations of 2+2 and 4+ 2. It derives from the lament for the • J.Jer Luke 9.6a ( t sa. 170); t'l ..µt (107); 16. 10 ( 104). r. .Sumey, 130: 'pitl1y ,11,yi.op of a gnomic character'.

• 0Jt. eiJ., 3+;.3, •37-+6.

•6

TR A Dl T J ON OF TUI!. SAYI NGS OF JESUS

dead (kind'), in '"hich the singer vt'hO leadi; lhe lament utters a longer cry (three-beat) to which the lamenting \'.'Omc::n make answer with a shorter echo (hv-beal). lo ooe passage tu the gospels1 \\'C fiad J esus takiug up a real kinii. f l iv Vypif1 f 1fAt:• "l'aUra 1:ruw&:rw, ;., Tirbi

t!.1

par. J\.lau. 22.2l; Luke

20.2~}

"!4)•it

l~ip[l~r mi1t 'OrQ)"tl. 1

1 ~.17

1

('q 11•111..ip~)?

er. 0A1ro.oin,J"1f>!.S·Jokw, ~3~·

!Durney, 57: ' The n' "'ith w·hich Lhey are told, the seriousness of their appeal to the COn&eiencc, their loving u nderstanding of tht outcasts of religion - 311 this is v.·ithout an:\logy. If we w3nt to find anything comparable " 'e have to go back a lo11g \vay1 to the high-points of prophetic proclamation : the parable of Na.Lhan ( IJ Sam. J ~.1-7) 1 the song of the viney'1..rd (Is.1. 5.1- 7} and )>C'Thi\ps the comparison with f.ithcr a.nd JOn in Hos. I 1 (though that ii hardly a parable> i.e.. a 'shon scory').1 E"-cn in 1hcsc: usa: ~T ha"c only a fC\\·, scattered examples, '"'hftta.s the first three gosptb gh·e w oo ft"\,.er than tortyonc par.tblcs ofJnus. Jt is ge~rally recognized today - despite the need ror a critical analysis of C\'c:rysingl ~;\; 19.1 2; ~. I; 21.31, 43; 22.2; 23.13; 24.14; 25.1. 'Luke 1··13; 9.6n, 6!1'; 10 .1 1; l'l.~'l; 13.-:tS; 11.'loa, b, 'l1; 18.'lg; 1 1.31; 'l'l.16, 18.

' John 3· 3, 5· t J ett.mia.s, PaM6lts*, 82'-84. 1• I bid., 11f.

TN. AD I T I ON 0Jt TH F. S AYt Nf)S OP' ) ~SUS

An investigation of Jc,.,ish litei:aturc produces a completely d iffe rent picture.' The teru1 rc:igu {ofGod) occurs only rarely ill the Apocrypha and Pscudepigrapha of the O ld Testa1nent,t in the Targurn.s.# and in Philo;4 othet\\'ise it occurs in pre-Christian times only in the K addish (see heJow, p. 198) and a fe,o; pr.tyerl> related lOit; 5 Jose.phus 1:netttions pq.q~:l(i(f. on only one occasio1\3 in connection , ....ith God (he does not ba,,e the term 'reign of God' itself). Instances begin to increasesome\vhat only ·when .,.,.e come to the Rabbinic literature, but as a rule chey are limited co stereotyped phrases like 'take the reign of I he.a ...•en upon ouesc:lf', i.e. 'sulJjeet oues.e-lf to God', 'repeat che Sh!mtt. 18; 17.3; E th. E n. $.f.~ ; As,,. l\1oe. 10. 1: Wisdm~1 6.4 ; 10.10; Or. Sib. 9··1-1. 766. Exau:ipla in Dal1u an, Jt'ortfs ofJr~1, 101; U'o1U ]1.$U', :,tt:t, 361. S •Jµ;;$ ,; p,1',i>.

an:.stqu.i rtgna cailestia

(agraplt~l

(Matt. 21 .31) (l\·lan. r'l.28 par. Loke 11.'lo) in Terlullian, De baptismo

20.2).1

Despite the lack o( euct JcwUh par~lt.els. the iollowing inst~nca have not been lncludcd i~l the list giv('ll abo\'c:

(o) ~IJ phr.ucs ror whi· ~(Luke 10. 12, contrast C\1att. Jo.15), ,.Y {Luke 10.24, con1rast ~1f:ktt.

:ro,

13. 11), .... t(lA,Jlte • •·!i •, cou tra.'lt Z..f:i.u. 23.36). do\~ {Luke 12.44, contr:u t t\·1:itl. 2.i-.47): i1~ the rem;iining fi,-t CMci tht iiJ...j.. is omitted in Luke without ' o r the 1 lclkriliitic C(>l'l'\f'llUJ'lkic:'$ :tod ~ only ~ondarity pl:u;cd on 1he l_iPJ ofJe5w. H e j ustifies his view "'i 1h the MSerlion 1h.·u eo.·t'n io J udaism 1imin had lose• the chataettf' ofa J"CS.poosc and was used tosm:ngthen" ro;in'ssub&cqueot s:tatcrnent (p . 173). H e aueuipu to deinotdU"ate thjs ftorti four R abbinic texu and fro1n R ev. ,.1fl; !22.20. T he four Rabbinic tcxu arc, bowe\•tt, really a single text " 'ith p ara.lie'-" (the M:ClOnd ttfer~:r. of whU:h h:u l)l':en wrorigly cupitd fmm Billc:rl>a:k J ~3• while the two mOft importan t \'crsiQru, of which Billerbeck gh·l!ll the wo:d.ing, 3.re not mentioned), and t his teJCt ~a)'s ('lt:\Cl ty 1he oppoi;ite ,., wh:u M:!.!ler r~.i.ds oul of it : it attests that '4mln baa the c,bamc:tcr o f a r be settled in a pure))' schematic v.'ay on the basis of the linguistic and stylis-tic: evid ence. \Ve must also consid e r th e cont.cot of the sayings. Ne·vercheless, ,.,e ca.n say in conclusion that the Linguislic and styJistic evjd ence presented in §z-3 shov.•s so much faithfulness and such respect to\vards the tradition of the sayi11gs of.Jesus tha.' we are j ustified in dra"•ing up the foUo"·ing principle of method: In the synoptic t:raditi1' ~9. 1930, 14?- 49 ....

Ab~.9Q-9ll·

*For ~·lanhew's. redaction seep. 307, 1\, 1, •lo thi.1 tcckoo.i1lg 1be pas;ion nartatirt is includ(atcan rnattrial (Luke 3.3i., 16, 2 1l:: +1~a} arc (ast:S eithc.r of a /(ljia 1tadi1ion or of C(lf1unon rwimi1i\•r. Christian nwneriaJ. 1 See J. Jerernias., ' P(ri.kopen-UnuteUungu\ bei Luk:a.•

4-3.\~. 44; 8.'27-iJ.40

7. Lukeg.51- 18.14 8.

9-

•••

L\lke 18. 1s-43 =

t.uke 19, 1--;i8

Luke '9·29-3B -

)iark

11.1-10

11, Luke 19.s9-44 12.

19. Luke tt. 1+-24·!>3

As '\\'e knO\\' the linguistic and slylislic characLeristics of lhe evangelist Luke both from his revision of Mark and from the second part of the tv10--vofunle "'ork, the Acts of the Apostles., we are in a position to distinguish redaction from tradition in Lhe ne'v material, too. The most impottant rcsolt of these invcstigatlons (only made possible by the reoogoition of Luke's ler.ck 11 l'lf-36·

THE CALL OF j£SVS

as \••eshaJI see later,1 there i.s a fi1 ndament.al difference bet\,•ccn the call ofJesus and that oft.h e Old T estament prophets. The return of the spirit tha.l had been quenched &rives the event its eschato1ogica1 character. The esch:).tological significance of the baptism ofJesus: is expressed parcicularly clearly in the t\VO passages from the T e.o;taments of the T\v-c1ve Patriarchs quoted :J.bovcon p. 50: the opening of the heavens, the revelation of holine$$ fro1n the len1ple ofglory, tJ1e heavenly voice of the Father, the uttering of the glory of the Most Iiigh, the pouring out of the spirit of grace, u1ldersta11ding and sanctification and the 're.sting' after its deseent, the gift of sonship - all this is a many-sided periphrasis for che fullnes.. of rhe =hatological gifts of God and the da\vll of the thne of salvation. TI1c second statement on \vhich all t.hc accounts are agreed is that the descent of the spirit \\13.S foU0\\1Cd by a proc:la1nation. Here ag3i11, the ac-counts differ over the details.. i-\ ccording to the synoptic gospels, the proclamation \ Vas made by a heavenly voice; according to the Gospel of Ute Nazareans (step. 50, n.2) it \vas made by the spirit, and accord· ing co the Fourth Gospel byJohn the Boptist. According to ~fark, Luke and the Gospel of Lhe Nazarean$ it tok the fortn of a n address and \ \f'M directed to J esus; accordin_~ to ~iatthe"'· and the Gospel of the Ebionhes it \\'as niade l O John the Baptist, and according to the Fourth Gospel it \Vas public. The most important difference, however, concerns the wording of the proclamation, orJ n1ore exactly, its rt:laLionsl1ip to scripture. Iii 1ht synop1ic goopcls (~fade r.1 1; !\.tau. 3.1 J; Lule 3.'2'2 : "'- fl [t\tau. o'"4• ;.,.,.,,.] c:i ,.;Jt ~" d ~....Jf. J,, oot r~11u.: ~ J ,~..v ..), we ioem to have a composi1c q 1101.n1ion CQn~i$C ing of Ps. "·7 (' Y'ou irrt m)' Ulfl, 100.:ay I ha\1~ hi:gnucn yuu') :md Jaa. 4a. 1 ('liehold ruy setv.un, \\!born J uphokl, my chosen, in u;Jiqm I '4hlitl').• Jo J ohn (1.3.t) tbt wording in the nu1nu~ripls tlucl\~tcs bclwem q vtk

°"'* , , . , .

'f.:iB o.woi and o~ ''""' O l..CAtJ«Jt .,o(l o,oo." The tcstimo1ly to the second reading is ct:rtai..uly cuiuid c:rably wc:ake:r, but the ttadir1$ is aueitc:d b)' VCt)' ~atl)· (JI> •1'1 s;i. K•), if no t the e:ulieii:t (a b ttl1'i hility th:c.l the vc1ioe :c.l tJ1c b.1.ptiattt in 1lte: :1ynoptic acc.:ount a rtQl a ..:01n posite quot;ilion of I' s.. 'l.; and kt. .,a.1, l>\tl i.s limited to Jt.;i. •P ··' • in thes.J.me way a nd (/;) J esus' desig1\atioo of himself as J vl&t, used absolutely. This absolute us.age is- characteristic of Johannine christolob')', l \Y'herea.rd y a son llnows his fat!icr.

In otbc't words.. we would have here a quite general atatco1cnt about h u man ~1>r.Ticnet:: only 3 fsth cr and 3. so11 re.tUy k1'° '"' each othhn 5.1 !f2hicll are already au~ted by R . .AkiLa, died aft(:r AD 13~}. l I h.avc lis-lcd che i.iuu1.nCQ tJfl. n"1., ~a . n.65.

s Op. ri:,. 281'. " 1'.fatt. 11.2 ~ par. Luke 10.'2 1a; Luke Jl .2: 22'42i 23.34, 46;John 11,41; t2.2;f. ; 17.1, 5, 11, 'l4f. 4 !\of:1u. ~s. ,9. 11. 'J\fOS$ible ~ndcri ng in view of the content. Outside tht: Targum thel'e is only a slogle passage iu Rabbinic literature in \"Vhic.h 'abbii is used '"ith reference to God. It is a story '"hich \vas told ofl:f cu};.c,d). This feature, too, is part of the idea of paradise and can only be undcrstod in that light. Just as, according to the ~1.id.rash, Adam lived on angels' food in paradise,1 so the angels give Jesus nour-ishmcnt.t The table-service or aogels is a symbol of the restored communion between man and Cod. This earliest report must be our st:lrting point. (ii) A historiazl nucleus? ft might 11ee1n obvious th~t Mark r.12f. is a legend by means of

hich che community acknov••1cdgcd Jesus as the const1mmation of

\ \1

the \\ 0r1d. H e vanquishes Satan. restores paradise, repairs lhe breach in communion bct.\o;cc;.n God and man. It is true that not only the language, but the images and ideas ' "hich the text uses assign it to a stage in the tradition at ,,•hich there was a Jewish influence.3 NeverthelcM~ at first sight it seems that the account docs not have any historical usefulnffi '"hatsoever. HoYt·ever, al this point we have to be careful. Three considerations con1pcl a ca\1dous judgmcnt. (a) The first is a quite general one~ and concerns the s;·mb()lic language of the Bible, study of which has be"r.dleh }vfark 3. 18 ; ~(au. 10.4 call hi.in Ka•'ll>u"°f, i.e. Zealot. (.' f. aJs the designation of the &0n$ of Zcbcxiec i1$ IJ\,,,~(-: ( ~{:i,rk 3.17, on "'i \icb see l\bove, p. 6, n.6) and their bch.;1viourin l..\lke 9.51- 56 . On the od)("r hand, it is doubtful wheth er the surn.nme '/111Co;..&~ goe> back lO !4°(1Jriu.I, *Mark 8 .3'2 1Xit'.; 11.gf. par; 12.1'.t-17 par.; Jobn G.1 ~. Pe1 lrn.p$ 7.~3-8.11 :i)ti:) bdosw here, a.s the question 8.5 may be:: mean t ~ :i. politic:i.1 i~uc: ifJes.\ll U)'l th.:tt th4! \lo'Om:tn tho.1k1 bf' s1onl"d, he it inciting the mtn to oommi1:'I r~voJut ion.'lry :.'IVt (d'. Jercmia:J, 'Zur Cescbic.bdicbkdt dei Verh&s J m 1 vor dem Hoben Rat'. .OVIV 43, 1950-51, r48f, = Abba. 143). 11\e political tenlptation 1n A)' abe> Lie behind t he d c1'r)$Uld for a sign as a ltgit iumt~ot1 with ·whieb Jesus i:I te,sulady oon· fto:ltod (~1ark8.11 f. par.; t\f.3tt. 12.38f. p ar. ; Lulic 11. 16; 23.8; ~1:1.rk 15 .29'-32 J)Ar.); t},b1 dem:i.nd, loo, U pre.F.-..\u::r, for v.·hcrc:u the p ri mili\',. chun;h W$IJ familiar wi!h 1he sign to au1hen1ica1c mi$Si.oo;ujes~ tht jdel'.ISM'-~iom1 :lr~ divid rd M '11poil'. II \V. Grundou~n.1, JJie Cud1ic!:te Jt$11 '• the (et Ast:11gers oi God . For thi.1; prophetic se.1J.PGoc. woukl also be s~gn.i t1C311t if 1he q uotation b . Sh~b. 1161:> did not go b:1ck 10 independent t radition, btn "'~re def"i,,i:d (rom a 1r3mJ1uion or the Cospcl or ~·tnuhcw aJoog t he line$ of the Coopc:I of the Naurcal'l.1. Jn that c-asc, they '''Ould ahow hO\'t>' tbe kigion w•.u undctstood by the t raditioo i.1\ a Scruitie-.spca.k.iJ\g nl.ilieu. ~ l 39. t {GCS 5 1 p. 31 Rchrn): U1 auftm tmipus "ittll tutpil, 'l".W tJ ~ tlum J.fD')ui iruii':111iJ di.Aimru im,IJ/v,wr . • S. Pine$, 11w ],w;11i Chri1Mn1ef1'1t Jf.a1/y Cr11t11riu ef Chn°1li1mi!JI A.trf/ldt'rig ' " 4 Jtlr,tl Swrre, bra.cl Acad enly of Sciences 11 t3, J erusalem 1966, 5 . ~ Arabic u:lf:1U11miJ11«n. ~ r>.itHI. ~3-Sl (full 1nc"u rc Qfilin); ~1ark 1s .~o {shortening of the metl$ure o f

or

er.

1be t.itnr. of rlis.t~); +~9 (h:tr,·i:st ;i.s th~ f\111 me.'L~UrT t imc); 1'11atk I ,15 ,,......,\~ ~ l?-:)1; 1~.'l2;Jol1n 9.1 3+); twn h calingJ ,X,s. t he disrupter of creation. Wien are delivered over helpless to hjs h0$t of evil spirits. This knov.·k:dge of the reality of evil finds its peak in the certajnty t hat the pO\\'er of evil has yel to reach its climax: Satan \viii set himself up as God and demand worship (Mark 13.14). Only then, a t the end of days, will Pseudo-god be cast down: tune Zabu/uJ2 finr.m hab; ottJ., TDA'T I, to6+. s6.t-593; R. $ch.o;)i!I in t.li1 r14chinz ef]tSllS, Ne-.~ York and London 196-J crl)r :l hi:dOr)· o f 1K:hOlar.1h.ip); id, &-dist«YriJ1g.

/'! ,. (i} Tht basileia as th1 central lhem1 ef the public prtMlamaJion of .Jesus

'ri' The return of the spirit of God is manifested not only in actions, but

'

\

abo in w·on:ls of a uthority, lO \vhich ,..·e-nO"' tun1. Ou1· si.arting JX>iut ·s the f:l.ct chat the central theme of the public prcx:lama tion ofJ esus as the kingly reig1\ of God. At any race, the firsc three gospels sum p his message in this concept, ~{ark in t11e :;ummary \'erscck I 1 72~; ;K. C . .l{t,1h n, ;;,70- 73. P. Billerbeck told rne lh at tl1c i1npube to embatk on bis 1nO•h.uncrual work c;:i.mc $t;tu:men a ;tre pariillel. lt foltowi th..i.t jwt as thc fut ure(po"'1.v in the nqati.,~$.\atcmeo1 ha.-s •h e satne meaning in'"'· 21a and 29, s tM tl'e «ntv in v. 21b belongs i11 the same tcn~poral sphctc as the l11N1 in v. ~+ Neitl1er d1e In:. nc>r the: l - . baJ au equivaleul iu A.n.unaic,.w the Ji!Tert:nc:c in teme only :u~ \Vhntcxt , mull bU lkoii1 his meaning is virtually, 'God is near' JI This is '"hat poopJe will have heard in the caU of Jesus: 'God is co111ing1 he is st~u1dittg at the door, indeed (i#«on-),' he is alread y there'. I Set below §:i 1 ('Ille Comuoonuuion or 1he Poo1:He of God). a Stt below, p. 205. •Su. abo~. pp. 9r. •Jir&!J!l:M ~~bd'ii!, J,;a. 3 •·+. i11 rt:1w.:lf;rt:d by lhc Tnrgum u'1gt-/i ma/kiili r!?}iu;h /f~d'Ot ; in the 1ame w"y• f.iroli '•U/v1:tm ap{Covrat, ,oco.i K~ dxo.6ovo1v, ~V.~ ;., ~.

and Luke understood this saying a.s an enumeration of m iracles \vhich Jc!lu.o; perfi>rmed he fore the eye.i; QfJ ohn's messenger!!.3 But origioalJy lhe lfJgion had another meaning. To u1l.derstaod it \4/C must start fi-om the fact that it represent$ a (fee coml)iuation of quotat.ious fto1n Isa. 35.5ff'. and 29.18f. (both representations of the time o f salvation) ·w-ith 61 .1[ (glad tidings fOr the poor}: ~1a tthev.·

5 Then lhe eyes of the blind shall be opened, and Lhc ears of the and stre:.tms in the desert; 7 t11e bu.tuiug saud shall become a pool) and the thirsty ground springs of water .• . (Isa. 35.5ff.) 18 In that day the deaf shall ht:ar the \vOrds of a book, and out of cheir gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind shaJI see. J 9 The meek shall obtain fresh joy in the Lord, and the p(}q(' among me1l shall exult in the Holy O ne of Israel . .. (h a. 29. 18f.) The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me tt> bring good tidings/() /Ju afflicted; he has sent n1e to bind up the broken·heartcd, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the pril;on to those \vho are bound; 2 to proclaim the year of the Lotd's favour . .. (Is.a. 61. 1f.)1 1

In respect of its form, Luke 7.22£. par., like all the three Isaiah passages, has the character of a list. The images that they lL'it:, light for the blind, hearing for the deaf1 shouting for joy by the dumb, etc., are au age~ld phrases in the east for the time of saJv:.tion, whe.n there will be no more sorrow> no more cr)•ing and no more grief. T hus in Luke 7.22f. we have an eschatologitaJ Cr)' ofjO)' uttered by Jesus. To tune our ear to its contents we should, say, contrast the Tannaitic list \\ hich says: •four are compared with a dead rnan: the lame, the blind, the lcpOV°S >.crrpoi>;

lrt{ptl't, /l(abapiCcl'c,

oo•µO"'o '1JS'), \vho had successfully made the highest bid for tlie toll income of a districl f() r a fixed period.4 The rule that tolls \lft:re co be farmed out, ....·hich seems to have been usual in Palestine both in the areas under the Herodian princes and in those occupied by the Ilomans, explains why the publicans \\•ere particularly hated by the peoplc.s The police ,.,.ho acco1npauied the tax collectoN to protect thern could iodeed also be guilty of abu$CS (Luke 3. 14),' but t-be publicans v.·ere to a much greater degree open to the temptation to deceive, because \\•hatever the circumstances they had to extract the agrec,-d sttm plus their additional profit. They therefo1·e exploiled p ublic ignorance of lhe scale of tolls' to administer d uties unscrupulous!)' into their own pockets during thc;r tax season (Luke 3.12f.), Because of this they "'tre tegarded as uller deceivers, and this conu!rnpt also extt:ndtd to their families.& Civil rights '~ere denied pubUcans: no honorary offices could be conferred on them, and they were not admitted as \vitnesses 1 t?llftc.he-1. 'l~iichcl , 97.0C 3J crdllias,}nlf.sctltm. 228. 'tZ...lichel, 97.'lol: •tbc toU-tanncn looked af1cr larger 3.rtss (Luke 19.'l dp;(t"Wiil'IJt) a nd wb-let 10 le;su oontr~toni. 'lr1 b. Sanh.'l$b the lait•C::Ollccton i.re 00r' i:.s wider. That bcco:ncs dear when we collect lhc de:ii5~lioru: :!Ind tm3gery with whic;b jt:Mu charaeteriu..s tlw.n1. He calll thr:m the hnn,sq:, those who "'·eep, the •-ick, t!IU$c who Jatxmr, t h ' iu isolated U\stances.,2 and #W•ru ( = forgive) slightly more often, but still to a limited degree. H owever, such statistical state~ ments mean nothing. Jesus docs not speak in an a.bstrac;.t t.Ju:Logical \\'ay ru; Paul does later, but in pictures, and tbe1·e the subjctt of 'forgiveness' is constantly present. J esus speaks of the rcmissin of a giant debt (Matt. 18.27), of debts great and small (Lttltq.42), of the sinner being heard (16.14) 1 3 of the stray being brought ho1ne ( 15.5J, of the lost being found ( t 5.9}1 of the prisoners being fr~d and the badly treated being released ( 4 . 18}, oracceptaJ\ce oflhe child into the fathtrts house (15.1 J-32). He pictures the fath er running to rnc::et the lost child and kissing him (Luke 15.20), putting Oll hitn th.e be.s t gar1nent, the ring and the shoes "'hieh )n the east are a mark of the free rnan (v. 22). having a feasl prepared, to be celebtaled '"ith n1usic and dancing in honour of the lost one " 'ho haa returned (v. 25). i\nd then J t:sus makes the f.1.ther speak in two metaphors about " 'l\ at has happened: the IO$t O.lli{'ft!fY, i.e. (noting that Aramaic-type .avoidance of the passive, cf. p. 12) 'has been raised fron1 the dead\ a.nd ,{,pi~, i.e• 'he has been brought home' (like J.ua.1 (viz . to the csc:hatological meal) 8111:CLio-w d.\)u:i ' lNtfrov as one \vhose prayer had been heard by God, s whereas the o the.r's had nor.'.4 The end·time brings vvith it a reversal of conditions. This is an old eschatologic:a.l theme which rec:ur!i freqoendy in the gospels.5 Jt expt'csscs not only the unlimited sovereignty of God. but also his un bound ed n1ercy. This goodness of God, passing all understanding, n1cans j oy and gladness fo r the poor.' T hey have received riches before which au other value& frtde (Matt. 13.1..1--16}. T hey experience more th;in rhc:y could ever have hoped for: God accepcs the1n, although the)' are empty-handed. Jesus himself rejoices "''ith them: ~tatL 11.!25J: par. Luke 10.21 aud Matt. 11.12 par. Luke 16.16 are probably shouts of ofjoy rather t han laments.7 The promise of Ezck. 34.16 is being fulfiHed:

I \viii seek rhe lost,

and I will bring back the strayed, and I will hind up the crip pled,

and I \oJill strengthen the \'v'cak

(of. MaJk 2. 17).

Isaiah 29.19 is being fulfilled: The meek sbaH obtain fresh joy in the Lord and Lhe poor au1ong 1n t:n shaJI e.xuJt in the Holy 011e of Israel. 1 Cf. jcremias, Pcra6l~i•, 12.; n,48, 1 Tt~c is a survC)' of lhc po!Sible rtnderi.og$ of cxc.huive mitt in Greek ill J. J ertiniici, l.iMl'TO!f.n SaJ1'ng1 q/Jt.SU.1, London 1957, ;8 n.1 (not included in •1964). J Sre abovt>, p. 114, n.3. ~jn, Jtsus 01td Jri1 Cor1tinz, London and Phi.bdclph.ia 1957; \\t. G. K Umm