Reading the Gospels Together

The Resurrection – Part 2

Mark has told his readers a story that has plunged into the depths of darkness. Jesus has been abandoned by all of his followers – or at least the male followers – and we are left with a few women who have watched from a distance. Mark has not told us if they will remain faithful but we are left with a glimmer of hope. Mark has told his readers that Jesus has been crucified and that the experience has plunged even Jesus into the utter darkness. He dies alone and abandoned. There is no question that he is dead. Mark has told us that the dead body of Jesus was placed in a rock-hewn tomb, hastily wrapped in a linen cloth. He has told us that a few women saw where he was buried. But the Sabbath came at nightfall on that Friday – a Sabbath that would last until evening the next day. The women observe the Sabbath. Mark tells his readers that very early on the next day following the Sabbath Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought some spices. Mark had not mentioned the use of spices in the burial that Joseph of Arimathea had provide for Jesus so readers of Mark’s gospel are led to believe that the women are intent on providing Jesus with a more proper burial. But the women are aware of a problem. A stone had been rolled over the doorway of the tomb. They wonder who will move the stone for them likely aware that they would not be able to move it. When they arrive at the tomb and look up to their surprise they see that the “very large” stone has been rolled back. The tomb is open. They proceed inside to complete their task and are greeted by a “young man” dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side. Readers of Mark’s gospel are perhaps reminded of the “young man” dressed only in a linen cloth who fled at the scene of the arrest. Of course the women are alarmed to find the young man inside the tomb. The young man speaks to them knowing that they have come looking for Jesus of Nazareth – the crucified Jesus whose dead body had been placed in this tomb. He invites them to look at the place where they had laid his dead body – something the women had witnessed only a short time ago. The body is not there. The young man tells them that Jesus has been raised from the dead and he is not here. The tomb is empty. Readers of Mark’s gospel are reminded of the many times when people were told to be silent and not tell about Jesus. Here the young man commands the women to go and tell Jesus’ disciples – even Peter – Jesus is going ahead of them to Galilee where they will see him just as he had told them. Readers of Mark’s gospel are reminded of Jesus words to his followers when he predicted that they would all flee from him that he would go ahead of them to Galilee and there they would see him. Mark has set this all up by telling episode after episode of Jesus predicting something and then having it always happen. The disciples find the colt. The disciples find the room for the Passover. The disciples flee. Peter denies Jesus three times before the cock crows. Jesus never misses with his predictions. Jesus said he would go before them to Galilee and there they will see him. Readers of Mark’s gospel are primed for a “happy ending” after all! And then with one verse Mark pulls the rug out from under everyone. He tells his readers that the women left the tomb in terror and amazement and said nothing to anyone for they were afraid!

Perhaps the best thing for all of us to do at this point is to sit silently for a few minutes and let the story that Mark has told us wash over us.

Mark has told us of a story of a man named Jesus who God has declared to be the Son of God. At his baptism the heavens were ripped open and God’s Spirit came upon him. He has told us a story of this Jesus who has healed those who were sick and freed others from the evil spirits that have bound them. He has taught with authority and in the process has angered the religious establishment of Judaism. He has welcomed the outcasts and sinners. And he has called others to follow him. But Mark has also told us a story of religious leaders who attack Jesus and eventually put him to death. He has told us a story of how Jesus’ own family comes to think that he is “out of his mind” and seek to take him home. And he has told us of how Jesus was nearly killed in his own hometown where he was rejected by his kin. He has told us of some, mostly unnamed people, who pass in an out of Mark’s story as examples of faithfulness. But he has also told us a story of those Jesus called who have not understood and eventually all abandoned him. Mark has told us of some others for whom the cares of this world have been too much and they too have turned away from Jesus. In fact, Mark has told us a sad tale of everyone eventually abandoning Jesus and leaving him utterly alone. Even when Jesus cries out from the cross God is silent. This is a dark story that Mark has woven for his readers. And right near the end of the story Mark has told us of three courageous women who were brave enough to watch from a distance as Jesus was crucified and died. They were brave enough to watch as the dead body of Jesus was laid in a rock-hewn tomb and a large stone was rolled to block the door. They have been brave enough to come back to that tomb and there they were told the good news that Jesus was raised from the dead just as he had said. They saw the empty tomb. But at the last minute Mark tells us that even these women fail. They flee in fear. They are silent. And the important question we need to ask ourselves is “What does Mark’s story do to us as a reader?” Suddenly we discover that Mark has not been very interested in just telling us what actually happened but rather Mark has been cleverly and brilliantly setting us up and has written a story with the purpose of forcing a reaction from us. You can’t read Mark’s gospel without reacting to the story! And the reaction of most readers of Mark’s gospel is to protest, “This can’t be the end of the story! There must be more! You can’t end a gospel like this!” But Mark does. And in the process, one way or another, Mark forces his readers to finish the story. Jesus’ family has failed. All of the male disciples have failed. And now the women have failed. Is there anyone else who might carry this story to a better ending? And suddenly every reader realizes that the only one left is the reader themselves. Mark has brilliantly pulled every caring and interested reader right into his story – and that is exactly where Mark’s wants us to be! The ball is in our court. What will we do with it? Mark hopes, of course, that we will tell the story – that we will find our courage and be a witness for Jesus – that we will lose our life for Jesus in order that we might find it. Mark has given us all we need. And Mark has written a story that propels us back to the beginning to read it again and again and finally to finish the story.

Once we realize what Mark has been up to something really important likely dawns on us. Mark has not been functioning like a court reporter giving us “the facts” but rather like a persuasive artist spinning a story that will finally have the possibility of creating faith within us and motivate us to become a witness. Every single verse in Mark’s gospel has served his purpose of pulling us into the story and propelling us forth as a witness. That means, of course, that Mark has often suspended “the facts” and fashioned them to fulfil his purpose. This last story about the women at the tomb provides us with a good opportunity to see how that works. Mark has told us that the women came to the tomb and found it empty and were told by the young man that Jesus was raised from the dead and that they are to go and tell the good news. But at the last minute they are overcome with terror and tell no one. But we know that someone did tell – we are reading Mark’s gospel after all! What really happened that morning actually isn’t the story that Mark tells us – at least not the whole story. To be sure the women likely were overcome with terror, but finally it is not true that they fled and told no one. Mark knows that better than any of us. But he tells his story in the way he does because that is the only way he can finally grab his readers and pull them in. And if we think back over the whole gospel Mark has likely not been telling us all “the facts” all along. Did the disciples really end in complete failure as Mark portrays and leaves them? Were they really so dense? That’s what Mark leads us to believe because that’s again how he can finally grab hold of us. Likely it was a great struggle for the first followers of Jesus to become the faithful followers we discover later in the church, but it is not true that they ended in failure as Mark would lead us to believe. Mark knows that better than any of us too. So, rather than getting hung up on “the facts” we can begin to see Mark’s gospel as the creative proclamation it really is. No matter that Matthew, Luke, and John often tell the story differently – they were also writing with a purpose. The reality is that none of the gospel writers were that concerned about “the facts” since likely “the facts” have ultimately slipped into the sands of time anyway. But the truth of the witness prevails – Jesus is indeed the Son of God, the Crucified Messiah, who died and was raised from the dead calling us into his Kingdom. That is the only fact that matters.

Before we leave Mark’s gospel we need to return again to the reality that Mark’s gospel forces a reaction from his readers and the most common reaction is to protest that this can’t be the end of the story – there must be more – Mark’s gospel can’t end like this. Likely from the very beginning there have been those who want to “fix” Mark’s gospel. That’s why there are at least three different endings that have been attached to Mark’s gospel. None of those ending have an ounce of credibility to them – none are found in the oldest and most reliable manuscripts of Mark’s gospel. As one reads them it doesn’t take long to realize that they have been cobbled together from the other gospels in an attempt to provide a more acceptable ending to Mark’s gospel. But, the truth is that Mark’s ending does not need fixing! It is perfect as is. In fact most of the alternate endings do damage to the gospel that Mark has written. Throughout history there have been attempts by interpreters of Mark’s gospel to “fix” his ending in other ways too. Some have guessed that Mark had actually written more but the last page of the scroll has been torn off and lost. Others have guessed that Mark intended to write more but was prevented from doing so. Neither of these guesses is helpful – or needed. Mark’s gospel is just fine as it stands! In actuality, all of this fuss about Mark’s ending is the strongest witness that Mark really intended his gospel to end in the way he did. And it is a brilliant ending! We can only marvel at Mark’s genius. His ending is the most powerful of all the gospels.