The Gospel According to Mark – 2018.03.25
The Disappeared
Be
mindful, read the words of Mark’s Gospel carefully.
They
were written decades after Jesus was murdered. They were written in the years
after the Romans came and laid waste to Jerusalem, destroying the temple, never
to be rebuilt.
These
words were written after Saint Paul wrote his letters, giving us the theology
of Jesus the Christ.
They
were written after all of the disciples were killed or dies.
They
were not written by anyone who was an eye witness to the events they purport to
relate.
They
are a first summary of a growing, changing, evolving oral history.
Be
mindful of this, the gospel is part narrative history and part apology, it is a
fledgling mythology, and it needs to be read as such.
It
tells us that Jesus was a man of the people. He had no fear of contact with the
unclean, or the outcast, whether a leper or an unmarried woman, who in the view
of the prevailing social norms were to be counted as on equal footing.
Note
well, the woman who comes to anoint Jesus, is rebuked by the men in his
company. Jesus in turn corrects them. The men who are his closest followers are
still ignorant of what is about to transpire, but the women who follow him
anonymously, they are fully aware, and they are prepared.
Jesus
was in fact betrayed by one of his closest followers, a man in his company.
Jesus
knew he would be arrested, but he went to the city anyway, he sent two of his
disciples to prepare the way.
There
was no subterfuge in Jesus, he made no efforts to hide his coming. He went even
while knowing that one of his followers would betray him. He announced this to
the rest of them.
They
ate together, and the commemoration of this meal, became the basis for the
Eucharist, the celebration of the presence of Jesus in the bread and the wine
of the sacred meal.
Note
well, Jesus is not present in the food that we eat, it is not his blood and his
flesh that we consume. We commemorate Jesus when we share with one another,
when we choose to be seated and dine with, even those we know will betray us,
as Jesus did in the sharing of that last meal.
It
is not the food that is holy, or the magic words and gesture that make them so,
it is the gift of food and sustenance, and the time we sit at table together
that transform them.
Again
Jesus describes for the disciples everything that is about to happen, but they
are ignorant and confused, and as close as they are to him they still do not
understand.
Even
after the meal is shared, the chief among the disciples boasts of his
faithfulness.
Jesus
calls out his ignorance and names him a liar, which he proved to be, and Jesus
forgives him for it.
All
of the men who followed Jesus, every one of the twelve disciples boasted of
their faithful. One of them would actually sell him into bondage, and all of
the rest would abandon him in the night.
Jesus
did not resist when they came to apprehend him, though his men were prepared to
fight.
He
did not want a slaughter to ensue, when all he had to do was give up his own
life.
In
this he fulfilled the words that he had preached, no greater love does a man
have than that he give up his life for his fellow men.
By
giving up his own life he allowed the ministry that he had started to continue
without him.
Jesus
stayed true to this even while his followers abandoned him, all but the women
who had attended him, they watched him and gave witness to his arrest and
torture, to his crucifixion and death. They were faithful to their Rabbi until
the end.
The
Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mark
Key:
N. Narrator. ✠ Jesus. O. Other single speaker. C. Crowd,
or more than one speaker.
N.
It was two days before the Passover and the feast of Unleavened Bread, and the
chief priests and the scribes were looking for a way to arrest Jesus by some
trick and have him put to death. For they said,
C.
It must not be during the festivities, or there will be a disturbance among the
people.
N.
Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper; he was at dinner when a
woman came in with an alabaster jar of very costly ointment, pure nard. She
broke the jar and poured the ointment on his head. Some who were there said to
one another indignantly,
C.
Why this waste of ointment? Ointment like this could have been sold for over
three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor.
N.
and they were angry with her. But Jesus said,
✠ Leave her alone.
Why are you upsetting her? What she has done for me is one of the good works.
You have the poor with you always, and you can be kind to them whenever you
wish, but you will not always have me. She has done what was in her power to
do: she has anointed my body beforehand for its burial. I tell you solemnly,
wherever throughout all the world the Good News is proclaimed, what she has
done will be told also, in remembrance of her.
N.
Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, approached the chief priests with an offer
to hand Jesus over to them. They were delighted to hear it, and promised to
give him money; and he looked for a way of betraying him when the opportunity
should occur.
On the first day of Unleavened Bread, when
the Passover lamb was sacrificed, his disciples said to him,
C.
Where do you want us to go and make the preparations for you to eat the
passover?
N. So he sent two of his disciples, saying to
them,
✠ Go into the city and you will meet a man
carrying a pitcher of water. Follow him, and say to the owner of the house
which he enters, ‘The Master says: “Where is my dining room in which I can eat
the passover with my disciples?”’ He will show you a large upper room furnished
with couches, all prepared. Make the preparations for us there.
N.
The disciples set out and went to the city and found everything as he had told
them, and prepared the Passover.
When evening came he arrived with the Twelve.
And while they were at table eating, Jesus said,
✠ I tell you solemnly, one of you is about
to betray me, one of you eating with me.
N.
They were distressed and asked him, one after another,
C.
Not I, surely?
N.
He said to them,
✠ It is one of the Twelve, one who is
dipping into the same dish with me. Yes, the Son of Man is going to his fate,
as the scriptures say he will, but alas for that man by whom the Son of Man is
betrayed! Better for that man if he had never been born!
N. And
as they were eating he took some bread, and when he had said the blessing he
broke it and gave it to them, saying:
✠ Take it: this is my body.
N.
Then he took a cup, and when he had returned thanks he gave it to them, and all
drank from it, and he said to them,
✠ This is my blood, the blood of the
covenant, which is to be poured out for many. I tell you solemnly, I shall not
drink any more wine until the day I drink the new wine in the kingdom of God.
N.
After psalms had been sung they left for the Mount of Olives. And Jesus said to
them,
✠ You will all lose faith, for the
scripture says: ‘I shall strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered.’
However, after my resurrection I shall go before you to Galilee.
N.
Peter said,
O.
Even if all lose faith, I will not.
N.
And Jesus said to him,
✠ I tell you solemnly, this day, this very
night, before the cock crows twice, you will have disowned me three times.
N.
But he repeated still more earnestly,
O.
If I have to die with you, I will never disown you.
N.
And they all said the same.
They came to a small estate called
Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples,
✠ Stay here while I pray.
N.
Then he took Peter and James and John with him. And a sudden fear came over
him, and great distress. And he said to them,
✠ My soul is sorrowful to the point of
death. Wait here, and keep awake.
N.
And going on a little further he threw himself on the ground and prayed that,
if it were possible, this hour might pass him by. He said:
✠ Abba (Father)! Everything is possible for
you. Take this cup away from me. But let it be as you, not I, would have it.
N.
He came back and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter,
✠ Simon, are you asleep? Had you not the
strength to keep awake one hour? You should be awake, and praying not to be put
to the test. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.
N.
Again he went away and prayed, saying the same words. And once more he came
back and found them sleeping, their eyes were so heavy; and they could find no
answer for him. He came back a third time and said to them,
✠ You can sleep on now and take your rest.
It is all over. The hour has come. Now the Son of Man is to be betrayed into
the hands of sinners. Get up! Let us go! My betrayer is close at hand already.
N.
Even while he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, came up with a
number of men armed with swords and clubs, sent by the chief priests and the
scribes and the elders. Now the traitor had arranged a signal with them. He had
said, ‘The one I kiss he is the man. Take him in charge, and see he is well
guarded when you lead him away.’ So when the traitor came, he went straight up
to Jesus and said,
O.
Rabbi!
N.
and kissed him. The others seized him and took him in charge. Then one of the
bystanders drew his sword and struck out at the high priest’s servant, and cut
off his ear.
Then Jesus spoke:
✠ Am I a brigand, that you had to set out
to capture me with swords and clubs? I was among you teaching in the Temple day
after day and you never laid hands on me. But this is to fulfil the scriptures.
N.
And they all deserted him and ran away. A young man who followed him had
nothing on but a linen cloth. They caught hold of him, but he left the cloth in
their hands and ran away naked.
They led Jesus off to the high priest; and
all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes assembled there. Peter had
followed him at a distance, right into the high priest’s palace, and was
sitting with the attendants warming himself at the fire.
The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin
were looking for evidence against Jesus on which they might pass the death
sentence. But they could not find any. Several, indeed, brought false evidence
against him, but their evidence was conflicting. Some stood up and submitted
this false evidence against him,
C.
We heard him say, ‘I am going to destroy this Temple made by human hands, and
in three days build another, not made by human hands.’
N.
But even on this point their evidence was conflicting. The high priest then
stood up before the whole assembly and put this question to Jesus,
O.
Have you no answer to that? What is this evidence these men are bringing
against you?
N.
But he was silent and made no answer at all. The high priest put a second
question to him,
O.
Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?
N.
Jesus said,
✠ I am, and you will see the Son of Man
seated at the right hand of the Power and coming with the clouds of heaven.
N.
The high priest tore his robes, and said:
O.
What need of witnesses have we now? You heard the blasphemy. What is your
finding?
N.
And they all gave their verdict: he deserved to die.
Some of them started spitting at him and,
blindfolding him, began hitting him with their fists and shouting,
C.
Play the prophet!
N.
And the attendants rained blows on him.
While Peter was down below in the courtyard,
one of the high priest’s servant-girls came up. She saw Peter warming himself
there, stared at him and said,
O.
You too were with Jesus, the man from Nazareth.
N.
But he denied it, saying.
O. I
do not know, I do not understand, what you are talking about.
N.
And he went out into the forecourt. The servant-girl saw him and again started
telling the bystanders,
O.
This fellow is one of them.
N.
But again he denied it. A little later the bystanders themselves said to Peter,
C.
You are one of them for sure! Why, you are a Galilean.
N.
But he started calling down curses on himself and swearing,
O. I
do not know the man you speak of.
N.
At that moment the cock crew for the second time, and Peter recalled how Jesus
had said to him, ‘Before the cock crows twice, you will have disowned me three
times.’ And he burst into tears.
First thing in the morning, the chief priests
together with the elders and scribes, in short the whole Sanhedrin, had their
plan ready. They had Jesus bound and took him away and handed him over to
Pilate.
Pilate questioned him:
O.
Are you the king of the Jews?
N.
He answered,
✠ It is you who say it.
N.
And the chief priests brought many accusations against him. Pilate questioned
him again:
O.
Have you no reply at all? See how many accusations they are bringing against
you!
N.
But, to Pilate’s amazement, Jesus made no further reply.
At festival time Pilate used to release a
prisoner for them, anyone they asked for. Now a man called Barabbas was then in
prison with the rioters who had committed murder during the uprising. When the
crowd went up and began to ask Pilate the customary favour, Pilate answered
them
O.
Do you want me to release for you the king of the Jews?
N.
For he realised it was out of jealousy that the chief priests had handed Jesus
over. The chief priests, however, had incited the crowd to demand that he
should release Barabbas for them instead. Then Pilate spoke again:
O.
But in that case, what am I to do with the man you call king of the Jews?
N.
They shouted back,
C.
Crucify him!
N.
Pilate asked them,
O.
Why? What harm has he done?
N.
But they shouted all the louder,
C.
Crucify him!
N.
So Pilate, anxious to placate the crowd, released Barabbas for them and, having
ordered Jesus to be scourged, handed him over to be crucified.
The soldiers led him away to the inner part
of the palace, that is, the Praetorium, and called the whole cohort together.
They dressed him up in purple, twisted some thorns into a crown and put it on
him. And they began saluting him,
C.
Hail, king of the Jews!
N.
They struck his head with a reed and spat on him; and they went down on their
knees to do him homage. And when they had finished making fun of him, they took
off the purple and dressed him in his own clothes.
They enlisted a passer-by, Simon of Cyrene,
father of Alexander and Rufus, who was coming in from the country, to carry his
cross. They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha, which means the place
of the skull.
They offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but
he refused it. Then they crucified him, and shared out his clothing, casting
lots to decide what each should get. It was the third hour when they crucified
him. The inscription giving the charge against him read: ‘The King of the
Jews.’ And they crucified two robbers with him, one on his right and one on his
left.
The passers-by jeered at him; they shook
their heads and said,
C.
Aha! So you would destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days! Then save
yourself: come down from the cross!
N.
The chief priests and the scribes mocked him among themselves in the same way.
They said,
C.
He saved others; he cannot save himself. Let the Christ, the king of Israel,
come down from the cross now, for us to see it and believe.
N.
Even those who were crucified with him taunted him.
When the sixth hour came there was darkness
over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out
in a loud voice,
✠ Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?
N.
which means, ‘My God, my God, why have you deserted me?’ When some of those who
stood by heard this, they said
C.
Listen, he is calling on Elijah.
N.
Someone ran and soaked a sponge in vinegar and, putting it on a reed, gave it
him to drink, saying:
O.
Wait and see if Elijah will come to take him down.
N.
But Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last.
All kneel and pause for a moment.
And the veil of the Temple was torn in two
from top to bottom. The centurion, who was standing in front of him, had seen
how he had died, and he said,
O.
In truth this man was a son of God.
N.
There were some women watching from a distance. Among them were Mary of
Magdala, Mary who was the mother of James the younger and Joset, and Salome.
These used to follow him and look after him when he was in Galilee. And there
were many other women there who had come up to Jerusalem with him.
It was now evening, and since it was
Preparation Day (that is, the vigil of the sabbath), there came Joseph of
Arimathaea, a prominent member of the Council, who himself lived in the hope of
seeing the kingdom of God, and he boldly went to Pilate and asked for the body
of Jesus. Pilate, astonished that he should have died so soon, summoned the
centurion and enquired if he was already dead. Having been assured of this by
the centurion, he granted the corpse to Joseph who bought a shroud, took Jesus
down from the cross, wrapped him in the shroud and laid him in a tomb which had
been hewn out of the rock. He then rolled a stone against the entrance to the
tomb. Mary of Magdala and Mary the mother of Joset were watching and took note
of where he was laid.
Palm Sunday – Holy Week
