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gmark - Re: Again, the Temple and the fig tree (James Crossley)

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Subject: Kata Markon

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  • From: "Jeff Krantz" <jkrantz AT optonline.net>
  • To: "Kata Markon" <gmark AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: Again, the Temple and the fig tree (James Crossley)
  • Date: Fri, 11 Feb 2000 08:40:27 -0500


Thank you to James for his reply. But I think that I draw a distinction
between the intent of the Jesus of history and the Jesus of Mark.

> In light of this we would expect Mark to have made it
>clear precisely what Jesus' actions meant, i.e. explained Jesus' actions
>just like we find with the Hebrew prophets.

This is precisely what I believe Mark was doing my means of the
intercalation of the story of the "cleansing" and that of the fig tree.
Mark goes out of his way to show that the Temple's narrative parallel was
not "at fault" for not having figs, it was simply no longer the season.
Discovering this, as Jesus had just done by going into the Temple and
looking around at everything (11:11), the then declares, in the least
challenging manner possible (note the optative mood) "May no one ever eat
fruit from you again."

I think that the hidden manner of Mark's declaration of Jesus' intent is
entirely in keeping with the apocalyptic tendencies to secrecy inherent in
his gospel.

>Mark, I would argue, is reacting to these abuses and
>the withering fig tree is a story against the Temple authorities with the
>implication of destruction (11:23) just as Jeremiah 7(cf. 'the den of
>robbers' Jer.7:14) contain major threats in reaction to the Temple abuses.
>Consequently, I cannot agree that this passage presupposes the destruction
>of the Temple and cannot be used to date Mark in any way.

I confess that I am confused by this. Yes, Jeremiah is speaking of the
abuses of the first Temple, but he is not "cleansing" the Temple on his own.
He is declaring what lies in God's future for the Temple. By having Jesus
quote the LXX exactly (Jer. 7:11) in this moment, Mark puts Jesus squarely
in the prophetic tradition. I don't understand how this is not an argument
for the act as prophetic.

Yours,

Jeff K.





Jeffrey Krantz
jkrantz AT optonline.net
http://www.agapenetwork.org
Mercer School of Theology





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