Kata Markon

[JFAlward AT aol.com]

In a message dated 10/15/02 10:39:41 AM Pacific Daylight Time, 
jgibson000 AT attbi.com writes:

<< http://groups.yahoo.com/group/crosstalk2/files/MK1438F.htm >>

PETER GIBSON
"…how else should Jesus' anguished words ending with "[but] not my will but 
yours", be interpreted except as a prayer for divine aid to avoid putting God 
to the test?

JOE ALWARD
I don't see the need to make this passage that complicated, or meaningful.  I 
think you may be attaching an undeserved sophistication to the Markan author, 
as well as a depth of meaning to the passage that is not there, in my 
opinion.  I don't see why this pericope has to have anything whatever to do 
with testing God.  I believe the simpler explanation for "not my will but 
yours" is that the author was just having Jesus imitate David's lament.

As I have suggested more than once in this forum, there is ample evidence 
that some of the stories about Jesus in the Markan gospel are an example of 
the type of imatatio (aemulatio)-mimesis that Dennis MacDonald described so 
well in his book, "The Homeric Epics and the Gospel of Mark," (Yale 
University Press, 2000).  While MacDonald suggests that Mark had Jesus 
emulate Odysseus, I see a much clearer connection to the Old Testament 
heroes, Elisha, Elijah, Moses, David, and Yahweh.  For example, Mark seems to 
have adapted the fishes and loaves story from Elisha's multiplication of the 
loaves, but made Jesus better.  He likewise had Jesus pass by the boat, in 
imitation of the Lord's passing by Moses.  There are other examples, but the 
one which is relevant to your Gethsemane analysis is David's lament after 
having been betrayed by his counselor:

Then the king said…"If I find favor in the LORD's eyes, he will bring me back 
and let me see...his dwelling place again. But if he says, `I am not pleased 
with you,' then I am ready; let him do to me whatever seems good to him." (2 
Samuel 15:25-26)


Just as David expresses the hope following his betrayal that he will prevail, 
but recognizes it's the Lord's decision to make, then so does Jesus express 
the hope  following his betrayal that his agony will be relieved, but accepts 
that it is "not my will, but yours."

I am aware of your views on "parallelmania," and agree that the practice of 
seeking parallels can be carried to far, but in this case I think the 
parallels between David's lament and Jesus' agony at Gethsemane are too 
strong to dismiss.  If you wish to see a stronger case for Mark's imitatio of 
David in this case, you will find it at 
http://sol.sci.uop.edu/~jfalward/David_and_Jesus.htm

I hope this helps.

Joseph F. Alward, PhD
Assistant Professor
Department of Physics
University of the Pacific
Stockton CA