Fast Fashion: Mark 1:5-8
The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to [John]. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. John wore clothing made of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. And this was his message: “After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
Things happen quickly in Mark’s gospel. If Mark tells you a messenger is coming to prepare the way, then POOF! There’s John! And John’s message in the NIV translation takes all of 37 words! That’s pretty quick!
MARK! The Gospel for People on the Go!
The danger is that Mark’s fever pace will prove contagious. I find I have to force myself to slow down when I read Mark. Mark isn’t short on details, just on verbiage. Now, before I make my next few observations, please remember, I don’t believe most passages have “a” meaning, as if there were black-letter law principles lurking behind the story that could be effectively harvested and then the story tossed aside as a mere vehicle. In fact, I consider that to do violence to the medium of story. We live stories. And this one is God’s. When I slow down and “experience” this story, I enjoy “seeing” the details. Yeah, yeah, yeah, Mark is obviously taking pains to paint John as a prophetic figure conforming to existing roles appropriated from Old Testament stories.* And yeah, yeah, yeah, there is some obviously important stuff about how much greater Jesus and his baptism are, as will be evidenced by the next installment of these devotionals (That’s called a teaser!). But hopefully, you’ve either already been taught that or figured it out on your own. Kudos for you. So, if you are like me, you’re gonna need new material once in a while so as not to feel like you are just mouthing along the words of the “sermon” like an old song on the radio.
Here goes.
Is it just me, or is this the first sign that Mark has a clothes fetish? John’s got on his prophet costume (1:6). Jesus wears hippie thongs (1:7). Mark knows about quality clothes repair (2:21). Cured demoniacs get to put their clothes back on as a sign of sanity (5:15). On multiple occasions, touching Jesus’ clothes is somehow miraculously healing (5:27, 30; 6:56). When Jesus sends out the twelve to preach, he gives them strict instructions about what clothes to pack (6:8-9). On the mount of transfiguration, Jesus’ glory is revealed as his clothes glow suspiciously white (9:3)! When Jesus rides into Jerusalem, people placed their cloaks on the ground before Jesus (11:7-8). Jesus criticizes religious officials for dressing to the nines just to be noticed at the supermarket (12:38 and, yeah, I took a little poetic license there). The high priest tears his robes to signify his horror at Jesus’ “blasphemy” (15:63). Costume changes play an integral part in the soldiers’ mocking of Jesus (15:17-20). Jesus hung presumably naked, his own clothes disposed of by means of casting lots at the foot of the cross (15:24). The deceased Jesus’ body was then wrapped in linen cloths by Joseph of Arimathea (15:43). And then there is my favorite: The unidentified “young man” of Mark’s gospel who had fled naked as Jesus was apprehended (14:51-52) sits calmly clothed in white robes after the resurrection (16:5).
At the risk of overstating my case for a fashion-conscious gospel writer, I think it worth noting the details that our writer thought were worth noting. But what do the details “mean”? Maybe nothing. Maybe quite a lot. Perhaps there’s a lesson on God’s power? Jesus’ clothes on his back wield healing power, while off his back they are good for little more than a minor jackpot in a pre-eBay era. In other words, God’s power is not a magic spell. Perhaps clothes aren’t “values-neutral,” at least in Mark’s gospel. Prophets look like prophets when they are prophets. And did you notice: Jesus didn’t condemn the “teachers of the law” for wearing flowing robes. The problem appears to be flaunting clerical garb in the marketplace as a status symbol. Can you imagine a pastor who wore his clerical collar, robes, and miter (translation: funny pope hat) to go shopping at Wal-Mart? Totally inappropriate!
But for me, the most powerful statement that the “clothes make about the man” is the fact Jesus has on clothes. I mean, if you buy the whole “God became flesh and walked among us” thing, it really is quite remarkable. The God of eternity, clothed in his own splendor, adorned by the stars in the heavens, put on a robe. Or, to update the idiom, through Jesus, God slipped on a pair of jeans, a polo, and some sneakers and spent time with folks who wear jeans, a polo, and sneakers.
And that’s pretty cool.
* One quick note. I’m not entirely comfortable with the term “Old Testament.” I like Hebrew Scriptures or the Scriptures of Israel only slightly more. I mean, I prefer just to call those books “the Bible,” but for convenience sake, I’m sticking with OT.
Things happen quickly in Mark’s gospel. If Mark tells you a messenger is coming to prepare the way, then POOF! There’s John! And John’s message in the NIV translation takes all of 37 words! That’s pretty quick!
MARK! The Gospel for People on the Go!
The danger is that Mark’s fever pace will prove contagious. I find I have to force myself to slow down when I read Mark. Mark isn’t short on details, just on verbiage. Now, before I make my next few observations, please remember, I don’t believe most passages have “a” meaning, as if there were black-letter law principles lurking behind the story that could be effectively harvested and then the story tossed aside as a mere vehicle. In fact, I consider that to do violence to the medium of story. We live stories. And this one is God’s. When I slow down and “experience” this story, I enjoy “seeing” the details. Yeah, yeah, yeah, Mark is obviously taking pains to paint John as a prophetic figure conforming to existing roles appropriated from Old Testament stories.* And yeah, yeah, yeah, there is some obviously important stuff about how much greater Jesus and his baptism are, as will be evidenced by the next installment of these devotionals (That’s called a teaser!). But hopefully, you’ve either already been taught that or figured it out on your own. Kudos for you. So, if you are like me, you’re gonna need new material once in a while so as not to feel like you are just mouthing along the words of the “sermon” like an old song on the radio.
Here goes.
Is it just me, or is this the first sign that Mark has a clothes fetish? John’s got on his prophet costume (1:6). Jesus wears hippie thongs (1:7). Mark knows about quality clothes repair (2:21). Cured demoniacs get to put their clothes back on as a sign of sanity (5:15). On multiple occasions, touching Jesus’ clothes is somehow miraculously healing (5:27, 30; 6:56). When Jesus sends out the twelve to preach, he gives them strict instructions about what clothes to pack (6:8-9). On the mount of transfiguration, Jesus’ glory is revealed as his clothes glow suspiciously white (9:3)! When Jesus rides into Jerusalem, people placed their cloaks on the ground before Jesus (11:7-8). Jesus criticizes religious officials for dressing to the nines just to be noticed at the supermarket (12:38 and, yeah, I took a little poetic license there). The high priest tears his robes to signify his horror at Jesus’ “blasphemy” (15:63). Costume changes play an integral part in the soldiers’ mocking of Jesus (15:17-20). Jesus hung presumably naked, his own clothes disposed of by means of casting lots at the foot of the cross (15:24). The deceased Jesus’ body was then wrapped in linen cloths by Joseph of Arimathea (15:43). And then there is my favorite: The unidentified “young man” of Mark’s gospel who had fled naked as Jesus was apprehended (14:51-52) sits calmly clothed in white robes after the resurrection (16:5).
At the risk of overstating my case for a fashion-conscious gospel writer, I think it worth noting the details that our writer thought were worth noting. But what do the details “mean”? Maybe nothing. Maybe quite a lot. Perhaps there’s a lesson on God’s power? Jesus’ clothes on his back wield healing power, while off his back they are good for little more than a minor jackpot in a pre-eBay era. In other words, God’s power is not a magic spell. Perhaps clothes aren’t “values-neutral,” at least in Mark’s gospel. Prophets look like prophets when they are prophets. And did you notice: Jesus didn’t condemn the “teachers of the law” for wearing flowing robes. The problem appears to be flaunting clerical garb in the marketplace as a status symbol. Can you imagine a pastor who wore his clerical collar, robes, and miter (translation: funny pope hat) to go shopping at Wal-Mart? Totally inappropriate!
But for me, the most powerful statement that the “clothes make about the man” is the fact Jesus has on clothes. I mean, if you buy the whole “God became flesh and walked among us” thing, it really is quite remarkable. The God of eternity, clothed in his own splendor, adorned by the stars in the heavens, put on a robe. Or, to update the idiom, through Jesus, God slipped on a pair of jeans, a polo, and some sneakers and spent time with folks who wear jeans, a polo, and sneakers.
And that’s pretty cool.
* One quick note. I’m not entirely comfortable with the term “Old Testament.” I like Hebrew Scriptures or the Scriptures of Israel only slightly more. I mean, I prefer just to call those books “the Bible,” but for convenience sake, I’m sticking with OT.
posted by graysandpeas | 9:59 PM
1 Comments:
Is the Mike pastor biblical teacher scholar blog???? I tell you...you need dumb stupid hand puppets on your blog...hehe
Post a Comment
<< Home