paradoxical study in mark

7/31/2019 Paradoxical Study in Mark

1/12

BlBLlOTHECA SACRA 157 (January-March 2000) 15-25

JESUS' PARADOXICALTEACHING IN MARK 8:35; 9:35;

AND 10:43-44

Narry F. Santos

THREE RELATED INSTANCES of verbal paradox in the Gospel of

Mark include 8:35 ("whoever wishes to save his life shall

lose it" and "whoever loses his life . . . shall save it"); 9:35

("If any one wants to be first, he shall be last of all"); an d 10:43-44

("whoever wishes to become great . . . sha ll be your servant" and

"whoever wishes to be first . . . shall be slave of all"). These state

ments occur within the context of Jesus' three Passion predictions

(8:31; 9:30-31; 10:32-34), the disciples' misunderstanding of His

passion predictions (8:32; 9:32; 10:35-41), and the ensuing three

discipleship discourses of Je su s (8:34-9:1; 9:35-50; 10:42-45). This

article seeks to "unpack" the meaning of these three paradoxical

statements by Jesus, using Fowler's method of "transfiguration" in

understanding them. This "transfiguration" is the rhetorical proc

ess of transforming verbal paradox into metaphors.1

It makes the

paradox more understandable so that readers can see its relevance

to discipleship and its application to their own lives as followers of

Jesus Christ.

VERBAL PARADOX

A paradox is an apparently self-contradictory s tatement, con

taining truth that reconciles conflicting opposites. The English

word comes from the Greek word -.

2

It is a combination of


2/12

16 BiBLiOTHECA SACRA / January-March 2000

the preposition , which can mean "contrary to,"3

and the noun

, which means "opinion,"4

producing in its earliest stages the

meaning of "contrary to opinion or expectation."5

Since the eigh

teenth century the meaning of paradox has been extended to de

note a concept, proposition, or statement that seems to be self-

contradictory or absurd, yet turns out to make good sense.

According to Fowler, the Gospel of Mark includes both verbal

and dramatic paradox. Verbal paradox occurs in statement form,

while dramatic paradox occurs by means of the author's use of

events and characters in the narrative. Verbal paradox conveys an

oxymoronic turn of phrase.6

An oxymoron7

is a verbal play or figure

of speech that combines incongruous and apparently contradictory

words and meanings for a special effect.8

The special effect of this literary device is twofold: It forces

readers to read the opposing sides thoughtfully, enabling them to

become aware of the conscious execution of the words; and it makes

readers ponder the meaning beyond the contradiction.

FOWLER'S "TRANSFIGURATION" METHOD

Fowler comments, "Sometimes paradox puts us and leaves us be

tween conflicting poles, there to live for a moment, but sometimes

the Sep tua gin t It always denotes an 'un usu al event contra ry to belief and expectation ' "

3Walter Bauer, William F Arndt, and F Wilbur Gingrich, A Greek-English Lex

icon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 2d ed , rev FWilbur Gingrich and Fr ederick W Danker (Chicago University of Chicago Press,

1979), 609 Bauer adds that can be used as an adversative, meaning "against,contrary to "

Gerhard Kittel, "" in Theological Dictionary of the New Testament,2 233-36 Kittel argu es that "has in all non-biblical Greek a basic meaning

which reflects its link with , namely, 'what one thinks,' 'opinion' " (ibid , 233)

The Greek usage goes back at least to Plato, who entitled a section of his Republic "The Paradox Philosophers Must Be Kings" (Republic, trans Francis MacDonaldCornford [New York Oxford University Press, 1963], 471c-474b) Cf Henry GeorgeLiddell and Robert Scott, Greek-English Lexicon, rev and augm ent ed by Henr y

Stuart Jo ne s et al , 9th ed (Oxford Clarendon, 1948), 2 13096

Fowler, Let the Reader Understand, 184


3/12

Jesus' Paradoxical Teaching in Mark 8 35, 9 35, and 10 43-44 17

we have ways to escape the tension of paradoxical incongruity." 9

He is right in contending that there is escape from the potential

"prison" of paradox, and that there is a way to soften the paradoxi

cal tension.The attractive option for negotiating a paradox, which Fowler

recommends, is to "transfigure" the paradox into another figure.

This is the rhetorical figure of metaphor,10 "which can lead us into

and also out of paradox."11

In explaining the transformat ion of paradox into met aphor

Fowler refers to Jesus' strategy in handling a verbal paradox in

Mark 3:22. The scribes charged that Jesus was "possessed by Beel-

zebul," and that He cast out the demons "by the ruler of the demons." Fowler says Jesus did four things in handling this verbal

paradox.

First, He transfigured the paradox into the question it seems

to imply. He asked the scribes, "How can Satan cast out Satan?" (v.

23).

Second, He transformed the paradox into a metaphor Je sus

adopted a kingdom metaphor ("And if a kingdom is divided against

itself, that kingdom cannot stand," v. 24) and a house metaphor("And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able

to stand," v. 25).

Third, Jesus applied a logical implication as He returned to the

scribes' accusation: "And if Satan has risen up against himself and

is divided, he cannot stand, but he is finished" (v. 26). Regarding

this third step, Fowler writes, "This reply does not answer the

question of 3:23 explicitly, but it does imply that if the scribes

really believed what they were saying they would not oppose him;they would instead encourage and congratulate him for hastening

the demise of the kingdom of Satan."12

Fowler, Let the Reader Understand, 185

1 0"Metaphor consists in giving the thing a name that belongs to something else"

(Aristotle, Poetics 21 1457b) Fowler adds , "Metaphor derives its power from the

tension between dissimilare that are posited to be similar" (Fowler, Let the ReaderUnderstand, 176) For more helpful information on met aphor, see Sheldon Sack s,ed On Metaphor (Chicago Universi ty of Chicago Press 1979) Sacks includes help


4/12


Fourth, Jesus presented a typically indirect statement by con

cluding the paradoxical interaction with the metaphorical picture

of a "burglar" and a "strong man": "But no one can enter the strong

man's house and plunder his property unless he first binds thestrong man, and then he will plunder his house" (v. 27). This meta

phor is offered not as an interpretation of the verbal paradox, but

rather as a metaphorical substitute for the seemingly paradoxical

suggestion that Jesus cast out demons by demonic power.

This brief sampling of Fowler's method in transforming para

dox into metaphor is now applied to the verbal paradoxes in Mark

8:35; 9:35; and 10:43-44, which are located within the three disci

pleship discourses in the narrative (8:34-38; 9:33-50; 10:35-45).His system of transformation provides this study with a practical

and viable method for interpreting verbal paradoxes.

TRANSFIGURATION OF THE VERBAL PARADOX IN MA RK 8:35

Je su s issued His first Passion prediction in 8:31. Pe te r misun

derstood Him, as seen in his clear rebuke of Jesus (v. 32). What

followed is Jesus' first discipleship discourse (8:34-9:1), which contains a verbal paradox in 8:35.

Jesus ' verbal paradox was given in a forceful way. The first

clause has the contrasting "save"/"lose" pair ("For whoever wishes

to save his life shall lose it"), and the second clause has the same

antithetical pair of words but in reverse order ("but whoever loses

his life . . . shall save it"). But how can wishing to save one's life

result in losing it, and how can losing one's life lead to saving it?

As Fowler suggests, the way to determine the significance of averbal paradox is by means of metaphor. This paradox in Mark

8:35 can best be understood by looking at the rest of the antitheti

cal saying and the paradoxical discourse. The rest of the antitheti

cal saying in this verse contains the "asymmetrical or skewed"13

phrase, "for My sake and the gospel's." This suggests that "losing

one's life" is directly linked to the motivation of doing it for Jesus'

sake and the gospel's. Aside from these two reasons for losing one's

life, other factors are not valid in ensuring the saving of one's life.Verses 36-37 include two rhetorical questions that expect


5/12

Jesus' Paradoxical Teaching in Mark 8:35; 9:35; and 10:43-44 19

two assertions relate directly to the "save"/"lose" terminology in

verse 35 in a metaphorical way. The expressions "saving one's life"

and "losing it" are later expressed as "gaining the whole world" and

"forfeiting his soul." Thus the desire to save oneself is related to thedesire to gain authority and power in this world. Saving oneself is

a manifestation of the world's standard of striving for authority, a

standard characteristic of the religious leaders in Jesus' day. Sav

ing oneself can be linked with setting one's mind on one's own in

terests, not God's (cf. v. 33).

Conversely the "losing" of one's life refers figuratively to the

loss of one's ultimate, spiritual existence, the loss of one's soul1 4

to

eternal ruin.

1 5

This is reinforced by Jesus' second rhetorical question in this discourse, "For what shall a man give in exchange for

his soul?" (v. 37). "Soul" translates , which occurs four times in

the discourse ("save his life," "loses his life," "forfeit his soul" "ex

change for his soul," vv. 35-37; also twice the personal pronoun "it"

in verse 35 refers to the soul). Thus by means of the trans formation

of the first clause in the paradox reade rs see th at seeking after

authority in this world is not at all profitable, since it leads to the

grim end of losing one's soul to eternal ruin. Setting one's mind onmere human interests (at the expense of God's interests) results in

a tragic end.

Also the expression "for My sake and the gospel's" (v. 35) is

transformed in verse 38 into anot her metaphor. Sta ted negatively,

the refusal to "lose one's life for Jesus' sake and the gospel's" means

"being ashamed of Jesus and His words." So this transformation

shows t hat not being ashamed of Je su s and His words re lat es to

believing the importance of His passion prediction in verse 31. Thedisciples need not be ashamed of Je sus' impending suffering, rejec

tion, and death at the hands of the religious leaders because being

unashamed verifies that the y are following God's though ts , not

man's.

Thus the second clause of the paradox (losing one's life), is re

vealed as not being ashamed of Jesus and His words. It entails go

ing against the values and standards of "this adulterous and sinful

generation," which sought to disown Jesus. In view of the admonition in verse 34 at the outset of the paradoxical discourse, losing


6/12


one's life also includes denying oneself, taking up one's cross, and

following after Jesus and His ways. Such expressions of disciple

ship are further encouraged by Jesus, as stated in His stern warn

ing to the person who is ashamed of Him: "the Son of Man will also

be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His father with

the holy angels" (v. 38). So saving one's life will occur as a result of

being unashamed to stand for Jesus, and this "saving" will happen

at the future coming of the Son of Man.

In summary the verbal paradox in verse 35 can be understood

in this way: The desire to claim and cling to worldly authority (i.e.,

wishing to save one's life) is not profitable because it leads to the

loss of one's soul to eternal ruin (i.e., losing one's life). In the samemanner, being unashamed of Jesus and His words and being a ser

vant for the sake of Jesus and the gospel is profitable because it

leads to the gaining of a glorious future (i.e., saving one's life). This

shows that the pursuit of authority is not the way of Jesus; instead,

servanthood is His way.

TRANSFIGURATION OF THE VERBAL PARADOX IN MA RK 9:35

Similar to the context of the first verbal paradox (8:35), the second

instance of verbal paradox also is set in a Pass ion pred ict ion

(9:30-31), followed by the disciples' misunderstanding and fear to

ask Jesus (w. 32-34). The disciples' desire for authority (w. 33-34)

triggered the occurrence of the second verbal paradox (v. 35),

which, in turn, led to the second discipleship discourse (vv.

35-50).16 Jesus told the Twelve, "If anyone wants to be first, he

shall be last of all, and servant of all" (v. 35).This second verbal paradox, expressed in the contrasting pair

of "being first" and "being last," emphasizes the reversal of values 17

Jesus requires of His disciples. The reversal of values relates to

Jesus ' way of attaining precedence. However, the disciples must

have been startled to hear that the way to be first is to be last of

all. Since they had just been jockeying among themselves for the

greatest position of authority (v. 34), how could they simply give up

1 0


7/12

Jesus' Paradoxical Teaching in Mark 8:35; 9:35; and 10:43-44 21

the fight for the most respected and privileged rank? In this

"first7"last" paradox how can they be first when they are being

commanded to be last not only ofsome, but ofall?

The phrase "and servant of all" is crucial in transforming the

intrigu ing ph ra se "last of all" (v. 35). Mark 's intent ional repeti tion

of the word "all" in both phrases points to the close link in meaning

between the two phrases. Being last of all relates to being a ser

vant {) of all.

In the first half of the following discourse (w. 36-41),1 8

helpful

word pictures or metaphors are included in the three short seg

ments (w. 36-37, 38-40, 41). In the first segment the metaphors

relate to "receiving a child" (whom Jesus took in His arms) and "re

ceiving Je su s" (and ul timatel y the one who ha s sent Him). The act

of "receiving" means to be concerned about, to care for, to show

kindness to someone. By receiving the child, the disciples were to

show concern and kindness to that child, knowing that doing so

would also show their concern and kindness to Jesus Himself.19

Moreover, Mark transformed the expression "being last of all"

into "receiving a child." Receiving a child would truly make the dis

ciples part of the last or lowest class in society because welcoming a

child would identify th em with this typically un im po rt ant per son ,2 0

who is variously described as orphaned,2 1

insignificant,2 2

lowly,23

1 8The Gospel of Mark has a careful two-part structure in the second discourse.

The first half of th e discourse (9:36-41) is posit ive in its orientation and recom-mends three actions to be performed (9:37a, 39a, 41a), while the second half is negative in orientation and comprises three warnings against conduct to be avoided.

Marcan scholars have argued that the issue of "receiving" can mean either thatthe disciples are the ones to do the receiving or are the ones to be received. Scholars

who take the first view are Rudolf Schnackenburg, "Mk 9,33-50/' SynoptischeStudien: Festschrift fr A. Wikenhauser (Munich: Karl Zink, 1953), 184-206; DennisEric Nineham, St. Mark (Phi lade lphia: Wes tmi nst er, 1963), 252; Vincent Taylor,

The Gospel according to St. Mark (London: Macmillan, 1959), 405-6; Rudolf Pesch,

Markusevangelium (Freiburg: Herder, 1984), 105; and Joachim Gnilka, Das Evan

gelium nach Markus (Zurich: Benziger, 1979), 57. Scholars who take the second

view are Hugh Anderson, The Gospel of Mark (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1976),

234-35; Harry Fleddermann, "The Discipleship Discourse (Mark 9:33-50)," 57-75;

and Eduard Schweizer, Good News according to Mark, trans. Donald Mavig (At

lanta: Knox, 1970), 192-93. The present writer takes the first view because the context deals with what the disciples needed to do to overcome their propensity toward

ki


8/12

22 BiBLlOTHECA SACRA / January-March 2000

helpless, or needy.2 4

Thus being viewed as last in society occurs

when Jesus ' followers welcome an unimportant person and treat

that person as very important in the way Jesus has been valuing

people around Him. In addition the expression "servant of all" is

transformed by the picture of "receiving a child."25

Jesus' followers

are not simply to serve those who are considered superior to them

(e.g , Jesus) , but also those whom society considers inferior When

Je sus' followers at ten d to the needs of the unimportant, they prac

tice the servanthood that enables them to experience greatness in

the sight ofGod.

In the first half of the discourse "receiving a child" (v. 37) is

transferred into not hindering an exorcist (v. 39). John had at

tempted to hinder an unknown exorcist who was casting out de

mons in the na me of Jes us but who did not follow Him and th e dis

ciples (v. 38). This indicates that the disciples had not learned the

lesson of receiving or welcoming others. The disciples were con

cerned about the stranger's apparent usurping of their authority to

exorcize. They were intolerant toward someone who did not belong

to their group.2 6

Such a negative attitude is ironic in light of the

disciples' helplessness in exorcizing a demon-possessed boy (vv

14-29) and in light of the unknown exorcist's implied success in

casting out demons.

Jesus' vindication of the unknown exorcist reinforces the need

to receive or welcome others. This corrective teaching of Jesus

transforms "receiving a child" into "not hindering a stranger" who

also does the work of God. Welcoming others encompasses those

who may come from "unexpected quarters,"2 7

yet who are wholly

accepted by Jesus Himself. The basis of this acceptance, whichlinks the two expressions of "receiving a child" and "not hi nder ing a

stranger," is the commonality of doing so "in the name of Jesus"

(i.e., under His authority and will). Thus the act of receiving a child

and the act of exorcizing are both to be done in Jesus' name.

The expression "servant of all" is also enacted in giving a cup

16

Taylor, Mark, 405-6

Pesch, Markusevangelium, 2 105

2 5


9/12

Jesus Paradoxical Teaching in Mark 8 35 9 35 and 10 43-44 23

of water (v 41) Such an act will be rewarded, as verified by Jesus'

authoritative words, "Truly I say to you, he shall not lose his re

ward " This seemingly minimal form of service is recognized by Je

sus Thus "being a se rvant of all" enta il s being a se rvant to a

seemingly insignificant person (a child) who needs help, and doinga seemingly insignificant act of service (giving a cup of water) for

Jesus' followers

In summary the first half (9 35-41) of the second paradoxical

discourse presents and explains t he second verbal para dox The

process of transforming the verbal paradox yields helpful insights

that aid readers in understanding the point of the paradox and in

easing the antithetical tension of being first and last at the same

time Based on the disciples' debate about greatness, being trulygreat and authori ta tive in the sight of Je su s ( e , being first) de

mands from His disciples the attitude of welcoming and caring for

those people in society who are commonly viewed as insignificant

and strangers ( e , being last of all), and of ministering to them,

even in ways that are viewed as insignificant by others ( e , being

servant of all)

The paradox also points up the truth that servanthood that is

done in Jesus' name is a rewarding expression of one's true

authorityaccording to God's standard of greatness

TRANSFIGURATION OF THE VERBAL PARADOX IN MA RK 10 43-44

Like the first two instances of verbal paradox, the third one ap

pears in the context of Jesus' Passion prediction (10 32-34) and the

misunderstanding by His disciples (vv 35-41) Jesus' th ir d disci

pleship discourse includes the verbal paradox in verses 43-44 The

disciples were puzzled to know how servanthood could be linked

with being great2 8

In this third paradox a set of parallel patterns is seen in the

words "whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your

servant" (v 43) and "whoever wishes to be first among you shall be

slave of all" (v 44) The first portion ofverse 43, "whoever wishes

to be great," corresponds to the first part of verse 44, "whoever

wishes to be first " And the second portion of verse 43, "shall be

your servant " corresponds to the second portion of verse 44 "shall


10/12


becomes being "slave of all" (i.e., the high es t form of dai ly ser

vanthood).

The expression "become great" is antithetical to the words "be

your servant," and "be first" is antithetical to "be slave of all." The

way of greatness is connected to the way of being a servant, andthe way of being first is connected to the way of being slave of all.

Moreover, the word "slave" () occurs here in the Gospel of

Mark for the first time. It carries the idea of someone who has no

authority or privilege at all,2 9

and who is expected to serve his

master without recognition or commendat ion. This is a shocking

affirmation, and it is puzzling to know how utmost servanthood can

be linked with being first or great.

This verbal paradox is transformed, however, by Jesus' words

in verse 45: "For even th e Son of Man did not come to be served,

but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." One can

fathom how to be servant and slave of all only by following Jesus'

servanthood. Since Jesus, who deserves to be served as Son of Man,

came instead to serve others, then they who have little authority

can follow the same path of service. Jesus "set himself before the

disciples as a n example to follow . . . something that often ha s been

forgotten by his followers."30

As Kingsbury notes, "J us t as it is his

purpose to serve and not to be served, so it is th e purpose of disci

ples to be servants of one another and 'slaves' of all."3 1

Jesus' words

"did not come to be served but to serve" underline the emphasis on

servanthood. Jesu s, the One who serves others, expects His follow

ers to be servants too.

In mentioning that His life is given as a "ransom" (), Je

sus appealed to the "prevailing notion behind the metaphor" (i.e.,deliverance by purchase, whether of a prisoner of war, a slave, or a

forfeited life).32

A "ransom" also speaks of a liberation that sug

gests a servitude or an imprisonment from which a person cannot

2 9Ibid., 104; and Lane, Mark, 382. Lane also comments that servants and slaves

are "men whose activities a re not directed toward their own interests but to those ofanother." For information on the approximate equivalence of the two terms "ser

vant" and "slave" see Best,Following Jesus,

125-26; Kleme ns Stock,Boten aus demMit-Ihm-Sein: Das Verhltnis zwischen Jesus und den Zwlf nach Markus (Rome

Pontifical Biblical Institute, 1975), 140; and C. S. Mann, Mark: A New Translation


11/12

Jesus' Paradoxical Teaching in Mark 8 35, 9 35, and 10 43-44 25

free himself or herself. Jesus' suffering and death are to be viewed

as the price for the liberation of many, and His death as a ransom

is the "greatest example of service."33 Also His "being slave of all"

involves giving His own life so that others may live.

Though they cannot duplicate Jesus' act of paying the ransom

for their sins, His followers see how that act of service can result in

the good of so many who have faith in Him and obey Him. Thus the

reality of Jesus' death reminds them not to hold back anything in

serving the very people whom Jesus served. In fact His death

shows that servanthood may call for the ultimate sacrifice of self

for the welfare of others

CONCLUSION

This "transfiguration" method yields the following meaning in Je

sus' paradoxical sayings in Mark. First, regarding saving and los

ing one's life (8:35), the desire to claim and cling to worldly

authority (i.e., wishing to save one's life) is not profitable because it

leads to the loss of one's soul to eternal ruin (i.e., losing one's life).

Similarly, not being ashamed of Je su s and His words and serving

others for His sake and the gospel are profitable because they lead

to gaining a glorious future (i.e., saving one's life).

Second, regarding being "first" and "last" (9:35), to be truly

great in Jesus' sight (i.e., being first) demands welcoming and car

ing for the insignificant and strangers (i.e., being last of all), and

serving them, even in simple ways (i.e., being servant of all).

Third, regarding "great" and "servant," "first" and "slave of all"

(10:43-44), the best expression of greatness is seen in Jesus' modelof servanthood and in His giving His life as a ransom for many.

Thus Jesus' teaching, model, and death remind His followers not to

hold back service from the very people whom He served.


12/12

^ s

Copyright and Use:

As an ATLAS user, you may print, download, or send articles for individual use

according to fair use as defined by U.S. and international copyright law and as

otherwise authorized under your respective ATLAS subscriber agreement.

No content may be copied or emailed to multiple sites or publicly posted without the

copyright holder(s)' express written permission. Any use, decompiling,

reproduction, or distribution of this journal in excess of fair use provisions may be a

violation of copyright law.

This journal is made available to you through the ATLAS collection with permissionfrom the copyright holder(s). The copyright holder for an entire issue of a journal

typically is the journal owner, who also may own the copyright in each article. However,

for certain articles, the author of the article may maintain the copyright in the article.

Please contact the copyright holder(s) to request permission to use an article or specificwork for any use not covered by the fair use provisions of the copyright laws or covered

by your respective ATLAS subscriber agreement. For information regarding the

copyright holder(s), please refer to the copyright information in the journal, if available,or contact ATLA to request contact information for the copyright holder(s).

About ATLAS:

The ATLA Serials (ATLAS) collection contains electronic versions of previously

published religion and theology journals reproduced with permission. The ATLAS

collection is owned and managed by the American Theological Library Association(ATLA) and received initial funding from Lilly Endowment Inc.

The design and final form of this electronic document is the property of the AmericanTheological Library Association.

paradoxical study in mark

Documents