The Gospel According to Mark - How Did It End - Essay Example

HOW DID IT END 0. INTRODUCTION The ending of the Gospel of Mark presents an enigma to its readers – what is its original ending? This perplexity is raised in the face of two available endings for the Gospel of Mark. The first ending is called the long ending, which begins on 16: 9 – 20, the short ending is from 16:1-8 and the intermediate, which is translated by the RSV as “And when the Sabbath was past …[v 1 -8]. But they reported briefly to Peter and those with him all that they had been told. And after this, Jesus himself set out by means of them, from east to west, the sacred and imperishable proclamation of eternal salvation”. This is already a minimalist view of the debate. Since, according to Parker there are six versions of the conclusion of Mark’s Gospel (125 -129). This distinction of longer, intermediate and shorter makes possible the clarification of the supposed endings for the Gospel according to various available texts and traditions. In fact, in NRSV, the footnotes for Mark’s Gospel conclusion affords a discussion of how these categories are fashioned (Dart 28). However, these labels do not remove the mystery. What is the mystery? The conclusion of Mark’s Gospel ends abruptly if the short ending is upheld. Unlike the gospels of Mathew, Luke and John attest to the meeting between the risen Jesus and His disciples whereas Mark’s Gospel does not speak of it (Juel 4). This has puzzled both the readers and the scholars of Mark (Dart 28; Lincoln 283; Parker 132). Nevertheless, what is significant is a that despite seeming differences in conclusion, what remains is the fact that Mark’s ending is a testimony that God has always been faithful to His words and that Jesus has risen from the dead just as what He had foretold. This truth remains regardless whether humanity fails or not. In this regard, this paper will try to address one of many questions that have been asked before, what does each ending does to the closing message of the Gospel? Beings such, the paper will be looking at the longer, intermediate and shorter version of the conclusion of the Gospel of Mark and finally provide my own personal perspective regarding this issue. 2.0. LONG ENDING The long ending is claimed to be supported by the teachings of the Fathers of the Church like Justin, Irenaeus and Hippolytus. At the same time, Freer Gospels, Codex Bezai and the oldest Byzantine manuscript all contains version of v9 -20 (Parker 132 -134). However, contemporary scholars are questioning the motivation behind the long ending. It appears that there is a discomfort between the readers and scholars of Mark if the Gospel is to end in “The women went out and fled from the tomb for terror and amazement had seized them. And they were so afraid they said nothing to anyone” (Mk 16:8). As Juel has noted, this ending shows less sophistication when compared with the other Gospels (4). However, the long ending shows consistency in terms of the spirituality of Mark which gives importance to the spirituality of seeing, hearing and learning (Thurston 23). In v14 “Jesus showed himself to the Eleven while they were at the table…” while in v15 “Jesus told them”, v19 “…after speaking to them”, these few verses show that the long ending affirms and reinforces not only the happy ending, but also “the goodness of the sensual, reincarnate life” (Thurston 23). It does not deny that it is in seeing and hearing people learn and understand the event and its meaning. In this regard, Mark has shown that the understanding of the resurrection story, if it is really to be understood, will not come in a vacuum or in an abstraction, but it will be made clear through seeing, hearing and learning what from Jesus had shown and told. Moreover, the long ending contextualizes the resurrection story. This shows that the resurrection story happened in the midst of unbelief yet, its authenticity cannot be denied as Jesus spoke to them and showed himself to them. His appearance is not in an ephemeral form, but it is presented in the sensual, reincarnate life. This manifest a closure to the entire gospel as it speaks of hope in the midst of human failure. In this regard, the long ending of Mark’s Gospel shows humanity’s horizon not in the context of an ephemeral reality, but in the condition of a sensual reincarnate life. This observation reaffirms the resurrection story as it concretely testifies to the sensual, reincarnate life. 3.0. INTERMEDIATE ENDING The intermediate ending which reads “And when the Sabbath was past …[v 1 -8]. But they reported briefly to Peter and those with him all that they had been told. And after this, Jesus himself set out by means of them, from east to west, the sacred and imperishable proclamation of eternal salvation.” The evidence for this version comes from the fourth century Codex Bobbienses. The quoted intermediate is a contradiction to v8 it is said that “…And they were so afraid that they said nothing to anyone.” This ending alludes to the meeting among the Risen Jesus and His disciples, but it does not explicitly state that the encounter happened. Likewise, it does not directly inform the reader of the story of resurrection, but it implicitly tells the reader it happened “…And after this, Jesus himself set out by means of them, from east to west, the sacred and imperishable proclamation of eternal salvation.” The intermediate ending brings discourse closer to the enigma of Mark. In the sense that it does not highlight the resurrection, it alludes to it, but it makes prominent the human response. This ending shows that in the face of the immensity of God, people are ambivalent. This idea of ambivalence is derived from the conflict between v8 and the additional verse. In v7 “…they were so afraid that they said nothing to anyone.” While in the additional verse, “they reported briefly to Peter and those with him all that they had been told.” The intermediate ending does not provide a satisfactory closure for the gospel. But it brings to the fore one of the possible responses of people to Jesus’ resurrection– ambivalence. And this notion is clearly depicted via the utilization of female characters to show this response. This supposition is claimed on the premise women are traditionally depicted as incapable of making decisive and rational decisions for they are constantly wavering. Being such, the intermediate ending manifests human weakness in the face of the greatness of God. Thus, it does not veer from the closing message of the Gospel but only draws attention to a different facet of the conclusion. 4.0. SHORT ENDING The short ending is controversial. It is seen as Mark’s irony or joke on us (Blount 16). The short ending is consisted of the first eight verses of the last chapter. The authenticity of these verses are not doubted (Parker 125). However, there are few evidences for this ending. These are the Codices Sinaiticus and Vaticanus, a twelfth century commentary on Matthew and Mark, Sinaitic Syriac, one manuscript of the Sahidic, and some Armenian manuscript (Parker 125). The abrupt ending of this conclusion baffles the mind of both the reader and the scholar. Those who study Mark’s Gospel have raised many questions regarding the short ending. This conclusion is controversial because it is the only Gospel without a resurrection story. In effect, it does not have an ending or a closure (Juel 4). It is literally hanging. However, it will be unfair if the conclusion is to be evaluated without looking into the entire gospel. The Gospel shows who Jesus was and what was he doing for humankind (1: 1-13). As one reads along, one all sees how the disciples follow Jesus and how they often falter in following him. Unfortunately, the failure to follow Jesus authentically becomes more pronounced in Mark’s abrupt end When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. 2 Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb 3 and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?  4 But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. 5 As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.6 “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. 7But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you. 8 Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid These verses show that the three women were expecting to find a dead Jesus. That was why there was much talked about who will roll the stone. Moreover, when they were there already, they were astonished to find it was rolled. However, more than that, Jesus was not there. Their response was awe and fear. However, in the midst of their awe and fear when they were asked to do something, they reneged. Despite the fact that Mark left the narrative hanging, he succinctly showed that humankind’s failure does not deter the fact that God is True and Faithful. Human beings will often falter in their following of Christ even to the point that sometimes the resurrection story is relegated in the abyss of nothingness. That is nothing compared to what God is. Is this hope? Maybe. Nevertheless, what is clear is that God remains and that in His faithfulness and glory one sees one’s shame. Technically, the short ending reinforces and heightens the gospel message of Mark. 5.0. MY CHOICE In my modest opinion, I believe that the appropriate ending for Mark’s Gospel is the short ending. This, I maintain, on the following premises. 1. The Gospel of Mark from the beginning until its end shows the consistency, faithfulness and truthfulness of God. This image is juxtaposed to humankind’s continued failure to follow Jesus (Juel 5). In light of this, the abrupt end of the gospel coheres with the entire story. 2. The abrupt ending shows what we feel in the presence of God –awe and fear. Nevertheless, these feelings do not transcribe to response, to action (Lincoln 286). In fact, Mark shows that the fear the women felt is a stultifying fear since they did not do anything. Is it to be evaluated as positive or negative? In my opinion, the women’s omission should not be categorized as good or bad, they were afraid. However, here is where the goodness of God is fully manifested. Verses 6 - 7 is the resurrection story of Mark. In a very casual manner, the story is said – He has risen. Whether we are in awe or in fear or in doubt, none can remove the truth that He raised from the dead. 3. The short ending does not create an illusion. People will not right away change because Christ has risen from the dead. The resurrection story is not for those who are stuck in awe and fear before God. What it asked of us is to act on what is told us ““Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. 7But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you’. This is our hope – He has risen! REFERENCES: Blount, Brian K. “Is the Joke on Us? Mark’s Irony, Mark’s God and Mark’s Ending.” In Beverly Roberts Gaventa and Patrick D. Miller (eds) The Ending of Mark and The Ends of God: Essays in Memory of Donald Harrisville Juel. Louisville, Kentucky: Westminster John Knox Press, 2005. 15 – 32. Bolt, Peter G. “Mark 16: 1-8: The empty Tomb of a Hero?” Tyndale Bulletin 47.1 (May, 1996): 27-37. Dart, John. “Mark’s enigmatic ending: Unfinished Gospel.” Christian Century (April 18 2006): 28 – 32. Johnson, Luke Timothy. The writings of the New Testament: An interpretation. Albans Place, London: SCM Press, 2003. Print. Juel, Donald Harrisville. “A Disquieting Silence: The Matter of the Ending.” .” In Beverly Roberts Gaventa and Patrick D. Miller (eds) The Ending of Mark and The Ends of God: Essays in Memory of Donald Harrisville Juel. Louisville, Kentucky: Westminster John Knox Press, 2005. 1 – 14. Lane, William L. The Gospel According to Mark: The New International Commentary on the New Testament v. 2. London: Wm. B. Erdsman Publishing Company, 1974. Parker, David C. The Living Text of the Gospels. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 1997. Thurston, Bonnie B. “See What You Hear! Mark’s Spirituality of Discernment.” The Bible Today: 19 -23. Read More