tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12279811.post3728956206324685994..comments2024-01-23T22:32:07.088+02:00Comments on Initial Explorations: The Sarcastic Cry - Mark 15:39Seanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15155789202261126090noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12279811.post-3082520255835309782010-02-15T08:57:16.602+02:002010-02-15T08:57:16.602+02:00What then is the significance of the tearing of th...What then is the significance of the tearing of the tearing of the curtain, which I believe is meant to parallel the high priest's tearing of his robe when Christ earlier identified himself as the I AM and the Son of Man? I believe Christ's death cry is meant to be seen as the vindication of his earlier self-identification with the Divine Name. Melito of Sardis stated that when the people did not tear their garments, the Angel (of the Lord, i.e., the Divine Presence indwelling the Temple) tore his. Note that in Matthew the death cry of Christ awakens the death, something only the voice of God uttering his creative Name could do in contemporary Jewish theology. Luke has the centurion recognizing Christ's mammer of death as the proof of his innocence. Is this also to be understood as a cynical remark by the centurion? I believe Luke has a different theological agenda than either Mark or Matthew in which only those who eat and drink with the risen Christ recognize his divine identity. However, he still has the crowd who witnessed Christ's death being overcome with awe and beating their breasts, i.e., even if they don't grasp the true significance of Christ's death, they nevertheless experience an inexplicable sense of religious awe when the hear his death cry. <br /> <br />I wrote my MA thesis in theology from the GTU in Berkeley on this verse.Arvid Nybrotenhttp://aol.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12279811.post-10445385489305108192009-04-19T00:45:00.000+02:002009-04-19T00:45:00.000+02:00R. D. Aus, Samuel, Saul and Jesus: Three Early Pal...R. D. Aus, Samuel, Saul and Jesus: Three Early Palestinian Jewish Christian Gospel Haggadoth (Atlanta: Scholars, 1994), ch. 3<br /><br />I'm entirely convinced you're wrong ;-) It makes no sense of the climax of the theme of Jesus as the son of God and the evidence for the darkening of the skies and the tearing of the curtain as representing God's mourning is quite clear - something of which the centurion in Mark assumes the centurion to have been aware of.<br /><br />By the way I don't think I can comment again. Blogger hates me. I have to set up my blog afresh each time I comment because it never accepts my password. So trying again...stephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10858881710490476607noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12279811.post-76070950995548170472009-04-18T17:51:00.000+02:002009-04-18T17:51:00.000+02:00Hey steph, do you have a reference for the Roger A...Hey steph, do you have a reference for the Roger Aus article? I think that if the words are taken to be a meaningful declaration of the centurion's view of Jesus, that is historically improbable and would then likely be a creation of the author. However, I'm convinced that GMark is a kind of ancient <I>bios</I> and thus, this is intrinsic to the historical narrative. And it makes perfect historical sense <B>if</B> this is the final mock, in a series of mocks strung through Mark's passion narrative, as noted in the post.Seanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15155789202261126090noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12279811.post-52030371168646373532009-04-18T14:24:00.000+02:002009-04-18T14:24:00.000+02:00and there's another one by Roger Aus. Son of man ...and there's another one by Roger Aus. Son of man was a central theme for Mark, from the 'tearing apart' of clouds in 1.11 to the 'tearing apart' of the temple curtain in 15.38. With the darkening of the skies, Mark will have in mind Amos 8.9-10 as a symbol of God's mourning for his son. The tearing of clothes is also a symbol of God's mourning for his son as Roger Aus has demonstrated and Mark has the temple curtain tear, something that would have been reported in other sources if true as the temple curtain was an elaborately embroidered tapestry about 84 feet across according to Josephus. Mark in 15.39 envisaged the crucifixion taking place on the Mount of Olives, from where this centurion could see the outer curtain of the Temple torn in two. He is portrayed as drawing the correct conclusion from three hours’ darkness and the tearing of God’s garment: the dead man must be a son of God.<br /><br />It seems alot of people seem to interpret the words of the centurion as historical. I think they were a creation of Mark and the climax of the preceding symbolism.stephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10858881710490476607noreply@blogger.com