The Last Week
Summer 2007 Bible Study

Chapter 8

"St. Joan of Arc Bible Study is an open and growing group that meets for fellowship and to discuss the Bible and other faith-centered literature. Our informal study group draws from biblical scholarship, historical perspectives, current events and personal reflections. We welcome honor and respect the personal ideas and spiritual journeys of all who join us."

Greetings

The designated facilitator was nervous - it was 6:59 and no one was present beside himself. Promptly at 7:00 the crowd showed up. A group of five delayed 10 minutes by a thunderstorm and traffic required adding more chairs to the circle. The ultimate count was 24, including one newcomer - welcome, Jill. A good turnout for a very difficult chapter, but one that stirred much wide ranging discussion. Who knew how much passion could be aroused by debate over the necessity, or not, of a corporal resurrection versus a mystical resurrection? And who knew who would align themselves on which side, or in between, contrary to previous impressions of their theological and spiritual positions? The labels of traditional, modern, orthodox, and radical had trouble finding their places in tonight's debates.

Here follows Bob's notes...

SAINT JOAN OF ARC SCRIPTURE STUDY
September 18, 2007
Borg & Crossan. The Last Week
Chapter 8, Easter Sunday

I have a fear that after the author(s) finished debunking the "factual" or "historical" interpretation of the Resurrection, we are left with the conclusion that the Easter story is "just" a metaphor, is "just" an allegory, that the story isn't "real".

What I would have preferred is an exposition on myth, mystery, and metaphor. How a myth is not "just" a myth, but is better than historical fact; that when we have suffered and prayed through all these difficult passages, there is an "Ah ha" moment, when we say in our deepest being "I know what God is saying to me. I don't need the crutch of a factual historical account to make me seize the reality that through these stories, God is with us, that through these stories, we become convinced of, and then burn with, the notion that God is within us, that every breath we take is a breath of the Holy Spirit, that every word we speak, every word we hear is somehow the Word of God."

Borg talks about this in Reading the Bible Again for the First Time. The writers of scripture "often mythologized their history (again, for the sake of expressing meaning), while we have tended to literalize their mythology. And when one literalizes metaphor or myth, the result is nonsense. On the other hand, when one recognizes a metaphorical narrative as such, the result is a powerful story." p 48.

However, in defense of the author(s) of The Last Week, some threads of the "truth of the parable" concept do stand out: "Moreover, focusing on the factuality of these stories often misses their more-than-factual meanings" (p192); and "...parable, independently of historical factuality, can be profoundly true" (p 194). So let's give them the benefit of the doubt (or apologize for misreading what they are really saying).

Mark's Story of Easter

His story is brief - only 8 verses. There are no appearance accounts, unlike the other Gospels. The story ends abruptly (a later "Long Ending" was added to fill this seeming omission). The facts stated are two: the women saw the tomb was empty, and an angel told them "He has been raised". It doesn't say that Jesus appeared to anyone; it doesn't say what the risen Jesus looked like; it doesn't tell us that Jesus ascended into heaven.

Question: if Mark were the only Gospel (as it was for a lot of early Christians), what would we believe about Easter, about the Resurrection of Jesus?

Mark's story as parable

Whether or not the resurrection of Jesus is historically factual, the parable "facts" in Mark's account are: The Tomb cannot hold him; Jesus is not to be found in the Land of the Dead; Jesus has been raised; and "You will see him".

Let us take a few moments to reflect on: God calls forth to Jesus (as Jesus did to Lazarus, "Jesus, come forth"). All-powerful Death, which claims every living being, has lost its grip on Jesus. The Life Force of Jesus being so powerful as to explode out of the rock.

The Other Gospels' Stories

I suppose it helps us to understand why Mark did not have appearance stories, but I found this part of the book to be like the Long Ending added to Mark: it's not necessary, but the authors thought we might not "get it" if there wasn't a gloss, a midrash, on Mark's story. To re-frame an earlier question, why did Mark end the story where he did, or why did God inspire him to put the period where he did? Are we all doubting Thomases, who need more of an explanation than "the Tomb is empty"?

Matthew has two appearance stories: The women at the tomb, and on the mountain in Galilee, where Jesus spoke the Great Commission: "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations".

Luke has two appearance stories, also: the Road to Emmaus ("the metaphoric condensation of several years of early Christian thought into one parabolic afternoon." p. 201), and to the Eleven, with a Great Commission and the Easter Sunday Ascension (unlike the Acts Ascension 40 days later).

John has four appearance stories: to Mary Magdalene at the Tomb, to the disciples (except Thomas) in a locked room, to all the disciples including Thomas, and to the seven disciples fishing on the Sea of Galilee.

The common themes of all four Gospels are: 1) Jesus lives. "This is grounded in the experience of Christians throughout the centuries. Not all Christians have had such and experience It is not essential [???] ..some Christians to the present day have experienced Jesus as a living reality. ...The spirit, the presence, his followers knew in him before his death continues to be known." p. 205. 2) God has vindicated, or affirmed Jesus.

Paul and the Resurrection of Jesus

Read together 1 Corinthians 15 for a full understanding of Paul's story of the Resurrection. The term, "Christ has been raised", occurs seven times in this chapter. Paul then reports that after the risen Christ had appeared five times to others, he appeared to Paul. Borg and Crossan say Paul "experienced" the risen Jesus on the road to Damascus, in a private vision. They caution that we should not dismiss these appearances as "just" visions, hallucinatory disturbances: "They can be disclosures of reality", p. 207.

Paul came to believe Jesus is Lord because his experience of the risen Jesus changed his life. He was transformed from a persecutor of Christians to its chief sales rep. This was radical: Paul is saying "Jesus is Lord and you, Caesar, are not".

Finally, Paul makes explicit that the Resurrection is associated with eschatology. Jesus is just the start of the general resurrection. His is the beginning of God's Great Cleanup of an unjust and violent world. Question: Has there been any change? Is the world any more just and peaceful since the time of Jesus? If not, has our faith been misplaced? Or how else do we explain it?

Personal and Political Transformation

Death - Resurrection
Crucifixion - Vindication

This archetypal pattern is the center of Christian life, both personal and political.

Discussion questions:

1. What if we had conclusive proof of the bones of the historical Jesus being found in Jerusalem? How would this change the Easter story of Mark? Of the other Gospels? How would this change our faith in the Resurrection of Jesus?
2. What are our own crucifixion and resurrection stories, parabolically speaking?

Peace,
Bob Beutel
Rik Murray
(612) 872-8694